went skiing for the first time today, in Avoriaz. I’m happy to have chosen skiing (snowboarding looks even scarier!) – all the people i know out here ski (ski tour, which i will do when i’m a good enough skier), and i have the kit.

i was just on blue runs today, trying to learn the basics – snow plough, moving into parallel turns. I was going ok, until i got tired and started crashing – mainly on the last run, 5.5hrs after i’d last eaten. i was knackered! i found the steeper stuff pretty difficult, and had to walk some of the last piste, as i just couldn’t function any more on the skis…!

anyway, i’m sure i’ll progress. i guess my question is this – how on earth do i get confident enough to go fast!?

EVERYONE seemed to be going 10 times as fast as i was, even little kids! It felt like i was going fast, but i was being left for dust.

I was really excited about learning to ski, and i had a good day, but now when i think of next time, i’m actually kind of scared. i’m just not sure that i’ll ever want to go that fast. what if i can’t stop in time and fall off the edge, or hit someone/something?

please tell me it’ll get easier? maybe i’ll be more suited to ths slightly slower off piste powder skiing?

How fast did you go your first time on a bike?

the first week of skiing / snowboarding might just be the hardest thing (physically) that your average person will put themselves through.

from memory:

1st week skiing = very hard

1st week snowboarding = very hard + broken coccyx

half marathon = easy

olympic triathlon = enjoyable

skiing gets easier, yes.

It’ll get easier.

Don’t go into the powder until you’ve got your basic technique sorted.

You are getting some lessons i hope?

yes it will get easyer with time, and no off piste skiing is not for you………..yet

You have to be a good confident skier before hitting the powder. If you think on piste is hard, wait till you are off piste skiing deep POW or even the chaingable snow conditions off piste brings with it.

Like anything in life it takes time and practice. There is a big difference from being able to ski all grades of runs properly or slide down em. Take a proper steep black for example, lots of skiers think they can ski em. But there is a big difference from sliding down em to skiing them properly. It just takes practice to get it right. But stick with it, when it clicks it’s fab. Then progress onto steeper stuff and when you can ski blacks with the speed and control you can fly down a blue at then think about off piste (with a guide)

can’t remember 1st time on a bike! (only just enjoying going fast on that, after 10 yrs mtbing! 😉 )

won’t be touching powder for a bit. am lucky to have a reasonably experienced boss, who i went with. will also be trying to get lessons, but am currently on a very low income, and having shelled out on skis and boots and a season pass, i’m rather poor (not to mention xmas presents for the gf!). gonna try and get mates rates with someone though.

i’m sure it’ll get easier, its whether i can really go that fast – thats the prob!!

My experience with snowsports is that speed is your friend.

Just relax, learn to turn, stop and traverse properly, and speed will come with confidence in your skills.

Frustrating ain’t it… I went skiing for the first this year, at 57 probably a bit late in life. I had a week of lessons lasting about 4 hours in the morning. Thinking I would be able to continue in the afternoons by myself. But I found it nearly impossible as I was mentally and physically drained from the lessons..

Hope to go back next year and continue with the learning process. I think you’ve done very well for one day, I struggled to get parallel turns after a whole week…

Yes everyone does seem faster from the very young to the very old. As Jan bo says how fast were you first time on a bike.. I’m sure it will come. At the end of the week I was going straight and level (on slight downhills) at about 30mph (by my GPS) but didn’t feel completely in control. Still very nervous about the skis all jigger-ling about. Much the same when you first start going fast downhill on a bike..

I’m an instructor, the way to deal with speed and become confident is to use you turns to slow down. Traverse across and and up the slope.

Practice is all it takes. It will come and you will love it.

Stick with it buddy one day it will just click I promise.
Learn the basics and stop before u get too tired (same as on ure bike u don’t enjoy ur bike if ur tired)
this knocks ur confidence and is counter productive and u don’t progress.
Welcome to your second expensive hobbie

Embrace the falls! You may think you’re going fast but you probably aren’t yet, and if you fall on-piste the worst thing that’s likely to happen is some embarrassment and the need to go back a bit to get your skis. It’s not like coming off your bike which IME usually involves blood and/or a trip to casualty and some repairs to your bike. Once you learn that coming off doesn’t usually hurt your confidence should increase dramatically. Oh, and wear a helmet (stands back and dons flame-proof underwear…).

My experience with snowsports is that speed is your friend.

Indeed, all the equipment is designed to work at speed. You need to put some energy in to get edges working etc.

