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Home > Tips > Tips and Tricks > Putting Fears to Rest

If it is obvious for you that skiing is not a beach sport, then you probably have some questions about what it really is to begin skiing, like...

Will I be cold?

No question about it. Skiing and cold temperatures are interrelated. It doesn't snow if the temperature is less than about zero degrees C. However, remember that humidity and wind-chill are as important in maintaining your comfort as raw, off-the-thermometer temperature readings. Ski clothing is designed to protect you against the elements.

Will I Look Silly?

When you start skiing, you'll probably make some awkward moves. But remember that everyone was once a beginner and probably has empathetic memories of what you are going through. Besides, all the other novices on the beginner slope with you are more concerned about their own ungainliness than yours. Every activity has a learning curve, and if you enroll in ski school, you'll shorten that curve.

Every skier has done something silly, and eventually, it provides odder for humorous tales. The potential for embarrassment never disappears completely. But an attitude of good humor can go a long way to returning a red face to normal.

Will I Fall?

As you learn to handle those long, slippery objects on your feet, try new maneuvers, and get on and off lifts, you'll certainly fall. As you learn new skills, push your own envelope, catch an edge, or lose your balance, you'll fall. The vast majority of falls are not injury producing. And the body part most often bruised is the ego! Even the world's best skiers fall.

Watch a major-league ski race, and you'll see some spectacular crashes. Don't worry; your crashes probably won't be that dramatic, and television cameras won't be there to document them.

A fall is an educational experience. If you're not falling, you're probably not challenging yourself, and therefore not learning.

Will I Get Hurt?

The injury rate for skiing and snowboarding is lower than for bicycling, skating or riding on water using jet skis. Because ski areas have an on-site ski patrol, equipped and trained to bring injured skiers off the mountain and administer first aid, you will receive more competent treatment and more quickly than if you got hurt in other types of locations.

But everyone knows that prevention is better than a cure, and there are some things you can do to lessen your chance of injury.

Will I Go Broke?

Skiing can be an expensive sport, but it need not be. There are all sorts of grand strategies and specific tactics on skiing more for less money. You can save on equipment, lifts, lodging, meals, and entire vacations.

Learning to ski involves more than just technique. It involves the tools for putting your fears to rest so that you can enjoy this wonderful winter activity.