Learning To Ski for Beginners

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.

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