Skiing is an amazing way to enjoy your time outside in the winter.  All ages can enjoy skiing from 3 years old to 80 years old or even older.  People with disabilities can even enjoy skiing.   If you are an adult and have never skied before, you should try it.  Don’t worry about not knowing anything, because almost all ski resorts offer lessons for downhill skiing.  Some places even give discounts on lessons to adults who’ve never skied before.   If you want to get your kids more active in the winter instead of playing video games, try skiing.

I’ve been skiing my whole life and have been a downhill ski instructor for a few years.  I love teaching kids of all ages to ski, and I want more people to experience this amazing winter activity.  I’m providing all you need to know about getting you or your kids started skiing, specifically downhill skiing.

Types of skiing

There are three main types of snow skiing, and each one is very different from the others.  I have personally never tried telemark skiing, but I do both cross-country and downhill skiing.  I prefer downhill skiing, but they both have their positives and negatives.  All three types have different equipment, so you can’t interchange the skis, bindings, and boots.

Alpine or downhill skiing

Downhill skiing is done at a ski resort with tall, groomed hills and lifts to help you up the hill.  This type of skiing is all about using the edges of your skis to make turns while going down the hill.

Equipment for downhill skiing involves stiff plastic boots that don’t allow you to bend your ankle very much.  They snap into bindings that hold your toe and heal in place on the ski.  The skis are fatter and shorter than cross-country skis.  They also have some curves or shape to them and are not totally straight on the edges.

 

Nordic or Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing can be done anywhere you have snow.  It is fun to do on hiking trails that are flat or rolling hills.  Skiers power themselves up any hills because there are no lifts.  This skiing is a good form of exercise.

The equipment used is different than other skiing.  The boots are flexible and made to lock into a binding with the toe only.  The skis are longer and skinnier compared to other ski disciplines.  Poles are longer and a necessity because they help propel you forward.

There are two main ways of doing this skiing.  One way is skating which looks like you are ice skating, but with skis on the snow.  You push from side to side, and it is typically done on groomed trails.  The other way is known as classic cross-country, and the skis stay parallel while gliding forward one ski at a time.

Telemark skiing

Telemark skiing is a cross between cross-country and downhill.  This type of skiing can be done at a ski resort or in the backcountry.  When going down a hill your legs do a different movement than when your downhill skiing.  One ski is farther ahead than the other and that knee is bent at ninety degrees.

Equipment to do telemark skiing is unique for this type of skiing.  The skis are more like cross-country because the heel is free to move, and the toe is the only part holding the boot to the ski.  The bindings to hold the toe are stronger than cross-country ski bindings.  The boots are hard plastic more like downhill ski boots, but they are still different than downhill ski boots.    Poles are also used and serve more of a purpose than poles do with downhill skiing.

Equipment

What you need to downhill ski

Skiing has a lot of equipment, but not as much as some sports.  The main equipment you need to start are downhill ski boots, also known as alpine boots and skis with bindings.  A helmet should also be considered an essential for skiing.  Helmets keep your head safe when you fall, but they also keep your head warm.  Some helmets even have speakers in them to hook up to your phone for music.

After you know how to ski then I would add poles.  Poles are not required to downhill ski and serve more of a purpose when skiing on steep inclines in the mountains.

What to Wear

You can wear what you want skiing, but I would recommend snow pants even when it’s warm outside.  They help keep you dry.  I would also wear waterproof gloves or mittens because they protect your hands from getting cut on the snow if you fall.  Socks are important because they can determine whether your feet and legs are comfortable or not.  The socks should fit well and be long enough to go above the ski boots.  I recommend socks meant for downhill skiing to be as comfortable as possible.  Only wear one pair of socks.  Do not tuck anything into the ski boots with the socks.  People who tuck their pant legs into their ski boots, will start having their shins and calves hurt when skiing.

