How to Ski: The Complete Guide for Beginners

Learning Basic Skiing Maneuvers

Put on your skis by stepping into the bindings. When you’re out in the snow, set the skis pointing in the same direction about 1 foot (0.30 m) apart. Wipe off any snow from the bindings in the middle of the skis and off the bottoms of your boots. Stick your poles in the snow on each side of the skis and hold onto them. Then, one foot at a time, push the toe of your boot into the front binding. Press your heel down until you hear it click into the rear binding. If your skis are locked together bottom to bottom, stand them upright. Gently lift one of the skis to separate it from the other. If your boots don’t click into the bindings, then they may be too far apart. Adjust the bindings to match your boot size. Whenever you need to take your skis off, just press down on the latch on the rear binding to free your heel. Then, just lift your foot out from the ski. If it’s your first time skiing, use shorter skis that reach up to your chin when they’re standing upright. That way, it’ll be easier to turn and maneuver when you’re on the slopes. Skis can be expensive, so use rentals if you’re just starting off before buying your own.

Stand with your knees bent and a slight lean forward. Stand so your skis are about hip-width apart. Bend your knees so your shins rest on the front of the boots and you’re leaning slightly forward to balance your weight. Keep your upper arms at your sides, and bend your elbows so your hands are out in front of you. Keep your back straight and look forward to maintain the correct ski stance and posture. Try to avoid leaning backward because it will shift your center of gravity and make your skis more difficult to control. Do not bend sharply forward and hunch over your thighs like racing skiers. While they do it to minimize air resistance and go faster, it prevents you from swiveling your hips and balancing with your arms.

Push yourself forward with ski poles to glide across flat snow. If you’re just starting to learn alpine skiing, put your hands through the straps on the ski poles and hold the poles by your sides. Keep the skis parallel about hip-width apart. Stab both of the ski poles into the snow beside you, pull yourself forward with your arms, and slide across the snow. Pull the poles straight out of the snow and plant them again to keep moving. If you want to make a simple turn, try pulling harder on one of the ski poles than the other. Try gliding on 1 ski to get a feel for it before committing to both skis.

Sidestep or herringbone with your skis to walk uphill. If you ever need to backtrack for a dropped pole or climb up the slope for any reason, there are a few ways to move uphill. Sidesteps work best for gentle inclines while herringbone works better for moving up steeper slopes. To "sidestep" up an incline, stand so your skis are perpendicular to the slope. Dig the edges of your skis uphill into the snow and take small sideways steps up the incline. Plant the poles in at your sides to keep you from slipping as you work your way up the hill. For the "herringbone" technique, point the front tips of your skis away from each other so they make a V-shape. Bend forward and tilt the front edge of the skis into the snow so you don’t slip back. Plant your ski poles at your sides and take small steps up the incline. Spread the skis more on steeper hills and if you begin to slide backwards. As you get used to the herringbone technique, try pushing more with your legs to propel yourself forward up the hill.

Turn while skiing by twisting your legs. As you’re moving down a gentle hill, slowly turn your legs to point your feet and skis in the direction you want to travel. Push the ski on the opposite side of the turn down to cut into the snow and make your turn. Start practicing at a slow speed by keeping the tips of your skis close together. As you get more comfortable turning, try keeping the skis parallel to smoothly carve through the snow. On steep slopes, stop by simply by turning your skis perpendicular to the slope and pushing down with your front foot until you come to a halt.

Bring the tips of your skis together to do a snowplow stop. When you want to slow down while you’re skiing on a gentle slope, move your heels apart to bring the front tips of your skis together. Keep holding the tips of your skis together so they form a point until you stop completely. The wider you spread your skis, the slower you go. This may also be known as the “pizza” or “wedge” stop. Avoid using the snowplow stop on steep slopes because it could make you fall over or lose control. Be careful not to overlap the tips of your skis because they could get caught and make your lose control.

