So You Want to Learn to Ski? First Timer Tips, Gear, and Lessons
When Brian & I decided to move to Denver last summer one of the biggest, most exciting, things on our to-do list was to learn to ski! We anxiously waited for it to be cold and snowy enough and now, here we are at the end of our first ski season having gained such a fun activity that we get to do all the time together. Before moving here, neither of us had ever skied before, so we’ve compiled our joint list of things you should know and expect if you also want to learn!
Let’s start with Gear & Clothes. Spoiler alert: you need quite a few things.
What to Rent:
Equipment - We rented our skis, boots, and poles from Christy’s Sports for around $250 for the season. They also do daily rentals if you’re on a shorter ski trip! Christy’s ended up being great because they have multiple locations and will lend you skis or let you switch out your gear if it’s uncomfortable. Brian was able to get powder skis for a day when it snowed heavily and I was able to swap out my original boots that were uncomfortable.
What to Buy:
Clothes - In a non-covid year, I actually think you can also rent a coat, so that is something to keep in mind in the future. To be covered for your ski experience, I would recommend ski pants, a jacket, a gator, snow boots, mittens, glove liners, leggings, or long underwear (at least one pair depending on how cold it is), and at least one base layer top. Mine are all linked! I have Marmot ski pants and honestly don’t love them, so I would shop around and look for something that fits your body the best. I think the high-waisted ski pants are the most comfortable! I’ve also found great ski pants and jackets at second-hand stores around Denver, so that is a great option if you have a used outdoor gear store near you.
Helmet - This is the helmet I have. Again, this is something you can rent daily if you are on a shorter trip. I know you know this, but please wear a helmet, don’t be that guy (or girl).
Goggles - This is the pair that both Brian & I have. It came with a pair of lenses for when it’s bright and sunny and another for when it’s cloudy. They actually fog up for me quite a bit (they don’t for Brian so maybe it’s my face) so I got a second low-light pair with extra vents and love them.
What to Bring:
Water Bottle, Sunglasses, Snacks or Protein Bars, a Beanie, your Glove Liners, and a backpack to put it all in!
Now let’s talk about actually learning to ski!
Lessons:
We both HIGHLY recommend taking a lesson the first time you go. Brian actually tried to teach himself because lessons weren’t offered as early, as usual, this season because there was less snow. Please read the first sentence. It’s possible to teach yourself, but it’s so much easier and faster to learn when you take a lesson. I did mine at Winter Park for a half-day and had a great experience!
I personally found that I was happy doing one beginner lesson and just practicing to get the hang of it and move on to parallel skiing. BUT, if you’ll be going on a ski vacation, you may want to consider signing up for more than one lesson so that you get further, faster. It all depends on the person and how fast you pick it up, so it may be worth seeing how the first day goes before you book anything else.
What to Expect:
Skiing feels WEIRD. You are literally going down a mountain with two skinny sleds on your feet. You are sliding on top of the snow just like a sled, not moving through it. You also turn by shifting your weight, not actually turning your body, so once again this is where lessons are super helpful. It’s generally a very non-intuitive feeling sport until you get the hang of it. Brian grew up playing hockey and feels like he picked it up faster because he can ice skate well. So cheers to you if you can skate because you may have an easier go in the beginning!
You will fall. Everyone says this but it’s just true and it was a huge fear of mine even though I knew it was coming. The best thing to remind yourself is that it happens to everyone (you will literally see people falling all day, on all levels of runs) and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about… just make sure you ask how to get up while you’re in your lesson.
The difficulty rating is not the same everywhere. Different mountains rate their “green,” “blue,” and “black” runs based on what the easiest and hardest things are at that mountain. Someone gave Brian the advice to always go on the easiest run at a new mountain first if you’ve never been there. I don’t know if that’s necessary as you get better, but in the beginning, it’s great advice. Even at the same resort, there is a huge range of difficulty just within “green” runs so it’s great to pay attention when you’re on lifts and look at what is around each run on the map to try to gauge how easy or difficult runs will be.
Overall… the most important thing is to just try to have fun! As a perfectionist and cautious person, it took me a while to really enjoy skiing but when I can look around, enjoy the scenery and just be in the moment, I have a great time! It’s totally okay to go at your own pace and remember that if you’re tired or done for the day, you can go grab a drink or coffee and walk around the base village. Let it feel like a vacation and don’t feel pressured to be intense about it. Have fun!
View from the Restaurant at Aspen Snowmass