Snowboarding
10 common mistakes beginners make on the ski slopes
If you're heading on a ski or snowboarding holiday for the first time, there are a few etiquette rules you have to follow. Here are 10 tips for beginners.
There’s plenty to learn when you first start skiing or snowboarding. It's just like any other sport really, but due to the fact that you’re probably going to fall over a good bit more on the slopes than you would have had you chosen an outdoor pursuit not based on solidified water, it’s nice to get as many tips as possible under your belt before you head out on your first ski trip.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the most common mistakes beginner skiers and snowboarders make on the slopes, and how to get around each and every one of them.
1. Forgetting about the existence of the sun
Mark McMorris and Sebastien Toutant
© Scott Serfas/Red Bull Content Pool
It might sound a bit odd to suggest that we occasionally forget about the existence of that big, burning star at the centre of the Solar System that keeps us all alive, but when it’s cold outside… well, it’s actually kind of easy to do. Very few first-time skiers or snowboarders remember to wear suntan lotion because of this, which leads to burned noses, red faces and bruised egos. And yes, this point is pretty much just about remembering suntan lotion. We made it about the sun to make it sound a bit more exciting.
2. Wearing 35 layers on your upper body
All kitted up and ready for the slopes
© Snowbombing Festival
Remember that episode of Friends where Joey puts on every single item of Chandler’s clothing? Yeah, don’t go out on the ski slopes like that. It might be -5 Celsius or even colder outside, but if you put on too many layers, you’re going to overheat quickly and end up either clogging up your bag or just cruising around panting and sweating for the day. Instead get yourself a good thermal, mid-layer and jacket, and you’ll be able to layer yourself appropriately throughout the day and ride at the perfect temperature.
3. Dismissing the trail map
Follow the trail map
© tunaforsslalom.se
It can be easy when you first get off the chairlift to just choose whichever piste looks prettiest and ride on down it. This is all very well at the start of the day, but at some point, you’re going to have to remember that the lifts shut - often at around 4pm - and if you don’t ski back down to wherever you’re staying, you’re likely to face a long bus ride, or worse still, an expensive taxi.
Find out when the lifts shut, get yourself a trail map and plan out your day on the lifts as you go. You’ll find that it gives you a much better understanding of the mountain you’re on and how much ground you’ve covered.
4. Judging the difficulty of a run on the first 30 metres
Top of the world
© Aaron Blatt
You’ve just got off the chairlift, and you’re looking around. On your left is a green run. On your right is a blue run. You’re not quite ready for a blue run yet, but the start of the run is a bit flatter and more welcoming than the green. Which one do you choose?
If you’re a beginner, the answer should be the blue. This is how people get hurt. Often black runs, the most difficult on the ranking system, have simple openings before dropping into much steeper, technical slopes. If a slope is a blue, it will be, without question, more suitable for beginners than the red. Don’t bite off more than you can chew just because a run looks friendly at first glance. The runs are labelled appropriately, and they change gradient throughout. If you can get a ski guide, great, but if not, let your piste map keep you right.
5. Slowing down before the flats
There’s a steep slope. You don’t want to go too fast down that, do you? Well, remember to look up and see what’s next. There are a lot of flat areas to traverse on ski mountains, even on the pistes. They’re normally areas that connect one part of the mountain to another or form a route to a chairlift.
If you see a flat area coming up on the run, you should try and gain as much speed as you’re comfortable with, so you don’t have to walk or slide your way slowly along the piste. Your biceps will thank you if you’re a skier, and if you’re a snowboarder, you’re really just looking to cut the walk down. Don’t lose control but try keep up your speed.
Cardrona Alpine Resort
© Miles Holden
6. Forgetting to look both ways at cross in the run
In the heat of the moment it can be easy to forget that the pistes aren’t all motorways, and not everyone is going in the same direction. It’s really quite common for two pistes to merge into one at some point, or for two pistes to completely cross each other, which of course means that you have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic – just like when you’re driving – so that you don’t end up in a nasty collision. Remember to look, and you’ll be totally safe.
7. Waiting for friends behind a roller
Mark McMorris hits the Baker's Dozen
© Scott Serfas / Red Bull Content Pool
You’re skiing on a nice, rolling, dipping slope. You can’t see what’s over the next little drop downwards, so it’s probably a bit steeper than what you’re on at the moment.
If you’re being super sensible you should slow down a little here to check what’s on the other side, but, since it’s the slope, a lot of people will come flying over these kinds of dips, and continue riding down, assuming that they won’t come across any blockades.
If you stop just over the hill line, in an area not visible from the previous segment, you’re not giving others enough time to see you, and one of you could get badly injured.
Don’t stop in this kind of position, not even for a few seconds just to wait on your friends. Keep riding on down and then stop at the side of the piste in an easily visible area.
8. Lowering the chairlift bar too early
Enjoying the view from the chairlift
© Scott Serfas/Red Bull Content Pool
We get it. You want to put the bar on the chairlift down because heights are scary, and you don’t want to fall off the flying little sofa on the metal cable. That’s totally fine. Relatable, even. But make sure you check to see that everyone else on the chairlift is ready for you to put the bar down too or you’ll end up clunking someone over the head – and then having to sit next to them awkwardly for 10 minutes as the lift goes slowly up the mountain. Eek.
9. Going straight over moguls
For the uninitiated, moguls are the little mounds of snow that clutter a lot of pistes in a ski resort. You’ll learn to either love them or hate them. Rather than going directly over these things, something that will not only be tough on your technique but will exhaust your energy levels, ski or snowboard in between them instead.
Go the whole way from one side of the piste to the other if you’re a beginner, and then cut the width of your line appropriately as you get better. If you do go straight over a mogul, bend your knees as you go to help keep your control, then get back into the pattern.
10. Snoozing the alarm clock
This is what freedom feels like!
© Alba Pardo
You’re tired. Maybe your muscles are aching. It’s quite probable that you’ve had one too many beers last night. But remember where you are! Most people, even dedicated skiers or snowboarders, don’t get too long on snow each year, so make the most of it.
The fresh air will wake you up in moments. A snowy mountain is a great hangover cure. And once you’re back on the slopes, you’ll be thanking yourself you crawled out of bed an hour earlier than you otherwise would have. Now all that’s left is to enjoy yourself on the slopes.
The Homerun party experience
© Adam Klingeteg