Why do I never get any better at skiing

[Bloatedas]

As someone who is fit and sporty in other ways this has been the greatest frustration to me.

I have been skiing maybe 10 times over 20 years. Had countless group and individual lessons. I never progress from a very basic parallel that immediately turns back to a plough the moment it gets tricky. I can’t ski above an easy blue.

Im actually now getting worse. Look like a total beginner. The rest of my family are all amazing now and can tackle even the hardest blacks.

Im so demoralised.

Has anyone been like this and found a magic solution? Or do I just give up? I’m not one to sit in the spa so please don’t suggest that as an alternative as I would hate it! I love being out on the mountains and feeling physical effort. I just can’t ski!

Have you tried wilderness skiing? I don't mean the cross country in the grooves, I mean the wider wilderness skis with skins. It is brilliant. You certainly ache after a Day out in them but at the time movement feels natural and easy, you just glide up hills. I am not a downhill skiing fan but I would happily spend all day on wilderness skis exploring. My DH is a very competent downhill skier but falls over every 5 seconds on wilderness skis.

It's an alternative to think about.

Oh, I’m similar.

I just accepted my fate and instead snow shoe or do skinning. I can do up to an easy blue and I’m fine with that.

Is it a fear thing when it comes to the parallel going to a plough?

That sounds frustrating. Are you putting your weight on the downhill ski when you turn? That puts you in control and makes the steeper pistes far more controlled. Also a bit of self belief helps. Maybe you're better than you give yourself credit for?

Sounds like you’re scared!

Maybe hypnosis would help you? If you’ve got the skills?? My friend has been going for years but is slow and falls all the time. She’s scared. As soon as she picks up any speed she puts the brakes on.

Is it fear of being out of control? I was frightened of heights, fearful of not being able to stop and had additional fear of being out of control.
I tried RTT - Rapid Transformational Therapy - and it worked fantastically well. I’ll try and find a link.
I don’t think ski touring is an alternative as given above as it’s all off-piste and if you are fearful on piste, off-piste is more tricky.
I’m on my 7th or 8th full season in Chamonix now and if it wasn’t for RTT I wouldn’t have gotten through my first.

If you have only been 10 times in 20 years, presumably for a week each time, you just haven’t been enough times or frequently enough to reinforce your previous learning. It’s a normal problem for your once a year British skier. There’s also an intermediate plateau that happens after a few holidays where you seem stuck. Ideally you would go more than once a year, essentially you just need more practice like any learnt skill. Lessons in small classes or one to one can help. You will slowly improve anyway but it is frustrating. Or you can just enjoy cruising the blues and enjoying the mountains.

@Bloatedas are you going to artifical slopes in UK before each holiday for lessons? Like I take my kids up the chill factor in the Trafford.

Many British people learn as adults and then ski for only 5 or 6 days a year. This compares with Europeans living in or near the ski resorts who will start at 6 and ski for at least two full weeks a year, plus weekends during the season. The differences are enormous.

Skiing is about balance and rhythm. Are you good at ice skating? Dancing? Riding? Or are your sports more running and swimming which do not require much balance.. If you are relatively fit you can usually get by on a blue or even a wide red even if your technique is poor but sadly you will not get much better…

If you enjoy skiiing just go to resorts with lots of wide blue runs….

Are you sure you aren't just being too hard on yourself? I think it helps to reduce expectations on yourself. If you think about it too much you get frustrated and it all falls to bits.

As others have said, most British skiers get a week per year and, add in the fact you're learning as an adult, I think it's beyond the reach of the majority of us to get to that effortless, elegant skiing down any terrain. I thought I was fairly decent until my kids arrived and now my 15 year old (who started when he was 5) skis effortlessly in a way I will never, ever achieve because kids learning when they are young have such a massive advantage over adults given they have zero fear and have young bones!

I don’t think the “oh you only go once a year what do,you expect” argument is true.

most uk people only ski once a year but can ski more than an easy blue after ten years! I learnt as an adult and was definitely skiing easy reds my second or third year skiing. I wouldn’t say I’m fit or sporty either nor am I brave!

OP either stick to blues or try snowboarding? Or have weekly lessons at a snowdome?

That's a good point actually. I missed the bit about blue runs. I do still think it's difficult to get to expert level with one ski week a year but, despite that, I can still get down anything (I just don't do black runs with the same skill as my child and there is a lot of cursing from me when faced with moguls but I can do them averagely)

My husband only learnt a few years ago. The first few years, i could spot him a mile off because he was rigid with a look of grim determination. It wasn't until he relaxed that it all clicked into place for him. He still won't ski blacks and prefers cruisy blues with plenty coffee stops but that's totally fine because you do what you enjoy. You dont need to be able to ski blacks to enjoy a ski holiday. I'd definitely get a bunch of lessons in the UK if you're close to a snowdome or dry slope then it'll reduce the pressure when you get to the Alps.

