Over 50 million skiers hit the slopes in the US every year.
Perhaps this year you are planning to be one of them but are just starting your skiing journey. No worries! If you are new to skiing, then we have you covered with our top five skiing tips for beginners.
Read on to find out how to make the most of your first skiing trip and have a great winter vacation.
1. Take a Lesson
If you are keen to get onto the slopes, it might seem tempting just to grab some skis and go.
However, skiing requires a lot of techniques that you can best learn from a professional. Trial and error will only get you so far, but if you learn bad habits from the start, it will be difficult to get rid of them.
Take a lesson or two when you start and learn to ski properly to keep yourself and others safe.
2. Don’t Focus on Your Ski Tips
It can be very easy when you are a beginner and nervous on the slopes to focus purely on the tips of your skis. This is bad news for you and anyone just ahead of you on the slopes.
You need to keep your head up so that you can spot any potential dangers in the snow or other skiers on the slopes. Look a yard or so in front of your skis and keep the tips in your peripheral vision.
3. Bend Your Knees
One of the first things you will learn in skiing for beginners is to bend your knees. Bending your knees is a fundamental skill in learning how to ski. It will give you much greater balance as you tip your weight over your boots.
In return for better balance, you will find you also have greater control over your skis and will allow you to set the pace a little better. Bent knees will also make it easier to turn uphill when you need to stop.
4. Build up to Speed
You want to go fast! Who doesn’t want to when you first hit the slopes? You’ve been inspired by the Winter Olympics and James Bond movies, and you want to blast down the slopes at speed.
But remember, you are learning how to ski. Speed is not your friend when you start, and you will find that it comes more naturally than you will like when you start pointing your skis downhill. Start slow.
5. Rent Your Skiing Gear
A new hobby always seems like a great time to buy a whole new set of stuff. But it is better to wait when it comes to ski equipment and rent your gear when on your first ski holiday.
There is a good chance that if you buy it first, it will be badly sized and not the right skiing gear for you. Rental shops will advise you on what you need and lend you the right equipment for your trip.
They will also have storage facilities where you can keep your rentals and your shiny new gear when you buy it next time. Click here to find out more about storage facilities in Vail, Colorado.
Use These Skiing Tips for Beginners
Hopefully, these skiing tips have given you some inspiration to hit the slopes this coming winter. Go slow at the start, begin on the nursery slopes and develop your skills. You will be whizzing down the black runs in no time.
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