To not understand the snobbery around skiing?

[Cappuccinowithonesugarplease]

An actual conversation I overheard:

"Virtually anyone can afford to go skiing these days"

Do people really still think like this in 2024? It just seems so classist....

And if you’re a family of four there is a MASSIVE difference between being able to afford to pay for one person only.

Skiing isn’t all inclusive either. There are additional costs on top. Plus you probably need to pay for some beginner lessons when you go

so waaaay more expensive

Beside the point but I learned as an adult and know plenty of people who did.

As a young adult (no kids) is the most affordable and fun time to go.

Can't afford to go with the kids now though sadly as for a few years I lived for skiing :-(

I think even if skiing is comparable price wise to an all inclusive beach type holiday....the difference is rich people can afford multiple holidays per year therefore doing something like skiing which is active rather than a drop and flop holiday is more appealing as you know you'll probably have a couple of other types of holiday that year anyway. Whereas if you're just a average person with capacity for one holiday a year, its probably not the ideal type of holiday

When ive looked at it before its about £5k with no food or drink, for a week in france (flying), 2 adults and 2 kids.

That's a lot for an activity that you're not sure your children will enjoy (even if they've had lessons in the uk it's not quite the same as doing it every day for 6 days) and that is quite weather dependent.

Our main summer holiday for 10 days all inclusive in a 4 star place is only slightly more than that.

I'd be interested to know how it compares, cost wise, with a trip to Disney in Florida. Or even Paris.

Every time I baulk at the price of a lift pass, I always remind myself that it's essentially the cost of entry to a massive theme park, and access to use all its facilities. Can you get into Disney for €50 a day? And hotels/food there are presumably way more than they are for skiing?

Working on the assumption that Disney costs more, it's interesting that it has none of the snobbery aimed at it that skiing has. And whilst SOME skiers go every year, SOME people also go to Disney multiple times. But without the same raised eyebrows!

We are skiing New Year week for £6k all in (apart from lunch) for a family of 4 (Inc lessons for the kids), so it's most definitely doable for under 10K!

I do know some people who learned as adults but they either married someone who loved it and grew up skiing or had a crowd of friends who loved it and grew up skiing. It's just a pretty intimidating thing to do if you haven't done it as a child and don't know what you're doing or where to go.

Agree that skiiing isn’t cheap but we have routinely done half term week for the last few years for £3k ish for a week so £10k is way off the mark, although you can easily spend that if you wanted.
we stay in small family hotels in Italy or Austria as France tends to be more expensive.

I think the thing with skiing is that is generally just one of several holidays people have per year.

So some people might go for a week at AI in the summer, but have no other holidays. Lots cant afford AI in school holidays either! Almost no one does skiing as their main holiday. And if they could afford to go skiing , their summer holiday isn't going to be a week at butlins!

I live in a MC area, I'd say at least half the class in my DC year go skiing at February half term, but they would go somewhere at Easter or May half term, and summer as well. The town is noticeably deserted.

If you're from the UK yes some snobbery involved
It's spenny and hard to know where to go and all the particulars if you're a beginner
If you're from Europe or USA not much snobbery.
I've been to Bulgaria skiing, it was fun and dirt cheap. Lots of drunk instructors smoking on the skii lifts and could afford one on one lessons. Saw lots of Putin "merch" too I assume for tourists. This was was precovid

My DB goes skiing. We certainly didn’t go as children and I’ve never fancied it myself.

Well it’s the same with all kinds of holidays isn’t it? You’re saying you wouldn’t stay 5* on your AI holiday, so clearly you can see there are levels of affordability. It’s the same with skiing - some resorts and accommodation is very expensive, some is much less expensive.

Still not sure I get your comment though, you do seem to be assuming everyone can afford your type of holiday and it’s just the snobs that can afford ski holidays. I’m pretty sure it’s not the case.

Intimidating is a good word. If you've never been as a child, it's hard to work out the options of ski passes, lessons options, plus all the clothing and protective kit hire or purchase options.

Only fairly recently has skiiing become something that a more average family would consider or could afford.
If you don't have family who've been and know the etiquette it can be daunting
If you have one holiday a year you might prefer guaranteed sun in the summer.
When I was at school the ski trip was for a handful of well off families.
My daughter and son went with school and it cost an arm and a leg. Definitely a considered extra.
I didn't learn as a child, I don't feel like I can learn now and would be out of my comfort zone.
Etc etc, it's really worrying when people don't grasp why some things that are exclusive even for some families who might have the money to go once.

I don't think it's posh, or elite or any more expensive than an AI somewhere but people would rather go AI to the Caribbean or Disney or Dubai than skiing. It has an image of being posh because the Royals do it, the wealthy do it but so can Joe Bloggs down the road. My friends do it and they're not wealthy, they're your average Joe.

Different people have different preferences to a holiday. For me I'd choose skiing over Disney or an AI for two weeks. I'd get bored stiff sat by a pool for longer than a day, I need to be doing something. I'd rather be in the mountains than on a beach anyway.

I went when I was 10 and would love to go again.

I have never been skiing as I grew in a fairly low income family - holidays were few days Norfolk or Wales, or staying with family.

these days I have the money, but I don't like being cold or falling over - so why would I spend money on a holiday that seems to involve both of those things? (Also I secretly think everyone there will be awful)

The other thing, thinking about it, that I would add to this is that it gets more fun the more you do it and the better that you are. It's not especially fun to do as a one off.

So that's another way it self selects for multi generational wealth - most skiers have been able to afford to do it multiple times in their childhood, and their parents did it often enough in their childhood too etc etc

Definitely this. If you live near a dry slope, indoor snow place or actual ski resort in Scotland its pretty cheap to learn. Going abroad skiing is costly but can be cheaper if you self cater, avoid the French alps and drive. I do know families that only go skiing on holiday and don't take a summer holiday for various reasons.

I agree. For many years we could only afford to go away once a year.
A holiday in the Med was a far more enticing option than a week's skiing.

I eventually did get to try skiing one afternoon when we did a winter holiday to Lapland. I'm glad that I didn't have a whole week of it.

When people say that they’re usually being racist. More and more wealthy people Indian and Nigerian origin are going skiing now.

Yep, it's usually one of three or four trips because they just fancy a few days away at half term. £10k later...

That's exactly my worry, what if I don't like it - what else is there to do?

I went on my first package beach holiday at 19, it was a cheap and cheerful package to Kos. I worked out quickly I am not a "lounge on the beach and have cocktails in the hotel bar" person. But it is easy on the Greek Islands to find other stuff to do - which I did.

I went to Disneyland Paris for 5 nights last May for 3 of us; including flights and hotel and tickets it was £1800. Then another £400ish for food.

Mumsnet is awash with snobbery about Disney!

DH got into it as an adult. He started taking DS from about the age of 7 and they learnt together. They still ski every February and DS is 29 and married!

I went once before I got married. I hated it and should have known as I don't especially like looking down from the top of an escalator! And no I don't just want Apres, I prefer the sun - frankly I'd rather hoover!

State school does not equate to poor parents.

This would be me. I go into a cold sweat thinking about it. We've had lots of invites from DH family to join them but simply can't afford it. An ex boss would go annually and loved telling us about it, mainly the wine drinking. I would always scratch my head at that. Wine and ski, what a combination!