Skiing Basics for Beginners

Just beginning to ski and don't know where to start and what to expect? Worry not: we've prepared some basic vocabulary and tips for you to start with. Remember, in skiing, reasonable expectations are the best option if you are a novice!

First of all, you will fall down a lot, and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Getting up with skis is difficult, you might feel ridiculous, but do not, even when seven-year-olds ski circles around you. You might experience a sense of infuriation at some point, because a beginner can unfortunately go either too fast or too slow. Good news however, is that all these soon melt away!

Skiing Basics for Beginners

Skiing

Skiing is  a combination of methods, and if you understand these techniques before you ski, it can act as guide when you learn as well as improve your technique.

Why a ski slides - a ski puts pressure on the snow; this melts snow a little bit, which reduces friction allowing the ski to slide.

Direction

Skis always travel straight forward, unless you use techniques to make it change directions.

Weight distribution, longitudinal - looking at your ski lengthways, your bodyweight must be in the middle and not on your heels, leaning backwards, but concentrated on your toes. Any leaning either forward or backward is part of maneuvering techniques.

Weight distribution, lateral

When you finish a maneuver, you will place more weight on one ski than on another; weight on your one ski more than the other is when you want to turn sideways.

Stance

Your stance affects your directions and your speed, you usually do not stay in the same stance as direction, and speed will continuously change. A good stance, however, is a slight bend in all your joints.

Create resistance

you need to change the ski edges angle to the ski lengthways and to the snow in order to have varied resistance. It can be done in various ways for different outcomes if you want to control speeds going down a slope.

Edge pressures

- the pressure amount as well as the angle make a difference at the amount of resistance a ski creates.

Weight shifting

- it is important to understand that you do not need to push a ski, but put weight over a ski to create movement.

Info Graphic for Ski Equipments

Therefore, take note of the above, and when on your skis, tuck your legs under your torso, your shoulder pointing downhill: this gives you better control and stronger technique. You do not wish for the skis to work against you, so keep body weight equal and directly over the narrowest point of the ski.

Never look at your feet when you start skiing, look up and ahead of you as you then force your body to move forward in the direction you want to go. It is much like throwing a ball: always look in the direction you are heading!

And do you have any skiing tips? Share in comments below?