Start your training well ahead of your trip
A good ski vacation starts in the summer. Skiing is hard work and if your physical performance is lacking, then you might quickly experience trouble on the slopes. It is therefore natural to use your first ski holiday as an extra motivation to find your running shoes or join your local gym.
It is necessary to train your stamina and strength, if you want to avoid being tired already after the first trips down the mountain. You might hire a fitness instructor that can help you make a training program that trains the thighs, buttocks and back, or you can find ski exercise programs online.
While you work out in the gym, you can look forward to fun days of skiing.
Choose your travel mates with care
If you have the chance, make sure that there are other inexperienced skiers with you on your first skiing holiday.
If all your travel mates are experienced skiers, you can quickly get into trouble.
Once the skis are strapped on and the sun is shining on the sparkling snow, you might experience that the more experienced skiers in your traveling party will be less likely to wait for you – or at least will be quite irritated of having to. And when they finally stop on the slope to take a short break, they continue down the slope as soon as you reach them – and then your chance to catch your breath and get the lactic acid out of your thighs is gone.
If you are traveling with other new skiers, you can follow along at a steady pace and keep the necessary breaks during the day, while the seasoned skiers hurtle toward the valley.
Good ski resorts for novice skiers
If possible, try to choose a ski resort that is suitable for beginners. Some ski resorts are suitable for inexperienced skiers, while other ski areas are too challenging if you are on skis for the first time.
A good ski resort for beginners has green and blue slopes in the immediate vicinity of the town. You should therefore check the slope map and make sure that beginner slopes are not located on the other side of the red or black ones.
Many ski resorts have kids hills with their own ski lift, which is mainly for children and other skiers who are skiing for the first time.
Also, remember to choose ski resorts with good flight connections to get the most time on the slopes – and while you are at it, you might also try to make your flight as convenient as possible.
Good ski equipment for beginners
Smart ski wear does not necessarily make your holiday more enjoyable, so make sure to balance your budget between ski wear and actual ski equipment – the latter is more important.
- Skis, ski boots and ski poles can easily be hired in the ski resort.
- A good pair of ski gloves are indispensable.
- Similarly, you need a good pair of goggles that can ensure clear vision and protect your eyes against sun and snow.
- You should also invest in a good pair of socks to keep your feet warm and dry.
And if you do not want to borrow ski underwear from others, then you also have to buy it yourself – don’t save on this part as this is the items that are closest to your skin and will need to be able to breath.
It is also important to have a good ski jacket and a good pair of ski pants, but if you go for your first time, try to borrow it from a friend.
If possible, use several layers of skiwear consisting of underwear of synthetic material or wool, an insulating intermediate layer (e.g. fleece) and shell jacket/pants – the latter must be of water- and wind-resistant material.
How you learn to ski quickly
Every beginning is difficult, and your first week of skiing is guaranteed a demanding game for both your body and your psyche. However, if you stick to it, you will learn to ski quickly. Set yourself up to the fact that you will spend some time with your nose in the snow and buttocks in the air.
You will fall and be bruised – and the other skiers on the slope will smile indulgently at you. They have all been bambi on skis at one time or another.
You can learn to fall less often and have more enjoyable skiing by investing time and money in going to a ski school. It’s not free, but since you already pay a lot of money for each day of skiing, you might as well make the most of it.
Your first skiing is in fact hardly your last. Once you’ve tried it, you can not stop again!