How Can Adults Learn To Ice Ski?

Many adults who never had the chance to ski when they were little hesitated to learn how to ski. But imagine a slope full of snow, which is getting touched by its first warm sun rays, and you are skiing happily with the help of the skis and watching the beautiful views which only mountaineers get to watch.

This is a dream of a lot of people. The saying, you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, is true in specific contexts, but not in this situation. It might be easier for children to learn a sport at an early age, but it might be a little difficult for adults, but not impossible. According to a survey, 70% of the people in the beginner’s courses are adults. This should be enough for getting you motivated for skiing.

So, some of the common questions which are asked by the adults which would help adults to get an idea about ice skiing are mentioned below:

1. Can adults learn to ski?

   Well, of course. Adults can learn how to ski, and if anyone tells you otherwise, it’s a myth that has been bashed many times. Many pieces of research have shown that many adults have started to learn ice skiing, and they are putting more effort into it. The only thing which matters is that while you are learning, the beginner’s preparation, physical wellness, and motivation are on top, so it is easier for them to know.

   If this is your first time, then you will be most likely to get sore muscles. So to avoid that, you must work out before starting (exercising for warming up) and after finishing up (exercising for cooling down). It would prevent sore muscle and muscle cramps and maintain your stamina and strength during the practice.

   If you are active and work out every day, you might not face that much discomfort after the practice. But, if you had injuries in the past that might affect you during the practice, you must go for a medical check-up.

2. What should I think of before opting for a location?

   When adults begin the practice, they might not expect the same thing compared to a pro at skiing or their families. Before opting for any resort for practice, make sure the resort has a piste map. Piste map tells the different levels of ice skiing according to its difficulty. The areas where the practice will take place is also one thing that must be considered while choosing a location for skiing.

   In various countries, the piste maps’ difficulty colors vary. Like, blue pistes are for beginners in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, with over 25% incline. Then we have red pistes, which have an incline of a maximum of 40%, and then last but not least, the black piste, which has an incline of more than 40%.

   The marking of different levels varies from color to color. Like, in various countries, green slopes are considered manageable, blue slopes are considered intermediate and red ones are considered strenuous.

   The locations of easy slopes and training areas and the reachability are also a few features that beginners must notice. If you want an ideal level, it is best, to begin with, the ones with a 25% incline. As a piece of advice, make sure you opt for the skiing areas, which are different from the training areas of children so that you start focusing on your progress rather than worrying that you might enter and hurt the little kids.

3. Will I be able to teach myself how to ski?

   Finding help and lessons on the internet is not a tricky thing to do. All the information is just one click away. Whenever you are starting the practice of anything, it is good to read about it beforehand. But it doesn’t matter how much you read about it, and it is always better to learn how to ice ski with the help of a professional trainer because applying whatever you’ve read on the internet, in real life, is very tough.

   Even if you read every kind of blog, you will not get the training that only a professional can provide you. Moreover, you cannot learn ice skiing by yourself because you might start adopting the wrong technique, which might cause some mishap during the ice skiing, which might end up in you getting injured.

   It is highly recommended not to help a friend who wants to train you because that person is not a professional or a qualified trainer.

   Instead of putting your precious friendship at threat, you can book a course for 2 to 3 days. It is pretty beneficial when adults learn skiing with the help of a professional ski instructor.

   After a week, most beginners can ski red and blue slopes without professional supervision when learning skiing. So, on the last day of the course, you can go with your friends and ski with them, who knows you might turn out to be better than them?

4. Shall I practice with a personal instructor or join a group?

   Both of these options have their benefits. Because in the end, it is your choice, if you want to ski privately with your instructor or you want to go in a group, socialize and learn in a fun way. For people who are quick learners, it is recommended to join a group. But if you are a slow learner, it is recommended that you hire a private instructor because the instructor’s attention will be on you the entire time, and you will be able to tell them what you want.

   Joining a group can be affordable. If you enter a group, you will be learning with equally experienced people. There is no requirement of being afraid and conscious of making mistakes, and what if you get along with your fellows, you might make a few friends there. As a piece of additional information, skiing is considered to be a communicative sport.

5. How much time does it require for learning skiing?

   There is no fixed answer to this question, as everyone has a different pace of learning. Therefore, nobody can determine the time of an individual who wishes to learn ice skiing. It was mentioned before, too, that your physical fitness and motivations are the two factors that determine the time you would take to learn ice skiing.

   Typically, beginners can effortlessly do their turns on the slopes in the first three days of their skiing course. But it takes 1-2 days more to get on the blue slopes.

6. What kinds of equipment are needed for skiing?

   When adults begin to ski, they usually rent their skiing equipment from the ski resort itself. This way, beginners would be able to save money and also be able to ski with new high-quality equipment. Unfortunately, many stereotypes revolve around the rental equipment; for example, they are used, old, and in bad condition, which is not true when rental stores upgrade and replace their products regularly. And another one of the positive aspects of renting skiing equipment is that you don’t have to carry the weight with you everywhere.

   You might have a question in your mind, what about the outfits? What should we wear while on the skiing training?

   Primarily, you will need ski underwear and skin socks. Then you must wear ski trousers, gloves, and hats. Finally, an essential accessory that you should wear all the time during skiing is skiing goggles. And as a beginner, you must also wear a helmet to prevent any injuries when you begin your course.