So, You’ve Never Skied Before

[Lorenzzo]

BAM!!!!!!!! Now that's a Bam!

There's just something about having to say hi back to someone being paid to say hi to me that seems invasive. I prefer not to be prodded into cheerleading Walmart by Walmart. So I avoid eye contact. Yeah, it isn't that big a deal but I am not a herd animal. Maybe I'm just getting to be a curmudgeon.

 

[Sibhusky]

There's greeters at Walmart?

Jk

 

[Yo Momma]

I prefer not to be prodded into cheerleading Walmart by Walmart. .

Agreed........... I try to shop there as little as humanly possible............

 

[Yo Momma]

Okay a negative post about Walmart cannot be the last post in this thread.......... Let's try this. Welcome all newcomers to the best site on the web about the highly rewarding sport of skiing. Here we gladly and enthusiastically engage in polite dialogue, as well as attempt to answer your questions in a respectful and fun manner. Have at it, and enjoy the ambiance!

 

[Yo Momma]

Okay ......... even better!

 

[T-Square]

As an adaptive instructor I feel compelled to at least get a bit involved in this discussion, especially when you discuss "fitness."

I'll be blunt, I don't care about fitness. You want to ski, lets do it! If you can stand up there's 2 track, 3 track, or 4 track skiing. If you can't stand then let's sit down on a monoski, biski, twin ski, cart ski, or some other type of bucket. Can't see, I'm your guide dog.

The big thing is to go out and do it. If you fall in love with sliding and playing outside in the snow that's all it is about. Fitness, if it can develop will improve. If it doesn't, who cares as long as you are having fun.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Sorry late to this one. Most of these points have been addressed, don't make this too complex or daunting.

First timer...

1. Layer clothing to adjust for conditions (outside layer should be able to keep you dry). Wear what you have. Just stay warm and dry.

2. Buy a ski experience package, equipment, lesson, ticket. You'll understand later about equipment, but right now.

3. Stay safe, don't let dumb friends or well meaning family say you are ready for a blue or black run on the first time out.

4. Have fun. Both on the hill and off. Put effort into enjoying the experience. While I ski at the higher levels (and enjoy it), the views, the air, the fire to warmup in the lodge and laughing at the fools that are no better than yourself will bring you back for more.

Once you are hooked, look at what equipment and clothing you need to purchase. As each item improves so does the experience and will continue to do so for a long time.

50 yrs of skiing has taught me this and the ones I follow the most are 3 and 4. As long as I can go skiing life is good! Great equipment, great weather and perfect runs just improve an already good day skiing.

 

[DaveM]

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?

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.

Mendieta, 'Nice Job! I think you provided some very good advice for beginners. I very recently joined PugSki, so, yes, readers will notice a "time gap" between my post and the others. Here are my observations, having learned to ski in 2006, as an adult. I'm ignoring the two "bunny hills" I skied on two separate days, in my early 20's, about 20 years prior.
1. I absolutely recommend ski lessons and strongly recommend private lessons. Private lessons help both the student and instructor stay focused.
a. I've taken at least one lesson per season, and try to take at least one private lesson per season.
b. I agree with comments by you and others in this thread - take your early lesson(s) on a small, local hill. My first lesson was a private one at Wachusett Mountain, MA. "Wa-wa" is a good place to learn, because of (1) mildly-sloped, reasonably wide terrain, with (2) relatively small vertical relief - that is, small height of the hill, and (3) fairly wide Green-level trails. I took a vacation day on a Friday, to take the lesson, and that avoided crowds in the morning and early afternoon.
c. Yes, morning lessons are good because that's when most people feel "freshest".
d. Sugarloaf, Maine, used to provide discounted private lessons at 9 AM. The "peak-time" lessons were at 10:30 AM to noon, if I remember correctly.
e. Group lessons [free during BSSC weekend ski trips to Sunday River and Sugarloaf] were OK, but definitely not as good as private lessons. The instructor has more students to watch and to try to teach.
I've had good and excellent, private lessons at: Wachusett, Wildcat [NH], Sugarloaf [Maine], Jay Peak ["wicked Noth" VT], Big White [Kelowna, BC].
Good group lessons were had at: Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Big White.
Excellent group lessons were had at Taos Ski Valley. Taos is a story unto itself.