Many people think you need ski googles to ski, but they are not a necessity.  They do help with the wind and cold, especially if the snow making machines are running.  Some ski googles are like sunglasses and help with the sun’s glare on the snow.  Ski resorts don’t normally rent ski goggles.  You will need to buy your own if you want to wear them.

The rest of the clothing is all based on temperature and your own personal needs with a jacket and different layers.  Check out my post on dressing for winter for more information on this.

Rent or Own

To rent or buy your own equipment is a decision many people need to make, when they start out skiing.  One thing to consider is cost.   Another thing to consider is if the person is going to grow more.  Kids grow a lot, and you would have to buy them new equipment each year or at least every other year.  If you are going to ski enough times that it is cost effective to buy them then great.

Buying your equipment

I have four kids, so I bought some used and some new at swap meets and second-hand sporting goods stores such as Play It Again Sports.  Then I would pass them down from kid to kid each year like hand-me-down clothes.  The main thing to remember is to buy colors and designs both boys and girls will like.  I made this mistake and bought pink skies with a floral design on it because my oldest daughter wanted them at the time.  I forgot that my son might not like to wear them when he is ten years old.  If you buy used equipment, make sure the bindings are not too old.  If the bindings are old, places that set up the skies will not adjust the bindings for you.  It is a safety issue.

If you don’t know anything about ski equipment and you have never skied before, then I would only buy from a place that specializes in ski equipment.  You will want someone working at the store to help you figure out what ski boots and skis will work the best for you or your child.  They can correctly size you for your ski boots and skis.  If skis are too long or too short, they don’t provide the correct control when going downhill on them.  A good rule of thumb for beginner ski length is that the skis should reach somewhere between the chest and chin when holding them up next to you.  As you become a better skier you can increase the length to between the chin and nose.  The longest you should ever go for ski length is to your forehead and only if you are an expert skier.

Once you buy skis and boots, you need to have the bindings on the skis adjusted to fit the size boot.  They also need to be adjusted to how easy the boots release from the skis.  This is based on what type of skier you are as well as your height and weight.  You should always have a ski technician adjust your bindings to make them safe for the person skiing.  If you buy brand new skis and boots, they will normally adjust the bindings to fit your boots and skiing ability at the store you got the equipment.

Maintaining your equipment

Skis need to be waxed and sharpened typically once every year, but it depends on where, how often, and what type of skiing you’re doing.  People who do ski racing need to sharpen and wax their skis multiple times during a season.  If you ski on snow that is hard and icy, then you might need to sharpen them twice a year.  Powdery snow skiing isn’t as important to keep your edges as sharp.  Skis can only be professionally sharpened a certain number of times before the edges are gone, so you don’t want to sharpen them too much.

Lease or rent equipment

There are many places that will lease ski equipment for the year, so you don’t have to wait in line for rentals each time you go.  This is a great idea if you plan to ski enough to make it cost effective.  For your very first-time skiing, I would rent the equipment for the day to see if it’s something you or your child likes.  Some ski resorts will give package deals for lift passes, lessons, and ski rentals.   Some places give a series of lessons with lift passes and rentals.  For example, where I work, they have one lesson a week for 3-weeks and the price includes lift passes for each time and ski equipment that you can keep for the three weeks and use at any time at any ski resort for those three weeks.

When you rent a ski package it will normally come with skis, ski boots, poles, and a helmet.   These packages normally cost for one day between $30-$75 for regular skis.  It all depends on where you’re located.

Types of Lifts

Carpet Vs Towrope

If you have never skied before then I would avoid towropes if possible.  Some ski resorts only have towropes on their beginner hills.  Carpets are easier to use than tow ropes when you are learning.

Towropes

There are good and bad things about towropes.  People who snowboard like tow ropes because they don’t have to take one of their boots out of the bindings to use it like they do if using a chairlift or carpet.  A towrope is hard on your gloves or mittens and will start to rip them over time.  They also cause your hands and arms to be sore from holding on.  If someone falls while you’re on a towrope, it could cause you to fall too.   Poles are not allowed on towropes for safety concerns.  It’s also important to secure any loose strings that could get caught and wrapped up around the rope causing you to get hurt.

