Your first day
Now, I know we would all love to picture ourselves carving effortlessly down the hill. But reality is, you will be on the bunny slope most of the day. Don’t get me wrong, carving down from the top is an awesome feeling. Getting to the top of the slope and realising you don’t know what you’re doing, isn’t. Here are some tips on surviving the first day.
Take a lesson.
Trust me on this one. I know, I know, lessons are expensive. Think of it as an investment, the slopes can be a dangerous place when you don’t know what you are doing, or when your friends promise to teach you, then disappear after two runs. You wouldn’t drive a car without learning how first, right? Plus group lessons are a cheap way to learn how to ski/board, and make a bunch of new friends.
Stay in your comfort zone.
“Come on, follow me, it’s easy!” Don’t fall for it. You’re the one that will have to spend the rest of the day waiting in the cafe if you hurt yourself. Make sure you know what you are capable of, and for the first few times on the slopes, just get comfortable with what you know and work on the basics. Once you are comfortable with your new-found skills, then we can move onto conquering the black diamond runs.
Your feet will hurt.
It’s just a fact of skiing and snowboarding. Everyone goes through it. The best way to deal with this is taking regular breaks. Going up a boot size will only hinder you – and makes you more prone to breaking an ankle. When you are taking a long break – take your boots off. It will help and you will be able to go for longer once you head out again.
Don’t use your friends gear.
This may seem like the most cost effective way to learn to ski or board. Stop, it’s a trap! Most likely the gear that you borrow will be the wrong size and/or make your life 5x more difficult once you hit the slopes. Just head into the rental shop and let them work their magic. They know what they are doing and will sort you out with all the right size gear. You will be surprised at the difference it makes to have boots that fit properly and a board/skis that are set up right, and the right length.
Have fun!
This may sound corny, but seriously! The whole point of skiing and snowboarding is to have fun. Why else would you want to spend 7 hours sliding around on some fibreglass in the cold?! Prepare to become addicted…
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