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So, You’ve Never Skied Before

Mendieta

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I’ve been there, just where you are. You are a grown-up who has never skied before. You are thinking about going to a ski resort and giving this thing a try. You might be bringing a friend or two, your significant other, your kids. By this time, you are feeling a little overwhelmed. That’s a good sign. You are aware of some level of complexity around the task at hand.

I’ve been there, merely two years ago. I asked a good friend, who is an active skier, for advice, and he gave me plenty of info. I set up everything for my family and myself, all determined to get started, and we went for our very first ski day. We hired a private instructor for the group of four. At the end of the day, my feet hurt, my legs hurt, and so did my arms. I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. I also knew that my life had changed forever.

Skiing is a wonderful experience, especially when shared with friends and family. It involves play and fun in the most beautiful natural setting: snow-covered mountains. You feel like a kid again. But you need to be aware that skiing isn’t particularly straightforward. It takes commitment to learning, proper equipment, and adherence to the mountain rules.

You may be wondering what was so hard about the first day. For starters, I had to wear ski boots, the single most important piece of skiing equipment. Ski boots provide the mechanical link between your feet and your skis. Ski boots are great for skiing, but hard for moving around if you are not used to them. I felt deeply frustrated in other ways, too: the most basic things seemed incredibly difficult to me, yet little kids would pass by me, skiing wonderfully. What was wrong with the Universe, all of the sudden?

mendieta-jpg.15900

But let's back up and discuss getting ready for that first day. The most common advice is that you rent equipment, head to a resort, ski for a day or two (under some sort of professional instruction), and then decide what’s next. Most people would agree that you should take at least one or two ski lessons to get started. The first one will teach you the rudiments: how to walk in ski boots, how to put skis on, how to walk on the snow with the skis on, how to get up when you fall. You will probably move to a bunny hill, where you will learn how to turn and stop in the most basic way (wedging, that is, placing your skis in an inverted V-shaped position and using the inside edges to scrape the snow). That’s your first milestone. Your second milestone will be learning how to ride a chairlift to the easiest run on that mountain then how to make some basic turns in a wedge. Next you'll probably focus on learning how to stop in a more efficient way (the so-called hockey stop), and progress into more parallel turns.

That’s the short of it, but let's dive into the details. Using proper equipment and wearing appropriate clothes for the sport are key, and so is choosing a good time and place to get started. Adequate fitness level is an important prerequisite.
  • Equipment. You’ll probably want to rent skis and boots first and then figure out the rest. Try to avoid generic big-box stores and use a dedicated ski shop instead. Ask them about pros and cons of buying versus renting. Renting ski equipment is a lengthy process, so do it before your first ski day. Do not use somebody else’s boots and skis, which could result in serious injury.
  • Clothing. You need to keep yourself warm and dry. Buy snow pants (you can get a cheap pair to start), and make sure you have a proper snow jacket. Buy ski socks: you must use proper socks. Dress in multiple, comfortable layers. You definitely want goggles for eye protection, and a helmet is just as important as when you ride a bike, perhaps even more.
  • Location. Ask for help finding a good resort to start in your area; pugski.com is a friendly place to start. Give the resort a call and book lessons ahead of time. Make a plan. They should be able to help with that.
  • Timing. If you can, avoid starting on a long weekend or major holiday, when most resorts get crowded and the whole experience degrades. Remember: the very first day will be a little tough no matter what; you don’t want it to be any harder than it needs to be. Try to give your first trip at least two consecutive days, ideally three, with instruction each day. You will have invested a significant amount of money and preparation time, and you want to reap the benefits. It's very likely that by Day 3, you will be having fun, and you’ll end your first trip on a positive note.
  • Fitness. As mentioned above, a certain level of fitness is required before you start. The thing to remember is that you need to get in shape in order to ski, not the other way around. Skiing is a high-performance sport where you slide down slippery slopes on two thin planks. There are no brakes. Your body is the machine that controls the skis. If you haven’t been physically active lately, do yourself a favor and get at least a month of preparation; gym workouts with a focus on lower body and core section are great, and so is biking.
  • Other tips. Morning lessons work best for many beginners, because fatigue can be an issue in the afternoon. A good, healthy, wholesome breakfast will help you make the best of your ski day. Hydration throughout the day is also very important. You might want to bring along some snacks, such as cereal bars or nuts.
Does it sound like quite a bit of preparation? It is, but it's well worth it. And it's not that complicated, if you focus and get organized. Let's restate our quick checklist: buy or rent proper clothes and equipment in advance, book two to three consecutive days of instruction, and make sure you are in reasonably athletic shape.

