I have been skiing every winter since I was four years old, thanks to my enthusiastic dad. To prevent injuries, and various other conundrums, I have developed a survival-skiing skill set.
- Dress for success.
Skiing starts with what you wear. Too hot and you start sweating, then freeze. Too cold and well, you freeze. Nothing ruins the mood like discomfort. Snow in your boots is fairly uncomfortable, and snow down your pants is just as bad. For solutions to both of the problems, I recommend a pair of pants with a bib (basically snow overalls) and scrunched cuffs. They go up high enough to stop snow from slipping in the waist, and pulling the scrunched cuffs over the top of your boots keeps snow out on that end. The trick for the top is in the layers. Owning a variety of quick dry layers can ensure you are prepared for any weather, since you can always add more on or take some off depending on the conditions. I also strongly recommend an outer shell with “pit zips.” Laugh now, but jackets have them for a reason. Lastly, as far as hands and toes go, thick socks, glove liners, and any sort of warmers are the best you can do.
- Ride the lift.
Once you’re all geared up, it’s lift time. There is no advice I can give for getting off the lift. You just have to go for it. The only real advice I have is to try to sit on the edge you plan to turn towards. If you sit on the left edge and try to turn right when you get off, you risk collisions with your liftmates. If you are riding with strangers, it’s helpful to ask which way the people next to you are turning so you can achieve a successful collision-free departure.
- Follow the tracks.
Join a ski school train. Though the plague of many skiers, the “follow the leader” ski school trains can be found on various beginner hills. If you aren’t sure how to turn well, joining one of these trains a bit farther back can be a good start. It’s just skiing over a premade path. If no ski schools are in sight, following someone else’s tracks can be tremendously helpful, especially if there’s deep powder.
- Snow-plow.
When the turns don’t work, there is one more trick for skiing success: the tried and true method of snowplowing. Originating from “pizza-pie turns,” snow plowing consists of turning the tips of your skis together to make a triangle, then heading straight down the hill. It seems ineffective, but in my experience, the snow tends to pile up enough in front of the skis to prevent going too fast. It only works on steeper hills, and not in powder, but on groomed runs, it’s definitely a fun approach.
Skiing can be enjoyable for anyone of any level. You just need to know the basics.