Tips for first time skier

[Ashok Mash]

I am going on a skiing holiday in a few weeks, to the Italian Alps (Livigno). Only problem is... I can't ski! I have never skied before! I have been only once to an ice rink, after an hour of clinging to the rails, I still couldn�t do more than a few meters before I fall rather ungracefully! I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that many generations of my ancestors has never seen snow, ever!

Anyway, any tips for someone that is not at all used to skiing? Can I be doing certain exercises in advance of the trip that will help me through, using muscles in my body that I haven't previously used? Any advice at all appreciated.

[John Smith]

Skiing cannot be taught -- it's just like bike riding -- you learn by experience. Having said that, I will give you a valuable advice: all the slopes are normally clearly marked by a symbol representing the difficulty. Just do your skiing on the easiest one, it'll make it much less frustrating (and less dangerous) to learn.

[Axel Janssen]

I haven't skied a lot in my life. I learnt in a trip organized by my school. First day I was worst ski student in the beginners group and I got an extra trainer for the second day. After that I improved a lot and made a 2nd or 3rd place in the race of the beginners group at the end of the 2 weeks
1. Most important is that you shouldn't give up even when that 5 year old kid on the idiots hill learns much faster than you do.
2. If you don't start drinking those heavily alcoholic drinks at 10 o clock, you are less drunken than 70% of the german and 98% of the swedish tourists.
3. Take a teacher for the first 3 days. I think they aren't that expensive. Your technique won't be very impressive, but it should be enough to get down more or less savely.
4. Its better to ski together with beginners than with superprofis. You can follow the superprofis even with poor technic, but it can be very exausting.
5. The downhill routes are marked with black, red and blue colour. Black is most difficult and its no joke. Save the black ones for the 2nd week and do it at your own speed. You'll get down.

[Helen Thomas]

Make sure you are insured up to the neck and beyond. And don't point with your bum.
[ December 30, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]

[Bhau Mhatre]

If you are skiing for the first time and you are already above 25-30 years old, then take extra care of your knees. They'll be under heavy pressure from your own weight. Not kidding! If it hurts then stop right away. You can enjoy the cable rides though

[Chris Staten]

I�ve been snowboarding for fifteen years (not exactly skiing) and I�ve spent seven of those years living in ski resorts (Vail, CO and Jackson Hole, WY in the US). I only have a few suggestions for you but I think they will help

1. Just as Axel said GET A LESSON! You will get a great return on your money spent for lessons.

2. Be ready to be sore. If you know ahead of time that you are not going to ski every day then make sure that one of the days you intend to take off is the day after your first day on the mountain. You will be using muscles that you didn�t even know you had. Each season that I snowboarded I knew that the day after my first day on the mountain was going to be a tough one. Now think about that for a second� I knew I would be sore just from using the muscles that it takes to snowboard, you will not only be using the muscles that it takes to ski, you will also be using the muscles it takes to get back up after falling about one gazillion times. I�ll never forget how sore I was the day after learning how to snowboard.

3. Have fun! It�s a great sport and you should have fun doing it, even if you aren�t as good as some of the other people on the hill (that�s most defiantly not the point). Don�t forget to look around at the views every once in a while. Grab a beer for apr�s ski and talk about the crazy yoga position you got yourself into when trying to get your left ski to turn right and you had one of your poles stuck in the snow and�


P.S. I�d be really excited to see your post about how things went if you wanted to post in this thread after you get back.

Have a good time!

[Madhav Lakkapragada]

I just hurt my back showling snow on the drive way. I was trying to be careful not to end up in this situation, but nevertheless. [For once I have to agree with Thomas that God really has a sick sense of humor and I think even I will discuss it with him/her when I meet.]

Enjoy your trip and take care.

- m

[soumya ravindranath]

Hi,

just returned from a 2-day ski stint. Ended up doing more of sledging than skiing, though ;-)

Have you all the ski gear - suit, shoes, cap, goggles ? I realised my shoes were not really so great, so investing on a good one for the next trip.

Don't be afraid and just let go. If you are ready to fall, you are half way there ( it really helps not to look at the 5 year old sliding down effortlessly )

Have fun!
Soumya.

[Ashok Mash]

Thanks for the tips, Axel, Chris and everyone else!

I have ski lessons booked for the entire trip, I bought a two piece ski suit (~$100) and a two sets of thermals, gloves, goggles, headwear, six pairs of ski socks, polo-neck cotton tops, and new boots for the evenings and a doing bit of jogging lately!

Anyone been to Livigno before? Any recommendations? Also, I hear its tax-free zone and good value for shopping and dining! Can�t wait!!

[Helen Thomas]

Buy big bags of Mini Mars bars for the low sugar points. Stash a few in your bum bag each day. You'll be glad you did when you see those skis keeping on turning.
[ January 02, 2005: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]

[Ashok Mash]

ITALY - It has not snowed recently in Italy and temperatures remain mild. Some resorts have been forced to close a number of lifts due to lack of snow cover on-piste. There is some reasonable skiing on packed snow in Arraba (85/150cm). Groomed pistes high up offer the best skiing in Pila (40/50cm). With the warm temperatures, it feels more like spring than midwinter in a lot of Italy. The coldest resorts are Val Senales (10/60cm) and Gressoney (30/100cm) where its about 6C. Snow cover is quite patchy on resort runs in a lot of areas, including Cervinia (70/117cm). Snowmaking machines are working hard across the country.

!!!

I may not have to ski after all! If it didn't snow in next 48 hours, is it going to be a party-in-the-mountains-holiday? Well, I don�t mind as long as alcohol is cheap!

[Balaji Loganathan]

Adding to others...
Few tips
1. Follow your teacher ski path or kids path.
2. Boot is very important, dont buy it without trying/skiing with it.
3. Have lot of tissues in packets.
4. Take pictures of you.
5. Whatever happens keep smiling.
6. No big slopes now.
7. Check the ski map(http://www.skipasslivigno.com/en/mappe/index.php)

What might happen if you "dont" follow the above tips
1. You may endup 200meters away from your teacher, then you have to walk back towards your group/teacher carrying skies, suit with heavy boot.
2. Fracture or twist.
3. You know
5. No chicks.
6. A simple trun without falling may take you to France or Austria mountains. It happened to me.

Anyway its really fun...do try it.

[Balaji Loganathan]

Originally posted by Ashok Mash:

!!!
I may not have to ski after all! If it didn't snow in next 48 hours, is it going to be a party-in-the-mountains-holiday? Well, I don�t mind as long as alcohol is cheap!

It will. Check the meteo again

[Ashok Mash]

Originally posted by Balaji Loganathan:
5. No chicks.

But it's okay, I am bringing my own!

Thanks for the link to the piste map, but how are you so sure that it will snow? I couldn't find any forecast saying it will! I hope you are correct though!

[Bert Bates]

- bend more at the knees than the waist
- drink water, it keeps you warmer
- drink water, it gives you stamina
- layers of clothes keep you warm, make sure your clothes aren't tight

smile, smile, smile...