Snowplough skiing is surprisingly tiring – like riding with the brakes on all the time. You’ve made a good start so don’t give up now, it gets easier and more fun when you start to work how skis carve rather than slide – you will get it.

What I learned from snowboarding was not to fight falling over. It’s going to happen, learn to do it well. Pick yourself up and try again.

Oh, and wear a helmet (stands back and dons flame-proof underwear

Deffo, when i started skiing (on a school trip in 1991)no helmets were around (excluding the racers) and if you did wear one you were for sure the odd one out. I skiied up until 2yrs ago with just wearing a hat and goggles, but after a trip to Canada 2yrs ago where most folk were wearing helmets i decided to buy one after seeing one in Lidl for £18.

And now i would not ski with out it, and on my last trip to Val disere in march this year its good to see that the American/Canada trend of most folk wearing helmets and wooly hats being the odd one out continuing into Europe.

thanks guys. definitely going to stick with it – i’ve blown rather a lot of cash on it, and i’m in the alps indefinitely – so i need to do something when i can’t ride my bike!

helmet was due to arrve from crc on thurs… bloody postman couldn’t find my house though 🙁

ski for a week every year for the last nine years,only wish I’d started earlier. it is like bike tricks the more you practice gives more confidence with that comes more speed.It’s all hand in hand,speed(within your capability)really is your friend.after the first week I went I thought I’m never goin to get this but you do and you love it.strong legs are a bonus,take energy bars as snacks don’t go too long without eating it’s not good.when do get tired don’t be temted for that one last run because that’s when you’ll get hurt do a bit apres ski rest ready for another day and ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!! 8)

also lessons are a must, a good instructor will make sure you get the basics dialed in correct before learning bad habbits. And doing so in a controled enviroment.

The fact that you were actually skiing, turning and doing a run on your first day out is probably 10 times better than your average skier on their first day!!

A lot of people actually struggle to remain standing up let alone do what you did. Take a lot of pride in what you did.

Skiing is a technical sport which takes a while to master, and there will ALWAYS be someone better and faster than you. And in the alps that includes kids who ski as soon as they can stand up.

Also I would strongly advise when you get as knackered as that again that you stop and have a break and something to eat. It is very very easy to get injured skiing when you are knackered, and an injury that could last a while, esp to the knees. So slow down or stop when you start losing control.

Welcome to the club, check out Snowheads forum for lots of useful information.

Just wait till you get bitten by the bug and want to go every year. 😀

thanks again guys. very encouraging! not sure i’ll be back out tomorrow, but during the week i’m sure i’ll be out. unfortunately i’ll be on my own for a lot of it – my boss skis well, and my colleague (who also doesn’t ski yet) is in HK for a month (i’m also not very good at meeting people)… will definitely sort some lessons i think.

Just wait till you get bitten by the bug and want to go every year

good job i live here, eh 😉

Try a 1 hour 1 : 1 lesson . This will give you a good grounding and wont be long enough to induce brain fade. Stretch after a little warm up so a tumble shouldnt pull anything. Dont look down , always forward. Look uphill before setting off , everytime.
You should always be able to see your hands in the corners of your vision .
Check your bindings ( learn the self check technique ) You might find them impossible to self release , and ACL damage will keep you off skis and the bike for months.
Get yellow lenses for when its low / flat light they really do help.
Eat and drink more than you think you need to , as its normally very dry air and you will dehydrate.
Its a great sport once the basics have been mastered

Keep trying, it’s easier than sex, can last longer, you can repeat with somebody else or on your own without any silly comments and it makes your bum look better.

Brief advice when learning to ski: your shins should always be touching your boots.

As soon as you learn to relax on skis or a board you will find that they both become so much easier.

YOU LIVE THERE YOU LUCKEY BA….D afew months and you’ll have more slide time than someone going once a year make the most of it.

And IIRC Avoraiz is a shit place to learn to ski. On top of a mountain, loads of youngsters all being rad, black runs down the back there, bad choice.

Skiing is hard, ho hum. Once you’ve learned how to do it it’s great, just like riding a bike.

when doing parallel turns to the left have your left ski six inches to a foot in front of your right ski and tuck your right knee into your left knee

likewise when doing parallel turns to the right have your right ski six inches to a foot in front of your left ski and tuck your left knee into your right knee

easiest way to learn to carve lovely big S turns on piste and no instructor ever told me it

If I ever feel the need to go skiing these days, I just stand out in the snow whilst ripping up £50.00 notes and smashing myself in the knees with a flagging maul.

