Long gone are the days of needing actual snow to go skiing. Yup, that’s right, you can actually ski year-round with or without snow. However, there are some pretty basic things you will need to know before you can go skiing whether you want snow or not. Any budding skier will want to make sure they have all the right ski equipment and know some of the basics they will need to try once on the slopes. The first thing you will need to do, of course, is find somewhere to go skiing and thanks to sites like Google, this is now easier than ever.
Once you know where you want to go skiing, you will need to get some basic gear. A lot of places rent out ski boots and skis, so if it is your first time, this may be the way to go before spending any of your hard-earned money on it. Putting your boots on properly can be a little tricky if you’ve never done it before. You’ll want to make sure all the buckles are undone and when you start sliding your foot in, you will want to pull the tongue of the boot towards your toes and hopefully, your foot will slide right in. Once you think it is in, give your heel a couple of taps on the ground to ensure that it is in fact all the way in. From here you will want to start tightening up your buckles. You will want to start from the one on your toes, then move to the angle and end with the one around your shin. Once you’ve done this, don’t think the fun is all over, you still need to go for a walk in them and get used to them. They can be quite stiff at first, but you will get used to them with time.
Now that you’re up and about, it’s time to get your skis and learn how to carry them. The easiest way to do this is to put them together with the bottoms of the skis touching and then overlap the brakes. Once you have done this, you can now put them over one of your shoulders and hold them with one hand. You can then use your free hand to grab your polls and make your way to the slop or the lift. As you will have noticed, everything is going to take a bit of getting used to and may even feel a bit awkward at first.
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Now that we have our boots on, our skis in hand and a couple of friendly bets placed on the table, it is time to hit the slopes! Once on the slope, you’re going to have to put the skis on and again, this is easier said than done the first time around. You will want to grab your poles, one in each hand to help balance yourself for this one. Once you have your balance, you will want to stick the toe of your boot under the toe piece of the binding on the boot. Once you have done this, make sure your heel is lined up with the back of the binding and push it down hard until it clicks into place. Once you have the first one on, you can repeat for the second ski. Just remember to keep your poles firmly planted into the ground so you don’t go sliding down the slope unintentionally.
Hopefully, you are on flat ground once you have your skis on as now you will want to get used to moving around with them on. There are two fairly easy ways to do so. The first is to stick your poles into the ground and use them to push yourself forward a bit and this may be the easier of the two options to get started. The other option is to try and walk in them, this is normally easiest done by moving sideways but with a bit of practice, you can get used to walking forward in them as well.
Lastly, you will want to know how to stop and may want to practice it on the bunny slopes or even flat ground after giving yourself a little bit of a push. The number one way to stop is the snowplow method. This is done by pointing your toes in so your skis make the shape of a piece of pizza. Once you have mastered this, it is now time to ski down the slope a bit. Just remember to remain calm and don’t expect to be a pro at it right away, start slowly and give yourself a bit of time to work up to becoming a more advanced skier!
