Being a Ski Coach puts me in an interesting position when learning new Sports. One of the most important is that it reminds me what it feels like to be a ‘beginner’ which in turn lets me improve my ski teaching.

One of my new passions is Indoor Climbing which I started about a year ago. A couple of things come to mind that are relevant to those who want to improve their skiing:

Firstly, my climbing has improved with my fitness. As my upper body and finger strength has increased with practice so I’ve been able to take on harder and harder climbs. It’s pretty obvious, but a simple way to help improve your skiing is to get fit! For me this usually involves plenty of Hill Walking, Gardening and Indoor climbing.

Secondly, climbing has reminded me how SMALL changes in technique can have a BIG impact in success or failure. In climbing you are either make a ‘move’ successfully or fall, so it’s easy to see if a change in technique make a difference. For many beginner and intermediate skiers it’s likely that if you can make some quite small technical changes to your skiing and feel a BIG difference. You will need the help of a Coach or Instructor to assist you in identifying the best for you, but posture and fore/aft balance is often a good starting point.

However, the real value of your Coach or Instructor will be in helping you to make the change.