Take a lesson. Learning is part of the fun.

It’s true. Even if they ski or snowboard beautifully, your friends usually don’t have the training it takes to get you started or help you improve. If you want to get better and have more fun this season, start with a lesson.   In a group lesson, students often learn from watching each other. This Sunday River group had two instructors. Group lessons save money, and if you find an instructor who really works for you, you can sign up later for a private session.

This is an age of instant gratification. People, it seems, want to have fun without having expend any effort, not realizing that learning is part of the fun. Sad, isn’t it?

There’s no denying that both skiing and snowboarding require time and effort to learn. Though modern equipment and instruction techniques have radically shortened the learning curve, it’s still a challenge. But there’s a commensurate reward. Being able to fly down a mountain on a beautiful winter day is simply wonderful experience. And the sense of accomplishment and joy you get from doing it well is a world beyond just doing it.

I’m a big fan of taking lessons to learn any new sport, and to get better at sports I’m already doing. Especially with something as challenging as skiing and snowboarding, it just makes sense. Most instructors at most areas receive more or less constant training in the skills of breaking down the movements of skiing or snowboarding into component parts and then communicating and demonstrating them in a way that students can understand.

You can’t do that for yourself and chances are your friends aren’t trained to do it, either. There’s a sign posted at many ski and snowboard schools which says “Friends don’t let friends teach friends.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone on the slopes earnestly trying to teach someone else to copy all the same terrible mistakes they make.

But even someone who knows what they are doing can be a lousy teacher for a particular person. That’s been brought home to me recently by my sweetheart Marilyn, who has taken up skiing again after years off the slopes. Her technique was excellent — for the 1980’s. I’ve taught skiing since 1967, tried to give her a few pointers to bring up to date on today’s gear, and quickly realized that her learning style and my teaching style didn’t mesh—especially when you add in the emotional subtext of a relationship.

Last year Marilyn signed up for a women’s clinic at Sunday River (207-824-3000; www.sundayriver.com ) in Newry, Maine. She flourished. This year, when we were at Sunday River for their annual Santa Sunday event, she signed up for a private lesson with Genie Jennings, the woman who taught that clinic. Once again Marilyn made tremendous progress, in both her technique and her self-confidence on the slopes. She’s found an instructor she really connect with, and it shows.

Every student learns a little differently. The more you know about how you learn — the more pro-active you can be in a lesson -- the more you are going learn. Find an instructor who listens to you as much as you listen to him or her.

Taking a lesson in your first days of a new season is one the smartest decision you can make on the slopes. I constantly hear people say: “I’m going to take a lesson, but I want to practice first.” My reply is always “Practice what? Practice making the same mistakes you made last year?” Taking a lesson before you harden your bad habits means you can start a new season in the right direction, skiing or riding better than you did last year right from the get-go.

I always talk to people on chairlifts and in base lodges. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say “I’m good enough to get down the hill.” as if that somehow justifies not trying to improve. The better you learn to ski or snowboard, the more fun you can have for your time on the slopes. And since you pay for that time, why not get the most out of it?

Take a lesson. Learning is part of the fun.

TOP TIP

Unless you have a specific instructor who you really love working with and learn especially well from, you can save money and still get quality instruction by signing up for a group lesson. In my years as an instructor I found that many people actually learn better in a group environment. Especially for beginners, it helps to see that other people are having fun and making progress despite the challenges.

Once you’re beyond the beginner stage, group lessons still make sense. If you choose your time (weekdays rather than weekends and holidays, afternoons or evenings rather than mornings), you’ll often find yourself alone with the instructor in an advanced lesson. You get a private lesson for the price of a group.