I recently came across an article about a new way of teaching skiing. Always open to new ideas, I read it with interest. However, I quickly became disappointed and a bit confused.
It seems that some ski areas in the US have invented an amazing new way to learn to ski called “Terrain Based Learning”. The idea is that the beginner area is sculpted into mini-pipes, berms and rollers. This allows the beginner skier to use the terrain to control their speed while they figure out the dynamic balance and the mechanics of how to turn. A great idea and it sounds fun when explained in a cute little video such as this one.
It seems that some ski areas in the US have invented an amazing new way to learn to ski called “Terrain Based Learning”. The idea is that the beginner area is sculpted into mini-pipes, berms and rollers. This allows the beginner skier to use the terrain to control their speed while they figure out the dynamic balance and the mechanics of how to turn. A great idea and it sounds fun when explained in a cute little video such as this one.
But… Isn’t this what ski teachers do anyway? Before I set off with my students I think about what they can do and what they need to be able to do to progress then I choose the appropriate terrain. I make use of the natural rollers and hollows in the piste. In Hochfügen there isn’t one piste that has a perfectly even gradient for any distance. I look for the unevenness and I use it. And, as soon as my students have a bit of space in their heads to allow them to look around I encourage them to look at the terrain too. I help them to see where the natural mini-pipe is and to figure out what happens when they use it. I challenge them to stay balanced as they ski over the rollers. I show them the difference between one side of the slope compared to the other. I want my students to be able to read the terrain and ski appropriately.
So, I was disappointed and confused because the fantastic new method turned out to be what I did anyway. Having a specific area where beginners do “terrain based learning” to me is just bizarre.
Terrain based learning is a great idea, but it’s not a new one. The mountain has all the terrain you need. Look for it, find it, use it!