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The original was posted on /r/skiing by /u/Big-Brown-Goose on 2024-04-09 21:34:22.
I have a close family member that introduced me to skiing about 20 years ago in Big Sky. Me and all my siblings learned but over the years I am the only one to remain and get "serious" at it ("serious" meaning I want to ski almost all day all over the mountain while they are done after two or three green runs). This relative that introduced us to skiing has also plateaued at that entry level for what seems like the same 20 years or so. I went skiing in Killington with them and for some reason they somehow unlearned to ski. Like i dont really know how to explain it other than one day they ski fine for a beginner then the next day they get off the chairlift and cant complete a single turn.
They wanted me to help them learn, because they consider me the best in the family, but I am still trying to perfect things myself (im wanting to do 3 or 4 more private lessons at the least) and I am not really a good teacher at anything. So i tried my best to give the basic pointers and tried to focus on staying out of the backseat, keep shoulders pointed downhill, keep weight on downhill ski. I planned just teaching one skill at a time but we could never get past keeping the weight off the uphill ski and relying on pizza to stop every time. On the first day they told me to go on my own and they would practise those skills on the Great Northern/Easy Street side of the mountain.
The next day they seemed confident they had gotten better so we decided to start out with Great Eastern so they could experience riding the gondola and riding all the way to the bottom. After several falls, this relative began to sob and say they have gotten too old to ski. I tried to be encouraging and tell them you're never too old and theres 70 year olds smoking me down the hard stuff. It took a lot of encouragement just to get them to put their skis on rather than walk down the rest of the run. We got to the bottom eventually and they decided to be done for the rest of the with tears in their eyes. I felt really bad but there wasnt much else I could do. I think it boils down to them hyping themself up psychologically and they tell themself they cant learn so they "unlearn" what they already know?
I am moving to the Rockies this summer and and already got a season pass. This relative already plans to visit in the winter and wants to go skiing again, and seems excited. I suggested the take private lessons (this relative is probably one of the wealthiest in the family) but they said theyre too old for lessons and instructors make them mad. I think they are implying that I am going to teach them again. Honestly i dont know what to do because i really dont want to go through all that emotional breakdown stuff and spending hours trying to teach them basic skills they somehow physically cant do no matter what. My only thought is to really press getting lessons and that they will have a more fun time if they get better and it will be safer that way too.
TL;DR: close relative seems to have lost skiing skill over the years and really wants to ski, but is stubborn and refuses lessons and can't seem to learn. What should I do to help or encourage them?
