Three Tips for Beginning Skiers


Becky Catino served as the president of Security National Automotive Acceptance Corp. in Akron, Ohio for 15 years and now focuses primarily on her philanthropic pursuits. Outside of her professional and charity work, Becky Catino also enjoys hitting the ski slopes.

Strapping on skis and heading down a snow-covered mountain can seem like an intimidating, if not dangerous task to someone looking to try out skiing for the first time. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Below are three tips to help the beginning skier make their first time on the slopes successful.

First, keep your body weight centered on the skis. The temptation to either lean forward or backward for balance, but the proper technique is to keep the shoulders pointed downhill, and the torso square with legs directly underneath. This allows for greater control of the skis.

Do not look down at the tips. Beginners are often afraid that their skis will cross up or fall off altogether, so the tend to keep an eye on them the whole time. Unfortunately, this is a recipe for accidents, because skiers who have their heads down the whole time are unlikely to see obstacles, or worse other people, who might be in their way. Try for a 10-foot sightline.

Expect to fall often. It’s simply part of the learning curve. Skiing requires balance and coordination that only come with experience. The most important thing is to fall sideways in order to stop downhill momentum - then it’s simply all about getting back up off the snow and trying again.

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