I strongly recommend Lessons as an Investment in Safety and Enjoyment!
Lessons in any sport help you Gain Knowledge and Experience, and help you Enjoy it more.

2. Fitness. Please, at least go for brisk walks at least a few times per week.
a. I swim about 4,000-6,000 meters per week, and like to hike and/or ride around on my mountain bike. Still, skiing uses different movements, so
b. Two long-time, New England skiers recommended Yoga; one also recommended Pilates. I also do some Yoga, and recommend it for flexibility & tone.
Please note that many Physical Therapy exercises are actually Yoga moves. I thank Mom for pointing that out.

I feel like I could write much more, but that's probably for "Gear" or "Lessons" forums, to help folks going from Beginner to Advanced Beginner and Intermediate.
I hope my comments help.

 

[DaveM]

I'd like to modify something I posted, above. "Vertical relief", formally defined, is the difference in altitude between the base and the highest peak or summit of a mountain. There's another reason to consider learning on a small, "local hill" ski area, instead of going to a big "destination resort": (4) learning at lower altitudes helps avoid high-altitude hypoxia - a lack of oxygen. Chances are that you'll figure out pretty quickly if you're running out of breath unusually fast, once you're above 5,000 feet and especially above 6,000-7,000 feet altitude. ENJOY learning to ski.

 

[Tricia]

I'd like to modify something I posted, above. "Vertical relief", formally defined, is the difference in altitude between the base and the highest peak or summit of a mountain. There's another reason to consider learning on a small, "local hill" ski area, instead of going to a big "destination resort": (4) learning at lower altitudes helps avoid high-altitude hypoxia - a lack of oxygen. Chances are that you'll figure out pretty quickly if you're running out of breath unusually fast, once you're above 5,000 feet and especially above 6,000-7,000 feet altitude. ENJOY learning to ski.

*There is an edit time limit for members, but anyone on our staff will be happy to edit a post for you if you'd like.

 

[DaveM]

*There is an edit time limit for members, but anyone on our staff will be happy to edit a post for you if you'd like.

Tricia, thank you for letting me know.

 

[KevinF]

Mendieta, 'Nice Job! I think you provided some very good advice for beginners. I very recently joined PugSki, so, yes, readers will notice a "time gap" between my post and the others. Here are my observations, having learned to ski in 2006, as an adult. I'm ignoring the two "bunny hills" I skied on two separate days, in my early 20's, about 20 years prior.
1. I absolutely recommend ski lessons and strongly recommend private lessons. Private lessons help both the student and instructor stay focused.
a. I've taken at least one lesson per season, and try to take at least one private lesson per season.
b. I agree with comments by you and others in this thread - take your early lesson(s) on a small, local hill. My first lesson was a private one at Wachusett Mountain, MA. "Wa-wa" is a good place to learn, because of (1) mildly-sloped, reasonably wide terrain, with (2) relatively small vertical relief - that is, small height of the hill, and (3) fairly wide Green-level trails. I took a vacation day on a Friday, to take the lesson, and that avoided crowds in the morning and early afternoon.
c. Yes, morning lessons are good because that's when most people feel "freshest".
d. Sugarloaf, Maine, used to provide discounted private lessons at 9 AM. The "peak-time" lessons were at 10:30 AM to noon, if I remember correctly.
e. Group lessons [free during BSSC weekend ski trips to Sunday River and Sugarloaf] were OK, but definitely not as good as private lessons. The instructor has more students to watch and to try to teach.
I've had good and excellent, private lessons at: Wachusett, Wildcat [NH], Sugarloaf [Maine], Jay Peak ["wicked Noth" VT], Big White [Kelowna, BC].
Good group lessons were had at: Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Big White.
Excellent group lessons were had at Taos Ski Valley. Taos is a story unto itself.

