I absolutely love to ski. I have been quite a few times but I still have a lot that I need to improve on. This past week I decided to go up to Sundance and improve my form as well as learn to ski completely on my edges, relying more on the front of my skis than the back.
I felt that I had enough ability and information to teach myself this new skill. Run after run, I tried to move down the mountain on my edges. Unfortunately I had a few mishaps, the very worst of which was simply feeling out of control. I would be traveling down, using my edges, and then all of a sudden I would feel like I was about to fall or I couldn't stop myself if I had wanted to. In these instances I would resort to my sufficient but improper technique and gain control once again. I am embarrassed to say this pattern of trying the skill, losing control, neglecting the skill, and regaining control continued for a good part of the afternoon.
Finally, with quite a bit of practice and focus I was able to do one run down the mountain on my edges with success. BUT, success and domination are two very different things and I was looking to dominate skiing on my edges not just succeed at the job. I continued to work at it, critiquing myself with each run and analyzing what I could do better. I was skiing with a friend who was a more advanced skier than me. It was helpful to watch her ski, noticing her technique and how she managed to do with ease what I had been working on all afternoon. It was humbling to ask for advice as to how I might improve.
As the afternoon ended and the ski lifts stopped moving, it was disappointing to walk away from the mountain knowing that I had not accomplished the task I had set out to do. While I could utilize my new skill if giving it my full attention, I had not really mastered it, letting it become second nature to me. I knew that I was not done in working towards this goal.
Fortunately for me, I had time just a few days later to go back up to Sundance and reattempt to master skiing on my edges. With multiple attempts I was able to warm up on my skis, ride down the mountain while skiing on my edges, and have it become second nature. More help was needed as I asked an instructor what I might do to improve. She watched me ski and then gave suggestions which made the movement feel more natural and therefore easier to do. By the end of the day I was able to do just what I had set out to accomplish.
Looking back now, I stubbornly stuck to the idea that practice makes perfect, assuming the skill would come if I just continued to work on it. I also attempted the skill using different techniques, many of which were insufficient. Humility was required to ask for help for a friend and later an instructor. Through asking for help I was able to receive a few pointers that made the skill a lot easier. While I was able to learn how to ski on my edges, the whole task would have been easier if I had asked for help from the beginning. Simply watching others do a skill will not always offer you enough support when learning to do it yourself. Sometimes, extra help is required in order to see what is truly happening, including those things that are slight movements or mental processes.
I feel that I am a stubborn learner. I would prefer to work on something by myself; asking for help shows weakness and should be avoided. I also am hard working and willing to put in the time required to learn something, no matter the difficulty. I also require multiple attempts at learning separated by multiple days. Through this time period, I am able to reflect on what I have learned and go back later to ensure that I have truly mastered a skill. I feel that this skill will be something I use for the rest of my years skiing and can hopefully be built upon to further my abilities.
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