It’s DUMPING snow outside my office window right now, and my snow tires are in the garage at home awaiting installation. Uh oh! I should have escalated the importance of that task when I heard the forecast yesterday, but I was thinking more about sliding down the mountain on my snowboard than driving home from work. Winter is here – let’s embrace it with enthusiasm! Think of a person in your life or in the news whose negativity and/or nastiness drives you mad. I’d like to start a program for mean people in which they’re required to take three days of beginner snowboard lessons. It’s an experience that brings humility, fear, and frustration, but these are followed by excitement, accomplishment and pure childlike joy. I think we could convert some pessimistic naysayers into more useful members of society in less than a week here in Steamboat, Colorado! [caption id="attachment_4585" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Learn to Ski in Steamboat[/caption] I also highly recommend snow sliding for nice people! There’s absolutely nothing like the freedom and ease of gliding downhill in the fresh cold winter air with friends friends-to-be, and then hanging together on the chairlift for the ride up to do it again. And then there are the après beverages, the hot tubs and the cold winter evenings by the fire. Magic! So, are you ready to learn to ski or snowboard? I spoke to a friend who is a seasoned ski instructor and asked him what advice he’d give to an adult contemplating taking up snow sports. George says you’ll need:
  • Patience
  • Hydration and sunscreen
  • Good fitting equipment – and only one pair of socks
  • A sense of humor
  • Good physical fitness
  • Some more patience
Once you’ve figured out the basics with an instructor, you can break out on your own or continue your studies at a higher level. I have another friend, Annie the Intermediate, who visits once a year and always takes group ski lessons, but she does it more for the confidence-building and the cameraderie than the actual tuition. Annie says that lessons are also a good place to meet new drinking buddies. And Cathy (not her real name…) has figured out that there are many young hotties doing seasons as snowboard instructors, and she always appreciates learning something new! [caption id="attachment_4593" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A well earned dip in the heated outdoor pool at the Steamboat Grand![/caption] Are you motivated yet? The snow is here, and the lifts will start running here in Steamboat in just 26 hours 46 minutes 16 seconds. Just do it!
  • Ski Independence has some great 3-day Learn-to-Ski/Learn-to-ride program for adults, including all your tuition, lift ticket and rentals.
  • For kids, all children aged 5 and under get FREE lift tickets all season and we have wide range of Kids Snow School Programmes available from 1 to 5 days.
Contact one of the team by phone on 0131 243 8097 for further details or request a tailor-made quotation by email. Can you think of  any more tips to share with anyone thinking of learning snow sports for the first time?
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