How To Ski

Learning how to ski gives you the opportunity to participate in an exhilarating outdoor sport. Whether your desire to learn how to ski comes from a need to find a new weekend activity or you want to become a professional slalom racer, everyone starts at the same place. There are several styles of skiing but the basics are the same in every discipline: move, turn and stop. Most resorts have trained instructors that offer lessons to beginners for a specific price and it's highly recommended you take advantage of this. If you choose to pass on the instructor at first, find a resort with trails for beginners, rent or buy your ski equipment and head for the slopes.

To ski, you will need:

• Ski lessons
• Skis
• Ski poles
• Waterproof clothing

1. Maintain the right stance. The first thing you'll need to know in skiing is the stance that allows for a successful run. Initially, the ski stance is keeping your posture upright while still allowing for flexibility in the knees and ankles. While your body weight needs to be centered, you will also need to relax the ankles and knees to perform the slight movements that help you maneuver the skis. Once you have achieved this stance you can bend at the waist to keep the focus on your ankles controlling the ski's movements. Always look forward. When you are ready to move, use the ski poles to propel you forward.
2. Learn to turn. Turning while skiing is a relatively simply skill. Bend at the knees. You will use your ankles to slowly separate your legs. As your knees turn toward each other the skis will form an upside down V. Put pressure on the leg that is in the direction you want to turn and push into the heel while moving the ski away from your body.
3. Stopping your run. While, like most beginners, you are most likely practicing on a straight run when you first learn to ski, there should be a small hill for you to learn how to stop while in descent. Bend your knees, lean forward and focus your weight on both skis. This will cause your descent to slow until you stop. You can also use the upside down V discussed in step two to stop by leaving out the progression to a turn.