Theres some great advice in this thread (and some not so great advice) but i taught my fiance to ski over a couple seasons without too much money spent or tears shed. Here were some of my most important takeaways:
- Speak kindly and be patient. She will feel discouraged that kids are skiing circles around her on the bunny hill. She will feel guilty that you have to go so slow and arent out ripping with your friends. She will be frustrated that she keeps falling. Instead of calling out things she is doing wrong, highlight things she is doing well. She makes a couple of turns in a row? "Nice job! those were some great turns! You are picking this up!" She crosses her tips and falls? "Its okay to fall- I must have fell 50 times my first day. Im right here, remember the last great turn you did".
- You are here to ski, but more importantly you are here to spend time with her. Reaffirm her in that. She will feel valued and loved that you want to spend time with her. DONT guilt her by saying "I could be doing a sick dub 12, but instead im spending time with you". That makes it sound like a chore, and makes her feel like crap. Instead, if she makes a comment how slow she is, or makes the offer to sit in the lodge while you ski, just say "Go at your own pace- im having a blast spending time with you. If you want, we can stop in the lodge and take a short break- hot cocoa sounds good to me". Which leads into the next point:
- Make sure shes comfortable. Boots hurt? Spend the extra 15 mins in the rental shop, or at least fiddle with the buckles for a bit. Shes cold? Good thing you brought an extra midlayer, right? Shes hungry? pocket candy bars are great (taste + calorie dense) but chicken strips in the lodge are better. Save your pocket beer and pbj for rippin with the boys.
- Wait up for her. On crowded trails, I ski behind her, so she doesnt have to worry about jerry running into her or spraying her. On empty trails, I like doing more of a follow the leader with good form. Skiing switch, doing nb3s, jibbing the sides of runs quarter pipe style- be inspired by
this- the more falls the better.
Remember- its been a while since youve learned how to ski. Go slow. Be patient. Its about her today, not about you. Ive seen teaching girlfriends how to ski ruin relationships, or create some of the best memories there can ever be. I know for me it helped us communicate better. I know for some others it led to a lot of tears or even a breakup.