I'm thinking about trying to ski this year, but I've never done it before and I'm scared of falling and getting hurt. Is it worth paying for private lessons or do people manage to learn just from watching videos and practicing?
How much time do you have available and what's your tolerance for frustration like? Lessons are totally worth it at the start, especially because an instructor teaches you how to fall safely (yeah, there's a technique to it) and corrects bad posture habits that become hard to shake later. Some people teach themselves with videos, but it usually takes longer, you run a higher risk of actually hurting yourself, and you pick up bad habits that are tough to break. If money's tight, maybe start with one or two private lessons to get the basics down and then practice on your own with more confidence.
I've already tried to learn various things on my own by watching videos and pretty much all of them went badly at first, so I'll admit I'm biased toward lessons. With skiing specifically the risk is bigger because you can develop bad technique habits that are hard to correct later, and then it gets frustrating when you realize you've been doing everything wrong.
Plus, there's one thing nobody really talks about much: falling wrong on skis actually hurts, and an instructor will teach you the correct arm and leg position to minimize the impact. On your own you'd figure it out the hard way, literally.
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