How to have a Great Ski Season

5 tips to help you get started

I hear you want to have an epic ski season; well, I have some tips for you! Last winter I had the most fun winter I have ever experienced. It will be hard to beat living at the ski resort and the awe of skiing a big mountain for the first time but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I had only ever skied out east and if you know anything about east coast skiing you know it’s icy, so not hard to beat. Here are a five tips that I learnt from last year’s season that I am going to bring into this year.

Get out there!

You are probably going to tell yourself you have all winter and do not need to get to the hill every chance you get. The truth is winter is shorter than you think and will be gone before you know. It takes a few good days on the hill to get your ski legs back so you can get back to the terrain you ended last season with; so, get out there as soon as you can! Take every opportunity you have at the start of the season to get a day in, even if it is only a run or two. You want to build the habit of going. Just like I tell people starting university, showing up and being at your classes is better than skipping; it is all about building the habit of going. Starting off the season strong will make it feel like you are not missing out when you have to take some days off because you are sick or injured. Later you will thank you for all the days you put in at the start of the season.

Lose some Expectations

I once learnt it is better to, on occasion lower expectations and be pleasantly surprised. I am not saying have zero expectations, but make your expectations realistic. You cannot control everything about the ski day so do not expect blue bird powder days all season. Set a few realistic personal expectations and goals that you can work towards. My only expectation at the start of last season was to ski as much as possible and within the first week of the resort being open I had skied 5 of those 7 days.

Make Friends

There is not better feeling then having friends you can spend a powder day with. Make friends with people who have similar skill levels and understand your risk tolerance. Some of my favourite ski days have been with friends and filled with laughs and chairlift chats. You want to be riding with people that do not hold you back. I would also recommend skiing with people that are a little better than you so you are pushed just enough to improve. I skied with a friend last season who was better than me and saw my potential, which help me learn to ski harder terrain and try runs I might have passed up. Depending on where you are riding it is way better to not go alone. I know there are some places at ski resorts that are skied less and might be in more advanced terrain so going with a buddy is a good idea.

Be Silly

As crazy as it sounds, I want you to be silly. Have some fun and do the ski trend where you ski between your friends’ legs, try new features and hit those side hits. I always have the best days when I remember to be a kid again. Skiing is fun and does not have to be serious all the time. Big mountains can be dangerous and safety is important but that should not stop the good times. Have the same fear (or lack thereof) of a kid on the ski hill. Kids always have the most confidence and most fun so why not try to be more like them. I can recall a few times last season where I had fallen and was laughing at myself and my friend had to ask if I was crying or laughing.

Learn something new

If this is your first winter on the mountain or your twentieth, there is always more to learn. While working at the ski resort last winter I was able to take a lesson for free and I learnt how to improve my technique. Maybe you are a ski instructor and already know all the techniques, so learn more about your gear or take an avalanche course. Whatever it is, I encourage you to learn something new this winter.

I hope you are able to take something from these tips into your ski season. It can be hard to stay motivated all season so find what works best for you and do not be afraid to try new things. Most of all I want you to have fun with it.