Wow! After our first time skiing, Megan and I are hooked! Skiing is an absolute blast and one heck of a workout. While we had a great first experience, we also wish there were a few things we knew before hitting the slopes. This led us to creating an essential list of tips for first time skiers just like you and us.
If you’re skiing for the very first time, then you’ll want to arrive to the slopes well equipped and prepared! Being from Florida we had no idea what we needed or even where the best places to ski in the United Stated are located. This led us to searching Google and quickly falling down the rabbit hole. There was actually a lot of falling during our first ski trip, but we’ll get to that in just a second.
Many of the articles we found were written by ski resorts. So while some were very informative, they were also (understandably) slightly bias. Nothing wrong with that! This article simply state the facts from 2 beginner skiers. We answer – What equipment do we need for skiing? Should I rent or buy? Which ski resort is best for beginner skiers? How much does it cost to ski? And more! Whether you’re skiing for the first time, or simply rekindling a past hobby, these tips for beginner and first time skiers will help get you started on the right foot.
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1) Where to ski as a beginner
Whether you’re skiing for the first time or still consider yourself a beginner we suggest going to a ski resort that is beginner friendly. While most resorts offer beginner trails, there’s a few key differences you’ll want to look for.
Here’s a checklist to get you started:
Do they have plenty of beginner (green) trails
After you take lessons, you’ll be ready to move on from the bunny hills. That’s when it’s nice to have at least 3-5 trails to play around on.
Is ski school or lessons available on the premises?
If it’s your first time, taking lessons is a MUST. Check to see if the resort has adult and/or child ski lessons. Also make sure that the ski lessons are close by and not at another resort where you’ll have to drive or take a bus too.
Does the resort offer bundles?
Many beginner friendly ski resorts will offer weekend bundles that include; ski equipment, lift passes, and ski lessons.
Avoid crowds if possible
Waiting in lines can really cut into your day at the slopes. Plus, it’s nice to not have to dodge people on the trails. We recommend going to a less popular resort so you can have more time on the slopes!
2) Wear Waterproof and Warm Clothing
Ski pants, ski gloves, and a ski jacket are a must, as they’re waterproof and warm. You’ll be very happy that you wore these when you’re standing at the top of a mountain and it’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less outside.
As ski pants, jackets, and gloves can get very expensive we recommend renting them. You’ll especially want to rent if you’re not sure you’ll use them ever again after your ski trip. Most resorts don’t offer ski pants, jackets, gloves or masks for rent, however, you can usually find a gear rental place around the resort.
However, there are a few items you’ll want to make sure you pack or buy prior to skiing, such as a beanie, winter jacket, and possibly your own gloves. Here’s a list of items we brought with us:
Megan’s Outfit and Recommendations:
- Women’s Carhartt Beanie
- Women’s Columbia Winter Omni Heat Jacket
- Women’s Winter Ski Gloves
- Andrew’s outfit and recommendations:
- Men’s Carhartt Beanie
- Men’s Winter Ski Gloves
- Men’s Northface Thermal Jacket
- Men’s Northface Apex Jacket
In the case you want to pick your ski goggles, whether it’s for fashion or the type you wear, then buying them is a better option than renting. You can shop and compare prices of ski goggles here.
3) What To Wear Under The Waterproof Clothing
You’ll want to wear a thermal shirt, pants, and socks. The best thermals are made from merino wool and/or a polyester blend. These materials wick away sweat allowing you to stay dry and warm. Avoid cotton thermals as they soak up the sweat and will make you colder.
Looking for some warm thermal wear? You can shop here for men and women’s thermals.
4) Should You Rent or Buy Ski Equipment?
Unless you know that you’re going to love skiing and make it a hobby, there’s no need to buy the skis, snowboard, helmet, poles or boots. Plus, most ski resorts offer rentals or have an equipment rent shop nearby.
5) Take Beginner Ski Lessons
The best thing you can do as a beginner skier is to take ski lessons. We took a 4 hour long lesson, or a half day, and that was enough to give us the confidence to hit the slopes. Most places even offer “Adult ski lessons” so you don’t have to worry about falling over any small children.
6) Look For Resort Packages
Often a resort will offer packages that include ski equipment rentals, ski school, and lift passes. If possible, packages during the weekdays will also be much cheaper than weekend packages as well.
7) Arrive Early
Arrive at the ski resort a day early in order to give yourself enough time to acclimate to the altitude. When it comes to the altitude, ensure that you also drink lots of water, eat carbs before skiing, and take breaks as needed.
8) What To Bring To The Slopes
Some ski resorts will offer lockers, however, there’s really not a need to bring a backpack or other extra items. You’ll have plenty of pockets in your ski pants and ski jacket to hold about anything. Plus, most ski resorts will also have snack shops, restaurants, cafes, or all the above for when you get hungry or thirsty.
9) Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is especially important if you’re skiing outside of your resident country. Over 600,000 people a year get injured while skiing. While at the slopes you’re most likely going to see at least a few people get carted off the mountain by ski patrol. Whether it’s running into a fellow skier, a tree, or another obstacle. Or skiing over slippery terrain, or simply falling, there are a lot of ways to injure yourself while skiing, so travel insurance is a no brainer.
Click here for our recommended travel insurance
10) Listen To Your Body
Take breaks and hydrate often. If you start feeling light headed or dizzy be sure to drink water immediately as the altitude can affect people differently. Skiing can be a blast so we often push ourselves to do just ‘one more’ run down the slopes. However, if your legs start to feel weak or shaky, it’s best to sit down and rest, or even call it a day. The slopes will be there tomorrow.
11) Be Brave, But Don’t Let Your Ego Get In The Way
This can especially be true if you’re riding with more experienced skiers than yourself. You might be tempted to push yourself by going down slopes or around obstacles, however, if you don’t have the experience, this decision could soon be fatal. Take your time learning how to turn, how to stop, and slowly move towards the more advance hills as you feel more and more comfortable.
12) Types of Ski Trails
All resorts will have their trails marked so you know exactly where the beginner trails are located.
Here are the colors and shapes to look for:
Bonus Tip!
As you’ll see in the video we went skiing in Colorado. If you’re skiing in Colorado and flying into Denver, we recommend renting a car if your resort doesn’t have a shuttle. The airport is about 1 – 3 hours from the resorts depending on the weather, so Ubers can get expensive. Plus, if you’re like us, then we like to drive around to explore nearby towns or find locally recommended restaurants outside of the resorts.
Anytime we rent a car we use Discovercars.com, because it compares all the top rental car prices in the area and shows us the most affordable ones. We ended up finding a great price for a 4Runner 4×4, which we needed, because we drove through a blizzard on the way to our ski resort.
Firs time skiing? Let us know in the comment section if there’s anything else you wish to knew before going!
