EpicSki › The Barking Bear Forums › Ski Training and Pro Forums › Beginner Zone › Beginners tip bible - share yours
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Beginners tip bible - share yours

post #1 of 230
1/15/08 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
I was just reading the thread from the new skier who lives in NJ.

Some great advice is given in the thread but I was thinking that there is no place where beginners are given the real "tips" - the hardcore sharing on how to handle this mysterious new winter world. I will start below.....just a bit tho, please share yours. It's not about me, it's about sharing. I don't want it to be hrstrat57's bible....share!

- - - - -

If you rent gear, get it the day before at your local ski shop(a good place to make friends) take it home and get friendly with it. Walk around in the boots click in and out of the ski's....visualize skiing and smiling. You get on the hill immediately and have a great day....of course get fitted properly and buy quality ski boots asap, rent the ski's till you hit level 4.

- - - - -

Arrive early to the mountain.....no - make that real early. Example. Huge whining here and on Alpine Zone about Wachusett being too crowded. Sunday grabbed first chair up at 7:45 and had the hill to ourselves for 1 1/2 hours. By 11:00 it was a 20 minute wait in line....outta there! Plus you get to park in the front row, which is nice:

- - - - -

Singles line....use it. Meet new folks, learn new things. Hook up with your buds at the top. Ski twice as much.

- - - - -

Top of lift if there is a go right or go left....go left. Why? Most people are right handed. They go right.

Example.

Minuteman lift at Wachusett Mountain. Exit left and ski Hitchcock. Sunday it was empty even after 11:00. All the exit right trails were beyond crowded. In other words skiers are like lemmings, don't follow the lemmings.

oh yeah, regarding modern skiing - for starters, click on the free demo team videos in my signature and emulate.

It's all about free!

: more tips please
Reply
post #2 of 230
1/15/08 at 7:40pm
Here's one:

Never leave your boots out in the car overnight. It will feel like you're putting your feet into a block of ice.
Reply
post #3 of 230
1/15/08 at 7:57pm
Maybe this isn't a good place for "beginner" type questions, but I keep seeing references to gapers carrying skis with the tips up... I just wondered what makes that gapery... Why's it so important to carry skis tips down?


aaron
Reply
post #4 of 230
1/15/08 at 8:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scootertig View Post
Maybe this isn't a good place for "beginner" type questions, but I keep seeing references to gapers carrying skis with the tips up... I just wondered what makes that gapery... Why's it so important to carry skis tips down?


aaron
Which ever is more comfortable for you. I prefer to carry tips up!
Reply
post #5 of 230
1/15/08 at 8:04pm
In the old days when you threw your skis over your shoulder you would make sure to put the pointy ends in front of you; you didn't want to accidentally hit someone in the face with the pointy ends while walking around. Personally I don't want to hit anyone with either end of my skis, so I couldn't care less which end goes where.
Reply
post #6 of 230
1/15/08 at 8:22pm
Thanks Ghost. I never got that before. If you carry tips forward, there is less behind to do the Laurel and Hardy thing to people who are out of sight and out of mind. I carry my skis tips pointed UP. They can only poke somebody who is walking above me, who probably deserves it.
Reply
post #7 of 230
1/15/08 at 10:43pm
If you go on a ski trip involving a flight and you own boots, be sure to pack the boots in your carry-on luggage (as well as your cell phone charger, change of clothes and other vital necessities)....just in case you end up somewhere where all flights into your destination are cancelled and you are separated from your luggage for several days.............
Reply
post #8 of 230
1/16/08 at 2:32pm
Don't attach your lift ticket to your main front zipper-it'll flap in your face when fully zipped (use your D-rings!).

No Cotton (especially socks!).
Reply
post #9 of 230
1/16/08 at 2:35pm
skate to the lift or on some flat area, no using poles to push yourself around, good warm up , gets the blood flowing and wakes up the parts of your body that really do the skiing : the feet and legs
Reply
post #10 of 230
1/16/08 at 2:55pm
Here's a couple.