Position your skis perpendicular and pick yourself up if you fall. If you fall down, reposition yourself so your head is towards the top of the hill and your feet are at the bottom. Keep your skis perpendicular to the slope, and dig the inside edge of the bottom ski into the snow. Then, push up from the slope using your hands or by leaning on one of your poles for support. It’s completely normal to fall and lose your balance when you first start skiing so don’t get discouraged.

Skiing on a Slope

Start on the bunny hill to get used to skiing downhill. The bunny or beginner hill has a gentle slope so you can practice your basic maneuvers without building up a lot of speed. When you first visit a ski slope, look for the bunny hill so you can get used to the snow and wearing your skis. Because bunny hills aren’t very steep, they usually have an easier carpet lift or rope tow to get to the top. A carpet lift is like a big conveyor belt. Just move onto the lift and it will pull you to the top of the hill. When you reach the top, lift your poles and lean gently forward to smoothly move off the lift. If the hill has a rope tow, wait until a handle comes around, grab onto it, and let it pull you up. When you reach the top of the hill, let go of the rope and sidestep away from it. If you’re able to afford it, take ski lessons with an instructor at the slope so they can guide you to the proper slopes and help you improve your form.

Hold the tips of your skis close together to go slow for your first few runs. When you’re ready to start, position your skis parallel to the slope and point the tips together to maintain a slow speed. Try to maintain your balance all the way down the bunny hill going in a straight line. After you successfully make it down the slope a few times, start trying a few turns by shifting your weight onto the ski on the opposite side. Watch out for others, especially if the bunny slope is at the foot of another slope from which other skiers may come in fast. Look ahead. If you're looking directly down at your skis while going down a run, you could hit a tree, another person, or anything else that might block your path.

Keep your weight centered over your skis. How far you lean forward and position your body depends on how steep the slope is. When the slope is gentler, keep your weight closer to the middle of your skis. On a steeper hill, lean forward more because shifting too far back will make it difficult to turn. Try to maintain a position with your knees slightly bent and your hands in front of you like you're holding a lunch tray.

Keep at least 6 feet (1.8 m) between yourself and others. People ahead of you that are further down the slope have the right of way, so it’s your responsibility to avoid them. Try to keep a bit of distance between you and other skiers or snowboarders in front of you so you have time to maneuver around them. If you're coming up behind someone, let them know by calling out something like, "On your left," or, "On your right."

Pull to the side where you’re visible if you need to stop on the slope. While it is common to stop and catch your breath on the slope, it's very dangerous to stop in the middle of the run where you obstruct the trail. Turn and move over to the edge of the trail in a place where skiers uphill can easily see you. That way, they have time to move out of the way and avoid running into you.

Position your skis parallel when you want to move downhill faster. Once you become accustomed to going down the hill at a slow speed, try putting your skis parallel to each other for parts of the slope. Because your skis aren’t cutting into the snow, you’ll go faster down the hill. Try maintaining parallel skis when you’re turning so you make smooth curves back and forth down the slope.

Stay on the bunny hill until you’re comfortable on your skis. Rather than pushing yourself to get on the most difficult trails right away, take your time on the bunny slope until you feel really confident. Jumping onto a ski trail that’s too difficult could disrupt other skiers on the slope or potentially lead to serious injuries.

Trying Advanced Ski Trails

Attempt a more difficult trail when you feel comfortable on the bunny hill. After you land the beginner techniques on the bunny hill, check the ski trail map for easy or beginner runs that you could take. Each trail has a different marker to signify how difficult it is compared to others on the same slope, and the symbols may vary by location. In the United States, the symbols are: A green circle indicates an easy, or beginner, trail.These trails are not too steep, will contain few or no obstacles, and usually aren't too long. A blue square indicates an intermediate trail. It may contain some obstacles, moguls (many small bumps of snow), or have a steeper grade. Wait until you've mastered the green trails before trying these. A double blue square indicates a difficult trail that may get even harder if there’s a lot of snow. However, these are less commonly found across North American resorts. A black diamond indicates a difficult trail. It may contain obstacles, steeper moguls, and a steep grade with a narrow path downhill. Don't attempt a trail like this if you’re just starting off or feel uncomfortable on blue runs. A double black diamond or a black diamond with an exclamation mark indicates a run that should only be attempted by very advanced skiers. Only attempt these if you’re completely comfortable with all other single black diamond runs. In European countries, a red trail is equivalent to a double black diamond.

