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Terry
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Properly fitted boots and as short a ski as you can rent for her. On dead flat start skating around a figure 8. Use terrain to go to a stop across the fall line. Sign her up for a lesson.
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
Instructor
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Nov 12, 2015
Posts
7,219
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Sierra & Wasatch
Spend a lot of time, more than you would think developing stance sliding in a straight run on the flattest terrain you can find. The extra time spent here will pay dividends later on when things get more complicated.
 

Brian Finch

Privateer Skier @ www.SkiWithaGrimRipper.com
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Nov 17, 2015
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Vermont
The basics....Go that way real fast, if something gets in your way, turn.

& wear this-
85D05E65-F318-4AA6-8D5E-6D2DAC02C54D.jpeg
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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Reno
Don't forget that many of us were "taught" by well meaning friends/boyfriends, etc....
We survived.
I would still encourage her to get a proper lesson at some point but if you show her the love of the sport. you and the beginner wins.

Have fun!
 

lisamamot

Lisa MA MOT
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Feb 6, 2019
Posts
513
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MA and ME
My daughter is very athletic and her first day on skis was when she was 12; I took her for a lesson at a local hill and they transferred her out of the never-ever group she was in nearly immediately. By the middle of the lesson they said she was ready for the lift and put her in yet another group. She took another group lesson at a mountain, but frankly they never focused on her and the only feedback she got was “you are a good skier!” She got such a negative taste for lessons and it was quite a waste of money - I even stressed with them when I signed her up that she was new to it, but quite good and I detailed her abilities. They didn’t listen. I then put her in a couple privates which were much more helpful; after that she skied by watching others and turned into a lovely skier. Growing up, I was taught by my dad and then by watching others, and survived just fine.

I have been wondering if you took her @crabjoe and how it went!
 

scott43

So much better than a pro
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Nov 12, 2015
Posts
13,552
Location
Great White North
My daughter is very athletic and her first day on skis was when she was 12; I took her for a lesson at a local hill and they transferred her out of the never-ever group she was in nearly immediately. By the middle of the lesson they said she was ready for the lift and put her in yet another group. She took another group lesson at a mountain, but frankly they never focused on her and the only feedback she got was “you are a good skier!” She got such a negative taste for lessons and it was quite a waste of money - I even stressed with them when I signed her up that she was new to it, but quite good and I detailed her abilities. They didn’t listen. I then put her in a couple privates which were much more helpful; after that she skied by watching others and turned into a lovely skier. Growing up, I was taught by my dad and then by watching others, and survived just fine.

I have been wondering if you took her @crabjoe and how it went!
To be fair, and nothing against you personally, but people who instruct anything probably hear "My kid's a hero.." fairly often and it's probably not that accurate.. ogsmile
 

trailtrimmer

Stuck in the Flatlands
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Oct 18, 2016
Posts
1,110
Location
Michigan
Prep her for her first lift ride before you even go. Let her know that everyone falls loading or unloading at least once when learning, you tube up some old warren miller footage and show her that it's beyond common and not to let it phase her. Some newbies get discouraged by the chair and and get embarrassed, head it off at the pass, make it a rite of passage and something to laugh at.
 

lisamamot

Lisa MA MOT
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To be fair, and nothing against you personally, but people who instruct anything probably hear "My kid's a hero.." fairly often and it's probably not that accurate.. ogsmile
Of course they do and I get why the ski school didn’t listen. That puts some parents in a difficult position though - perhaps I should have brought letters of recommendation from previous instructors or video as evidence, lol. That said, I would have been fine with where they placed her if she received attention and feedback. Group lessons can be tough and a stronger skier can get lost in the shuffle. I certainly don’t want to hijack the thread - I was trying to convey to the OP that lessons aren’t the only answer to getting an athletic teen started.
 

cantunamunch

Meh
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Nov 17, 2015
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Behavioral sink
Prep her for her first lift ride before you even go. Let her know that everyone falls loading or unloading at least once when learning, you tube up some old warren miller footage and show her that it's beyond common and not to let it phase her. Some newbies get discouraged by the chair and and get embarrassed, head it off at the pass, make it a rite of passage and something to laugh at.

They have both a magic carpet and a pull tow at Roundtop, she can play with those as well.
 

SpauldingSmails

Uh oh, somebody's wrong on the internet again!
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Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Posts
67
Location
Utah
To be fair, and nothing against you personally, but people who instruct anything probably hear "My kid's a hero.." fairly often and it's probably not that accurate.. ogsmile
Ha! I'm not an instructor but have kids and hear that bit about how other people's kids can ski blues and blacks, but then on the greens they do the starfish (giant wedge sitting back hands in the air). Having been on blues and blacks is not the same as able to ski blues and blacks.
 

zz28zz

Putting on skis
Skier
Joined
Jan 25, 2020
Posts
109
Location
USA
I would tell her she takes a 1/2 day lesson the first day or forget the whole thing. Tell her it's for your benefit. You need some "me time" with the mountain and knowing she'll be safe in school will allow you to do that. Moves to focus from her "not needing" lessons to your needs.ogwink
 

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
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Dec 6, 2015
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4,229
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Ontario Canada
Honestly, it really depends how comfortable you are in instructing what you know if you are going to consider it. The second but most important is how comfortable you are with her listening to your instructions.

If she’s willing, you’ll have a great time (so will she) and who knows it might want you to become an instructor, if not (because she’s un-manageable and does what she wants) insist a 1/2 day is required at minimum.

This is your out because while you’ve offered it’s your rules or the highway. Don’t get suckered by the baby blues and let her dictate the rules. If she insists well I’d say “Too bad, so sad, sucks to be you because you’ve just un-invited yourself, you don’t want to listen, you don’t take spoiled brats skiing”!

All this said, I’ve done this with a few kids (and adults) over the years (parents had to come and wait in chalet if they didn’t ski, just in case they acted up and got returned :ogbiggrin: after the first run).

It is the best thing watching them get addicted to skiing, and knowing you’re the one that got them started.

BTW I’ve only had one adult not listen and try to tell me how to instruct, let her collide with every non living object on the baby hill (best thing ever, black and blue after 6 runs, still didn’t learn to listen though stopped complaining and doesn’t ski). Should have known better, as she knows everything and has no problem telling you. Doesn’t have a license (because nobody’s willing to teach her because she won’t listen) yet tells you how to drive. Even that only got stopped permanently after pulling over and explaining get out or shut up middle of no where about 10 miles from the nearest house. Also explained she was pushing me to a homicidal rage and the next stop won’t be to let her walk :geek:;). She’s been quiet ever since when she’s in my car. Inlaws:doh:.
 

FlyingAce

Out on the slopes
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Joined
Dec 22, 2019
Posts
472
Location
Taos, NM
Ha! I'm not an instructor but have kids and hear that bit about how other people's kids can ski blues and blacks, but then on the greens they do the starfish (giant wedge sitting back hands in the air). Having been on blues and blacks is not the same as able to ski blues and blacks.

It’s not just kids! I know lots of adults who claim they are advanced level because they slide around blues/blacks, but they are still wedging. The same adults also claim they love to carve when their skis’s edges have not touched snow yet...
 

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