Tips for beginner skiers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How to choose ski equipment? Where to begin? What position to take when riding and how to fall correctly? These and other popular questions for novice skiers will not go unanswered.

My first acquaintance with skiing was in the ninth grade. For some reason, our physical education instructor decided that cross-country skis are perfect for descending on them from small and gentle slopes of the lake. I remember very well how I got up on skis, went and … immediately got on my ass. It seemed to me that these thin and slippery sticks would simply go forward along with my legs, leaving the rest of my body far behind. And so it went. After that, every attempt to get back on the skis ended in dizziness and another refusal. If then someone told me such simple and obvious things about how to ski properly, perhaps my relationship with this sport would have been much better.

Keep your legs bent

This is lesson number one, but many people forget about it! For beginners, the semi-squat position is a novelty, so every time they strive to straighten their legs and thus upset the balance. Bent knees give you the ability to control your skis and keep them parallel to each other (not criss-cross or opposite).

Another bonus from bent legs: you will be better prepared for small jumps due to bumps that can unexpectedly occur on the track. Riding on straight legs can be compared to riding a bus that travels on an uneven road. How long can you stay on straight legs without additional support on the handrails? Now try to bend your knees even more, and you will be surprised how much easier control over your body and technique has become, and how easy it has become to jump from small jumps and even slopes.

Make sure that the heel always stays in the heel cup of the ski boots. If this is not the case, then you have not bent your knees sufficiently.

Find a balance

If you are a beginner, your body is in an unnatural position while skiing. The legs move forward, and the body is already trying to catch up with the escaped couple. And here many beginners strive to sit on skis in order to eliminate this unpleasant imbalance, and this is completely wrong.

How is it correct? You need to pull yourself together and make sure that your body is above your feet. This will improve your skiing technique and give you additional control over your body and skis if your body is over the narrowest point of the skis ("sweet spot"). Skiing in the absence of balance is very tiring.

Sweet spot - the zone of optimal balance of the skier in the front-rear direction, being in which he easily controls the skis. Skis with small Ss are less prone to forgiving mistakes, it is necessary that the weight of the skier is at the right point all the time (control over the stance). Skis with a large Ss allow the skier to ski in a forward or back stance while providing very good handling and maneuverability.

Don't look down

For beginners, the feeling of having skis attached to their feet seems rather strange. Therefore, out of curiosity, many begin to look at their skis (oh, what happens to them ?!) instead of looking forward. The effect of this is about the same as if you were constantly looking at your shoes while walking: sooner or later, you will surely collide with someone. Ski instructors suggest looking about 3 meters ahead. This way you can see people or trees ahead of time and avoid collisions or prepare for uneven terrain.

Also, a gaze directed forward will lead the body, that is, you will move where you are looking. It's like throwing a ball: look where you want to hit, not the ball.

Start learning in the right terrain

If you've ever read brochures describing ski resorts, then you have probably come across the designations of the types of tracks. There are trails for the pros, and there are trails for beginners (usually they are marked in green). As a rule, these are gentle and well-groomed trails with a short slope, not as steep and hilly as for more advanced skiers.

Don't be afraid to fall

Fear of falling is one of the most common fears. However, falling is as much a part of training as skiing itself. You will fall. You will fall a lot, and the only way out for you is to learn how to fall correctly. Try to fall to the side rather than forward or backward, as this can dislocate. After falling, try to fix your body to prevent further sliding down, otherwise you will crash into someone and knock you down.

Choose the right ski resort

As we have already said, the tracks are different. If skiing is new to you, choose a resort that has good pistes for beginners, comfortable cable cars, rental of quality ski equipment and competent instructors.

Don't learn from your significant other

"Why spend money on an instructor and trust your health and life to a complete stranger, if a loved one can teach me everything?" - some think.

Have you ever been taught driving by your significant other? Skiing training will look pretty much the same even if your spouse is a highly qualified instructor. A new sport, especially such an extreme one as skiing, will cause a storm of emotions, and not all of them will be positive. It's one thing to grumble in the back of a stranger, and quite another to respond to reproaches or teachings to a husband or wife. Here it is unlikely that the matter will end with a simple grumble. You obviously don't need unnecessary resentments, like injuries.

The only option that might work in this case is teaching your children.

Dress correctly

From a beginner, no one ever demands the same equipment as a pro athlete. It's not a fact that you will like this activity, and you don't really want to spend money on rather expensive ski equipment. But there are a few things that should be mandatory. It is better to buy them rather than rent them.

The first thing is ski boots. Your success largely depends on their quality and convenience. Thing number two is good ski pants, which will ensure you get home virtually dry. Also, high-quality pants will allow you to be on the slope for much longer than in a ski house. The third item is a protective ski helmet. You will fall, remember? And it will not always be light falls on the bottom or on the side.

It is also worth taking care of good gloves, ski goggles and choosing the right sunscreen.

Take your time and don't jump from track to track

Studying on flat and gentle slopes is very convenient, but tedious. Particularly brave beginners, just a few days after the start of training, suddenly decide that they can already go to a more advanced track. But they really can't! Even if you are the only adult on the green track and classmates of your child, younger brother or sister are frolicking around you, you should not move on to a more difficult level until the instructor allows you to. Take a deep breath and try to focus on small accomplishments. Work on your technique, learn to fall correctly and avoid obstacles thrown at your feet.;)