So, now you are probably wondering, what's next? Once you are back from your first trip, you probably either loved it or decided that skiing is not your thing. Assuming you loved it, which you very likely did, you'll want to extend your rentals. Season rentals are much cheaper than renting every time you hit the slopes, and they make the preparation for the next trip trivial: all you need is lift tickets and a big smile. Try to ski at least 10 days in your first season, hopefully even more. Also, try to get frequent instruction.

At first, and most likely for the rest of your first season, you will be using beginner trails, which are indicated by the color green. Enjoy them, have a blast. You will progressively turn with your skis more parallel to each other. Your level of control over your skis and your overall level of confidence will be constantly increasing. Your next milestone will be to control your speed by making turns with parallel skis, where corresponding edges are used each time, so that both skis have very similar inclination with respect to the snow. Skiing is the art of turning. Good technique will allow you to make good turns. Good tactics will dictate the size and shape of your turns, which will allow you to control your speed.

Other milestones will follow, but avoid the temptation to move to steeper terrain before you are ready. Focus on improving your technique. Skiing is an extremely technical sport, and there is a lot to learn. Better technique will allow you to explore more challenging terrain. But it's not so much about the destination, it's about enjoying the journey. And this journey, I can tell you, is a lovely one.
 

Core2

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This is well written, sound advice. But I think you posted it on the wrong forum.
 

Tricia

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This article and thread are key for anyone who is starting to ski or thinking about starting to ski.
Thanks for the great work.

I've made it a sticky so that its easy to find for a new member.

@Core2 without having an actual beginner forum area, where do you think this thread should be?
We are open to suggestions.
 
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Smear

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Nice post, with many good tips. But:

  • Fitness. As mentioned above, a certain level of fitness is required before you start. The thing to remember is that you need to get in shape in order to ski, not the other way around. Skiing is a high-performance sport where you slide down slippery slopes on two thin planks. There are no brakes. Your body is the machine that controls the skis. If you haven’t been physically active lately, do yourself a favor and get at least a month of preparation; gym workouts with a focus on lower body and core section are great, and so is biking.
Can't think of many outdoor sports that are less physically demanding than sliding around on a beginner hill on alpine skis. Sure if you struggle for many hours it will be exhausting, or if you want to take it to a very high level fitness can eventually become limiting. But it should not be an excuse to anyone who feel that they are unfit to not try skiing. And when the technique is in place, skiing it something one can do fairy well even when one gets old and weak. And 8 out of 10 great skiers will never go to the gym...




Ok, I made that statistic up. But seriously... ;) No fitness required.
 

Monique

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Adequate fitness level is an important prerequisite.

This is a great article, but I want to quibble. I know where you're coming from here, and I agree it's hard to get much out of skiing if you're out of shape - and that people generally look at downhill skiing and think, "Eh, you're just going downhill - how hard can it be?"

But I think it's asking a lot to say someone should do a month of prep for their first time ever skiing. If they ski and they catch the bug, they'll find ways to get into better shape.

<Oh, hey, Smear posted the same thing>
 

Tricia

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Nice post, with many good tips. But:

Can't think of many outdoor sports that are less physically demanding than sliding around on a beginner hill on alpine skis. Sure if you struggle for many hours it will be exhausting, or if you want to take it to a very high level fitness can eventually become limiting. But it should not be an excuse to anyone who feel that they are unfit to not try skiing. And when the technique is in place, skiing it something one can do fairy well even when one gets old and weak. And 8 out of 10 great skiers will never go to the gym...




