Jolt, the conditions really matter when you are starting. And, they matter to me still, after 20+ years of skiing. I always feel totally uncoordinated at my local center, where I went today, because the conditions are marginal a good deal of the time compared to others. It's the combination of the open fields, poor grooming, and other environmental things. I did trails that were 50X more challenging up in VT and today I felt like I was going to lose it. I didn't fall, but this happens routinely at this place for me.