re: Ski lesson question...

My group lesson was horrible. I was stuck on the bunny slope going up and down this crappy escalator like thing with no individualized help and not learning anything. I didn't even go up a real ski lift in the 3 hours I spent wasting my time and money. So, I had a particularly horrible group lesson that was a huge waste of money.

My wife and mother-in-law then tried to teach me which almost resulted in a divorce because she and her mom were just laughing at me as I kept eating snow and busting my arse. Then, after a long, frustrating morning, my very patient father-in-law taught me how to ski that afternoon in about an hour.

The pointer that helped me learn was to lean your weight forward through your shins against the ski boots even though at first your feeling is to lean your weight back up the mountain (this took me a while as it doesn't feel natural at first). Also try to turn in wide sweeping turns. The turns will tighten up as you get more comfortable allowing you to speed up. When you are perpendicular to the decline or even turned so facing slightly up the slope you will slow down and get under more control.

Good luck.