Try Skiing Lesson

I had great fun snowboarding while holidaying in Poland, however my parents found it more of a struggle. They had both previously been skiing, so we decided to see if this was something I would also enjoy. To give it a go, we booked ourselves onto a Try Skiing Lesson at Mendip Activity Centre.

Mendip Activity Centre

Mendip Activity Centre is located in the North Somerset town of Churchill on the edge of the Mendip Hills. It is home to a floodlit 165-metre dry ski slope. Nestled into the hill and following the natural contours of the land the slope hosts activities all year round.

We chose to take our lesson here as there are a maximum of eight students in a group and all ski equipment is included. Other than wearing long sleeves, trousers and a pair of gloves, all we had to do was turn up. Also, if we wanted to continue and complete the full learn to ski course, the price of this lesson would be deducted.

We arrived approximately 20 minutes before our lesson was due to start. We checked in at the reception and had to complete the necessary disclaimers. As part of the checking-in process, we had to measure and weigh ourselves as well as provide our shoe size. This ensures that you are provided with the correct ski equipment.

The Lesson

We met up with Dan who was our instructor for the lesson. He started by taking us into the equipment room where we were issued with our boots, skis and helmet. He explained how to put our boots on and get them fastened. Then we made our way to the slope — walking in ski boots feels really weird!

The fun started after we popped our skis on. We did a series of challenges and races to get used to having long “planks of wood” attached to our feet. We then slowly side-stepped our way a short distance up the slope. One by one we tried to get back to the bottom in a slow controlled manner. Dan made each run fun by using a variety of interactive activities. This included singing and dancing to “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and holding a pole for us to limbo under.

You are always on the move, and it is surprising how hot you get. It is advisable to take this into account when planning your outfit for the lesson.

As the lesson progressed, the exercises got more technical. Before we knew it we were performing little jumps and even skiing backwards. Time flies when you are having fun, and that was certainly the case here. All too quickly, our time was up and we had to leave the slope and return our equipment.

Next steps

I loved snowboarding and I also really enjoyed my skiing lesson. I have decided that for now, I will continue learning to ski. This doesn’t mean that I won’t learn to snowboard, but I think it will be fun to learn to ski as a family.

I can’t wait to carry on with my lessons!

To be continued…