Uniformed (uninformed) instructors

[VAskier]

What are the best/wittiest responses you've given to uninformed, uniformed instructors, who you don't know, who give unsolicited instruction as you ski past or while on the lift?

I usually just ignore them, but maybe next time I'll say, "Book 1, Page 1", just to confuse them.

[HeluvaSkier]

Let your skiing do the talking.

[gaku]

What are the best/wittiest responses you've given to uninformed, uniformed instructors, who you don't know, who give unsolicited instruction as you ski past or while on the lift?

I usually just ignore them, but maybe next time I'll say, "Book 1, Page 1", just to confuse them.

I remember a very satisfying occurrence three seasons ago. A ski coach from my old race club (who also had been my soccer assistant/sports theory teacher at a sports 'highschool' ) had seen me warm up for the open Easter GS run and commented on a huge shift in my skiing. It was the first time I'd talked to him since starting PMTS. In short strokes, between the necessary catching up, he told me I skied beautifully, but still had too small a stance. "What changed?" "I narrowed my stance," I grinned. I left it like that, a quip with some truth to it, knowing he was bought into the Norwegian/Aamodtian convention of a 'stable stance' and a dominant focus on outside structures. I didn't mention any other of his coaching cues that had sent me in the wrong direction, or that I'd ski on boots 3 sizes too big and way too soft. He laughed, but at the same time had a quizzical look on his face.

We talked some more, then I excused myself to do a final set of phantom javelins before my run. It was the first time I'd be doing gates in 6 years.

I won the race. His son, who always crushed me when we were younger, was five seconds behind. Sometimes afterwards, my former teacher and coach invited me and my mother/brothers to talk and eat with them when they saw us going for the lift nearby: him, his son, and the families of the club members had picnic. Once again, he would ask about my skiing, "what did we do wrong?" he said rhethorically, ligheartedly.

"If you can take a punch, buy ACBAES."

After that, I have seen him and the race team sometimes on weekends during kid/junior races, on night runs during Wednesdays, and also sometimes during holidays. A few interactions here and there. But what really warms my heart, and the point of this story, is that I can't recognise their training sessions to those mine I had. On the hill I see kids doing drills from HH's videoes. I see less gate training. Coaches filming for MA! We never had that, we got vague cues we had to figure out for ourselves-- or, as in my case, couldn't figure out. Sadly, they don't have the resources or expertise to address boot/ alignment issues, or fully tailor drills and progressions to each racer, but their mental models to skiing has shifted towards PMTS. There are some mindbogglingly good 10-14 year olds in that group now (3-4 skiers with little to no discernible alignment issues). National talents.

[ToddW]

Let your skiing do the talking.

I'm with Heluva. Your skiing speaks for itself. It's counterproductive to verbally irritate or challenge mountain employees (even if they're asking for it.)

Ski instructors love to talk and PSIA is a networking machine. We don't need to be remotely broadcasting bad vibes into the employee population at A-Basin or other ski areas where PMTS instruction occurs. Peaceful coexistence is important at these places.

[Vailsteve]

[quote="ToddW". Peaceful coexistence is important at these places.[/quote]


Yup!!

[Max_501]

What are the best/wittiest responses you've given to uninformed, uniformed instructors, who you don't know, who give unsolicited instruction as you ski past or while on the lift?

IMO, the best is something like "Thanks for the tip" and leave it at that. As others have said, let your skiing do the talking.

[noobSkier]

Unfortunately, this is something you will have to tolerate until you can blow everyone away with your performance. At that point they just point at you from the chair to show their students how well you are "steering" (lol). Im with max on this one.

[VAskier]

Let your skiing do the talking.

I agree, and usually my approach has been to ignore them. There have been a couple of instructors who, even with a group of students in tow and on more than one occasion, will ski up to me while I'm doing drills on the side of a wide, gentle slope and give me "instruction." It is a certainly a challenge to hold my tongue.

[h.harb]

Most instructors won't understand what you are doing, they see that it's different from what their trainers do and say. It's almost like they want what you are doing and like it, but they can't go against the grain. I often say, "it's a different system" and I give them a web site.

At Whitler 5 years ago, I was skiing with both the Blackcomb and Whistler Ski School managers. Both are level 4 Canadian, one of them said, "You are a finesse skier", I'm a power skier". (actually, he was a big toe edge stomping knee driver) I responded, " I can turn your skiing into finesse skiing if you like and are motivated!" I didn't get a response.

[HeluvaSkier]

"You are a finesse skier", I'm a power skier"..

What they don’t understand is we can have both finesse and power. The finesse enables more power than they could imagine, or ever create from stomping on a BTE.

[h.harb]

Precisely!

[milesb]

What are the best/wittiest responses you've given to uninformed, uniformed instructors, who you don't know, who give unsolicited instruction as you ski past or while on the lift?

I usually just ignore them, but maybe next time I'll say, "Book 1, Page 1", just to confuse them.

Someone I know asked such an instructor “How does it feel to teach people how to ski so shitty?” I lol’d