Top tips for skiing - how do you learn ASAP?

Question

I want any top tips for when I go skiing - things/rules to remember, etc, anyone have top tips for skiing?

I have skied before - a weekend a year for three years unfortunately. Can do the beginner stuff but am moving up to point where I can go down intermediate slopes - blues and reds - I need to know things I can recall while skiing

Answer 1

Here are a couple:

1. squish the spider that is stuck between your shin and the top part of your boot. I know, there really isn't a spider there! But pretend, you want your shin pressing on the boot, this applies forward pressure, and helps keep you centered, and certainly not leaning back.

2. if you are turning left, imagine steering the turn through with your right big toe. Pressure your toe into the boot...not too hard, you might blister!

3. pretend you are taking a picture of the lodge at the bottom of the hill, and the camera lens follows the motions of your chest. Point is, you mostly want your chest pointing down the fall-line. There are exceptions to this...but if you want fast, dynamic turns on a blue groomer, this is a great one! You should always be able to see your hands. If a hand drops out of view, that means it is below your center of gravity, and probably behind you...which is fine, if you want use the sitzski style (or in English, crash!).

4. in the old days (before shaped skis), we really had to work to make the turns. Now, the shaped skis practically turn themselves. Just relax, steer with your big toes, and let the skis do the work. There is a little more to it than just big toes, but the point is, you don't need a whole lot of force to be graceful.

5. Get a lesson, if you have not. The benefit will far outweigh the cost.

If you come to Utah, feel free to give me a holler!

Answer 2

If you want to do it right, you need good coaching. Pointers from friends and family members arn't going to get you anywhere fast, and often times create confusion, bad habits, and stress.

You'll want to take lessons from a PSIA instructor. Private lessons are expensive, but groups lessons are often times a great value, especially at the intermediate stage. Try to get hooked up in a lesson with a PSIA Level III instructor, they're the most knowlegable, however a Level II will probably suit you fine until you get better.

Often times, you can pull your instructor aside during a group lesson and deal with individual issues like you would in a private lesson. Likewise, you'll be working with people who ski at your level on improving. Just avoid taking group lessons on "school night" if you're skiing someplace near a metropolitan area.

A great place to ask specific questions about skiing online is the community at http://www.epicski.com ... They've been around for a long time and are pretty helpful without the flaming and intimidation you get on other sites.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Try going to your nearest dry ski slope for some lessons, I know it isn't the same but I found it helpful. Also ask the instructors for advice.

Take suncream of a high factor and apply it regularly along with sun screen lip balm. Buy some good sunglasses with all round protection (side of your face), ask in a ski shop or the dry ski slope for advice.

Remember about layering your clothes as well.

Have fun!

Answer 4

Totally get a lesson; even though you have skiied before, swallow your pride and ask to be in the intermediate group. Good resorts usually have them. It's not smart to be on the mountain without proper instruction. Plus, it will make your ski experience far more enjoyable, to actually learn the proper technique of how to ski right. As for tips, a good instructor should take it from there.

Answer 5

At most ski resorts they give you a free beginner lesson with ski rental and/or a lift ticket. Its best to get there as early as you can so that you can take a lesson before you start skiing. If you have never been skiing before (and obviously you have not) I highly reccomend doing the lesson. It takes about an hour or so where they take you through various drills and teach you how to stop and turn and slow down. Afterwards they send you down the hill and teach you how to get on and off the lift.

Answer 6

Follow these steps and you won't go wrong (in no particular order):
keep your weight forward by keeping pressure on the front of your boot with your shins
conversely, don't get in the backseat
ski the fall line (this means, don't turn, ski across the hill, turn, ski across the hill... It means to make tight (its a relative term) turns across the imaginary line that a ball would roll (or fall, hence the term) down the hill.
Keep your knees bent
keep your upper body still
Put more weight on your downhill ski
pole plant when you turn by planting your inside pole in the snow and turning around it.

But more than anything, keep your weight forward and knees bent

Answer 7

Get lessons. I know that it sounds lame, but even single day of lessons is huge. Seeing an instructor is perfect technique and having him/her give you tips will help massivly. Also, until the ski season comes get some literature on how to ski and read.

Answer 8

Always ski with an instructor (until he/she says your good enough to go solo)
Never attempt runs above your current level
Don't try and show off
Good with the flow - once you get into a movement continue it until you have to stop (i.e. if you turn right at the edges continue doing so until you have to stop)

Answer 9

ask them how they sense. have exciting with them even as they study. cause them to snort. a large portion of getting to understand to ski is a convenience zone with the persons round you. it can be embarrassing at situations so the further constructive the entire team feels about the lesson the further constructive they study. And, the further they prefer you, because the instructor. different then that use the recommendations you've realized contained in the direction and extra healthful them to man or woman and team that you're operating with. good success!

Answer 10

I still remember the only two English words my Italian ski instructor ever learned: "Snow Plough"