Ski Tips for lapsed skiers
Column by Heather Burke Feb. 17, 2008

It’s not so far to fall when you’re less than three feet tall. This is just one advantage of learning to ski when you are age 3, 4 or 5. Before fear (or common sense) sets in, the sport is pure and simple – just slide down the hill on snow, have hot cocoa, then do it again.

As we become worrisome adults, hitting the slopes becomes a mountainous task. For many families, February vacation week is their first foray to the mountains. For lapsed skiers (those that haven’t hit the slopes since the 80’s) the changes in equipment and ticket prices are a bit overwhelming.

But don’t let that keep you away from an alpine getaway. While lift ticket prices may have shot up since the 80’s, so has technology –the new shaped skis are shorter and so is the learning curve. On a recent weekend we accompanied a new skiing family from Kennebunk. The Meteviers hadn’t skied since college, now they had two teenage daughters who’d never skied before.

I can’t say who was more anxious, the parents who hadn’t slid into ski boots in almost two decades, or their girls who felt more at home on horses than chairlifts on weekends. But they headed to the slopes of Sunday River for a first ever family ski day. Within an hour of arrival, they had rented skis and boots, enrolled the girls in a “learn to ski” lesson, and they were all out on the slopes. The girls learned quickly with the aid of an instructor how to ride the Magic carpet and ski down the gentle pitch. Randy and Sue rediscovered their ski legs and were riding the chairlift and making turns on the snowy trails. “It’s like riding a bike, it all comes right back,” said Randy Metevier as he carved down the slopes, he had even slipped in a run on Risky Business.

By 1:00 that afternoon, all anxiety was replaced by huge smiles and a sense of accomplishment. The girls had completed their lesson and the family of four rode the South Ridge quad chairlift and skied down the modest slope of Sundance together. “Look at me, I’m skiing,” said daughter Erin. “Can we go again?” asked her sister Kristin.

Now they’re hooked on this family fall line activity, and aside from a few sore muscles, they’re making plans for their next ski trip.

Here are some tips for folks who haven’t skied in a while (or first timers ready to give it a go).

#1 Get set up on relatively new, recently inspected and professionally fitted gear. If you are renting, allow yourself at least a half hour to get fitted for your boots and boards prior to your lesson, or your solo day on the slopes. Don’t borrow gear from a friend’s basement (old long straight skis are harder to turn). Your boot fit is key; wearing proper ski socks helps with both comfort and performance. Before your slope debut, keep your ski boots and clothing in a warm dry place (read: not in the trunk of your car overnight). Starting the day with “cold feet” is no way to go. Similarly, at the end of the ski day be sure to buckle your boots and use a boot dryer on them if you are prone to sweatiness (don’t just put them by the fireplace – plastic melts).

#2 A lesson is critical to developing good habits and skills from the start. Skimping on a lesson (or learning from a friend) could cost you big time – if you know what I mean.

#3 Stretch out before you click into your boards. Skiing uses unique muscles (hamstrings, glutes, calves, quads), and you want to be revved up and ready before your callisthenic careen down the hill. This will also lesson the lactic acid build up at day’s end. Of course, hot tubs help with that too.

#4 Dress in layers with some clue to the forecast, and wear clothing with water wicking, waterproof properties. Skiing in jeans is a “don’t” from both a fashion and function standpoint. If it’s a particularly cold day, splurge on a $1-2 pair of handwarmers and/or toewarmers. I buy them by the case from L.L.Bean and I am convinced you can stay out for several extra runs with these priceless little packets.

#5 Separate your skis on the ski racks when you go into the lodge for a cocoa break or lunch. Take each pole strap and loop it around each ski tip so no one mistakenly takes your ski pole instead of their own. Separating your skis, or using a ski check service, prevents even less courteous behavior – theft. You wouldn’t leave a $500 bill laying in the snow, so why leave your expensive skis displayed in one tempting package.

To provide encouragement throughout your day of slipping and sliding on snow, remember that you will surely excel at après ski. That’s the carrot that dangles before you as you try to connect turns on the bunny hill. You will have earned yourself a beverage, and bragging rights soon.

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