Beginner Skiing

Do you want to take up the sport of skiing? Skiing is a sport that may take a bit more than your regular sports. Training and proper equipment are a must to keep you save on the slopes.

Basically two type of ski sports that most sport minded people like to get involved. Those are downhill skiing and cross country skiing. And for the purpose of a ski lodge vacation then most likely downhill skiing is what you are planning. Sorry, the olympic style speed skiing in outside the bounds of this article.

Now the equipment required for each type of skiing is completely different. For the purposes of this article we will concentrate on downhill skiing.

If you have never been skiing, then perhaps renting the equipment is in your best interest. Better this, then to discover that you really do not like the sport and have equipment that you no longer want. Almost all ski lodges have equipment rentals set up at the facility. The rental office should have all you need such as ski poles, ski boots and the skis. They will also fit all the equipment specifically to your body weight and height. And if needed a pro shop at the facility will have any gloves, jackets, helmets and visors that you may need. With the way most facilities are set up these days, you could arrive with no winter gear at all and either purchase or rent all the items you would need. .

All facilities should have beginner classes. If you are a first timer, take the classes. A few hours of training will be worth the effort. Cost for such classes may be as little as $25 or depending on the lodge, may be free. The classes will tell what you can do and not do, how to fall and get up on skis, how to slow down, turn and how to operate the equipment.

Most sports today require participants to wear some sort of head protection. Skiing is no different. Lately, with the increase in numbers of people taking up the sport, accidents involving head injuries have been on the rise. March 2009 saw a head injury as a result of a ski accident take the life of Natasha Richardson. Since then many ski resorts have made the wearing of ski helmets mandatory for the 2010 season. So make sure you get a proper helmet prior to setting of on your ski day or vacation.

When skiing, one of the most important pieces of equipment you can invest in is a ski helmet. Many serious head injuries have occurred from falls on a ski hill when not wearing a ski helmet.