Tips and Tricks - Beginner Ski Lessons
If you’re new to skiing and feel a little intimidated by the idea of starting, don’t fret. Everybody has to start somewhere! Here at Chill Factore, we have plenty of skiing tips for beginners that will get you started and ease you into it. If you’re helping your little ones to learn how to ski, we have plenty of tips to help them take to the snow too.
When you start skiing, there are some unspoken rules that you need to follow that beginners may not be aware of. Skiing etiquette is good to know to ensure you keep your manners out on the slope. Follow these tips for skiing for the first time to make sure you’re prepared to get stuck in and hit the slopes!
How many ski lessons does a beginner need?
If you’re wondering how many ski lessons a beginner needs to start skiing, it partially depends on how naturally someone takes to it. Some people progress faster than others, so there is no ‘one size fits all’ amount of lessons it will take to learn. We also offer kids ski lessons for those looking to get the little ones into the sport.
Speaking generally, it takes a beginner around three to five lessons to become comfortable on their own. Though, with regards to becoming an expert skier, it can take a number of years before someone becomes proficient at it.
To improve your skills consistently and amend any mistakes you may make, signing up for ski lessons at Chill Factore is your best bet. If you would prefer to learn how to snowboard, we also provide snowboarding lessons for groups and private sessions.
Our ski lesson levels 1-4 cover the skills needed to ski independently on our main slope but everyone develops their skills at a different rate so more lessons may be needed before you feel comfortable on your own.
How to learn to ski on real snow
Chill Factore is home to the longest indoor real snow slope in the UK, where we generate fresh snow each day and night. This is then raked over to ensure the snow is ideal for optimum skiing conditions. This is a huge benefit to your learning, as you won’t find many other places in the country like us that provide such a great environment to learn in.
Learning on real snow gives you an authentic learning experience, and will help you develop the skills you need to take on the real thing on your next skiing holiday.
The bumps formed by other skiers also add to the realism of Chill Factore’s skiing environment, giving you a thrill while practising and developing your skills to make you feel confident enough to try out your technique on natural ski slopes.
Tips for skiing for the first time
All the new information you’re taking in can seem a little overwhelming, and you may end up forgetting the odd thing or two. Our beginner skiing tips are here to help you pick up some handy skills to improve your time out on the slopes.
Get comfortable with the ‘pizza’ formation
Our first tip is handy for your safety while skiing. When you first learn to ski, it’s important to learn to walk before you run. This means being able to control your speed and not going faster than you can handle.
For this reason, the ‘pizza’ formation - in which your skis are pointed slightly inward - gives you the control you need and helps you to take it easy before you’re racing down the slopes.
Keep your eyes up, not down
This second tip is sometimes easy to forget, but very important. When skiing, it can be tempting to look at your feet and check your formation. But while your eyes are on your skis, they can’t look at what’s ahead of you.
Furthermore, you’re likely to lose your balance and possibly collide with something. Keeping your eyes up not only improves your technique but also keeps you safe from danger.
Stick at it!
Our third and final tip is the most important of all. It can be demotivating if you become tired and feel like you aren’t doing as well as you were earlier on in the day. But it’s important to keep trying as that’s the only way to improve!
Everybody has fallen over, felt like they’ve hit their limit, and gotten snow down their clothes. However, there are still plenty of new techniques and tricks to take on, no matter how good you become at skiing. This is what makes it exciting to keep returning and trying again.
Extra tips
At Chill Factore, we not only provide the environment and equipment for you to learn to ski, but we’re also here to help you learn how to perfect your skiing technique.
We have plenty of skiing tips for beginners to improve your skills. Read our articles for plenty of advice on learning to ski in Manchester and further tips for skiing for the first time!
On our YouTube channel, we have lots of videos providing skiing tips for beginners to help you learn even away from the slope. By watching these videos before or after your time at Chill Factore, you can learn the basics and rewatch them as many times as you need.
With skiing and snowboarding being somewhat similar but also quite different, it is important to know which one to take on and which suits your preferences. Before you get headfirst into skiing, consider if snowboarding would be your preference compared to skiing and weigh up the differences.
Contact us
If reading this guide has inspired you to try out the real thing, take a look at our group ski lessons and book your session today. You can learn the basics of skiing in one day, two days or even three weeks - whatever works best for you! Choose your sessions package today and we’ll see you out on the slope and using our lift pass!
If you have any questions about our ski lessons or anything else, don’t hesitate to contact us.
