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Learning to Ski – Advice for Beginners

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Article by Earl Knudsen

You’ve prepared for your skiing trip, and you’ve finally arrived at the chalets. Val d’Isere is a great place to learn how to ski, but if you’re a beginner then it can be rather frustrating at times. Watching all the pros whizzing down the slopes while you’re still mastering how to stop falling over is not much fun at all. There are a number of things you should remember if you are learning to ski after you have arrived at the chalets. Val d’Isere is a great location, but follow this useful information and you will get even more from your skiing.

Always Get Pro Training

Make sure you arrange professional skiing lessons as soon as you arrive at the chalets. Val d’Isere has numerous professional skiing coaches who will be able to teach you the ins and outs and get you up on the faster slopes in no time. It can be tempting sometimes to save your money and get lessons from a friend instead, but this is never a great idea. Not only are your friends likely to get bored of teaching you and disappear after a while to enjoy their own skiing, but they also won’t have the experience to teach you everything you need to know about technique and keeping safe. So if you want the best start to your skiing experience, always go with a pro.

Use The Best Equipment

If you plan to buy your own ski equipment, there is no point skimping on price. It may be tempting, but if you end up with badly fitting equipment it will take away a lot of the enjoyment, so make sure you think carefully about your equipment first. A good alternative is to rent the equipment when you arrive at the chalets. Val d’Isere has a number of good ski rental shops where you can get everything you need whilst paying less than you would if you bought it. Not only will you get good equipment, but if you decide that skiing is not really your thing then you won’t have wasted any money.

Don’t Go Above Your Level Too Soon

It can be easy to get ahead of yourself once you know what you’re doing, and you’ll be desperate to get onto the fast slopes as soon as you arrive at the chalets. Val d’Isere has lots of fast slopes for pro skiers, and seeing the pros make it look so easy can give you false confidence. But be warned: too much too soon and you could end up getting hurt. Stay on the slopes where you are comfortable and learn the basics first. Progress slowly from the gentle slopes onto the harder slopes when your instructor says you’re ready, and grow in confidence slowly. Not only will it be safer but you’ll feel much more prepared when you take on the harder slopes for the first time.

Choose from a Range of Chalets

Val d’Isere is a great place to learn how to ski, and you’ll have a fantastic time when you stay in one of the ski chalets. Val d’Isere is ideal for beginner skiers, so take it easy, prepare yourself properly and have a great time.

Earl Knudsen is Marketing Manager for Alpine Answers, a specialist ski travel agency, tour operator, and booking service offering bonded package holidays at chalets Val d’Isere, and other tailor-made itineraries. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday in chalets, Val d’Isere is an ideal location.










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Learn To Ski On Vacation

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You can plan a family ski vacation even if no one knows how to ski. You can learn the sport while on vacation and have a great time. You don’t need to know anything about skiing before you get to the resort because everything will be available to you there. All the knowledge you need and all the necessary equipment is part of a ski package. You will be skiing within an hour of beginning your instruction.


It is relatively easy to learn to ski. Most resorts provide a ski school right on their premises, with lessons being reasonably priced. There are both group and private lessons available at most resorts. You should schedule an appointment for lessons before you arrive at the resort, however. This way, you will be sure that you can start your skiing lessons right away.


Most instructors begin by showing you how to handle your equipment. You will be tilted forward slightly when you are wearing ski boots, so walking in them the first time is quite awkward. You will get the hang of it in no time, though – just walk with your knees bent slightly.


Your first skiing maneuver will be the plow, or snow plow. This technique requires that you literally use your skis like a plow. The back of the skis slowly moves outward and away from your body via the application of pressure. This is what stops you. You can guide yourself on skis by bending your knees and then leaning in one direction or another. The way you lean depends on which way you want to go. These techniques can be learned in about an hour, even if you’ve never skied in your life.


One of the great things about skiing is that once you’ve learned the snowplow technique and how to guide yourself, you are ready to hit the slopes. Get on the ski lift, go on up the mountain, and try out what you have learned. Once you feel confident enough to go faster, draw the skis back in from the snow plow position, then push them back out to control your speed.


Because you are just beginning to learn the sport, you should stay on trails designed for beginners. At most ski resorts the beginner trails are marked with a green emblem. Generally, trails marked in blue are for intermediate skiers. After a day on the beginner trails, you might be ready to try on of these. Black trails are for experts and can be very dangerous for individuals who do not have the skills to handle them. You should avoid black trails until you have had considerable amounts of instruction and experience. You will know when you are ready to use these trails!

More articles and resources on travel, skiing vacation and holiday by visiting vacation-secrets.com

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“The Way To Better Skiing” Learn how to ski through 11 professional instructional ski videos. Visit also www.learntoski.dk for a free copy of the book.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Learning To Ski for Beginners

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Article by Cody Kidd

When learning to ski, a lot of beginners ask me what should I do when learning to ski. The answer is very simple. The answer is learn proper ski techniques from the start. Do not develop any bad skiing habits. So, how do you develop good habits? There are a few different ways.

One of the best ways is to hire an instructor and get a ski lesson, whether if it’s a private lesson or a group lesson. They will teach you the foundation and fundamentals of skiing and also give you good feedback along the way.

Another great way is to get books and DVD’s on skiing. There are a handful of good books and DVD’s, but you want to get ones that are recent, probably within the last five years, maybe 10 at the most. The reason for this is ski technology has dramatically changed over the last two decades. In the early 1990′s and before, we had really long, thin skis. It was common to have skies longer that a foot over your head. Today, we have a lot wider skis that are also shaped. The skiing skills are dramatically different between the old style thin skies and the new style fat skies. So again, if you are going to get books and DVD’s on skiing, you should get something within the last five years.

Next is to get yourself into good skiing shape. There are a variety of exercises that you can do to get yourself into great skiing shape. Skiing is a physically demanding sport, especially if you do black runs or a lot of mogul runs. By doing a little bit of exercising and small quick workout a month or two leading into your ski vacation, that will go a long way for you to enjoy your ski trip more. You’ll be able to ski longer and not get tired. You’ll be able to take less breaks and be on the slopes more.

Now, here is how to avoid bad habits. First and foremost is to avoid having someone who is unqualified for teaching to teach you how to ski (and I see this error done all the time). This can be your spouse, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, or even your friends. If they are not a qualified ski instructor, then you probably do not want to learn how to ski from them. They can set you off on the wrong foot. They will teach you bad habits (without knowing they are). They can teach you the wrong techniques. You don’t want to do that.

One major error that is taught is the power wedge. The power wedge is also known as the pizza or the snow plow. This is an extremely inefficient skiing maneuver. The only place that really a wedge is applicable is in a lift line or before a lift line. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THE POWER WEDGE WHILE YOU’RE SKIING. You want to learn more efficient skiing tactics. Good DVD’s, books, and good lessons will teach you the efficient skiing tactics.

Lastly, you want to avoid overly difficult terrain. Know your skiing level. It’s okay to challenge yourself, but do not do runs that are way over your head, that are way difficult for you.

The Cody Kidd is a PSIA professional ski instructor with over 15 years of skiing and teaching experience. For more great learning to ski tips and more about skiing, visit http://www.simpleskiingsystem.com










“The Way To Better Skiing” Learn how to ski through 11 professional instructional ski videos. Visit also www.learntoski.dk for a free copy of the book.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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