Beginners | Myskiscore.com

Beginners

Make a great plan

Create success

Being flexible when planning the first ski experience increases the chances of success for kids or adults. It can be hard to do with the prepurchase of tickets, but great planing creates success.

Weather

A sunny warm day with no wind, fresh groomed slopes, and uncrowded conditions makes success more likely. If it is extremely cold and windy, heavy rain, or a lot of deep new snow, it may be better to delay or reschedule, especially if you really want someone to love skiing and they are not a big fan of the cold.

Crowds

Having a lot of people on the hill skiing next to or in front of a beginner creates fear. Choose dates that are the least busy, avoid holidays and weekends for the first time.

Resorts

Not all resorts have a good beginner area. Look for a resort with gentle beginner slopes and space to glide to a stop at the bottom.

They should have short and longer conveyor lifts. Beginner chairs should be on gentle slopes and not go too far up the hill.

Look for intermediate slopes that are just a bit steeper. Many mountains have big transitions and cater to more advanced skiers. Some resorts have good beginner areas that are on top of the mountain. These are very difficult for people who have a fear of heights. Choosing the right resort makes a big difference.

Clothes and equipment

It is east to over or under dress and neither is comfortable. If you will be inside a long time renting gear, remove layers so there is no sweating. It is better to have too many layers if it is very cold, a layer can be removed. Use goggles, a neck gaiter, and hand or toe warmers if necessary. On a sunny warm day, use sunscreen and sunglasses.

Feet that hurt or are cold are no fun. Use one pair of ski socks that are pulled up so they are smooth with no wrinkles. Don't put any pants in the top of the boots. Make sure the boots are the right size, and lightly buckle them, if they are too tight they can cut off circulation which hurts and make for cold feet. If you can not easily flex your ankles, loosen the top buckles and power strap. Use short beginner skis with boots that have a softer flex.

Most people over the age of seven are coordinated enough to use poles. They help you walk, side step up the hill, position yourself before skiing, and maintain the proper hand position. They are another point of contact with the ground and provide a sense of security. If you feel they are in your way you can set them aside.

Know how to get in and out of your bindings, and how to reset your heel if the toe releases. Take off one or both skis if you have trouble getting up, and put the ski across the hill before trying to put them back on.

Expectations

It takes time to learn how to ski, and you need to know what to do, how to do it, and be able to evaluate your performance. Expecting that it will be easy without preparation may create disappointment for you or your friends and family.

It can be more frustrating trying to improve when your natural moves become reinforced habits that are even harder to change. This also makes it difficult to control your speed and makes skiing less safe. Going to steeper terrain before you can turn well will make improving more difficult.

Working on your indoor score before skiing saves a lot of time, frustration, and makes learning to ski more fun and successful.

Pace

New skiers are often in a rush to go to bigger slopes before they are ready. This fast pace and over terraining is a common problem.

Most first timers don't practice before going to the resort, or practice on flat ground before gradually going to a small slope, and go to slopes that are too big before they are ready.

Skiing seems easy to family and friends with experience, but they do not know what to teach, where to teach, how to evaluate, and when to go to bigger hills.

Families may want to stay together, but this may not be a good idea if there are big differences in age, ability, confidence, and rate of learning. Fast learners need a different pace that slow learners to create a fun experience.

Ski Score

Beginners

Before using a lift on a flat surface

Young kids under 6 may only last a few minutes. If there is a melt down try taking a break or a different day. It is usually more successful to put them in a private lesson or kids program. Under age seven they usually aren't coordinated enough for poles.

Walking and stepping- 10 points, 8 if not using poles

1- Practice taking skis off, resetting the binding heels, and putting them on

2- Walk by taking steps like walking without skis

3- If using poles, use the poles when walking keeping the poles behind your feet

4- Push and glide using the poles

5- Walk with the front of the skis wider, this is a way to go uphill

6- Skate with and without poles, this is hard for many and often has to be tried several different days

7- Take steps to the side also used for going uphill

8- Step in a circle without stepping on the front or back of the skis

9- Step into a small wedge or slice of pizza, then make a bigger one which is more stopping power

10- Push heels out to make a wedge and point the big toes at each other, make small and large ones

Athletic stance- 5 points

1- Stand tall with hands in front like holding a lunch tray

2- Weight on the balls of the feet (Toes for kids)

3- Chest above the toes

4- Flex up and down, go from slow to fast and stop. Kids can hop then stop. This is the athletic stance, use it before every run.

5- Make a small wedge and step from foot to foot, go from fast to slow, keep weight on the balls of the feet and chest over toes

Ankle flex- 3 points

1- In an athletic stance flex just the ankles forward and back. Move from a slow pace to a fast one. Knees or hips should not be flexing. If necessary loosen the top buckles and power strap

2- In an athletic stance, compare flexing the ankles to flexing the knees

3- In an athletic flex the ankles first and a slight amount of the knees

Sliding on a gentle slope- 2 points

1- Side step a short way up a gentle slope, get into an athletic stance and ski straight down to a stop. Be very careful to stay in an athletic stance because on a slope you will want to lean back. Walk up at a diagonal, or try a herringbone if you can't side step.

