Over the years, I have noticed that a key benefit of skiing with a ski teacher is “ski teacher jacket” syndrome. Otherwise known as the phenomenon of “increased confidence to tackle significantly more ambitious terrain in the company of a ski teacher”.
I find it particularly reassuring when someone has grown up skiing in the area and knows the slopes and the conditions like the inside of their pocket. When I fall, I move on faster, and when I approach a new slope, I assume it is in my capability, even if it is a new level for me. That “ski teacher jacket” is my moving comfort blanket!
My favourite ski teacher in Kloster’s is local Mario Marugg. His 14+ seasons of ski teaching experience, now at his own ski school called Schneeschule.ch, and infectious enthusiasm is the perfect combination in helping me to have the confidence to improve. Even as an intermediate skier, while I can get down most places (and, more importantly, reach all the restaurants!), having him on hand as my skiing “comfort blanket” helps me push myself out of my comfort zone.
Lesson 1: Get out of your comfort zone, and let's grow with someone you trust!
Interestingly, Mario told me that there are cultural differences in skiing styles amongst various clientele from different countries. E.g. Austrians may have different patterns in their skiing styles versus, say, the French. With skiing, there are undoubtedly multiple ways to reach Rome. So if your current ski teacher introduces a contradictory technique, speak up.
For example, I was shown to lean in a particular way by a previous ski teacher, which conflicted with the way Mario was directing me to use the poles. So after I explained the mismatch in advice, we experimented with both methods.
I took the most helpful elements from each technique and bridged them together, enabling me to use the poles at the optimal angle and lean across enough to facilitate the turn. .
Lesson 2: There are many different styles of skiing, all of which are valid.
Different methods work for different people also apply to exercises given in a lesson. For one person, a specific exercise might change everything, and for another person, it may not make much difference at all. Plus, one should not be given too many practical tips within a single ski lesson, as each tip takes time and experience to digest before becoming second nature.
I shared my most recent ski lesson with my brother, who is of the same ski level as me. He benefitted immensely from the exercise of sliding straight down across the mountain with the skis fixed on abruptly parallel edges. On the other hand, I found this exercise unremarkable and did not gain much from it personally.
I, however, gain a lot from the exercise of skiing backwards for a few minutes each day. When I ski forwards again, having skied backwards automatically puts my body in a much taller but forward position. Leaning back is a normal human subconscious reaction to being out of one’s comfort zone when skiing. Although an annoying sign of a learner skier, it helps me know this cannot change overnight.
Lesson 3: Try exercises but extract what works for you. Don't try to change too many things at once.
The first thing Mario advised me at the start of my three ski lessons? Stand taller during the turns and bend slightly lower in-between turns. While initially feeling very difficult in a left-footed kind of way, Mario advised me to start it exaggerated, reassuring me the movement would eventually become much more automatic and more of a subtle movement. A couple of months on, I am sure enough doing it much more automatically, especially on the steeper slopes. Something that felt unnatural is eventually becoming second nature with time. Patience and kilometres are my mantras of intermediate skiing!
Lesson 4: Patience and kilometres are mantras to be repeated to oneself when learning to ski!
Skiing is a series of well-executed micromovements in the right order, with the right timing. This is why I find the investment in ski instruction so valuable. It assists one to get these style assisters into one’s Skiing DNA early on.
Lesson 5: Get some lessons from early on to build a solid foundation of good technique.
Speaking of skiing DNA, thanks to a lot of self-teaching, my use of ski poles previously were more for aesthetically pleasing looks, and it is fair to say I pretty much completely ignored physically utilising them. However, Mario insists that I embrace the poles and really use them to initiate the turn and then turn neatly around them.
My brother found using poles as a guide to lean correctly into the turn a game-changer, and I found turning around a pole lightly poked in the snow encouraged my turns to be executed much more evenly and completely.
Lesson 6: The poles are not hanging decorations- use them for improved technique and style!
While proper ski instruction is important, it is also essential to get lots of kilometres in-between instruction and sometimes really not overthink technique. Along the same lines, Mario feels that speed can be our friend in skiing.
Sometimes when we ski fast, we subconsciously have no choice other than to do everything correctly, and there is no time to overthink. Of course, whilst it is important to push yourself out of your comfort zone, when you try this, you must stay within non-dangerous territory. Personally, it typically takes around six positive experiences to cancel out a negative one and move on.
Lesson 7: Relax your mind from time to time but know your limits.
Skiing with a local ski instructor helps not just with ski technique! Enjoying the banter with lift operators and cosy lunches, I got a unique insight into the local culture and mountain life. My brother and I discovered cool new local tips like the “black peak” craft beer curbside pick-up on Wednesdays in Davos, which we attended, followed by a recommended kebab.
As an Alpine addict, I also enjoyed hearing about life growing up in Klosters. For example, Mario explained how he had to be by the mountains in winter but loves a life living between Klosters and Zurich in summer, where he works as a fridge engineer.
Lesson 8: Immerse yourself in mountain culture and life for an all-around experience.
Mario worked me hard this season, but his golden rule is thankfully to have fun – so my skiing has improved almost without me noticing! It was important for me to ski with someone who understood the balance required to acquire aspects of good technique without being too prescriptive. And he did just that.
Who knows, if I can continue on this journey outside my comfort zone, in future, I may be able to join him for his powder snow offerings. After all, my golden rule is to shoot for the moon and land amongst the stars!
