Great Northstar Instructor
Thought I'd share this note I sent the Northstar ski school. In part I'm sharing this so I remember the skills I worked on.
--Beth
Hi,
I just got back from a weekend ski trip, and I wanted to let you know that I had an **Amazing** lesson from my instructor Bill Goodwin last weekend.
I signed up for the Adult level 5 group lesson, and I turned out to be the only person so I received a private lesson. I have never learned so much! He had exercises to help me learn to keep my upper body quiet, visualizations of a lazy Susan to keep my skis going where they needed to go, tips about putting pressure mostly on my downhill big toe but also my uphill little toe and more. He explained the difference between skidded and carved turns, helped me figure out how to initiate turns from my upper legs instead of my ankles, and helped me get more forward on my skis. We talked about the proper use of poles, but I wasn't quite able to get it all together at the same time yet.
There were phrases to help me remember each thing, and he didn't try to throw too much at me at once. It was ok if I worked on a quiet upper body for a few turns, then switched to big-toe-little-toe for a few more before concentrating on initiating with my femurs. That "little toe" thing was huge! It made a tremendous difference in my stability.
Even though I couldn't do everything right away, and sometimes even fell, he still made me feel like a champ and gave meaningful comments. It didn't feel like the empty praise people sometimes give kids; I really felt like he was enjoying the lesson as much as I was and he was noticing things I did right and appreciating them in me as a student. Even after I fell, he complimented me on how quickly I popped back up to standing again. I hadn't thought anything of that "skill" but he said it takes most people much longer.
I was writing this e-mail in my head during the long drive home and I couldn't even think of any constructive criticism. I wish it weren't sleeting on the mountain that day -- but that certainly wasn't his fault! Maybe it was a good thing because I got him all to myself.
Due to family obligations I can only take a lesson about once a year, but next time I do, I'd request Bill again in a heartbeat.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth (Beth) Leonard
"The lady in the long black overcoat."
--Beth
Hi,
I just got back from a weekend ski trip, and I wanted to let you know that I had an **Amazing** lesson from my instructor Bill Goodwin last weekend.
I signed up for the Adult level 5 group lesson, and I turned out to be the only person so I received a private lesson. I have never learned so much! He had exercises to help me learn to keep my upper body quiet, visualizations of a lazy Susan to keep my skis going where they needed to go, tips about putting pressure mostly on my downhill big toe but also my uphill little toe and more. He explained the difference between skidded and carved turns, helped me figure out how to initiate turns from my upper legs instead of my ankles, and helped me get more forward on my skis. We talked about the proper use of poles, but I wasn't quite able to get it all together at the same time yet.
There were phrases to help me remember each thing, and he didn't try to throw too much at me at once. It was ok if I worked on a quiet upper body for a few turns, then switched to big-toe-little-toe for a few more before concentrating on initiating with my femurs. That "little toe" thing was huge! It made a tremendous difference in my stability.
Even though I couldn't do everything right away, and sometimes even fell, he still made me feel like a champ and gave meaningful comments. It didn't feel like the empty praise people sometimes give kids; I really felt like he was enjoying the lesson as much as I was and he was noticing things I did right and appreciating them in me as a student. Even after I fell, he complimented me on how quickly I popped back up to standing again. I hadn't thought anything of that "skill" but he said it takes most people much longer.
I was writing this e-mail in my head during the long drive home and I couldn't even think of any constructive criticism. I wish it weren't sleeting on the mountain that day -- but that certainly wasn't his fault! Maybe it was a good thing because I got him all to myself.
Due to family obligations I can only take a lesson about once a year, but next time I do, I'd request Bill again in a heartbeat.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth (Beth) Leonard
"The lady in the long black overcoat."