A few weeks ago my friends and I decided to take a skiing lesson at COP. Yesterday we all took a trip down to the park for the “Discovery Skiing lesson.” After being led to the discovery tent we put on all of our gear, got sized up for skis, and left for the hills. It took about 10-15 minutes for our instructors to get started so it allowed us some time to get used to the strange sensation of ski boots, and as I looked around I realized that there were people of all different age groups participating in the lesson. After being taught how to walk up the hill in our boots (a seemingly easy task) we put on our skis and slid around for a few minutes.
Once we learned the basics (how to stop, how to turn and how to keep our balance) we took a trip to the top of the hill on the magic carpet. For me the carpet was the strangest and most difficult part of the lesson. For one thing it’s a challenge to get on and then another challenge to stay on. To avoid slipping backwards you have to dig the insides of your feet into the platform. I myself had a few mishaps on the carpet, but there was usually an instructor to help you if you started slipping back too far. The real fun began once we got to the top of the hill. Each person took turns going down with the “pizza technique.” It may sound strange but it is a life saver to beginner skiers. 
The pizza technique allows you to slow down when you feel that you are going too fast. The bigger the pizza, the slower you will be. This is also a great technique for turning and stopping. Our group spent the rest of the lesson going down the hill while learning a few tricks here and there for speed and control.
Our instructors we’re great (we had three of them)! Everyone in the group received attention and care. They were encouraging and always willing to answer your questions. If your interested in skiing, I definitely recommend the Discovery skiing lesson. The instructors make you feel very welcome and so do the rest of the COP staff. The lessons seem to be reasonably priced since the fee includes the gear, the lesson and your lift pass (you can also stay as long as you want after the lesson to ski). Hopefully you guys will go out to COP sometime this Winter break and make the most of the snow.