2- Repeat the straight run as above, but make a small wedge to stop. You should be able to control your speed before going to the first short conveyor lift. If you are struggling with climbing to slide downhill, try the first short conveyor especially if the snow is slow and there is a run out at the bottom. If you can start in a wedge and use an athletic stance, being in motion can help with your stability and balance.

Using short conveyor lift for sliding and stopping - 8 points total

If no conveyor lift is available use another surface lift like a rope, T-bar, platter, or handle lift. Exit it early if it goes a long way uphill

1- Walk onto the lift waiting at least five seconds after the person in front for you starts. If they fall you won't crash into them. Start in an athletic stance, ski straight downhill to a stop. If the snow is fast use a small wedge called gliding wedge. Keep your eyes up fooking where you are going.

2- Gliding wedge run bouncing on the balls of the feet with your chest over the toes.

3- Gliding wedge in an athletic stance flexing forward at the ankles then to start position.

4- Gliding wedge touching hands to knees. Flex ankles first then knees.

5- Gliding wedge going from a small wedge to a big one, repeat to the bottom

6- Gliding wedge to a wedge stop half way and at the bottom. Focus on enjoying the sliding sensation knowing you can stop.

7- Gliding wedge going faster to a wedge stop at the bottom, make sure to stay in an athletic stance and not lean back.

8- Speed run- straight run fast to the bottom and wedge stop at the bottom. Stay in the athletic stance and do not lean back when stopping.

On a longer conveyor or surface lift- Making turns- 10 points total from ground up

Look for a slightly steeper hill than the first conveyor lift and exit just a little further up the hill than the conveyor

First Turns- 5 points

1- Athletic stance- you will be higher and will want to lean back, and you may find it hard to get set up before skiing, it is important to focus on the athletic stance first. Weight on the balls of the feet and above. Keep the hands up and looking forward.

2- Speed - ski in a gliding wedge for about three seconds straight downhill to build speed. Resist the urge to turn as soon as you start moving.

3- Slight turns - Try turning by point both big toes slightly one way then back downhill for three second before pointing them the other way. This is like the move you practiced in doors. The feet turn, not your shoulders and hips. Be sure not to turn too far across the hill and lose your flow and momentum downhill. It makes the next turn harder and encourages turning your shoulder rather than your feet.

4- Slight turns two- with the same start this time try to push on one big toe to make a slight turn then go straight for three seconds before pushing on the other little toe. The turn forces make you feel heaver and push you back, be sure to keep your athletic stance.

5- Combination- try to combine the pointing the big toes and then pushing. Or reverse the order and push on the big toe and then point.

This is when people often want to go higher, or their friends try to get them to go higher. Avoid going higher until you can link turns.

Turns before terrain.

Improving Turns- Turns before terrain- Points 6

1- Turn size- make a specific number of turns before the bottom, there is probably room for at least 3 turns. Then try making two times as many turns in the same distance, so they will be smaller when you make 6 turns. Make quicker moves for smaller turns. Be sure to maintain an athletic stance, when you focus on turning it is easy to lean back, and the turn forces will push you back.

2- Mix sizes- gradually go higher and make 3 small then 3 large. Then reverse the order and do 3 large to 3 small turns.

3- Turn to stop- Link a set of turns and then stop by turning far enough across the hill to stop. Be sure to ski from the ground up using your feet rather than using your shoulders and hips. Touch your hand to the knee on the outside of the turn to weight the ski and keep from tipping inside the turn. Try bouncing on the outside ski, be sure the ankle bends before the knee. o

4- Stop both directions- link turns and be sure you can turn to a stop in both directions.

5- Turns before terrain- linking 3 big then 3 small turns from top to bottom of the surface lift you are using. you should be able to turn to a stop in either direction half way down and at the bottom. Turning must be from the ground up rather than using your shoulders and hips. Make several strong runs before going to the first beginner chair.

If you make a smaller wedge as your speed increases, you may move from a wedge to making parallel turns. This can happen spontaneously as the turn forces move the skis parallel.

If the first beginner chair is high or steep you will need to focus on not leaning back, turning your shoulders, or leaning inside the turn. These same natural moves keep coming back in new challenging situations. If necessary go back to the surface lift to get your ski moves back.

There is a wide range of how long this will take. Most will need several hours and some will need days. It is not as easy as easy as just using natural moves and going fast, but you will improve much faster and be able to control your speed.

6- Variety- spend time on green runs focusing on making skiing moves as you explore large turns and small turns, make turns by turning more or less across the hill to go slower or faster.

Turn size is different than turn shape. You can make small that are slow or fast, and the same for large turns. The size is determined by how quick you move, but you turn more across the hill to slow down.

Make small turns that are fast then slow. Make large turns that are fast and slow.

Ski one speed and try to go from small turns to large turns.