Can adults learn to ski?

[Anonymous]

DH and I learned in our 40s when we started taking our kids. We aren’t great skiers but we have fun, especially at places with nice long runs like Beaver Creek, etc.

I do worry a little about knee injuries but people who have skied their entire lives can tear their ACL skiing. It’s more of a skiing hazard generally than learning later as an adult.

[Anonymous]

If you really want to learn to ski, OP, I would not do it on local hills. Or even New England. I know it's expensive, but I would do a trip to a Utah or Colorado resort. Better snow, and the impact of skiing straight for 5 days can't be overestimated.

I learned at 40 - had never been on skis before. I took one group lesson at Wintergreen, and it was a disaster. I then went out west on a group family trip, and took lessons for 5 days in Utah. Mostly group, one or two private, and then skied on my own. At the end of it, I made my way (slowly) down the easiest blue hill at the ski resort. I now am comfortable on basically any blue hill in Utah, and a handful of blacks. We do at least one long trip a year. I am never going to be a great skier, but I have a lot of fun, and can hold my own as long as I stay on the right slopes.

If you can afford it, it's definitely the best way to learn. I would choose either a smaller less crowded resort (such as Solitude, where I learned) or a higher end resort like Deer Valley. I'm sure there are similar places in Colorado that others can recommend. Wait a year or two to ski at Park City, Alta, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you really want to learn to ski, OP, I would not do it on local hills. Or even New England. I know it's expensive, but I would do a trip to a Utah or Colorado resort. Better snow, and the impact of skiing straight for 5 days can't be overestimated.

I learned at 40 - had never been on skis before. I took one group lesson at Wintergreen, and it was a disaster. I then went out west on a group family trip, and took lessons for 5 days in Utah. Mostly group, one or two private, and then skied on my own. At the end of it, I made my way (slowly) down the easiest blue hill at the ski resort. I now am comfortable on basically any blue hill in Utah, and a handful of blacks. We do at least one long trip a year. I am never going to be a great skier, but I have a lot of fun, and can hold my own as long as I stay on the right slopes.

If you can afford it, it's definitely the best way to learn. I would choose either a smaller less crowded resort (such as Solitude, where I learned) or a higher end resort like Deer Valley. I'm sure there are similar places in Colorado that others can recommend. Wait a year or two to ski at Park City, Alta, etc.

I haven't been to Solitude in a few years but I think it gets pretty crowded now since it is the only Utah mountain on the Ikon base pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you really want to learn to ski, OP, I would not do it on local hills. Or even New England. I know it's expensive, but I would do a trip to a Utah or Colorado resort. Better snow, and the impact of skiing straight for 5 days can't be overestimated.

I learned at 40 - had never been on skis before. I took one group lesson at Wintergreen, and it was a disaster. I then went out west on a group family trip, and took lessons for 5 days in Utah. Mostly group, one or two private, and then skied on my own. At the end of it, I made my way (slowly) down the easiest blue hill at the ski resort. I now am comfortable on basically any blue hill in Utah, and a handful of blacks. We do at least one long trip a year. I am never going to be a great skier, but I have a lot of fun, and can hold my own as long as I stay on the right slopes.

If you can afford it, it's definitely the best way to learn. I would choose either a smaller less crowded resort (such as Solitude, where I learned) or a higher end resort like Deer Valley. I'm sure there are similar places in Colorado that others can recommend. Wait a year or two to ski at Park City, Alta, etc.

I haven't been to Solitude in a few years but I think it gets pretty crowded now since it is the only Utah mountain on the Ikon base pass.

That's true, but the learner's slope still isn't bad.

[Anonymous]

Sure, I learned to ski in my 30’s at Wintergreen. I’m in my 50’s now and had not skied in about 10 years but was able ski in Park City after a few lessons.

[Anonymous]

Something else to consider that I haven’t seen asked is where do you hope to do your skiing? I’d you want to be able to do trips out west, do it and get yourself some lessons! If you want to be able to ski locally, get lessons here (on our not-so-amazing snow, but that’s our reality). Go to a place like Bryce during the week when it isn’t crowded and you won’t have so many other new skiers to contend with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you really want to learn to ski, OP, I would not do it on local hills. Or even New England. I know it's expensive, but I would do a trip to a Utah or Colorado resort. Better snow, and the impact of skiing straight for 5 days can't be overestimated.

I learned at 40 - had never been on skis before. I took one group lesson at Wintergreen, and it was a disaster. I then went out west on a group family trip, and took lessons for 5 days in Utah. Mostly group, one or two private, and then skied on my own. At the end of it, I made my way (slowly) down the easiest blue hill at the ski resort. I now am comfortable on basically any blue hill in Utah, and a handful of blacks. We do at least one long trip a year. I am never going to be a great skier, but I have a lot of fun, and can hold my own as long as I stay on the right slopes.