@DaveM makes some good points here. To expand a bit...

1. You can get good and bad lessons anywhere. Unfortunately, the "best" instructors are usually booked well in advance, especially at larger destination resorts. If you want to improve your odds, ask for a Level-3 certified instructor Getting to L3 status means your instructor has put some serious hours into learning their craft. It's not a guarantee of a great lesson, but it sure doesn't hurt your odds.
2. If you find an instructor you like, stick with him (or her). The next time you see them, you won't have to spend the first run explaining what you want, you won't be spending time doing the "well, let me watch you ski" run, etc. They know how you ski, and you can just pick up right where you left off.
3. Remember, all the instructor can really do is "open the door". It's up to you to walk through it. You need to commit to practice.

 

[Mendieta]

@DaveM makes some good points here. To expand a bit...

1. You can get good and bad lessons anywhere. Unfortunately, the "best" instructors are usually booked well in advance, especially at larger destination resorts. If you want to improve your odds, ask for a Level-3 certified instructor Getting to L3 status means your instructor has put some serious hours into learning their craft. It's not a guarantee of a great lesson, but it sure doesn't hurt your odds.
2. If you find an instructor you like, stick with him (or her). The next time you see them, you won't have to spend the first run explaining what you want, you won't be spending time doing the "well, let me watch you ski" run, etc. They know how you ski, and you can just pick up right where you left off.
3. Remember, all the instructor can really do is "open the door". It's up to you to walk through it. You need to commit to practice.

Also, I have been extremely lucky with recommendations for instructors here in Pugski, in the Ski School sub-forum. Start a thread with a clear title: " I need recommendations for an instructor in X ski area/resort." As usual, the more info you give about yourself and your needs, the more and better info you get back from the experts

 

[DaveM]

Also, I have been extremely lucky with recommendations for instructors here in Pugski, in the Ski School sub-forum. Start a thread with a clear title: " I need recommendations for an instructor in X ski area/resort." As usual, the more info you give about yourself and your needs, the more and better info you get back from the experts

Mendieta, thanks for your Thread title suggestion; that should help a number of readers find it.

 

[DaveM]

@DaveM makes some good points here. To expand a bit...

1. You can get good and bad lessons anywhere. Unfortunately, the "best" instructors are usually booked well in advance, especially at larger destination resorts. If you want to improve your odds, ask for a Level-3 certified instructor Getting to L3 status means your instructor has put some serious hours into learning their craft. It's not a guarantee of a great lesson, but it sure doesn't hurt your odds.
2. If you find an instructor you like, stick with him (or her). The next time you see them, you won't have to spend the first run explaining what you want, you won't be spending time doing the "well, let me watch you ski" run, etc. They know how you ski, and you can just pick up right where you left off.
3. Remember, all the instructor can really do is "open the door". It's up to you to walk through it. You need to commit to practice.

Kevin, thanks for your additions. After a really good private lesson at Jay Peak, I later found out that my instructor was Level-3 certified, and used to run Jay's ski school. He had rather recently retired, from what I gathered. That just happened to be the luck of the draw, on that morning. I've talked briefly with some instructors after group lessons and have been given business cards with PSIA (Pro. Ski Instructors' Assoc.) logos on them. Yes, I thought one instructor at Sugarloaf was very good, so we arranged a private lesson the next morning. It was well worth it - and, immediately afterwards, I joined him for another [free] group lesson. I'd love to spend more days skiing - something I'd like to really set as a goal. One Mountain Tour Host at Sunshine Village told us that, in his opinion, "If you really want to improve, you need to ski at least 30 days per season". So far, the most I've skied is 18 days in each of two seasons. Then again, I only started skiing 10+ days/season during 2010-2011. I can't complain - any day enjoying skiing is a blessing.

 

[Mendieta]

One Mountain Tour Host at Sunshine Village told us that, in his opinion, "If you really want to improve, you need to ski at least 30 days per season". So far, the most I've skied is 18 days in each of two seasons. Then again, I only started skiing 10+ days/season during 2010-2011. I can't complain - any day enjoying skiing is a blessing.

