Fear & Anxiety while skiing

How to be a supportive Ski buddy!

WHAT TO DO?

HOW TO BE A SUPPORTIVE SKI FELLOW

  • Don’t act like her/his ski instructor. People who knows each other too well, doesn’t always want to listen to each other as if it was a stranger, who listened. It can create frustration. That’s also a reason why don’t teach your wife, but Support!
  • On the person’s terms. Don’t ski over level. Then the bad circle will start…
  • Be present. Don’t always wait 100 meters down the hill. Not that “The slow person” always has to feel slow or think “F…” they are always waiting for me”. That’s bad for the head.
  • Think of where you make breaks or meeting points on the slope. Do not stand near the edge of the piste far away down, as people with anxiety think they cannot turn or stop in time – and on a bad day, they might crash 
  • If you MUST to go on a red slope (no other option) and the person only likes blue, then it’s very important to ski down the red without the less experienced skier notice it
  • Praise
  • Less is more. If too much tension is building up, then stop skiing. Enough is enough. Go for a drink or beer. Less is more. Enough is enough. Skiing should be fun for everybody. Skiing experience together creates great bonds with each other as well.

Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen

Fear & Anxiety while skiing

Fear & anxiety while skiing

By Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen. Professional ski instructor & off-piste SkiGuide in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria. MSc. Sport psychology (cand. scient)

  • Experiences of success give confidence 
  • Practise on easy terrain, where you feel confident. When it’s start getting boring, speed up on the same run. When it’s too boring for you, then you’re ready for next level. Another slope.
  • Be patient. Less is more. Enough is enough. Be satisfied with what you already done.
  • Be honest about your skiing level, when skiing with friends. It’s important you don’t feel or get pushed, otherwise your fear will grow even bigger!
  • Supportive ski fellows is the key. What is a good, supportive skiing buddy? Read my blogpost about it next week!
  • SKIING HAS TO BE FUN. LAUGH …
Skiing should be fun! Remember! FUN FUN FUN!

/ By Anne-Louise Saikkonen Jørgensen (Arlberg Freeridegirl)

Peak Season – February -Ski instructor & Guide – availability – St. Anton am Arlberg

Peak ski season

Especially February month is busy. School holiday period as well. All Ski-schools in St. Anton am Arlberg – The whole Arlberg region – are getting very busy.  It can be difficult to get a certain private ski instructor or off-piste guide, if you don’t book in advance.  I just want to inform you…

There are several ski schools in St.Anton. Of course you can just show up in one of the bigger schools’ office in town and book for the day – private or group lessons. They will probably always have some (holiday) instructors available. It can also happens, if you are too late with the booking, that they are “sold out” for the day.

You can also book an independent ski instructor or a ski guide online – (like me) through their own webpage. Often they are fully booked weeks before february.  

BOOK YOUR FAVORITE INSTRUCTOR

Just have in mind that it can be more difficult to get the instructor you want in high season, if you don’t book in time: Who speaks your language or an experienced/ higher qualified instructor etc., because they are simply fully booked (peak week is from 10 th of february 2024 etc).  

Also good to know is that the group lessons in the big ski schools for kids and adults can be quite crowded in Tirol, Austria (max. 12 people).

But when people first get the experience, that it’s difficult to get the instructor they want. Or they went in a too big group the year before, they learn – next time – to book long time in advance or to book private lessions. 

Life with a pre booked ski instructor / ski guide gives less stress.

On a holiday it’s important not having stress, but pleasure, togetherness, joy, fun and eat and do things that makes you happy 🙂

I hope it was good information or a great reminder.

/Freeridegirl alias Anne-Louise

 

Ski holiday for non skiers ST.ANTON am Arlberg: 10 THINGS TO DO

SKI Vacation for non skiers. Many have family members, who doesn’t want to ski or are not able to ski because of a reason. I have listened 10 things to do in and near St. Anton am Arlberg – for non skiers.

1. Tobogganing – Here in St. Anton you don’t even need to walk up. You can take the Nasserein gondola up to Gampen. Up there, there is a long, beautiful toboggan road way and down to town. Get more specifik information by clicking here .

2. Walking / Wandering outside in nature
Being outside and getting some fresh air is always good for you. Around St. Anton am Arlberg there are many marked wander routes around the snow covered mountains. Many options. Beautiful experience.

If you are only onto small walks, I can highly recommend a walk though the beautiful mountain town St. Anton am Arlberg & maybe have a look in all the shops & a coffee break in between.

Or

A walk in & around Pettneu am Arlberg. I recommend you to visit this little amazing mountain village. It’s situated around 7 km outside St. Anton am Arlberg. You can walk, take the car, taxi or the ski bus out here. Pettneu has a really beautiful walking road up in the mountains. You can take a break at “The Almfrieden hut” and get some food (e.g soup or Kaiserschmarrn) or drink a hot chocolate and walk down again or take the skis or a sledge down…

St. Christoph, Zürs, Lech am Arlberg or Stuben or Sonnenkopf am Arlberg is also worth visiting.