To use a towrope, you stand beside the rope that is moving with your skis facing uphill.  You might have to pick the rope up off the ground, but you don’t want to just grab it.  You put your hands around the rope, but let the rope run through your hands.  Then slowly squeeze your hands around the rope and lean back a little to keep your balance.  When you get to the top of the hill or when the towrope ends, you let go of the rope and ski away from the rope area.  If you fall while using the rope, get out of the way.  People will run into you if you’re lying on the ground next to the rope.

A video of how to use a towrope.

Carpets

A carpet is a conveyer belt that you stand on and it pulls you up the hill.  You don’t hold onto anything like you do with a towrope.  If you fall while on the carpet, the operator normally stops it.  This gives you time to stand back up or get off the carpet.

To use the carpet or conveyer, you slowly shuffle up to the start of it.  Put your hands on your knees right before getting on and keep them on your knees until after getting onto the conveyor to help with balance.  Your skis should be parallel facing forward when getting on.  Make sure to face forward not move when riding up the carpet.  At the top just glide off and shuffle out of the way so the next person can get off.  You can have poles on the carpet unlike the towrope.

Chairlifts

When learning to ski stay on the small hills that normally have the conveyors or towropes until you can turn and stop on the hill.  Once you are stopping and turning with confidence then you can try a chairlift.   Chairlifts typically hold between 2 and 6 people that sit on a bench seat together.  Some chairlifts have a safety bar that can be pulled down in front of you.  When getting on a chairlift it’s important to take your ski pole straps off your wrists for safety.  To get on, you shuffle up to the loading line.  When the chair comes up behind you, then sit down.  To get off the chair just stand up at the top, lean forward, and glide away from the lift.

 

Gondola or cable car

Gondolas are like an enclosed chairlift.  You take your skis off to ride in one.  Some of them you hold your skis when going up.  Some of them you put your skis in a slot on the outside.  Gondolas can hold anywhere from 4 people up to 20 people or even more.  These stop to allow you to get into them and out of them.  Then the car you’re in will get back on the cable and go up or down the hill.

Drag Lift

 

A drag lift is similar to a towrope, but it has a bar that hangs from a cable and another bar goes across the bottom of that bar making a T.  You put the cross bar between your legs, and it pulls you up the hill.  It might also be a small circular disc attached to the bar hanging down that you put between your legs.  Your skis stay on the snow the whole time as it pulls you up the hill.  This type of lift is not meant to hold you up, so don’t sit on it.

 

Here is a 9-minute video that shows everything you need to know about putting ski boots on, putting skis on, pole length, riding different types of lifts.  I thought this video would be very helpful if you have never skied before and wanted to watch how to do certain things.

Ski resorts

I would look online for ski resorts near you to see about any special deals they might have or information specific to that resort.  Some resorts you need to buy tickets online ahead of time.  Some resorts don’t take cash, only credit card or debit card.  It’s important to research the ski resort you plan on going to for resort specific information.

Signs

Most ski resorts are set up with the same signs to indicate the difficulty of each run.  These signs are important, because if your new to skiing you do not want to go down a black diamond run.   This would be extremely scary and dangerous.  People just learning how to ski should stay on green circles because those are the beginner runs.  After you’re comfortable on green circle runs then you can try blue square runs.  I would avoid black diamond runs unless you can parallel ski with turns and stop preferably with a hockey stop.

Emergencies

Ski resorts have special employees called safety patrol to help people when they get hurt on the hills.  Safety patrols are normally wearing red with the first aid cross on their uniform.  They normally ski or snowboard until they are needed.  These people are there to help you.  If you fall and get hurt, they have the ability to get you off the hill safely.  They are the paramedics or EMTs of the ski hill and are specially trained to help people in that environment.

