Fear

Question
Hi, I am just back from a week in Austria. I'm a total beginner and had a great 2 days initially in ski school. On day 3 the baby slope was very icy and I completely freaked. It was downhill, in ever way except the literal, for the next 3 days. I would get up and going but on the only two occasions we moved from the nursery slopes I ended up finshing both blue runs on my bum. The instructor was fantastic and it's only because of him I kept trying but invariably there would come a point where I would just become totally overcome with fear and be crying and trembling so much I couldn't stand up. I'd love to be able to do it, my boyfriend loves it and will want to go from now on. Is there any strategy you could recommend? There is no snow where I am but there is a dry slope that I could go to. We are unlikely to be going again for another year. If I thought it'd help, I would try and go again before then but in reality it's going to be an annual thing for us only.


Answer
Hi Sarah,

I'd like for you to check out a book called "In the Yikes Zone" by Mermer Blakeslee. It is out of print, so you'll pay a good deal for it (on Amazon it is $54), but as the reviews point out, it may be life changing.

Become an in-line skater. Without question, proficient in-line skaters transfer to skiing with little difficulty. Use short skis or even snow-blades to make the transition easier. Ski Carpets can help you learn the movements, but the experience is really not the same as skiing- in line skates will have greater benefit.

Know your comfort zone, and accept that it's OK to be a fair weather skier. Many skiers set trail markings as their objectives, but it's a greater accomplishment to ski a green run well than to merely survive a blue run. If it's icy, go to the spa, take in a movie, go snowshoeing or xc skiing for the day (my wife says "it's OK to find your inner lodge-bunny"). If you have the time and resources, plan a trip to Utah or Colorado- your boyfriend will love it, and you'll experience the "friendly" sort of snow that can make skiing easier.

Invest in ski boots. I know this sounds like I'm getting ahead of the game, but a good pair of boots, properly fitted to your foot(with footbeds)can make a huge difference in your skiing experience. They give greater control with less chance of pain and cramping. Often fear takes over when your wedge or turns seem to be "not working"- and boots are the link from your feet to the skis. They make things work.

I have skied with many fearful skiers, and can tell you that not only is there hope, but that you will get over this- you will be a skier. My favorite client began terrified; crying at the very thought of movement (it was unimaginable to think of riding a chairlift), and yet with slow and deliberate steps she has become an "expert" skier- in just three years. Her strategy has always been to progress at her own pace, end the day when she was done (regardless of the time), and to begin each lesson with a review of what we already know, do, and want to do.

It sounds like your previous instructor was excellent- seek out instructors for future lessons that are level III certified (they have a greater range of tools for helping you grow), but also who list patience, empathy, and (this is important) technical aptitude on their list of virtues. This is important because fearful skiers don't do well with zen-teaching. You want to know that something is going to work because there is a science behind it, not just the "harmony of nature and unity of forces". Even if you don't want to know the science, you'll want to know that the instructor knows the hows and whys of each tactic and solution presented.

Lastly, remember that skiing is about tactics as much as technique. Play close attention to how we approach and read a slope, instead of simply going down it. If you know how to interpret and use the terrain variations, the runs are far more approachable.

The idea is to have fun; to experience the exhilaration and flow only skiing imparts, without abandoning safety and security- it's not about the trail rating.

I hope this helps, and that you find your inner skier.

Ron