Why don't you do ski school when you're skiing in resort? DH and I did this last year when the kids were in ski school and we did improve (we're intermediate, can do reds and some blacks, and still learnt a lot and improved technique). It's only 2 hours a day so still plenty of time to ski on your own/with your group and it should mean you do improve.

I'd also recommend Carv; little sensors which go on your boots and a voice in your ear coaches you (if you want) on every turn. I find it brilliant for identifying the small things which make a huge difference. Eg for me it helped me identify why I was losing so much grip on steeper slopes.
My skiing is more established, but I've heard that beginners all the way up find it fantastic too.

Ooooh, I keep thinking about this. Ive seen places that rent the sensors and app subscription on weekly basis. I've never been able to justify the full cost with only one week skiing a year. Do they work with regular Bluetooth headphones?

Carv is great, but I also recommend a private lesson with an experienced coach who (assuming you are a woman here) is a woman and so understands the differences that a woman’s physique brings to skiing technique. I would do a lesson on day 1 and a second lesson on day 3, so you have a chance to practice the skills taught and then refresh. Also practice on easy slopes until you have the technique locked in. Its hard to practice technique when you are scared shitless as you feel you are going too fast and there is a cliff edge 6ft away

Dh skis a lot better than me, blacks, off piste, etc. he learnt as a grown up but he’s been skiing 15 years longer than me and is braver and fitter! I have skied the odd black but avoid them. I’m slow and happier on blues and reds.

i tend to book a group lesson every year. I won’t ski with dh much. I feel more confident being with an instructor and others at my level. So dh can ski hard in the morning with friends. We meet for lunch. I will do a few runs with dh and friends after lunch, declare I’m knackered and go and read a book back at the chalet 😁👍

Do you get lessons?
I was stuck but progressed a bit on a ladies only ski trip through Pilaski. There wasn’t coaching as such but guided skiing, but you would need to be able to attempt reds to enjoy it.
I have heard great things about the coaching on Ski Goddess trips. Again female only. I have never had the funds as it’s pricey but would definitely push you in I think.
Do you enjoy the skiing you do ?

There is the intermediate plateau, so could be that you just need to persevere and something will click. For me it just took one comment from an instructor so I would persevere with lessons.

Skiing is a bit of a mental thing though. The more scared you get, the tenser you become and you start to lean back and do the opposite of what you need to and then it becomes a bit of a vicious cycle.

I found skiing with music helpful at one point but also telling myself to “commit to the hill” and leaning forward down the hill.

They do worth with Bluetooth earbuds yes. I actually use it with Bluetooth hearing aids which work on the same principle, but may people prefer cheap wired ear buds as the worry they'll lose wireless ones.

Honestly it sounds like you need to relax. Tension and stress can cause sharp decisions and create an inability to progress. There is a reason you see little kids without poles bombing down a hill - no fear. Skiing isn’t about being technically awesome but enjoying doing it and your surroundings.

Stop snowplowing if you can help it. It’s a crutch for beginners - trust yourself (this shouldn’t be In achievable on a blue) to turn out of the issue.

Whistling or humming helps you to relax.

I love the last recommendation - to sing or hum! I have been exploring the power of singing for so many things!! It interrupts messages to your brain and floods your body with happy relaxed hormones!!

Maybe try out some great skis!! I recently swapped my old skis for a pair of secondhand Black Crows and the difference is phenomenal, they are light and much easier to work on the snow, they are probably a little shorter than recommended..not sure. When I know the edges are sharp, I trust that I can grip on ice and turn well.

I also speak to myself.. 'my legs are strong, my skis are great, the conditions are good'.

And I practice.. even on the easy slopes, to turn well, get a bit of speed, let my skis glide, short turns, long turns, push down on one ski, lift the other off the snow. I have done a bit of cross country skiing which improved my posture and ability to relax my body so I no longer ski with every muscle.

Make sure you do loads of ski fit exercises before you go so your legs are really strong.

Then get an Austrian ski instructor. I don't know why but they are the best.

Relax, take your time and stop to enjoy the views. Putting pressure on yourself will not help your skiing ability.

Good luck

You could try switching to snow boarding. It took me about 10 years and a whole season in resort to do black runs on skis and I still felt unsure. I switched to snowboarding and progress was much quicker. A group of 5 of us all switched at the same time and after 15 years none have gone back to skis.

I used to have lessons/joined an all year round group at the dry slopes when I was serious about being able to ski well and enjoy it. It made a phenomenal difference. I was super fit and hated the fact I wasn’t far off looking like Bridget Jones every winter.

First skiing holiday was in my late 20s, I had two horses and evented, rowed on a team, good balance, very fit. I hated not being able to ski well. After my second holiday I started going to the dry slopes once a week, never looked back.