The first snow has fallen in the Vail Valley and Vail Resorts has just announced that Vail Mountain will open for skiing November 20th, so it is natural that our thoughts turn towards winter fun in the mountains.  Every year I get out my gear, sharpen my edges and think “OK this year I am going to get in 40 days of skiing, work on my form and try to learn a new trick.  Usually I am lucky if I get in six days of skiing and spend more time on the mountain than at the apres-ski bar.

If you are like me, you realize that you may need help and it may be time to turn to a professional to make you a better skier or snowboarder.  Vail Resorts offers an exceptional ski & snowboard school (although they call it a “snowsport school-which I think sounds stupid) and this is a great way to sharpen the skills you already have.  I am thinking of taking a lesson or two this winter and I am trying to decide what level skier I am.

There are 9 Levels:

Level 1.    Never Evers- This is the easy one you have never been on skis and snowboard before.  If you are a never ever get a lesson and whatever you do DO NOT let your boyfriend, husband or friend teach you, trust me, been there, done that and it ain’t pretty.  Really just get a lesson and save your marriage!

Level 2.     You have some confidence in your skiing ability although you are better at putting your skis and snowboard on than you are at actually using them. You can stop and maybe change direction on flat terrain.

Level 3    You can easily make turns and glide on beginner terrain.  You have not ventured onto a green run yet but you think you are ready.  You make wedge turns if you are a skier and you may be linking turns if you are a snowboarder.

Level 4.     At level 4 the chairlift is no longer your hated enemy, you can confidently ski green runs and look down an intermediate face without breaking into a cold sweat.

Level 5.     You can ride most blue and green runs confidently and can control your speed most of the time.

Level 6.     You love the Blue runs and can ski or snowboard them whether they are groomed or moguled. You can link turns fairly quickly.  If you are  a skier, you are actually beginning to understand that poles really do have a use and if you are a snowboarder you are no longer skidding down steep faces and ruining it for everyone behind you.

Level 7.    You are venturing into the black diamond runs, moguled runs and maybe even jumping into the trees once in a while. Skiers can ski parallel and snowboarders can carve turns.

Level 8. You ski or ride with confidence and your own flair.  You would like to refine your technique and have an instructor show you the super-cool local stashes that you will never find on your own.

Level 9. Your pretty damn awesome and the reason why you want an instructor is so that you have someone who can keep up with you when you ski the steepest, gnarliest double-black diamond.

Once you can identify what level skier or snowboarder you are talk to an Vail resorts instructor for a half-day or a full-day lesson to make you be the skier you have always wanted to be.  Have fun on the slopes.