To complete the experience, I’ll then go drinking with people I can’t stand, pay way over the odds for a terrible meal and strap banana skins to the soles of my boots before walking home.

Jealous, me? 😀

Get some lessons. Ski with good skiers (and watch them and ask them to correct you faults). Never stop learning. Get loads of practice. Don’t drink alcohol and ski (you need the best fine-motor control you can manage).

“it’s easier than sex”
Can be better than sex as well! The Gun Barrel DBD Heavenly Valley California,72 hours of constant snow fall equated to about 5 feet of the finest powder in north America, me and a mate first one down the morning after the storm subsided floating through it to the chest, thought we had died and gone to heaven!
What every aspiring skier should be aiming for!
Came back down to earth with a bump though when on about the tenth run down with the bindings wound up to 12 and powder straps on the left ski came off and we spent the rest of the afternoon digging for a lost 1080! Never found it so had to go and purchase new skis, small price to pay for the experience though!

+1 good instructor.

-1

when doing parallel turns to the left have your left ski six inches to a foot in front of your right ski and tuck your right knee into your left knee

Knees together=’A Frame’

Lol I was just about to put the same

“when doing parallel turns to the left have your left ski six inches to a foot in front of your right ski and tuck your right knee into your left knee”

Seriously bad technique,and if you try and think like this you will end up all twisted, balance all wrong, damaging your knees, and looking stupid! Just relax your body, try to remember to keep looking down the hill, with your upper body facing roughly down the hill at all times, your skis should naturally fall in to the right position.

Contary to what alot of people are saying, I do not think you need to have lessons to be able to ski. I never did and ended up racing to international standard and instructing. Although if you are especially timid, and to be fair you do sound it! a bit of ressurance may do you good, but only in a 1-1 lesson.

Get back on to the green runs. There is no benefit at all to going on to blues before your ready, and to be fair you don’t sound ready for them. Going to steep/fast too soon just makes you ski worse.

Go back on to green runs, practice snow plough turns in to parallel traversing across the slope in to the next snow plough turn. This will save you alot of energy when it gets steeper and help you learn to control the skis. Practice snow ploughing in a straight line controled, speeding up, slowing down to a stop. Last year teaching Mrs FD I was shattered after a dy doing snow ploughs!

Find reasonably flat terrain, build a little speed up and just rock your outside ski on to an edge and see how it turns for you.

Only when your confident at doing linked parallel snow plough turns think about going on to blue runs. Then you will feel like your starting again as the extra speed will automatically make you react in to wanting to lean back, throwing away the good technique you have learnt.

Take plenty of breaks in the day, and always stop once you start to feel tired. At worst like in your post when your knackered you make stupid mistakes and really begin not to enjoy it, at worst you end up injuring yourself.

again, thanks for the comments! am currently looking into lessons, they’re rather pricey though! still, probably worth it in the long run…
Lots to think about technique wise there, too. i think my main problem was leaning too far forwards a lot of the time, rather than leaning back.

in terms of snowplough turns, i was fine for the most part, criss crossing the piste, turns going fine and stringing up to 10 together at a time. it was when it got a fair bit steeper, and when i was tired that i had problems.

thanks all 🙂

i think my main problem was leaning too far forwards a lot of the time, rather than leaning back.

No! You’ll probably find it’s the other way around. My experience of teaching people to snowboard is that they never leaned forward as much as they believed they were. Leaning forward engages the full length of the rail and keeps your skis under control. Leaning back sends you off and onto your arse.

Just like MTBing, how fast you can go is all dependent on how quickly and confidently you can slow down. (eg. crap worn out v-brakes, slippery trail: slow. Nice new discs, loads of grip: FAST!)
So you need to learn the turning, braking techniques that will get you out of trouble and enable you to control your speed.
I believe in proper lessons – Most good skiers will have forgotten most of the techniques they learnt and now do them naturally, so will not be able to teach you as well as an instructor.

i think my main problem was leaning too far forwards a lot of the time, rather than leaning back.

Er, no, as above, if get your weight back onto the tails of the skis its game over, you should be pushing your shins into the front of your boot, expecially if its steep.

You cant beat some Avoriaz/morzine pow. 😛

Ditto as above. Leaning back is the natural thing for mtbers to do on steep stuff but it’s the complete opposite for skiing – weight back stops you being able to steer your skiis! Make sure you can feel your shins pushing the top/front of your boots.