Lift Tickets

In order to ski at a resort, you need to buy a lift pass.  Many ski resorts offer a variety of lift passes you can purchase.  Some have an all-day pass where you can ski anywhere in the resort.  There is evening lift passes for a cheaper price at some resorts.  A beginner hill only pass is good if you’re just learning.  The best deal, if you are planning on skiing a lot, is a season pass.  If you want to ski at a variety of ski resorts, then I wouldn’t get a season pass.  Some ski resorts have come together to provide a pass that you can use at any of them called the Indy Pass.  Vail Resorts owns a variety of resorts across the country that with an epic pass you can access any of them.  Some season passes are only available for a certain period of time, and then you can’t purchase them anymore.  If you plan to buy a season pass start looking well before the season starts.

Lighting

Not all ski resorts have lights for skiing at night.  It’s important to know if the place you plan to ski at has lights or not.  This might determine what time you plan to start and stop skiing for the day.

Lessons

I recommend getting lessons by a ski instructor.  I do not recommend trying to teach yourself how to ski or asking a friend to teach you.  Before I learned how to teach skiing, I tried teaching a friend.  This didn’t go well, so I signed her up for a lesson with an instructor.  She had a much more enjoyable time being taught by the instructor.

If you want your kids to learn how to ski, I recommend paying for lessons. Many kids are more willing to listen to someone other than their parents, but you know your kids best.  I never taught my own kids how to ski, but I did help them with practicing after the lesson.  Group kid lessons can be fun for kids.  They are around other kids their age, and sometimes they even get to play games.  If you want to learn with your kids, then take lessons together.  This could be a fun family experience.

Each ski school has different rules about how old someone needs to be for a lesson.  My ski school will do 3-year-olds in private lessons, but not in group lessons.  Not all kids are ready to learn at this age.  If your child is able to follow directions, then they might be ready for lessons.  When I teach group lessons the kids are four years old and older.

Helpful tips before your first lesson

• Try wearing your ski boots ahead of time to get a feel for them.
• When putting your ski boots on, the buckles will be on the outside when buckled.
• To help get your foot in the boot easier, pull the tongue of the boot forward as far as it will go.
• Make sure you’re wearing only one pair of tall socks that go past the top of the boot.  Nothing else should be tucked into the ski boots.
• When going to your first lesson, don’t put the skis on yet.  Wait until your instructor tells you to put the skis on.  They will show you how, so don’t worry about not knowing how to ahead of time.
• For young kids, make sure they use the bathroom right before the lesson.  This prevents the loss of time learning how to ski.
• For young kids, have them practice putting their toes together and their heels apart without ski boots on.  This can be very hard for some kids.  This is a skill they will eventually have to do with skis on.  The overall skill this helps with is being able to stop using a wedge.
• All ski schools require any student under 18 years of age in a ski lesson to wear a helmet.  Make sure you wear a helmet that is meant for either skiing or snowboarding.
• Make sure you or your child are dressed for the current weather conditions.  If you or your child’s hands or feet get cold easily, then put warmers in your mittens or boots.

Helpful tips for after your first lesson or if teaching yourself

• Practice on beginner hills until you can turn and stop without a problem.
• After mastering how to turn and stop you can try a little bigger hill.  Just don’t go too big too soon.   Stay on green ski runs.
• Remember everyone learns at different rates.  If you play hockey or ice skate, skiing tends to be easier to learn.
• The website ski.com has a glossary of terminology for skiing and snowboarding.  This is a good resource if you don’t know what something is or what someone is talking about.
• If you try a few ski lessons and you decide skiing isn’t for you.  Then try snowboarding because you might like that instead.

Skiers Code

The skier’s code is something they will teach you or integrate into your ski lessons.  These are universal rules that all people snowboarding or skiing need to follow or take the risk of being kicked off the hill.  These rules are to keep you safe and everyone else on the hill safe.