Bring a towel. Use it to make sure your feet are dry when changing into your ski socks (assuming you use socks) so you start out with dry feet. Use it to wipe the snow/water off your edges when you put the skis back in the car for the ride home.


Do not leave your skis in ski bags after skiing, the moisture will be trapped inside and it will rust your edges.
Reply
post #11 of 230
1/16/08 at 3:06pm
I made this sticky so it doesn't drop off the page. Lots of good stuff so far, keep it coming.
Great idea
Reply
post #12 of 230
1/16/08 at 4:51pm
Regarding socks. Wear regular socks to the area and change into your ski socks right before putting your boots on. Nice dry socks help to keep your feet warm.

Take your boots out of your ski bag when you get home, ideally have a dryer of some kind, air blown is fine, heat is not necessary. Alternately take the liners out. The main thing is to try to have dry boots for the next time you ski.

Avoid carrying metal or otherwise hard things in chest pockets. I fell forward once with a round tin of hard candies that I landed on and bruised my ribs.
Reply
post #13 of 230
1/16/08 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 

forbidden

Since I am also the author of the famous "sure fire gaper - ski totes" thread in our humor forum I feel I have the authority to forbid further use of the word "gaper" in this thread.

I would prefer not to discuss "ski totes" or see the word "jong" here either....



carry on

:
Reply
post #14 of 230
1/16/08 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiMangoJazz View Post
Regarding socks. Wear regular socks to the area and change into your ski socks right before putting your boots on. Nice dry socks help to keep your feet warm.
Good one SMJ!

I actually bring three pair of high quality ski socks to the hill and usually change out at least once during the day when skiing a full day. Dry feet are warm feet. I invested in a boot dryer system years ago. Putting your feet into a still wet boot from the day before is nasty....and a sure fire way to get frozen feet on ski day two. New skiers may not believe how much feet sweat in ski boots, even on a cold day. Hanging your boots on those orange glove, boot warmer thingys found in many lodges can help. A pair of good boot dryers is better.

Remember, as a newbie you have no perceptions of the winter world you are entering.....what seems obvious to us veteran skiers is unseen by the new skier.

Crank's comment about not leaving boots in the car(or for that matter driving 4 hours to the hill with the boots in the cold truck, also to be avoided) seems obvious. It is not, until you suffer near frostbite sticking your feet into a frozen boot on a 10 degree day:

This purpose of this thread I hope is to point out some of these "obvious" things to our new friends.

My thoughts are if they take the time and put in the effort to visit our forums then we should share the goods:

:
Reply
post #15 of 230
1/17/08 at 8:24pm
To be a bit more specific re: hystrat57's suggestion, place your boots under the foot vent of your car on the drive to the hill instead of in the trunk. It'll warm 'em up a bit more. You may have to fight your spouse and/or kids for "prime vent placement" but that's part of the fun!

-- Another trick in the same vein -- if your lodge has floor vents, try sticking your boots upside down on them while you get the rest of your gear ready, or while you psych yourself up for the day. At our little hill, the lodge vents warm the boots nicely in a fairly short period of time. It doesn't hurt to do the same thing during lunch (when you change your socks; assuming you can find floor vents under a lunch table!)...

-- Toss a Powerbar or two in your pocket. Nothing like satisfying the munchies as you survey your domain from the top of whatever lift you're comfortable skiing from! :

-- Consider carrying a "Motorola" type 2-way radio. Ski Patrol monitors certain channels at many resorts (ask around before you ski) -- it can be a good way to get yourself (or others) out of trouble. And with it you can periodically convince non-skiers waiting for you in the lodge that you need to make "just one more run." Avoid the chest pocket, as SMJ noted!


Cheers,
Reply
post #16 of 230
1/18/08 at 9:03am
I just thought of another one...