Ok, I made that statistic up. But seriously... ;)
I can see your point, to a point, but...
When I was teaching at Mt Rose, we had a ton of different people come to ski school from different walks of life.
Those who struggled the most were the 20 something year old dudes who spent their lives behind a computer desk and/or video game. These were the guys who felt like they should get it right away but..... not so much.
The people who actually connected quickly were (believe it or not) the stay at home moms who spent their time chasing their kids around, running errands and walking their pets.
Muscle coordination means something. You don't have to be athletic, but you do need some kind of muscle coordination.
 

SBrown

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This is a great article, but I want to quibble. I know where you're coming from here, and I agree it's hard to get much out of skiing if you're out of shape - and that people generally look at downhill skiing and think, "Eh, you're just going downhill - how hard can it be?"

But I think it's asking a lot to say someone should do a month of prep for their first time ever skiing. If they ski and they catch the bug, they'll find ways to get into better shape.

<Oh, hey, Smear posted the same thing>

I guess it depends on the baseline. A month of easy prep for someone who is a total couch potato would be a very good idea. For someone in moderate but not great shape, not necessary. Skiing is not a difficult thing once you are accustomed to it, but I agree that everything is a lot more difficult when you are brand new. Our condo at Copper sits at the base of a learning area, and I see what goes on there every day. Skiing is just awkward. Carrying skis is awkward. Getting up from flat ground is awkward. A little strength goes a long way.
 
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Mendieta

Mendieta

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I guess it depends on the baseline. A month of easy prep for someone who is a total couch potato would be a very good idea. For someone in moderate but not great shape, not necessary. Skiing is not a difficult thing once you are accustomed to it, but I agree that everything is a lot more difficult when you are brand new. Our condo at Copper sits at the base of a learning area, and I see what goes on there every day. Skiing is just awkward. Carrying skis is awkward. Getting up from flat ground is awkward. A little strength goes a long way.

Yes, exactly. I think I said "certain level" of fitness, not "outstanding". A bunny hill is easy for all of us, _now_. First day? It was terrifying to me, and I think it is for most.

In our second season skiing, my daughter still loved Green runs so we would take those lifts frequently. A lot of the time I would see in front of us people so out of shape that they didn't seem good candidates to stand on a ski or board. I would warn the kids that they'd fall when exiting the chair, so we were prepared, and they certainly did fall, systematically :)

@Tricia 's point above is right on. My first instructor told me that his biggest frustration was students just like she described: no sports ever. Completely out of shape couch potatoes. Their parents drop them off expecting the kids to be racing in the afternoon. Guess what.

Also: @Monique , among others, provided examples and evidence, in the Skiing Risk Management thread, that physical training outside of skiing helps reduce the risk of certain injuries. Particularly, lower body/core strength.

So, all things said, I still think a certain level of fitness should be considered a pre-requisite. :beercheer:
 

KevinF

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Those who struggled the most were the 20 something year old dudes who spent their lives behind a computer desk and/or video game. These were the guys who felt like they should get it right away but..... not so much

Hey! I resemble that remark!

If they ever invent a time machine, step#1 for me would be to go back and smack the 20-something version of myself around a bit.
 

crgildart

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There is a bare minimum fitness level required to learn to ski. I'd say being able to walk a mile would be sufficient. You need to be able to work on hour feet (and butt) for thirty minutes minimum to get anywhere worthwhile. Once you get past that you can work towards longer sessions and the fitness will take care of itself driven by the desire to keep skiing better and better.
 

Monique

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I guess it depends on the baseline. A month of easy prep for someone who is a total couch potato would be a very good idea. For someone in moderate but not great shape, not necessary. Skiing is not a difficult thing once you are accustomed to it, but I agree that everything is a lot more difficult when you are brand new. Our condo at Copper sits at the base of a learning area, and I see what goes on there every day. Skiing is just awkward. Carrying skis is awkward. Getting up from flat ground is awkward. A little strength goes a long way.

