Best Advice for New Skiers, According to SnowBrains Readers

For new skiers, getting on the mountain can be intimidating. From steep pitches to trees to rolling jumps, the first few days on skis can be nerve-racking. But ultimately, what we want is to help beginners fall in love with skiing just as we have. So we wanted to know how to help.

We recently took to our Facebook to find out SnowBrains readers’ best advice for new skiers. With over 420 responses covering a variety of topics, here are some of the most common nuggets of wisdom for new skiers.

Get a Proper Lesson

With 85 comments, getting a lesson is by far the most common piece of advice for new skiers from SnowBrains Readers. While it may feel tempting to have a family member or friend teach you, a professional ski instructor is truly the way to go.

With a professional instructor, new skiers can learn proper technique from the very beginning. Skills like stopping, turning, and controlling speed are best taught by a certified instructor, helping skiers progress faster and more safely. Professional instructors also notice small bad habits in new skiers, correcting them early so they don’t become a problem later.

“Lessons are worth every penny,” one SnowBrains reader commented. “You are never too good to take a lesson from a pro,” another said.

For skiers who want to safely progress as fast as possible, getting a lesson from a pro is the best bet. 

• Related: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Skiing and Snowboarding Experience

Stick to the Basics: Turns, Turns, Turns

Over 30 comments mentioned sticking to the basics and hammering home basic turns, making it the second most popular piece of advice for new skiers. Many skiers will want to progress to more difficult terrain quickly, but it is important to build one’s fundamentals before leaving the gentler slopes.

Turning is the foundation of skiing. Without turning, skiers cannot effectively control speed, navigate terrain, or put together a confident run. Mastering turning on a mellow green slope gives new skiers time to strengthen their turns so they can eventually tackle more challenging terrain.

“Learn the basic turns… practice over and over on long, easy trails,” one commenter wrote. “Start with slow and wide turns and slowly increase the speed and shorten the turns. Once you perfect the turns, you will be able to ski any trail; the basics always win out.”

• Related: The Science That Explains Why Skiing Is So Enjoyable

If You’re Not Falling, You’re Not Trying

With roughly 15 comments, another popular piece of advice was that falling is a part of the game. Every skier, whether pro or beginner, takes a spill here and there. For beginners, falling is a sign that you are pushing hard, leaving your comfort zone, and progressing as a skier.

Falling early also teaches new skiers proper falling technique. Learning how to fall safely and get back up helps reduce the fear of falling and makes the sport easier to enjoy. As many comments pointed out, accepting that falling is a part of the learning process makes learning much less intimidating.

“The most important first skill is learning how to fall,” one SnowBrains reader wrote. “Losing your fear of falling is the key to unlocking learning how to ski.”

Many Other Pieces of Advice

In addition to lessons, turning, and falling, readers offered a variety of advice. These are some of our favorites.

Some comments mentioned strength training to build muscle endurance for skiing. “Embrace weights, strength training, and body separation. Quiet upper body, but feet, legs, and hips need mobility training because they are doing the work. The more consistent you are, the more agile you will be, along with avoiding injury,” one commenter wrote.

Other comments emphasized the importance of wearing a helmet. We agree. “Wear a helmet and enjoy,” one respondent said.

Some even mentioned ditching the skis for a snowboard. “Sell them and get a snowboard,” one joked.

But our favorite of all: make sure you are having fun when learning. Because if you love it as a beginner, you will love it more as an expert.

“Ignite the passion by having as much fun as possible,” one SnowBrains reader said. And we couldn’t agree more.