If you can afford it, it's definitely the best way to learn. I would choose either a smaller less crowded resort (such as Solitude, where I learned) or a higher end resort like Deer Valley. I'm sure there are similar places in Colorado that others can recommend. Wait a year or two to ski at Park City, Alta, etc.

New England in late winter is great and snow can be just as good as out West.

[Anonymous]

I grew up going to ski school and was a pretty good skier and could get up to Black Diamond. HOWEVER, I have since torn an ACL and now I am terrified to get back on skis, even though I love it. I am wondering if I can try cross country skiing as that seems less hard on the knees. Does anyone know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I learned at 4 (am now in my 40s and a former racer). I think you could absolutely learn at this age, but would recommend learning out west if at all possible. Mid-Atlantic conditions are often very poor and crowded, which is going to make learning much harder.

Flights to Colorado are cheap from DC, and you can stay for cheap along I70 in Summit County. That would be a much better experience to start, IMO.

I am you but a few years older, and agree. I was in Vermont this past week and felt sorry for the people learning to ski. It was either raining or solid ice and way too many bad skiers on the few open trails which made it dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but I have the same question. I'm afraid of falling!

Don’t be afraid! That makes it worse. The trick with falling is to relax and just let yourself fall. People hurt themselves when they stiffen up and struggle to save themselves. Relaxing also makes skiing much less work.

I learned as an adult. I got pretty good (could do double black diamonds if the snow was good). Unfortunately, an old knee injury (not from skiing!) resulting osteoarthritis and eventual knee replacement cut my skiing career short. Do lots of squats or step up exercises beforehand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up going to ski school and was a pretty good skier and could get up to Black Diamond. HOWEVER, I have since torn an ACL and now I am terrified to get back on skis, even though I love it. I am wondering if I can try cross country skiing as that seems less hard on the knees. Does anyone know?

I’m a snowboarder who tore his acl about a month ago.

This is my understanding.

[Anonymous]

I agree that skiing is easier and more enjoyable on Western powder, but I learned as adult and do have to say that learning on Eastern ice made me a better skier. You have to have perfect form to turn and stop on ice. I went out West, and I realized I would have probably gotten away with a lot of bad habits if I had learned out there.

I think how successful you are learning as an adult depends on balance and athleticism, but a lot of it is how fearless you are. It’s physically harder to ski very slow than it is faster. You need to be able to let yourself get up some speed and let gravity take you down the hill. A good measure is — do you like or hate rollercoasters?

[Anonymous]

a lot of it is how fearless you are. It’s physically harder to ski very slow than it is faster.

This is why it’s better to learn young.

But that doesn’t mean that learning once old and sticking to easy terrain can’t be awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up going to ski school and was a pretty good skier and could get up to Black Diamond. HOWEVER, I have since torn an ACL and now I am terrified to get back on skis, even though I love it. I am wondering if I can try cross country skiing as that seems less hard on the knees. Does anyone know?

I’m a lifelong downhill skier and took up nordic skiing 4 years ago at age 40 because long story but we moved next door to a nordic ski center. Unless you are going very slowly on absolutely flat, groomed trails, I think nordic is much scarier as an adult. The skis are narrow and don’t have edges and the boots are much less stable than alpine boots. Although it is gentler on your knees if you are good at it, I’ve found the falls to be much, much worse because your bindings don’t pop off and the boots are soft enough that your legs and skis can go any and all directions. All of my nasty falls in the last 3 years have been nordic related and on stupidly mild slopes and even standing still.

The motion of classic nordic skiing can also be very hard on your achilles and calf muscles for a new skier, and if you’re not careful you might flare old knee injuries when your body tries to compensate.

My neighbor is a downhill and Nordic skier with lots of ACL drama. After surgery last year, he dropped nordic and is happily downhill-only in a brace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I learned at 4 (am now in my 40s and a former racer). I think you could absolutely learn at this age, but would recommend learning out west if at all possible. Mid-Atlantic conditions are often very poor and crowded, which is going to make learning much harder.

Flights to Colorado are cheap from DC, and you can stay for cheap along I70 in Summit County. That would be a much better experience to start, IMO.

I am you but a few years older, and agree. I was in Vermont this past week and felt sorry for the people learning to ski. It was either raining or solid ice and way too many bad skiers on the few open trails which made it dangerous.

Early season New England is always hit or miss. Late February to mid March is a far better window.