Annus Mirabilis tuition

Gaining Insight with Darren

Took that Darren Turner from Insightski out for a tune up today. It was one of the nicest days in Serre Chevalier, bright open blue skies with a not too blazing Sun.

I’ve been watching a lot of those Warren Smith videos, so thought I could pass on a lot of stuff I picked up. Turns out he’s a bit of an ingrate, so we reverted to the old way of him telling me, yeah telling me, how to ski better. Just because he was in the British ski team, he thinks he can be all like la-de-dah, pressurise this foot, roll that knee, all he does is criticize – it can be quite hurtful sometimes – still it’s his birthday tomorrow so I’ll let it slide – geddit?

But seriously skiing courses began in two thousand zero and three (which was rather late for me), between the end of hostilities in Afghanistan and Oasis’ last LP. That was my year of wonders, so you’ll have to forgive me for larkin’ about, but I digress, I really knew I had to get in to skiing with both feet, so asked around – after a not very good experience with ESF – and found Darren. (If you look for him via his website, Insightski.com, be advised it will probably tell you he didn’t get the message – this is a lie and a glitch that is in the process of being fixed).

There is no comparison between a school and the intensity of a one-on-one personal instructor, two thumbs up, it’s such a great sport that there always seems to be another level, or perhaps gradient to go down, and after a lesson I can feel I am actually improving and working more efficiently. It’s very gratifying.

He also does a mean line in “off colour” jokes, which keep your ears warm on the lift.