I've Never Done This Before! :D

sigmagrrl · #1 02-25-2005, 02:45 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in my life, I am GOING SKIING!!! I am so excited! It's a surprise where we are going, so I can't tell you anything about a specific resort yet...BUT, I was wondering if anyone could share skiing advice/stories/helpful hints?? What should a newbie know?!?!?

Kevlar281 · #2 02-25-2005, 04:52 PM

I've never been sking but according to South Park all you need to know is Pizza and French Fries. Good Luck

DeltAlum · #3 02-25-2005, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in my life, I am GOING SKIING!!! I am so excited! It's a surprise where we are going, so I can't tell you anything about a specific resort yet...BUT, I was wondering if anyone could share skiing advice/stories/helpful hints?? What should a newbie know?!?!?

First, have a great time!

Even if you're going for a single day -- take a lesson. The chances of an injury go down dramatically. When we learned (Mrs. DA and me) years ago, we took a whole weeks worth of lessons.

Stay off of runs you aren't good enough for.

Whatever you do, don't listen to anyone who says the best way to learn is to go to the top and point your skiis downhill. Great way to hit a tree -- or another skiier.

ZTABullwinkle · #4 02-25-2005, 07:19 PM

I went skiing once at Seven Springs. It was pretty easy once I got the hang of it...THEN IT HAPPENED! I tried to stop, you know by crossing your skies. Unfortunately that didn't work. I ended up smacking a big pole right in front of the lodge with my hip. Embarrassed and bruised, I never got back on skis. (Can't anyways....have had seven surgeries on one knee...not from skiing though.)

Have fun! Take a lesson. Wear sunscreen and something on your lips. I got sunburnt and windburn on my face and lips because I didn't realize how much the sun radiates off the snow.

AGDee · #5 02-26-2005, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
First, have a great time!

Even if you're going for a single day -- take a lesson. The chances of an injury go down dramatically. When we learned (Mrs. DA and me) years ago, we took a whole weeks worth of lessons.

Stay off of runs you aren't good enough for.

Whatever you do, don't listen to anyone who says the best way to learn is to go to the top and point your skiis downhill. Great way to hit a tree -- or another skiier.

I have to agree with DA on this one. I relied on friends to teach me the first time I went skiing. They showed me lots of cool stuff and headed down the hill. Halfway down I hollered to them "How do I stop?" and my friend Deb said "Just scream and fall!", which is exactly what I had to do, because I didn't know any other way. Learn to turn and stop before you're on a real hill. The bunny hill is your friend until you get the hang of it.

Dee

CUGreekgirl · #6 02-26-2005, 02:35 AM

This may not be the most encouraging post BUT...

I've only been skiing once. I took a lesson, then attempted to ski down the bunny slope. I fell and ended up walking the rest of the way down. I spent the rest of the day in the lodge. The next day I tried again. I busted my ass trying to get in line for the ski lift. I went to the top, and fell again. I spent the rest of that day in the lodge too. The next day I went home.

Don't give up though, I wish I would have tried more and found someone to teach me or went to more lessons. I'm thinking about chaperoning my church's youth groups ski trip next winter and trying to learn again.

Betarulz! · #7 02-26-2005, 05:20 AM

If you have some athletic skill you should be okay.

First and foremost, have fun. If it's not fun, then youre on too hard a slope. If youre cold, go to a restaurant or a warming shed. Only when youre able to handle yourself should you warm up by trying a difficult run.

Depending on the resort, you should be able to find some very quiet runs that are challenging for you but empty. At Winter Park, I found one whole lift of Blues that were above my level but still doable. I skied those for nearly a day straight and got to try a bunch of things out for myself.

Take a lesson for the basics. That way you'll always be able to stop yourself and not be at risk for injury. If after a lesson you find that your are doing pretty well and are able to ski somewhat of a hybrid between parallel and snowplow, I reccomend going off for a half day by yourself and just trying things out. I did that during the first day of my second ski trip ever and I got a lot out of it. Then I went to my friends dad and mom to learn to parallel and I was ready to go b/c I had experiemented on my own with no pressure on me to perform. Looking back that one day was the best thing to happen to me in my progress as a skier. One tip though is to not try anything that is definitely out of your range. Skiing without a buddy must be done on popular runs that aren't too difficult. You need to be in areas that if you get into trouble, people can help you out. That means no skiing through the trees and avoiding runs that are empty most of the time. Stay mid moutain and don't worry about how much time you spend in lift lines and you'll be fine.

