Skiing is about confidence and getting it right is a cinch with a step-by-step approach, never-say-die attitude and some patient practice. Here are some tips to get you started.
You're bound to fall the first couple of times.
You don’t need to head overseas to have a go at this winter sport either. Southern Africa has two resorts offering skiing and snowboarding activities when snow hits. Afriski is based in Lesotho and Tiffindell has reopened its doors this winter in the Eastern Cape Highlands.
In the ski shop
First things first
Most ski authorities advise beginners to rent gear because it’s expensive to buy locally. Afriski hires out ski gear at hourly and daily rates, while Tiffindell includes rentals in its package price. The rental shops at these resorts should be your first stop. Be prepared to spend about an hour finding suitable gear.
Get the right size
Ski boots need to be cosy, but not restrictive as they must transfer movement from your feet to the skis. To test the fit, see if you can still wriggle your toes and check your heel doesn’t move when you lean forward.
On the slope
Master the moonwalk
Walk around to familiarise yourself with the boots because it’s almost like walking on the moon. The boots are heavy and shaped to keep your legs bent and bum out so you lean forward, forcing you into the ski position.
Get used to the skis
Once you feel relaxed in this position, clip on the skis. Start on a small slope (called a bunny hill) or flat ground. Place the skis horizontal to the slope to prevent them – and yourself – sliding away. Step into one ski at a time for stability, clipping on the one closest to the bottom of the slope first then the upper one by popping your boot into the front clip and pushing down to fasten the back. If you’re apprehensive, get used to the gliding sensation with just one ski before putting on the other.
The snow plough
With your skis clipped on and the boot stance mastered its time to head downhill. Starting with your skis together facing forward, slowly edge yourself forward.
When you’re on the move, change into the basic ski position called the snow plough. Angle your feet to form a v-shape with your skis keeping your toes pointing towards each other leaving a 10-centimetre gap between the front of the skis. Splay your heels to widen the gap at the back, then lean forward into the ski stance keeping the outer edges of your skis up by rolling your feet inwards. This position lets you go forward but gives you the most resistance and speed control.
Also use the snow plough to brake as the wider your V, the more resistance there is and you’ll eventually come to a standstill. The snow plough is used to turn too: instead of keeping your weight evenly distributed to glide forward, shift it from one foot to the other. To turn right, shift your weight onto the ball of your left foot and look over the front of your left ski and vice versa to turn left.
You will fall
Don’t let a tumble keep you down. Skiing is easy if you remember these basics: start small, don’t panic, look ahead and not at your skis, lean forward, make a very wide snow plough to stop, stay warm and be patient.
Tip: The basic SkiTips Lite app for iPhone and iPad is free and offers great tricks for beginners or download the full SkiTips app for Apple and Android to get extra lessons and videos.
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