A quickie with a Thredbo instructor
After years of skiing with a unique style, the time has come for a one-on-one with a ski instructor.
It's what you could call a quickie - a one-hour private lesson. And I'm having it with Wazza, one of Thredbo's most experienced teachers.
I've been admiring those instructors in their red and blue ski suits for years, the way they whiz so elegantly down the NSW Snowy Mountains slopes.
Our rendezvous kicks off at Thredbo's Friday Flat, and Wazza quickly ushers me through the VIP chairlift queue and straight up the mountain.
I happily wave my husband and children goodbye - the following hour is about me. No searching for a child's lost ski, no wiping noses or carrying stuff.
My personal instructor and I chit chat about life, well, about the wonderful snow and his credentials.
We realise we're part of the lucky 40 per cent of Australians who like to ski or snowboard.
A new Thredbo National Winter Report found almost half of Aussies have never had a snow holiday even though a vast majority are keen.
Wazza's been skiing for more than 30 years - and skis for about eight and a half months of the year. This man knows snow.
It's his 27th season at Thredbo, and during the Australian summer he works at Switzerland's chic ski resort of St Moritz.
It's been a long time since I've had a lesson and apparently I've picked up some bad habits over the years - I'll blame it on the vin chaud.
But it seems blame falls on my muscle memory.
Wazza tells me I have to "unlearn" my muscle habits. "You have to reprogram the muscles for a more efficient, mechanical use," he says.
OK, I tell him, let's do it. We find a lovely wide slope and do a couple of runs together.
Wazza assesses me as we go, giving me a couple of pointers. He instructs me to put more weight on my downhill ski.
I can feel my thigh and calve muscles working hard.
Then I've got to lean more forward.
It's about enhancing my skills, he says, which sounds rather flattering - I've got skills!
As ski equipment has improved over the years, skiers need to change their technique, he says.
After a couple of runs and taking his tips and advice, I feel like I skiing better - like a pro.
Wazza tells me his oldest client at Thredbo was a 69-year-old husband and his wife who wanted to ski with grandchildren.
One of the best things about skiing is doing it with the whole family - generations can ski and have a lot of fun together.
Wazza loves his job and loves Thredbo.
He reckons if you can ski in Thredbo, you can ski all over the world (I'm happy to test that theory).
Thredbo has a great mix of runs and a great mix of snow.
Wazza, 52, says there are instructors of all ages in Thredbo, and he has regular clients who come back year after year.
Having an instructor is not just for first timers. Even the best skiers like a session with an instructor because they want to be pushed and challenged.
"They continually want to learn, whether it's racing or attacking moguls, or just guiding them round the mountain or getting them through the lift line," he says.
Wazza clearly loves his job - meeting people from all walks of life, listening to their stories, the types of jobs they have and the different nationalities.
Lessons are from one to six hours - or there are group lessons. But I'm keeping to just the two of us.
He tells it takes time to be a brilliant skier.
The good news is that Wazza doesn't plan on hanging up his poles any time soon, so our relationship is set to blossom for many years yet.
It's a career where age is no limit. He says there an instructor at St Moritz who is in his 80s.
For the rest of my time in Thredbo, Wazza's wise words stick with me down every run. I feel like I'm skiing better and looking like a pro.
Maybe next season Wazza and I will take our relationship to the next level - and do a two-hour lesson.
The writer was a guest of Thredbo Alpine Village
For more information visit www.thredbo.com.au
Private lessons cost from $127