Again, most of all have fun. Skiing is phenomenal, you get amazing views and a ton of fun if you do it right.

Glitter650 · #8 02-26-2005, 05:35 AM

I go to Tahoe about once a year for skiing and have a great time, although I'm still not the best skiier, don't stress out too much, have fun and do take a lesson.

and Don't french Fry when you should pizza

SigmaChiCard · #9 02-26-2005, 08:40 PM

I've only been three times but I'm going on a big trip out to Breckenridge CO in a few weeks for spring break - and some of my buddies are going to be pretty near too - i can't wait - i just hope i don't really injure myself cos the people w/ whom i'm going are really good and used to live in denver so they went all the time - me - not so much - my problem: stopping!

i can't wait - just pray i don't get too mangled

DeltAlum · #10 02-27-2005, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
i can't wait - just pray i don't get too mangled

I don't ski anymore for a number of reasons -- none of them being due to serious injury. But I did ski for over thirty years. Never was great, but had a lot of fun.

Just don't feel bulletproff. Ski within your ability and you will be fine.

Take lessons.

Tom Earp · #11 02-27-2005, 02:32 PM

DeltAlum, with YOU! Getting to dang old!

Schusbauming is Fantastic.

Have skied all of the Eastern Slope biggies and Ks., Iowa, NM, and Austria.

The neatest sight is standing atop Vail and seeing the villiage and I-70 going by. In Minature of course.

Breckenridge is always one of The Favs. Also close to Copper, Vail, Keystone and ABasin.

When I ran ski trips, always had an Asti Party at the end of one Ski day!

Just watch trails where you ski, take a newbie lesson. Only time I got hurt was falling out of a hot tub, and when a snow cat came around a bend at a back bowl up on top at Vail.

Well, climbed a Mt. in Austria and ended up 15 miles from Kitzbuhl, and wanted to slit My throat.

Depending on time you are going, wear Clothes. Easier to take off than put on if you are cold!

Apres Skiing is great. (After You are Done For The Day). Try Hot Mulled wine with cinnamon stick in it for a break at the Peak!

Keystone has the best up top Lodge for that.

Oh for Flatlanders, Air is very thin up there. Breath alot. Get light headed if you dont. During skiing, no problem, just relaxing WOWIE!

Still Breck is always my Fav. Lot of Old neat Bars and Eaterys. Dont buy things there! Costly!

Have a Fantastic time!

AchtungBaby80 · #12 02-27-2005, 08:27 PM

I hate skiing.

It's just because I suck, though. You really do have to have some athletic skill.

Fortunately for me, God invented ski lodges and hot chocolate.

sigmagrrl · #13 02-28-2005, 10:26 AM

Thanks for all of your advice! I am definitely going to sign up for lessons and use little children to break my fall! LOL!!!

And I have no problem making an a$$ of myself, that's how you learn, especially when you are an old fart....Everyone I am going with is a ski expert, so I hope they go off and have fun...I don't want to hold them up!!

SHUSH, SHUSH, SHUSH, STOOOOOOOP!! HEHE

DeltAlum · #14 02-28-2005, 12:02 PM

Sit on the balcony at the lodge drinking "hot chocolate" and shout your encouragement to them every time the get to the bottom of the lift!

(Oh, seriously, one other thing. Know when you're getting tired and then quit. You're much more likely to get hurt if you're totally worn out)

I had one other superstition. I never took a "last run." When it got close to the end of the day, I would get to the bottom and say, "that's it." I always thought that if I went up "just one more time," that would be the one where I would have an accident.

Dumb, but apparantely effective.

tinydancer · #15 02-28-2005, 12:14 PM

I will probably never go skiing because I'm afraid of the ski lift.

Funny story: My friend's cousin went skiing one year with her family and did not really want to go. She had grumped through the whole trip. The last day she started feeling guilty and decided to try and be really pleasant. She started by introducing herself to the man sitting next to her on the ski lift. He smiled and said, "I'm so glad to meet you - I'm Bob Redford." Yes, it really was ROBERT REDFORD and she fell off the ski lift!! (Luckily, it had not gone far enough for her to fall too far)