Why skiing for beginners?

The skiing bug is a cunning little thing. It will creep up on you when you least expect it and give you a nibble that at first seems relatively small, but like all good biters the itch will grow with time. We all know what you’ve got to do with an itch…scratch it! But the more you scratch it, the itchier it gets!

Who can try skiing for beginners?

Skiing is addictive. It’s the joy of movement and the pleasure of flying down a mountain feeling free, adrenalin surging through your veins. It’s the wonderful environment you’re in – if it wasn’t for skiing, most of us would never have the opportunity to get up into such beautiful high mountains, with their rocky ridges, deep valleys and snow covered peaks. And then there’s the sociability of it all – laughter with friends, steaming cups of hot chocolate around open fires, that well-earned beer at the end of the day that’s never tasted so good. Or, alternatively, the poetic solitude of winging it downhill, with nothing but you and the mountains to interrupt.

There’s no sex or age barrier – young and old, male and female. Families can enjoy together, and if you didn’t learn when you were younger then learn now – there’s nothing stopping you. Anyone who’s normally active can get pleasure out of skiing – don’t be intimidated by pictures of extreme skiers hurtling down vertical gullies; the mountain provides us with a real mix of different gradients, from the flat to the gently sloping, and every gradient from there to vertical.

Ski beginners

As a ski beginner, there’s no avoiding the undeniable fact that you have to start at the beginning – don’t turn up to your first lesson expecting to have mastered it by the end of the day. But don’t get frustrated – as an adult, it may have been a long time since you were a beginner at something. Stick at it and you’ll get there – it will be well worth the time invested.

This article teach you how to ski – you’re far better off booking a lesson with a qualified ski instructor, either at an artificial slope in the UK or at a resort.
However, there are a few top tips that I can give you here which will enable you to turn up to day one feeling more confident.

Gravity is an undeniable fact, so learning to stop and learning to turn are the two key skills needed in order to stay in control. Don’t be afraid, or embarrassed, to fall – falling is part of the process; everyone does it, even the experts.

Learning how to carry your skis

The very first skill to learn, however, is how to carry your skis from the hire shop to the piste. Now, you may laugh that I’ve brought this up, but there is nothing more frustrating than carrying skis incorrectly – they bump and slide against each other, bang into your head, separate, fall, trip you up and knock passers-by. A few simple tips though can solve this problem. Ensure the skis are both pointing in the same direction, with their bases together. Then with your skis together in this fashion, lift them onto one shoulder, with the tips pointing down towards the floor in front of you and the tail end up in the air over your shoulder. If you struggle to get the skis to stay together, you can buy a small Velcro strap to tie around them to stop them from sliding apart, or fashion one easily enough with a rubber band.

Learning how to put the skis on

So, now we’ve managed to actually get to the slope, what next? Let’s put the skis on.
Place each ski separately, base down, on a flat area of snow. Place your ski poles squarely on either side of you – you might want to lean on them for balance. Ensure the backs of the bindings are pushed down. Clear the snow off the base of your boots and then, one foot at a time, push the toe of your ski boot into the front of the binding and then press the heel down so it clips in place. Finally, take hold of your poles and put your hand up through the wrist strap and down, so you’re holding the pole’s grip. You’re now ready to go!

If putting on your skis while standing on a slope, there are a few things to think about. Make sure you position your skis so they’re lying across the slope, not pointing down at an angle – you’ll find yourself sliding off before you’re ready, and nobody wants that. Always put the downhill ski on first (the ski lower down the slope) – this makes you more stable when putting on your second ski.

Extract taken from Skiing and Snowboarding - A Beginner's Guide by Kate Burke (Need2Know)