How to Learn to Ski – Experience the Thrill of Speed

Although the idea of skiing would conjure alluring images of powder snow-filled vistas and drinking hot chocolate in the cold, one should remember that skiing is no easy walk in the park – at least for a beginner. It is – however – a thrilling sport that lets anyone satiate their cravings for adventure. Here's how you can get the hangs of this extremely exhilarating sport.

Know the rules of the slope

One can identify trail difficulty by looking out for the figure on the trail marker or even on a ski map. If you're up for a holiday at a Whistler ski resort in North America, you will note that a green circle is employed to indicate an easy trail for beginners. A blue square, on the other hand, signals an intermediate trail. No one should try out this trail unless they have mastered the easier trail. A double blue square is used to indicate a more difficult blue, which under bad snow conditions wouldn't be much different to a black diamond trail, which is a difficult trail including steeper moguls and narrower way down. A black diamond with an exclamation mark in it or a double black diamond indicates a trail that should only be tried by highly experienced skiers. But what you have to understand is that a particular rating of difficulty may indicate different levels in two resorts; for example, a trail marked with a double blue square in one resort may offer the challenges offered at a black diamond trail at another resort. Therefore, you should always keep in mind to start from the green and work your way up to avoid unpleasant situations.

Learning the Basics

Although it may not be the first option for everyone, having practical skiing lessons is the fastest way of learning the basics. Many properties in Canada such as Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre offer beginners' lessons that guarantee to help one master the basics and become an expert in the sport in no time. One of the most important basics of skiing would be to learn how to stop. You should always point the front tip of your skis and push your heels out to form a "pizza" or a "wedge." The wider you spread the skis, the slower you will go. Make sure to keep the tips of your skis from overlapping, which would make you go tumbling down the slope. Another thing a good skier should have a grasp on is walking around with skis strapped on. One of the most common techniques is to keep your skis parallel to each other and pushing forward with your poles. Use your arms simultaneously to stab the poles into the snow and pull yourself forward. If you need to turn, you can pull one side more than the other. The basic skiing posture is to bend your knees so that your shins would rest on the front of your boots and leaning slightly forward.

Test out the bunny slope

A bunny hill is used to identify a small slope that may include certain lifts. A carpet lift is a large conveyor belt – make sure you ride this with your poles on it to brace yourself for a sudden stop, usually resulting from a beginner's error. Several feet before the end, raise your poles to avoid upsetting the mechanism and slowly lean forward to end the ride in a smooth manner. A rope tow would pull you up. Make sure that you don't drag yourself or sit on the rope tow. When you get to the top, let go and make use of the herring board to get you away from the lift. When you're at the top, you should be careful, particularly if the bunny slope is at the foot of another slope, where other skiers may come in fast. Try sliding down the slope while keeping the tips of your skis together to make a wide-angle at the back.

Keep your weight in the right place

If you lean too far back, you will find that you have quite a difficult time taking turns, which will make you lose control. If you lean too forward, there's a possibility that you would crash. The best way is to keep your knees slightly bent and keep your hands in front of you.