2016 Ski Season

Last year, my son and I started taking ski lessons. These lessons are offered for homeschoolers but we have also met public school children. The lessons happens on Sunday mornings, so it really is an accessible time for everybody. One must be at least seven to start.

Mom and son on the ski slopes

My son and I at Ober Gatlinburg in February 2016

We were both beginners last year. I had been on skis twice before, but without much success. So I really was a beginner as well. This year, we are taking intermediate classes. Riding the chair lift was really scary for me in the beginning, especially when it gets really high in places. 

But practice makes perfect. This year, I no longer feel a panic. Just an amazement that I am actually on that chair again and not feeling terrified.

Skiing is fun. My son falls here and there, but gets up and keeps going. I don’t fall because I somehow got the hang of it and when I feel I am gaining too much speed I slow down. The trick is to always stay in control.

I don’t think we are ready for advanced lessons next year though. The intermediate lessons have been a bit of a disappointment this year. One teacher was too vague, the other too meticulous. I got some more information on technique, but what helped more than anything was to practice what I was taught.

We ski at Ober Gatlinburg, the only ski resort in Tennessee. It is what they call “Southern skiing.” Translation: the terrain changes from slushy to ice from day to day. Most of the snow is man-made and they say this is the best preparation for skiing out West.

We are not yet ready to ski in Colorado, Utah or California. But we are slowly getting there. And they say Ober prepares you for this quite well. So we are on our way…

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