Top 5 Skiing Tips for Beginners

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You love the snow, and the slopes, and have finally decided to take the plunge and go skiing. Congratulations, I bet you are excited to go on your first ski run. Before that you will have to prep yourself with a few basics. Listed below are 5 tips to point you in the right direction as a beginner.

LOCATION: Scout for a tour company that offers experienced and professional skiing instructors, for all types of skiers like beginners, intermediate and experts. A list of basic equipment to have like Ski’s, Helmet, goggles, gloves, sunscreen, warm layered clothing and snow pants. Snow pants are important, as you will be falling down a lot. Do not be afraid or feel awkward if you fall down. Comfortable and snug pair of shoes is an important part of your equipment. Unlike regular shoes, these have hard soles and don’t bend. You will likely be touching your heels first and then toes, when you walk.

Location

SKIING INSTRUCTOR: Pay for skiing lessons rather than learning from a friend, family or acquaintance. As with any other sport, there will be times when you will be exasperated and feel discouraged. A skiing instructor will allay any fears and negativity that builds up ensuring a pleasant skiing experience. Have patience and if something is not working out, talk to your instructor and take corrective measures.

Skiing instructor

BALANCE: Skiing is all about keeping one’s balance. Bend your knees, take a squat position and look straight ahead about 10-12 feet in front. Do not make the mistake of looking at the tip of your skis, this is akin to looking at your toes when you walk around and will have the same effect.

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Balance

FIRST RUN: With your skis parallel to each other, dig your ski poles in the snow in front of you in a backward motion. Start sliding your feet alternately, instead of lifting your feet off the snow and walking. As you slide down the gentle slope, start getting a feel of the downward motion.

First Run

LEARNING TO STOP: When you need to slow down or stop, gently easy the tip of your skis towards each other forming an arrow.  This technique is called wedging.

Learning to stop

So what are you waiting for, get up and get skiing!

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Arjan Kripal
Arjan comes from a family of professional cricketers. His grandfather, father and uncle have all represented India. Arjan himself captained the Indian Under 19 Team, and has played first class cricket for Tamil Nadu. He is a qualified coach, a BCCI match referee and even holds a world record in cricket! Arjan’s cricket career saw him travel extensively across the world. He has since discovered that he has an insatiable wander lust and a flair for planning itineraries for family and friends – a love and skill that has naturally progressed into setting up Get Up and Go. Arjan is a certified scuba diver and has bungee jumped, sky dived and paraglided several times. He has been to every continent and corner of the world, reveling in exotic foods and myriad photo ops; from walking the Inca Trail in Peru, to swimming with Whale sharks in Mexico… Arjan has even come face to face with a Great White Shark in South Africa! “I want to share all my varied journeys with fellow travellers so they can experience, first hand, something that has been so rewarding for me.”