Over my ski teaching experience, the one most commonly asked question when learning to ski is: what is the first thing I should do?
The answer is simply developing good habits from the start. Do not develop bad habits.
I’m going to break up this topic in two, how to develop good skiing habits and how to avoid developing bad skiing habits.
First, how to develop good habits. The best thing you can do is to learn a little about skiing before you get to the slopes. If you’re reading this, you’re already taking that step. But also buy some books and DVD’s on skiing. And try to get something recent (within the last 5 years). Skiing equipment technology has dramatically changed over the last decade and the skiing skills have changed to take advantage of this technology. So in many ways, you are at an advantage! Most folks with the old skiing skills are finding it hard to adapt. But you have an advantage! As the wise old Jedi, Yoda said, you do not have to “unlearn what you have learned”.
Get yourself into skiing shape. Skiing is a fun activity, but also can be physically demanding. There are exercises you can do at home for 10 minutes a day 3 times a week that will get you into good skiing shape. So when you get to the slopes, you’ll be ready for a whole day of skiing.
Also when you are there, take a lesson. The ski instructor will make sure you start off with great skiing habits and killer shredding skills.
Now on how to avoid developing bad habits. First and foremost, do not let anyone who is unqualified teach you how to ski. This includes your friends, your boyfriends, your girlfriends, and even your spouses. If they are a good teacher AND they are a good skier, it could work. But most commonly, I see average skiers who suck at teaching trying to teach someone how to ski. Most of the time, they teach you what they have learned. Not all skiers are the same, just as not all golfers are the same. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. The same goes with skiing. I’m sure their intentions are good, but only a good ski instructor can troubleshoot your skiing and give you advice that is tailored for you.
Next, avoid doing the power wedge. The power wedge, also known as the snowplow or the pizza, is the worse skiing technique you can learn. If you become reliant on the power wedge, this can set you back years in you skiing. The skills used in the power wedge do not transfer to any other skiing skills. Also, the power wedge is a very inefficient skiing maneuver. Just don’t do it.
Next, avoid overly difficult terrain at the beginning. Challenging yourself is great, but skiing terrain that is over your head is a recipe for disaster. Overly difficult terrain exposes your weaknesses. Make sure you have good base at the prior levels and move up slowly.
If you develop good skiing habits from the outset, you’ll learn incredibly fast and you’ll ski circles around your friends in no time.
