Ski School: What You Can Expect when Learning to Ski This Winter

Unless you’re particularly adventurous (or a tad bit suicidal), the only place to learn how to ski properly is in an organized class of beginning skiers: fellow neophytes who’ve been coerced into sliding down a mountain of glare ice by their significant others, extolling, “It’ll be fun… you’ll have a great time,” while they’re out pummeling their frat brothers between Volkswagen-sized moguls. 

The First Day...
During your first day of ski school, you’ll not only learn which sides of the skis go up, you’ll have an opportunity to meet other men and women from all walks of life who, too, have swapped their only two weeks of vacation, relaxing on a beach with the kids, for an opportunity to stand in a puddle of slush in the middle of December.

One of the first things your instructor will do is introduce himself to you and give everyone in the class an opportunity to do the same. Starting off at the end is Nandakishor. Then there’s Charulekha, Dvir, Nitzan, Laake, Sabat, Velvel, Yolanda, Orielle, followed by Esra, Tsidhqiyah, Yehudah and finally Marie-Felicienne, Kareem and Bill. Fine, now that we're all acquainted, let’s talk about the equipment. 

Renting your ski equipment...
In the “old days”, you’d be fitted for skis by raising your arm above your head while the rental shop technician leaned a pair of beat up hickory skis against your hand. If you could touch the tip of the skis, they were too short and he’d return with a longer pair. Today, you’ll start out with skis that barely come to your waist. The idea being that the shorter the skis, the faster you’ll begin to enjoy yourself and less likely you’ll get into a knock-down, drag-out fight with your husband, pack your bags and fly home, alone.