Try skiing moguls for a more challenging run. Moguls are mounds of snow created by repeated turns made on ungroomed runs. Once you’re feeling comfortable on beginner or intermediate trails, try a mogul run as a challenge to curve up and around the mounds of snow. As you ski around moguls, bend your knees as you go over the mound and straighten your legs as you reach a lower area. Only ski as fast as you can handle so you’re able to stop without losing control. As you get more comfortable with the moguls, you can begin to point your skis down the slope, which will cause you to travel more quickly down and around the moguls. Going over moguls too quickly may make you go airborne. Keep your weight centered over your skis so you don’t fall over when you land. Lindsey Vonn Lindsey Vonn, Skier Push your boundaries to improve your skiing. "I want to keep pushing the limits to see what’s possible. That’s the nice thing about ski racing – no one is stopping you from going faster."

Get on and off a chairlift when you ski higher slopes. Rather than carpet or rope tows, most larger slopes have a chairlift. Walk up the platform for the chairlift and hold onto your both poles with one hand. As the lift approaches behind you, place your other hand on the seat and lean back to sit down. Sit back in the seat and keep the tips of your skis pointed up. As the lift reaches the top, lift the tips of your skis up and lean forward to easily glide off of the seat. Lifts usually have room for 2, 4 or even 6 people per chair, so make sure you and your friend are side by side when the chair approaches. If you fail to get off the chairlift at the right point, do not panic, and do not try to jump down. You will automatically trip a switch that will stop the lift so somebody can help you down. Unbuckle your boots while you’re riding on a lift so you’re less likely to feel cramped or sore.

Choosing Your Ski Gear

Get ski boots that are snug to your feet. Measure the length and width of your feet and use a sizing chart to find boots that are the proper size for you. Your boots should fit snugly without feeling compressed. If the top of the boot fits snugly around your ankles and your toes don’t touch the front when you bend your knees, then your boots have a good fit. If you’re renting ski boots, ask an attendant at the ski slope to help you find the proper size. Ski boots will get a little looser the more you use them. It’s better to go with boots with a more snug fit than starting with boots that fit loosely. Avoid using boots that are too large or small, or else you may develop cramps after a long day of skiing. Stick to thin socks rather than thick wool so you have a better boot fit.

Wear warm layers underneath a ski jacket and pants that are weatherproof. When you get dressed for skiing, start with a base layer of moisture-wicking fabrics like polyester or merino wool so you don’t get too sweaty. Then, put on warm insulated clothes like fleece to stay warm out in the cold. Finally, put on your water- and weatherproof jacket and pants on so you don’t get wet from the snow. Down jackets also work great for keeping you warm underneath an outer waterproof layer.

Put on a ski helmet and goggles. Helmets also help protect you from head injuries in case you fall down, so make sure it fits snugly on your head without moving around. Goggles prevent snow from getting in your eyes and they help block out the bright sun reflecting off of the snow. Put on your goggles and clip them to the back of your helmet so they stay in place. Goggles come with multiple lenses. Use a reflective or tinted lens on a bright day or a clear lens when it’s more overcast.

Bring mittens and a buff to stay warm. If your hands are prone to getting cold, be sure to put on a pair of waterproof mittens so your hands stay warm and dry. Snow and wind may also blow down your jacket and around your head, so put a buff around your neck and pull it up over your face while you’re skiing to help you stay warm. A buff also helps protect you from the sun so you’re less likely to get sunburn.