Want To Learn To Ski Essay, Research Paper

So, you have decided to go snow skiing! Do you know what to do? What to wear? Where to go? This article attempts to answer those questions and more.

If you have never skied before and have time to prepare. One thing I would suggest is to watch a ski video. Warren Miller as produced a good educational video called Learn to Ski Better. It explains the basics of skiing and will get you thinking about the skills you will need to become a good skier. You can order this video at Pete and Ed Books. Click Here to order the video.

Once you have decided to try snow skiing you need to prepare your body. If you want to enjoy your skiing experience your body needs to be in shape. According to Greg Watson (Owner of the former Sitzmark Ski Shop in Indianapolis.) inline skating is one of the better ways to exercise your muscles for skiing. Other great ways to get your body in shape is bicycling and running. Just about any aerobic exercise is good.

Now that you have your mind and body ready for skiing you need to know what to wear. Some people think you need to spend a lot of money on ski clothing, that simply is not true. Start with getting ski pants. You can borrow some from a friend or neighbor. Coveralls or a hunting outfit are good alternatives to ski pants. Gloves and socks are a must. Greg Watson suggests buying a good pair of ski socks, they should cost $9 to $12. Remember to wear clothing in layers. The dead air between clothes acts like an insulator and will keep you warmer than one thick coat. Your outer wear should be water and wind resistant. To stay warm always wear a cap. Most of your body heat escapes through your head.

A good source of inexpensive ski clothing is a ski swap. Most major cities will have a ski swap sometime during the fall. Check out the local ski shop or ski club for the time and place.

There are few items that you should not wear. Do not wear blue jeans or a scarf. Blue jeans will absorb water and you could freeze. A scarf can get caught on the chair lift or rope tow and can be very dangerous. Also, if you have long hair tuck it inside your coat.

Don’t forget the kids, they can ski too. Children as young as 3 or 4 years of age can go skiing if the focus is on fun and enjoying the experience rather than attaining a high skill level. At the age of 5 years most children have the needed motor skills to ski. If a child has developed the coordination to balance and ride a bike, they can learn to ski. By the ages of 6, 7 and 8 they have developed the strength and stamina to really enjoy a full day of skiing.

When you get ready to go to the ski slopes. Remember to take a extra pair of gloves and socks of different thicknesses. When you are learning to ski you will fall down often and your gloves will get wet. The different socks are just in case the ski boots are a little too big or too small. Another tip that Greg mentions, wear street socks as you drive to the ski resort, don’t wear your ski socks. Your feet will sweat and your ski socks will get wet then you will have wet feet before you put on your ski boots.

When you get to the ski resort take a ski lesson from a professional ski Instructor. All the ski resorts in Indiana have good ski instructors. The ski resorts have ski packages for beginner skiers. You can rent skis, boots, get a lift ticket and a ski lesson for a reasonable price. Another inexpensive way for the first ski lesson is to take a beginners ski trip with a local ski club. Usually the beginners trips are designed for the family and are very economical.

If you follow these suggestions your first skiing experience will be enjoyable.