Absolutely, all of that is true. I just think that the entire culture tells, well, fat people (that's not what anyone said, but that's how most people interpret "not in shape") - "You aren't allowed into the gym until you're skinny enough." I have seen evidence of people who were out of shape, found a sport they loved, and got in shape because of it /through it. Going into the gym - doing anything physical - can be a big hurdle for a large person to overcome. So I cringe when I see a suggestion that not only do they have to get past their fears about people laughing at them for skiing, but now they have to go into the gym, which can be extremely intimidating. So I think the greater good is to just encourage people to come try it.

Also: @Monique , among others, provided examples and evidence, in the Skiing Risk Management thread, that physical training outside of skiing helps reduce the risk of certain injuries. Particularly, lower body/core strength.

Wait, I did? Maybe. Let's not go there. No one on the bunny hill could end up in the position I was in (figurative and literal). The risks to someone just starting to ski are different, and ligament risk is unlikely to be addressed by a month in the gym.
 
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Mendieta

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Wait, I did? Maybe. Let's not go there. No one on the bunny hill could end up in the position I was in (figurative and literal). The risks to someone just starting to ski are different, and ligament risk is unlikely to be addressed by a month in the gym.

Fair enough :)
 

KevinF

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It's very likely that by Day 3, you will be having fun

I humbly submit that if somebody isn't having fun at the end of "Day 1" then there won't be a "Day 3".

Buy ski socks: you must use proper socks

Thanks to the internet not being as prevalent in the '90s as it is today, I didn't realize there was such a thing as "ski socks" until I had been skiing for five or six years. Given the way that rental ski boots fit (to use the word "fit" loosely), having a thicker (normal) sock that keeps their foot a little warmer doesn't seem so bad to me.

If there was something thinner than ski socks, I'd wear them. I've thought about skiing sans socks to save my foot that 1mm of room in there.
 
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Mendieta

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Given the way that rental ski boots fit (to use the word "fit" loosely), having a thicker (normal) sock that keeps their foot a little warmer doesn't seem so bad to me.

Provided that the socks cover the whole boot length, right? You get that for free with ski socks.
 

Monique

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KingGrump

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There is a bare minimum fitness level required to learn to ski. I'd say being able to walk a mile would be sufficient. You need to be able to work on hour feet (and butt) for thirty minutes minimum to get anywhere worthwhile. Once you get past that you can work towards longer sessions and the fitness will take care of itself driven by the desire to keep skiing better and better.

Praise the Lord, I already know how to ski. Yes, badly but can generally on a downhill slide. It would simply kill me to walk a mile. What about maybe 150 feet. Will that suffice?:D
 

SBrown

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Absolutely, all of that is true. I just think that the entire culture tells, well, fat people (that's not what anyone said, but that's how most people interpret "not in shape") - "You aren't allowed into the gym until you're skinny enough.....

Well ... that's not at ALL what I was thinking. If that helps any. In fact, I am just as likely (if not more so) to picture out-of-shape people as too skinny, lacking muscle tone. So, point taken, but that didn't even occur to me that the author "meant" that.
 

KevinF

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Provided that the socks cover the whole boot length, right? You get that for free with ski socks.

I guess my in youthful pre-ski-socks ignorance, I had no idea that socks were supposed to extend above the boot, etc. So the fact that my "normal" cotton socks didn't extend that high didn't bother me. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.

My point here is not to take away from your article. I think it was well written and covers a lot of important topics. These "beginner intros to skiing" have been written up in various places on the web.

My point is that if I had seen one of these lists -- you need to go for three days, get daily instruction, have ski socks, a special helmet, goggles, etc.,etc., etc. -- I would never have started skiing! My first forays into skiing were self funded with my first "real" job. Cheap is good. I just grabbed whatever "snow clothes" I had when Mom and Dad told me to go out and shovel whatever fell last night (i.e., gloves, sweats, snow pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt, hat and a warm jacket).

I simply see things listed that I (and many others...) survived without for years and marvel that at some point they've gone from "luxury items" to "first timer necessities". I never thought I was needlessly suffering, but then again, I grew up running around outside and playing in the snow (such as we got in Pennsylvania) anyway, so a certain level of discomfort was considered "normal". Maybe that helped me out. All I know is that at the end of day#1 I still had absolutely no clue what I was doing, but I couldn't wait for day#2. :)
 

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