Unlike some, I love winter and playing on snow in one form or another. With that said, I have been snowboarding for the last 27 years and this year decided for health reasons to switch back to skiing.
I must admit, I thought the transition back was going to be, well as they say, “like riding a bike.†Well, maybe it’s due to how many times I have been around the sun or something else, but it seems like I am learning the discipline all over again.
I decided to start from the beginning and that meant taking a lesson from a professional.
The instructor who got the privilege of getting me down the slope safely was Arthur Krenkel, an exchange college student from Germany, who is teaching skiing at Winterplace Ski Resort at Ghent this season.
The interesting thing is that Krenkel just finished up a semester at Bluefield State University. The exchange program that Krenkel is involved in is a congressional program for young professionals. In the same way that there are college students here in the U.S., students are in Germany participating in the same program.
The program is a yearlong adventure — the first six months in class and the second six months participating in work in the student’s chosen field. For Krenkel, that is in carpentry. At Bluefield State, Krenkel studied business management and psychology. The latter is very important when you are a ski instructor and teaching someone like me. Good luck with that.
Along with being a ski instructor at Winterplace, Krenkel is a carpenter for Appalachian Log Homes.
Now let’s talk about getting me down the slopes safely on skis after using only one piece of equipment for 27 seasons. Krenkel talked about teaching skiing. “For me, it isn’t that tough of a challenge, it’s more of a challenge for the person themselves. I just try to find the spots where I can change something so that someone like you is helped the most. That’s my challenge. I try to find something we can work on to help the skier gain confidence,†he said.
On the lift, we talked about teaching someone who is skiing for the very first time. His answer didn’t surprise me, “The main thing in working with a ‘never ever’ is to help them find joy in skiing, even though it is their first time and they may be falling a bit,†Krenkel explained. “That is always my main goal and that’s to help the skier, whatever age, to find a way to have fun on the slopes. We are here to have fun, to enjoy the sport of skiing and when some have a hard time picking up the sport, it can be a challenge to keep the enjoyment level where it needs to be for the first time skier to continue.â€
I am a firm believer in not taking a lesson from a friend (unless they are an instructor) and in this area, Krenkel and I agree, “It’s tough sometimes, because my student may want to incorporate what their friend taught them, and I have to change their mind. In some cases, it’s impossible to move on, it’s like knocking on a rock. But most of the time, when they start having fun by using my suggestions, our bond becomes stronger and the lesson proceeds with the skier smiling and learning the correct way to have fun and be safe on the ski slopes. They learn it is easier the way I am teaching them, and off we go. At that point, I have them.â€
During my conversation with Krenkel, one thing kept creeping into the conversation and that is “smiles,†something that the young ski instructor uses as the main indicator on how the lesson is going. “A smile means things are headed in the right direction. That’s the biggest feedback I can get, because that is where I am aiming for the student.â€
Now for the results, it looks like making turns are back again and so is the fun of skiing.
Joe Stevens lives in Scott Depot with his wife, Angie, their son, Christian, and their two cats, Oriole and Mustache.
