Colorado Ski Country USA

Basics of Snowsports

When to take a lesson - Begin with 3:

New skiers (or snowboarders) should take at least three lessons, Mary Moynihan who taught skiing at Winter Park for 23 years explained. At that point, the person is usually competent enough to ski all the green trails with proficiency. (A green circle is the symbol used at ski and snowboard resorts to indicate the easiest terrain at that resort.) After that, skiers and boarders can maintain their skills and improve them with additional lessons.

"We have seen success with people continuing lessons throughout the season," Moynihan said, but added if students don't communicate their desires and motivations to the instructors, they might be spinning their wheels. (See related article on choosing an instructor). "I do believe that most people get more from a private lesson than from a group lesson." Reasons people give for taking lessons vary from wanting to feel safer on the slopes to desiring to have more fun to gaining technical proficiency.

Knowing the Trails:

Have you ever wondered what it means when a skier or snowboarder says, "Yeah, I can do the blacks" or "I ski mostly blue trails?"
They are referring to a mountain resort trail designation system that categorizes ski and snowboard slopes by difficulty. Since the 1960s, mountain resorts throughout North America (and much of the world) have used green circles, blue squares and black diamonds to indicate difficulty. Nordic trail systems often use these symbols, too. This is what the symbols look like and mean:

  Easiest

  Medium

  Hardest

What should I wear?

Clothes that will keep you warm and dry. Du-u-u-uh, I'll bet you're saying. But after you fall a couple of times - and you probably will fall - cotton clothing (jeans and a sweatshirt) become wet, then cold. You'll need the right kind of clothes to keep you warm and dry. You probably have most of what you need. If you don't, borrow some from friends.

Dress in layers. Turtleneck shirts, sweaters, long underwear and footless tights work well as under layers. Don't wear cotton next to your skin, because it will absorb sweat and snow and make you shiver. For that same reason, wool or acrylic socks are better than cotton athletic socks. Wear one, thin pair. Ski and snowboard boots are designed to be warm. Thick socks, or multiple layers of socks, will only give you blisters. If you buy anything, it should be a pair of waterproof shell pants and warm, non-cotton long underwear (tops and bottoms). You probably have a winter sports jacket.

You may not need as many layers of clothing as you think. On a sunny day, you may only need two layers - the waterproof outer layer and the turtleneck/long underwear first layer. But bring a middle layer (fleece or wool sweater) just in case. You can always take off clothes as you get warmer.

What do beginners forget to bring the first day?

Sunglasses, goggles and sunscreen. The sun is very strong at high altitudes and against a snow-white background. Also remember to bring water-resistant gloves or mittens and a hat. If you're taking snowboard lessons, wear wrist guards if you have them (and try to rent them if you don't). Knee pads will help cushion snowboard falls.

For more information on how to prepare for Winter Feels Good is an excellent resource:  www.winterfeelsgood.com.