3. Playtime in the snow

When there is snow, there are a lot of options… Not everything has to cost money – & playing in the snow is for free. You can do it alone or with your family – build snowmen – make snow angels or iglos – snowball games and other snow activities.

4. Taking Pictures

Of the landscape or yourself.  Or maybe you meet a person, who wants to help making a photo of you in the beautiful surroundings. Photos are always great memories from your holiday.

5. Coffee – cakes – eating

Many nice places to go. Of course I have my favorites, but ask me private in a message, what I recommend or follow me at instagram in winter and look at my stories 🙂 @freeridegirlcom .

6. Arlberg Wellness Centre

In the middle of town, you will find Arlberg WellCom . Here it is possible to do fitness training, yoga, sauna & swimming or get a great massage. I often go there for a swim – Say hello, if we suddenly meet 🙂

7. Aprés Ski 

There are actually many people, who just come to St.Anton because of the great Aprés Ski situated on the mountain. They sleep long, heading for après ski and party the whole night long…

The most crowded /popular places start with the après ski music around 15.30/16.00 o’clock: The Mooserwirt, Crazy Kanguruh & Taps.

Otherwise it’s a bit more quiet après ski down in town. I can recommend Underground on the Piste & Anton Bar situated next to Galzig Bahn in 2 different directions… In center of town there are also Aprés Ski places, but I never get so far, so that’s why I can’t recommend them right now 🙂 If I have forgotten some important places, let me know.

8. Train trip to Innsbruck

Do you miss the “Big City” feeling already after some days in the mountains? Well.. Then you can take a train trip to Innsbruck. Innsbruck not like very big, Big, city, but it’s the capital of Tirol (my opinion), and beautiful architecture combined with older buildings. At Christmas time it’s very nice. I think all cities and towns are in Austria.

But also just the train trip from St.Anton am Arlberg through the mountains to Innsbruck is an experience it self. There are directly trains from St. Anton train-station to Innsbruck.

9. Arl.Rock Sport-park & Resto-bar

Great activity place situated next to the train station: Climbing & bouldering. Tennis courts, squash court. Bowling. Newest activity is the trampolines. Also there is a sport bar & thai restaurant inside the building. The food from the Thai restaurant taste amazing. I recommend.

10. RELAX AT YOUR HOTEL

Maybe you should just give your self some time to relax & be nice to your self. Sleep long. Have sex with your partner or masturbate. Eat a long breakfast, enjoy your coffee. Read a book or the newspaper magazine you love to read. USE YOUR WIFI. Do all things in slow motion. Get a massage. Go into the wellness & sauna area if possible. One day fully relaxing can be good for you.

No skiing on a ski holiday can also be a great holiday!!

Sure I have forgotten something above. The Arlberg Area have so many things to offer. It will take too much of my time to write down. If something very important is not in the text, then let me know 🙂

OTHERWISE:

The Tourist Information Office of St. Anton am Arlberg can give you the best tips for your ski holiday & activities to do.

I WISH YOU A PLEASENT HOLIDAY!

/Anne-Louise @freeridegirlcom

Why freeridegirl.com ?

 

Some people ask, why I don’t compete in FreerideWorldTour, when I have named my homepage: www.freeridegirl.com ?

For some years back, I named this homepage/blog “freeridegirl.com”, because the name/domain wasn’t taken & I love skiing powder & being out in nature, away from people, away from the daily life pressure. Also I will show the world that skiing in off-piste is not always about competing (there are too much of that in the world),  but also about other aspects such:

The Feeling, The flow. The freedom. The unity between people hiking up a mountain top, being out in the nature, the moment, the wildlife etc.

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I might have the ski level to compete in a FreerideWorldTour qualifier (I can ski :-)), but it’s not my intention with skiing.  I’m also not interested to get injured, and each thing to each time. Right now I don’t feel for it. I like to play around on the mountains with friends and teach people and clients and give them a good experience out in the snow.  

Since childhood my whole life has been very competitive (between family, friends, relationships, work, schooltests etc). It was always about being the best, and for what reason?

recognition, satisfaction, making yourself happy, sponsors, and other people happy etc. You might have some additions ? 

Many people like to be the best, and competition makes many people happy, but competition can also be associated with a lot of pressure no matter what subject it’s about. And too much pressure is unhealthy… Or at least for me!

I love skiing in off-piste without competing on higer levels. Off course I compete against my self and sometimes agains my boyfriend or brother etc., ( instinct) : -))  making my own goals etc., and I still compete unconsciously with some people while skiing, because I have it in my blood, it was a part of my upbringing. But you can also be a FreerideGirl without competing too much. I just want to show another aspect of it to people. My passion is not always about competing or being the best.  Once it was – but not anymore. Good for that! 

And I have come to this point:

Many people live through to achieve. Sometimes you just have to get to a point that you are good enough as a human being without having to be the best. The people who love you from the heart, they will always be there for you whether you win or lose. Do you understand?

/Anne-Louise

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