Newbie goes skiing... any tips?

[peliroja]

I am off to the slopes for 1.5 days tomorrow. I'll have skiing lessons, but I don't fancy my chances on the planks.

Any tips for a total newbie?

 

[Greenbank]

Relax and enjoy yourself.

[Charlotte]

Bend ze knees 

...and have a fabulous trip!

[PaulF]

Bend zee knees

Or as Greenbank says relax!

Best is to listen to your instructor because:

a. What do a bunch of cyclists know about skiing anyway?

b. Those that do most likely learnt so long ago that both they've forgotten how they were taught and techniques will have changed

[nuttycyclist]

The one thing that the instructor kept saying to me was "Lean Forwards"  (You can't fall over forwards, the boots won't let you).

Another big tip is to completely relax, and when you fall down really relax - don't tense up.  I had a major wipe out in Feb that left skis, poles and other debris over a long section of piste; but when I finally nearly came to a stop I still allowed, encouraged even, the final two rolls just to absorb the remaining energy.  I think the instructor was surprised that I really hadn't injured anything.


And above all, enjoy yourself and look at the scenery.

[MSeries]

Don't bend the knees, folex your ankles. Imagine you have a tomato in the front of your boot and you are trying to squash it with your shin.

Keep your hands in front of you to keep your weight forward. Head up look forward not down. Tilt your pelvis not stick your bum out.

[Pingu]

Don't lean back - that's what I keep getting told 

Enjoy yourself 

[Seineseeker]

Have fun, don't expect too much and you might be surprised. 1.5 days isn't long. Don't overdo it if you want to party at night, it can be very tiring as a beginner.

[slowfen]

Don't forget the apres ski

[Rapples]

At this time of year DONT FORGET THE SUNSCREEN

[Thing2]

Don't try and follow Thing1 down a black run, or in fact, any run!

Have good trip though, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Skiing is fun.

The most important thing is to enjoy it. You will fall over, but it's unlikely to hurt much.

Emma

[Martin]

have a few dry slope session before you go (should be able to fit 3 in by tomorrow)
Dry slopes are utter rubbish and very hard but if you can ski on them snow will be a pushover.

[woollypigs]

Don't try and follow Thing1 down a black run, or in fact, any run!

Emma

Sound like us two are going to google widows for the next couple of days eh

[PaulF]

WARNING: It's also very addictive. You could end up looking like this:



 

[mark]

Having taught people to ski for quite a few years, MSeries is entirely correct. Modern deep sidecut skis don't require as much ankle flexion as the skis of 15 + years ago (squeeze the tomato but don't squash it), but ankle flexion will allow you to absorb shocks and the pressure increase at the end of each turn while staying centered over your feet. Bending just the knees will send your weight back over the tails of your skis, reducing control and straining your knees.

Hand and head position is similar to carrying a tray of cocktails. Look where you're going, not at the tray, and keep your hands out in front so they can lead your body.

Properly fitted ski boots can be disconcertingly snug, it is quite normal for your toes to contact the end of the boot when standing normally in them. Think of rock climbing shoes instead of bedroom slippers, and think of a comfortably loose pair of ski boots as being like loose steering on a car or loose handlebars on a bike.

[PhilO]

Don't bend the knees, flex your ankles. Imagine you have a tomato in the front of your boot and you are trying to squash it with your shin.

This is true...

However, I like to include a bit of knee flex, too:



 

(And before anybody criticises the technique, that isn't me... I was stood at the side of the piste with a banjaxed knee.  )

[peliroja]

Just got back from 2 hours of a. 4 hour lesson. I gave up. The boots absolutely killed my shins, and the pain was too much to bear. I think the problem is that I have BIG feet, but shortish legs, so the men's longer boots they gave me were just too high round my calves and shins, and even on the loosest setting, squeezed like billy-o. Owwww.

Our group was very big - eight total beginners, and the instructor's English was about as good as my German (pants). After two hours traipsing up and down a tiny slope doing snow plough I gave up. It was the shuffling around in the group and climbing back up the slope that knackered me - and my shins - not the actual skiing, which was pretty easy.

Not a great skiing experience, and I don't think I want to try it again

[woollypigs]

Oh bother Hope you can find a bike for a wee spin

[peliroja]

Well I've just done a seven mile walk back to the chalet, and about to have a kip

[nuttycyclist]

I didn't warn you about the shin pain, in case it was just me 

Last time I went there was a 5 minute hanging around to start day one.   I nearly gave up at that point as my legs just absolutely killed me.

And every night is absolute agony too (until you get to the end of the week and the legs get used to it), and in the mornings I could never get out of bed due to the pain.

[Greenbank]

Not having a little drag lift (even just a moving walkway thing, or a rope) is a bit harsh.

[numbnuts]

this is what you need

[mark]

Just got back from 2 hours of a. 4 hour lesson. I gave up. The boots absolutely killed my shins, and the pain was too much to bear. I think the problem is that I have BIG feet, but shortish legs, so the men's longer boots they gave me were just too high round my calves and shins, and even on the loosest setting, squeezed like billy-o. Owwww.

Our group was very big - eight total beginners, and the instructor's English was about as good as my German (pants). After two hours traipsing up and down a tiny slope doing snow plough I gave up. It was the shuffling around in the group and climbing back up the slope that knackered me - and my shins - not the actual skiing, which was pretty easy.

Not a great skiing experience, and I don't think I want to try it again

Sore shins are usually the result of boots that are a size or two too big. As you guessed, they come up too high on your legs, they don't grip the entire leg evenly, and they hurt. Properly fitted ski boots will feel disconcertingly snug all over to a lot of beginners, but will feel just fine once you are on the hill and skiing. Lots of rental shops will hand the customer an oversize boot that feels just fine while standing around in the shop, just to get the customer out of the shop as quickly as possible and with as little effort as possible.

Eight total beginners is about the maximum that a competent instructor can teach effectively and give a decent amount of individual attention to.

Learning to herringbone or sidestep up a hill will teach you how to use the edges of your skis to grip the snow, but doing so in oversize ski boots sounds very unpleasant.

Sorry it didn't work out for you.

[peliroja]

Thanks Mark. The instructor was rubbish, tbh. He didn't give any clear instructions, didn't talk to us individually, and had us asking each other what we were actually supposed to be doing.

Having inspected my legs, I see I have little painful blood blisters all over my inside calves and shins.

The rental shop did measure my feet before handing me the boots - size 42. I wonder if a smaller boots wouldve helped.

[bobb]

Try snowboarding instead. The boots are softer, so won't hurt your shins so much. As a beginner, you will hurt your backside a lot, but at least you'll look cool. Skiing is so very uncool and only old people do it