Yeah, for an absolute beginner, 10 days is a good goal, because they will improve a lot. For more experienced people, it is hard to improve much with 10 days or less. The more you know, the more days you need to improve a bit more.

Unless you live at a short distance of a ski area, the easiest way for me to put a good number of days of skiing a season is to plan any winter vacation around skiing. So, if I take two weeks, that's 14 days. Then when you add day trips, weekend short trips, it can add up. This season I closed with a July 15 day at Squaw, I think I almost reached 30.

I love your point though: enjoy every day in the snow. Every single day is magical. These days, I enjoy the sun if it's sunny, the fog if it's foggy, the groom if it is groomed, the crud if chopped up, and so on. Any day I click into the skis ...

​

 

[CharlieP]

Aug 8, 2017

How about a season long progression at your local mountain? At Ski Liberty, PA (600 vertical) we have a mid-week weekly 2 hour group lesson, lead by a Level III PSIA instructor, who was a member on the prestigious PSIA-e Development Team (Dev Team). For the past 5 seasons, I've been taking this group lesson and it has improved my skiing tremendously. The coach doesn't do anything fancy, we (1-5 skiers, depending on who shows up, usually 2-3) usually spend 90-100 minutes of our time on a slightly blueish green slope performing drills. Evey season it is more or less the same drills, albeit in slightly different form/presentation/attack/point of view/approach. The remainder of the lesson will be on steeper more difficult runs i.e. black trails, mogul trails. Otherwise we are always on the blueish green run, ingraining the basic desired movement patterns. The reason his approach seems to work, is that after awhile, it almost becomes second nature, and one can concentrate on the best way to approach the terrain as opposed to concentrating on how to ski correctly i.e. tactics vs technique. Late April 2017 I found myself on Superstar at Killington. It was edge to edge, top to bottom big SOFT moguls. I was able to negotiate my way down skiing, not surviving. The only thing I had to concentrate on was the next bump and keeping the pole plants coming. My lower body knew instinctively how to react and what to do. I agree that the "softness" of the snow had something to do with my skiing, but I will take what is given. I skied the run three times more or less at the same level, so that I was convinced that it wasn't a fluke.

As an epilogue, For the past 5 years, I also take a one hour private with him once every two weeks to ten days so as to get coaching directed more at my specific needs and requirements.

Lower one third of Supertrail:

Think snow,

CP

ps: If you are in the area and are interested, the coach's name is Nick Eastman. It's a running joke between us that he holds back on us to keep us coming back for more.

 

[Wilhelmson]

As an adaptive instructor I feel compelled to at least get a bit involved in this discussion, especially when you discuss "fitness."

I'll be blunt, I don't care about fitness. You want to ski, lets do it! If you can stand up there's 2 track, 3 track, or 4 track skiing. If you can't stand then let's sit down on a monoski, biski, twin ski, cart ski, or some other type of bucket. Can't see, I'm your guide dog.

The big thing is to go out and do it. If you fall in love with sliding and playing outside in the snow that's all it is about. Fitness, if it can develop will improve. If it doesn't, who cares as long as you are having fun.

Right on, we were biking a rail trail this weekend and there was a Spaulding tent providing recline bikes for those who can't use upright bikes. Some of them even had hand pedals.

 

[quant]

What if a beginner isn't as fast a learner as some others? Embrace it. Just keep at it, and that includes lessons. Learning more slowly than others can be a benefit.

http://bigthink.com/videos/barbara-...cial&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1502636885

 

[Mendieta]

What if a beginner isn't as fast a learner as some others? Embrace it. Just keep at it, and that includes lessons. Learning more slowly than others can be a benefit.

http://bigthink.com/videos/barbara-...cial&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1502636885

I really like this quote from the article: Overconfidence can make us blind to our mistakes, so humility is a tool in itself. That's great perspective, particularly for those of us who learned as adults, so we are bound to be behind the curve. A little humility to take the lessons you need and ski the terrain you can, will allow you to improve much faster than pretending you don't need any help.