Last night I had my first of 6 sessions of TrySport Skiing.  I’ve never skied before and was quite nervous.  I could barely move with the heavy boots and cumbersome skis on and there were other people there flying and zigzagging down the slope.  Thankfully, the instructor was very reassuring and understanding of where I was at, compared to the others.

I spent the whole lesson on the lower part of the slope, in the beginners’ lane.  The instructor had me side stepping up the hill and then slowing going down.  Each time she did a gradual progression to something new.  The first time, she stood in front of me to stop me from sliding, the next time she showed me how to stop myself from sliding but still stood in front of me, then she showed me how to get in position without sliding, and so on.  By the end of the lesson, I could get up the lower slope, turn to position, slide down, do a little jump, lift my feet and – most importantly – stop!  She assures me, by the end of the sessions, I will be going to the top on the drag lift and skiing down like everyone else.  It’s baby steps for now though.

If you’re staff or a student at CCCU and have always wanted to give skiing a go but you’re a chicken (like me), you should do TrySport Skiing.  It’s on Tuesdays at 6-7 pm for the next 5 weeks and only costs £20 in total.  The venue is Folkestone Ski Centre.  You can book online or contact TrySport for more information.