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Where and When Did You Learn to Ski?

x10003q

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Posts
750
Location
NYC Metro
1965, Craigmeur, NJ, age 4. Later that season we skied at Big Tupper. The most important place for my learning was Campgaw, also in NJ. They ran a Saturday ski program that was a lift ticket and a morning lesson for a few dollars. My parents used to drop me off with some friends on Saturday morning and pick us up at 4pm. We did this in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Those were the good, old days. :D
 

Jilly

Lead Cougar
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,412
Location
Belleville, Ontario,/ Mont Tremblant, Quebec
1962, 5 years old, Snow Valley, Barrie, Ontario

My parents friend was a ski instructor there. Rat trap bindings, galoshes, wool clothes. Family was hooked after that. "Uncle Bob" was more excited than I was when I got my CSIA 2 pin. Last I heard he was still skiing...must be 90.

Further lessons at Oak Hills Ski Club, Stirling, Ontario...came as part of your pass. Place closed in the 70's. Snow Valley is still going strong.
 

fullStack

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Posts
194
Location
Earth
Hoodoo Ski Bowl in central Oregon, sometime during the winter of 1988/89. I was 13.

Went up with my church's youth group which had an old-school, middle aged guy for its leader. (Which meant we did things the right way, dang it!)

After he herded eight of us through the rental shop and showed us how to put on our skis, we followed him (awkwardly) out to the bottom of the bunny hill. But before we were allowed to use the rope tow, he made us herringbone up the bunny hill. (Whaaaa.....? But...but...there's a rope tow right over there!) Finally the entire group made it to the top, where he demonstrated the basic snowplow, and we followed him down.

About half of us made it down in one piece so he showed us how to side step, switch direction, and side step some more. Then he gave us our leave to continue making "runs", sans rope-tow, while he sorted out the others. "Side step or herringbone, it's your choice". Some of us got crazy and did both.

Finally it was time for the rope tow lesson, and after the glacial pace of prior ascension techniques, the instructions seemed to come rapid fire: Hold the poles under this arm, grip the rope slowly with both hands, "yes like a clutch", let go at the top, let go if you fall on the way up and GET OUT OF THE WAY of the person behind you, etc.
Well let me tell you, that first ride up was exhilarating - not only was it much less sweaty than the herringbone or side stepping, I was going a lot faster uphill than I had been going down!

When I let go at the top, shuffled around into snowplow position and started gliding back downhill in those super slow, probably way to far in the back seat power wedge turns, that's when the fire was lit. I have all afternoon to do this as many times as I can....I wonder how fast I can go down this hill....Hey there's the beginner chairlift, I bet I can make it down that slope too...

Thanks a million, Mr. McFarlane.
 

Dave Petersen

Graphic Designer/Social Media Manager
Admin
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
9,876
Iowa, just outside of Omaha - I was a young teen in the mid 1970s.
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Yo Momma

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Posts
1,777
Location
NEK Vermont
Mohawk Mtn in Greenfield, Mass while a freshman in HS 1975 at Deerfield Academy............ then we upgraded to Berkshire East in '76. In 1974 was tagging (graffitti) buildings, subways and mail trucks in the South Bronx, NYC as "Ice 151"...Who's yo daddy Banksy!?!....... I knew I would LOVE skiing even when I didn't know what it was!
 

Crank

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Dec 19, 2015
Posts
2,626
02/19/62 in my backyard in Poughkeepsie, NY. On a pair of department store skis with screw in metal edges and nothing holding my heel down in my Sears work boots. 5th birthday present. My son, my nephew and I are the only skies in my family. Not sure why I was given those skis, but I sure stuck with it! Probably would be a golfer or something if I had been born in another season.
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
1,863
Learn? I learned something about my skiing today.

My first experiences on skis were in 1945. I had actual lessons provided by my home town's recreation department in the late 1940s.

I've been learning about and improving my skiing ever since.
 

skibob

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Posts
4,268
Location
Santa Rosa Fire Belt
1986, Elk Mountain, PA. I didn't even get to have scotchguard on my jeans. Boy was I cold and wet, but I had so much fun.
Scotchguard on the jeans?! What a brilliant idea! Wish someone had told me about that back then. My big innovation was showing up with duct tape on the palms of my mittens. Of course, I had to do this, because the first visit the tow rope completely ate them through to insulation. But the duct tape held up great. Only had to be reapplied every 3-4 ski days.
 

François Pugh

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
7,617
Location
Great White North (Eastern side currently)
I vaguely recall skiing at/on Mount Royal in the city of Montreal in the 1960s, on what I think was a toboggan sledding hill. I didn't do much skiing or learning until the 70s in Ontario and Quebec Canada on various hills, using Army Surplus skis from WWII, bought at the Salvation Army thrift shop for a few sheckles. Progressed from leather lace-ups to leather with buckles, leather with fibreglass sides, real modern 4 buckle race boots, and skis from bear-trap bindings and screw on edges up to modern wood-fibreglass skis. Late 1980's or early 1990s saw me expand my skiing skills to deep snow out on Vancouver Island BC Canada. Still leaning today, now back in Ontario Canada, mostly on small hills with the occasional trip to Tremblant.
 

Brad J

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
871
Location
Newbury, Ma.
Early 60's Happy Valley golf course 4 Hole and 10 hole, Side step up to groom slope and ski down and repeat, dad taught me the basics first before he let me go to the local rope tows.
 

Karl B

USSA L100
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
193
Location
SE Michigan
Started skiing in 1960 at a little resort named Dryden Ski Area about 50 miles north of Detroit. Won my first race there in 1963. Took my first lesson in 1970 at Mt. Tremblant.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,630
Location
Maine
1968. Cranmore, NH. Taught by my dad, RIP.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
First time was February 1967 Whiteface Mountain, NY and yes that is correct 50 years of skiing this year. It was a bus trip for the long weekend 210 CM rentals of wood skis with screw on edges and lace up leather boots.
 

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