How to Ski

Overview: I am writing this blog to help those who don't know how to ski and that they will use this as a reference to help them when they put on their ski gear and start learning how to ski. To me, skiing is very fun and most of the time challenging. If one is not careful and does not properly control himself, he could wipe out and something might fall out occasionally, like a pole, a ski, a helmet or whatever. So take a look at this how-to and see if this helps or not.


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The first thing to do is to get your gear. It is best to rent a pair of skis and poles just in case you're not satisfied with your ski experience. Get some warm clothing, obviously, unless you plan to ski in the sand, which does sound cool, but I do not recommend that.

You also need to take a look at the different levels of skiing. Level 1 skiing is more gentle and is appropriate for less steep slopes and I believe it is where cross country skiing fits. Level 2 is a balance between 1 and 3. This level is where most ski resorts fit in and is more aggressive than level 1. Level 3 deals with the most extreme and aggressive kind of skiing, taking on slopes not patrolled by ski patrol and this is where heliskiiers, or basically anyone who has enough guts to go beyond double-black diamond, would fit.




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Then, you will need to find out about the ski resorts near you. If you live in California, there are some ski resorts over in the Sierra Nevada, but it will be a very long drive if you live in Orange County where I used to live. Here in Utah, there are plenty of resorts like Snowbird, Sundance, Solitude, Alta, Park City (which has some like Canyons), and more, which is a lot to choose from. Once you have chosen your resort, I would like to tell you to go take a lesson at a ski school, but I'd like to get down to tell about posture and movement so you could learn a little better when you do go to a ski school.

The first thing to keep in mind is to keep your skis parallel. when you are moving slowly, put your skis in the shape of an arrow (like this >) to stop. If you are moving quickly, then if you are turning left, then put most of your weight on your right foot, and vice versa if you are turning the other way . That would cause traction and you'll stop. To turn, keep your body facing downhill and your hips facing the direction you are turning. It seems a little hard at first, but you will get the hang of it. It is important to turn and wind down the slope so you won't go too fast.

Those are the basics of skiing. I hope this information has been helpful to you all, so please comment and tell me if it does help or send some feedback. Thank you.