Expert Article Skiing 101 Final - Aiden Zarrinnam

Principles of Skiing

How to learn the foundations of skiing in one article

Deciding to choose a winter sport comes down to only two options: skiing and snowboarding. There are sayings for both sports that give you a better idea. of how you start your winter sports journey. Skiing is easier to learn but harder to master. Snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master. As experts say "Both sports require concentration, balance, and coordination." (Skinerd) This ultimately will decide how your first couple of times in either sport will go. Most people choose skiing because it is easier to pick up on and I don't blame them. Learning these two sports is hard enough. It's picking your poison at the end of the day. To show you how these sayings are true I'll share an example of when I went snowboarding for the first time. As someone who has been skiing since 3 years old, this was a completely different ball game when it came to going down a mountain. I felt strapped to a skateboard but could not just where I was going. There were only two ways of falling, forward and backward. This ultimately left me with the decision that skiing is more of my cup of tea because of the way you can freely express how you are in the sport. With experience in both sports, I can attest these sayings are not what they seem. Looking back, I think these sayings should be altered to skiing is easier on your body but harder to master and snowboarding is harder on your body but easier to master. This is why I think most people choose skiing as it takes less of a toll on your body.

"There are tons of reasons to take up skiing: It is fantastic exercise, a great way to bond with your family an friends, meet new people, enjoy the majesty of nature, and - most importantly - have a lot of fun." (Ben) During your beginner lessons, you will easily pick up on skiing. Almost all skiing newbies quickly get an edge on performing turn-on entry to intermediate-level slopes. What makes it easy to pick up skiing at the beginning of learning is how your legs are not together. Hence why skiing is the better option for beginners, on the plus side your body will still have bones by the end of the day.

Technique

Knowing that skiing is easier in the beginning is not pleasant if you don't have the proper technique.

Centering yourself

Another crucial point to make sure you have a good time on the slopes is your posture. The correct posture is the most important thing to learn when learning to ski. This will make sure you can turn correctly while giving you better control. Your knees should bend at all times while leaning forward slightly to where your shines feel tight against the front of the boot. This allows you to have more control of your skis and ease through choppy parts of slopes.

Posture

Another crucial point to make sure you have a good time on the slopes is your posture. The correct posture is the most important thing to learn when learning to ski. This will make sure you can turn correctly while giving you better control. Your knees should bend at all times while leaning forward slightly so that your shines feel tight against the front of the boost. This allows you to have more control of your skies ane ease through choppy parts of slopes.

Poles

When in ski school kids learn not to use poles. Not because the ski instructors don't trust them with the poles (partially) it is because they don't want to solely rely on your poles to keep your balance. Your brain needs to reconfigure itself to know you and your skis are now one. Once learned then poles are a nice segway into learning sharper turns and skiing through any difficulty. Poles act as a guide, not only to help you balance but to increase your skiing ability to tackle any obstacle like ice, choppy powder, and moguls.

What do you mean by gear?

As for gear, skis, boots, poles, helmets, and goggles check all the boxes of what you need for your first run. Making sure you dress in layers is essential because of how cold the mountain can get. Remember when you are on the ski slopes to have lots of layers on because you can always take off layers but can't add them. Having ski pants, a jacket, and long underwear is also necessary to have a comfortable skiing experience. A neck gaiter will help block the wind and keep your face warm when going down the mountain. "It’s best to bring along a companion when first starting out. There’s nothing scarier than staring down the side of a mountain alone." (Visiture)

Comfort

Your boots are not going to be comfortable by any means. You will be walking from heel to toe and having restrictions to walk normally. Your boot must be tight to where you can only be able to move your toes. Putting your ski pants in your boots and having thick socks are rookie mistakes that everyone makes but please do the opposite. It will save you lots of pain. Nothing is worse than your legs being swollen on top of a mountain because you stuffed your boots like stockings.

Progressing in skiing

For skiers that have the basics down, progressing further will be the tough part of your journey. Remember the saying goes skiing is easier to learn but harder to master. Learning how to ski for the first time and having your legs free is a huge plus. The huge learning curve comes from when you need to adapt quickly making quick, precise, and coherent moves. This requires you to adapt and act quickly when going down slopes. Only some slopes are created equal, meaning some parts of your run will be smooth while others will be choppy or icey where you likely will have little control. Most skiers take quite a long time to learn how to move their legs in coordination thus slowing their progression.

 

Overall

Hopefully, till now you might have decided that you want to give a try at skiing. Mastering your leg movements, adapting to various terrains, and refining your technique are just some of the challenges you will face on your path to becoming an expert skier. Although the journey is part of the fun, embrace the falls, celebrate each run, and learn from your carvings down the slopes. Prioritizing proper posture, centering yourself, and utilizing your poles effectively will result in an unforgettable skiing experience. With the right guidance and enough practice, you will go down the hardest slopes in no time. The mountain awaits!

Work Cited

Barnes, Robin. “How to Ski: Rei Co-Op.” REI, REI, www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-ski.html. Accessed 8 Feb. 2024. 

Gams, Michael. “How to Be a Better Skier: Nine Ways to Improve Your Skiing.” Tyrol in Austria, 2 Jan. 2024, www.tyrol.com/blog/b-sports/how-to-be-a-better-skier-9-ways-to-improve-your-skiing. 

Hahnel, Renee. “Beginner’s Guide to Skiing: Learning to Ski as an Adult.” Renee Roaming, 26 Mar. 2022, www.reneeroaming.com/beginners-guide-to-skiing/. 

L., Ben. “Learn How to Ski: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide.” SkiBro, 21 Apr. 2022, www.skibro.com/blog/en/learn-how-to-ski-the-ultimate-beginners-guide.

Shack, Ski. “Cross Country Skiing 101: Beginner’s Guide.” Ski Shack, 28 Dec. 2021, www.skishacksports.com/blogs/articles/cross-country-skiing-101/. 

Skinerd. “Skiing Technique 101 - Dynamic Balance.” Section 8 Snowsport Institute, 3 May 2019, www.section8ski.com/2010/09/skiing-101-dynamic-balance/. 

Visiture, Erin. “Skiing vs Snowboarding: Which Is the Easiest to Learn for Beginners.” Cardo, 13 Dec. 2021, www.cardosystems.com/blog/skiing-vs-snowboarding-which-is-the-easiest-to-learn-for-beginners/.