How long does it take to learn to ski/snowboard

[TheHodgeHeg]

I'm going on a ski holiday at the end of February but have never skied before.

My FIL and BIL will be skiing and DH will be boarding so I can pick whichever I like although would prefer to board with DH.

I've got six half hour sessions at a dry slope planned (like a carpet treadmill). Do you think this would be enough to get the basics? I could possibly double the number of sessions and just spend a couple of hours at the dry slope each weekend (the way they do it a half hour session lasts an hour with ten mins on ten mins off three times).

I'd ideally want to take a private lesson on the first morning of the holiday and then I'd hope to be able to do some easy runs by myself.

I guess it's a how long is a piece of string question really but it'd be nice to hear your opinions.

A couple if skiing tips not to do with the actual skiing - try different boots if yours aren't comfy enough, even in the same size. They won't be perfect, but if you're hiring, some can be particularly horrendous.

Also, take blister plasters to cover any issues from aforementioned boots!

I’ve only ever boarded and learned as an adult as my DH also boarded. I’d definite recommend a week of lessons as I was miserable the first couple of times we went as my DH and his mates were all accomplished.

I think that first week on a board is harder than skiing but I think it’s easier to then progress after that. It’s easier to get down harder slopes on a board as you can always revert to falling leaf or slide slipping if you get stuck. You can’t do that with skis.

I tried on my mates skis for a couple of runs once and hated the sensation of having my feet separate as the skis kept crossing and felt like I was going to twist my knees! I’ve known loads more people get injured through skiing than boarding, particularly knee injuries like ACL.

Also as someone else said snowboard boots are way more comfy than ski boots! My son skied until he was 11 and then picked up boarding ridiculously easily .. he now switches between the 2 dependent on conditions. He likes to go fast on his skis but says that snowboarding is more fun. Whatever you choose, have fun. Ski holidays are the best ever.

Oh and nothing on earth can match the feeling of fresh powder under your board. It is utterly joyful .. feels like floating on little fluffy clouds. I’ve been known to go down a slope smiling and giggling as it is so much fun.

Had fun snowboarding yesterday although, my god, it's hard work. Much harder than skiing and my muscles are sore today. The instructor said I was above average for a beginner which is the first time I've ever been told that for anything physical! I think I'm going to persevere with snowboarding . Plus fewer people snowboard at the dry slope here so we're more likely to get a private lesson (as we did yesterday).

I learnt more in a two hour private lesson than in a week of ski school and would highly recommend as many private lessons as you can afford.

The fit of ski boots is really really important. Ask your instructor what they should feel like on your feet and the skis. Keep trying different ones until you find the right pair.

And ski within your comfort zone if you want to. Its meant to be fun, not an ordeal.
I've been skiing for 15 years (off and on) and I still don't make myself take drag lifts or do black runs!

For me it would depend on whether it's going to be a regular holiday. Ive tried both and snowboarding was much harder, with slower progress. Most people I know picked up skiing enough in a couple of days to be able to tackle blue runs on their own. Even my ids could go on Blues by day 3 and took on reds by the end of the week. If it's a one off holiday you'll get much more out of it if skiing. You may find after a couple of days of lessons that you decide to go off on your own. We were fine on easy red runs after 3 days, as were many of our group. Esp if skiing all day.

I'm not sure snowboarding is the same. It's an expensive holiday to spend it stuck on the nursery slopes!

Ids= kids!

I recently went skiing/boarding for the first time. Like a previous poster said, skiing is easier (at least for me!) as it’s more structured. I guess it depends on the person tbh. My OH is a dare devil and prefers showing off boarding

Hi, Not quite sure how to explain this - my yr10 child with no sen, light framed and sporty eg doing gcse sport so athletic cannot seem to learn to ski. Specifically on their second lesson the coach said my child just cannot seem to move his feet inward at all in order to turn the skis. I am quite worried now because my child is looking forward to the school ski trip and its obviously going to be no fun if they cant ski even at a very basic level. Any thoughts? Ideas?