Don't tuck anything into your boots. Boots are for feet and socks. Not pants.


aaron
Reply
post #17 of 230
1/18/08 at 6:42pm
--At the chair lift, follow the chair in -- don't wait until the folks in front of you sit down on their chair before you try to scoot forward to the "stop line." You'll have plenty of time if you depart the "wait line" as soon as the chair passes you...
Reply
post #18 of 230
1/20/08 at 7:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scootertig View Post
I just thought of another one...

Don't tuck anything into your boots. Boots are for feet and socks. Not pants.
I want to correct myself. You can definitely put your long johns or whatever into the boot, but not the outer layer of pants. Especially not jeans.

aaron
Reply
post #19 of 230
1/20/08 at 7:33am
I wouldn't put the long johns in the boots. Thin ski socks, yes if they fit.

Also:
Singles lines.
Many chairs have a set number of seats. It may be 1,2,3,4,5,6 or what ever. The idea is to fill all the seats. For that purpose, there are often lines where people pair up into groups of two or more, and an extra line where people are in single file. Should a group of say two arrive to load a three-seat chair, the person at the front of the single line joins them to fill the chair.

Newbies may not realize this if they are following a number of snowboarders onto a lift; it seems many boarders have not learned how to count to three.
Reply
post #20 of 230
1/22/08 at 10:44pm
Have lunch earlier or later than the crowds and simultaneously get better access to lifts.

Have a light lunch or some snacks throughout the day and you'll feel better than you will if you have a heavy lunch. Be sure to stay well-hydrated.

If you're in the market for ski clothes, equipment you can find really good deals if you research them on the web. End of season deals can be 50% or more off. Also stores will have the same type of deals/timing.

The most important piece of equipment is boots. Find a great bootfitter especially if you have any problems with your feet.

You can be in the middle of a storm and be perfectly comfortable if you're wearing the right clothing and have the right equipment. In fact, it can be great because there are fewer people out.
Reply
post #21 of 230
1/23/08 at 9:41am
To get into your bindings do not slam your heel into the heel piece. Simply set it there and rock your weight aft and the binding will engage.

If you fall and lose a ski - do not panic. Relax. Collect your gear and find a relatively flat space to put your ski(s) back on. Check two things: 1) that the heel peice is not engaged (if you release from the toe the heel may never release, so you will have to push it back down to get into it), 2) make sure your boots are clean, you don't want to kick a shoe while sitting on the lift because your bindings were not holding your boots properly. When getting back into your gear, be sure that you are visible from above so no one hits you.

Practice skating around on flats with your skis on. This is an invaluable skill to have for maneuvering lift lines and crowded areas.

Later

Greg
Reply
post #22 of 230
1/23/08 at 9:44am
When buying boots, almost too tight in the store means a proper fit on the hill.
OR
Confucius say: Man who buy boots too tight today, will ski with good fitting boots tomorrow.
Reply
post #23 of 230
1/23/08 at 9:48am

Beginner Tips

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeluvaSkier View Post
To get into your bindings do not slam your heel into the heel piece. Simply set it there and rock your weight aft and the binding will engage.

Greg
The only time I've slammed a heel into a binding was on a rental ski where I couldn't get the binding to engage easily. But why is it not recommended? Thanks in advance!
Reply
post #24 of 230
1/23/08 at 11:27am
to repeat and expand on what's said above, do not stop or sit down in blind spots! more generally - read, understand, and follow the skier's safety code.

early in and early out makes for the best ski day on just about every count. best parking place, best snow, and least crowds on the lifts, on the slopes, and in the lunch lines.

make "last run" a voluntary decision. if you start to feel tired or shaky in the afternoon - or the light fades or it gets icey - or you start to see a lot of people riding the red sleds - and any of this makes you wonder if you should call it a day - then you definitely SHOULD call it a day. relax and ski another day.
Reply
post #25 of 230
1/23/08 at 3:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski Spirit View Post
The only time I've slammed a heel into a binding was on a rental ski where I couldn't get the binding to engage easily. But why is it not recommended? Thanks in advance!
Greg is right.

Properly fit and set bindings will engage easily. If they don't, then they are broken, set wrong or you still have snow on your heel. Remember of course to reset the heel pc to open after a fall. Even the most seasoned skier has forgotten to do this after an embarrassing tumble

To scrape snow off your boots(something you do every time you step in) get in the habit of lining your skis up directly across the hill so they don't slide out while you step in creating a runaway.

Position yourself directly over the skis facing the tips. Hold yourself up in a relaxed, balanced position with your ski poles. Brush off your downhill foot first, scraping the boot across the toe piece of your binding. Check the boot bottom to make sure it is clear of snow. Step into the binding, it should engage easily. (you've remembered of course to reset the heel to open position after a fall)

The downhill ski must be put on first to create a solid platform via the downhill edge to put on the uphill ski. (This position of power on the downhill ski also applies nicely to actual skiing, but that's for another thread

Repeat for the uphill ski.

I fall rarely now....but when I do I release the other ski by pressing on the heel piece with my hand before getting up. I gather myself a bit, deal with my shame and complete humiliation and reset 100% per the procedure listed above. Of course when I do fall now it is usually at high speed and both ski's release, ofter requiring a search and recovery mission for the ski's and other misc items.....

:
Reply
post #26 of 230
1/23/08 at 3:12pm
go that way, really fast...
Reply
post #27 of 230
1/24/08 at 6:48am
Avoid the Gaper look...

Nothing worse than "that guy" carrying all his gear like a stack of wood in his arms.

Here is a gear transport tip. Invest on a decent sized day pack (Not dufflebag) that when more or less empty will fit in a 75 cent or 1$ locker.

Get a pack with a top flap or even look into purpose made Marker or similar ski PACKS with straps or pockets for boots. (Putting boots on in the car and walking across the parking lot screams gaper and is BAD for your boots never mind invites a bone jarring wipeout on slippery surfaces.)

If there are not straps for your boots on the pack, just velcro the straps of the boots together and hang over the top of the pack so one boot is on each side.

Once you make it to the lodge and gear up, stuff the pack into the locker and do not worry about it for the whole day.

Why the pack? So many reasons but mainly: Hands free to balance yourself with a pole as a walking stick. Skis over shoulder. Dangle other pole from same hand steadying skis. (Ski strap is a good idea). One hand free for holding little hands, drinking coffee, yacking on cell. Plus the weight distributing qualities of the pack make even that endless treck to the lodge from the back row of the lot fairly pleasant.

My pack is a LL bean "Fishing" pack that has very much enjoyed its second life as a ski pack!
Reply
post #28 of 230
1/24/08 at 6:58am
what Scootertig said

don't put you base layer insider your boots - socks only
Reply
post #29 of 230
1/24/08 at 10:08am
Here are some tips that have nothing to do with eqmt or technique:

-If you have control over your outing date go when the weather is mild. Lot easier to concentrate on learning when you don't have to deal with bitter cold.
-If you have control over your venue go to a low crowd, smaller hill. Better yet, make your visit on a regular weekday.
-Think Spring skiing; low crowds, milder weather, and often bargain prices.
Reply
post #30 of 230
1/24/08 at 10:17am
Two alternate (or mildly disagreeing) comments.

Spring skiing can be difficult for a beginner as the skis get stuck in the wet snow, it is much easier to ski ON snow then IN it.

I use a ski backpack as well, however I prefer to have one that I put the boots IN, not hanging from. On snowy days I don't want to get snow in the boots as I walk from the lot, and in general it keeps them warmer.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Beginner Zone
EpicSki › The Barking Bear Forums › Ski Training and Pro Forums › Beginner Zone › Beginners tip bible - share yours