By Joella Dumers
Between a vacation to the mountains to enjoy the fresh air or even going to watch skiing competitions and races, always remembering the right equipment will help ensure you do not have a bad time on the slopes.
Getting the Proper Equipment
Having the right equipment can change the whole outcome of your day. In addition to skis, boots, and poles, be aware of the fundamentals of what to bring on your first day at a ski resort.
At ski resorts, there will always be a ski shop that sells necessities: socks, goggles, helmets, and more. But you’ll get a better deal if you buy or rent these items before getting to the slopes. But these items will be more expensive in those shops compared to if you bought them or rented them out beforehand.
Eli Land, 22, a former ski patrol at Whiteface Ski Resort, recommended that the first thing you should do when coming to the mountain is “have a pass secured before the day of your trip.” Sometimes during the weekend after a few good snow storms, certain mountain resorts will have blackout dates. These blackout dates represent that the passes for the day are completely sold out.
Land also recommended that, after you figure out which day you want to go skiing, rent out your equipment either through the mountain or through a small local ski shop. As a beginner, it is OK to buy out all the ski gear you want, but if you do not know whether you are a skier or a snowboarder, it may be a waste of money. It is better to go a few times with rented ski equipment to have more diversity in your time at the resort.
After those first few steps to make your trip to the mountain a much easier experience, you need to understand the basic layering, what type of snow pants you should bring with you, jackets, gloves, certain helmets to look for, and eyewear to make sure that you are safe for the trip.
Having base layers is the most important way to stay warm. A jacket may protect you from some of the cold elements, but the base layers are where you keep your body heat insulated, according to Megan Kelsch, a certified ski instructor. Base layers can be found “for relatively cheaper, usually under 15 bucks if you look at Walmart,” Kelsch said. As a beginner, you do not need to go all out and get the best of the best gear. If it is non-cotton and keeps you warm, that is all that matters.
Even though socks should be associated as a base layer, they are not.
Although socks should be made for skiing, and they may be a bit more expensive, they can also be used for many other winter activities. A good overall sock should be snug to the foot and “usually water-wicking which is key for cold days on the slope,” she said. Making sure a sock has no wrinkles in your ski boot is the key. Wrinkles can hurt your foot and affect the blood flow from the heart to the feet.
Now that the base layers have been covered, it is time for the winter gear to keep you shielded from the wind and snow. For that, you need ski pants.
Zach Zientko, a 20-year-old alpine ski racer for Clarkson University, suggested finding ski pants that “are water repellent and will not soak through.” Wet clothing can increase your risk of hypothermia. Finding snow pants that have vents if you want to go slightly fancy can help. These will keep you cool, but you could also zip these snow pants back up to keep you warm so that you are not overheating and creating more sweat between your base layers as well as in your snow pants.
It is important that your snow pants be windproof, Zientko said. Zientko from his experience wind can turn your beautiful mountain day into a frigid experience, he said.
Kelsch also added to this advice, suggesting you “get insulated pants if possible” especially if your base layers are “non-ski specific clothes.” You can simply find this gear at a local ski shop, Walmart or even an outdoor shop where they usually have discounts on gear.
Working our way up from the lower body equipment to the middle to upper, a jacket is something that is needed just as much as snow pants.
Kelsch said that the best choice is an insulated ski-specific jacket that is also waterproof. Another option that could work is a “windproof or waterproof rain jacket and under the jacket an insulating puffy jacket layer”.
However, for a beginner, your main goal is to make sure your jacket is insulated, and windproof, and if you can get it then waterproof. If you only have a waterproof windbreaker jacket then try layering up a little bit more under that coat to make sure you are nice and warm for that cold winter day.
To make sure you can bear the snowy winter conditions, gloves are highly recommended. You can either use gloves or mittens. Depending on which one you like, a nice pair of gloves should simply keep your hands nice and toasty while you enjoy the fresh air.
You also need to shield your eyes while skiing. Most ski resorts have a ski shop with a cheap pair of goggles. These goggles can run from $20 to $40. Buy them or wear a nice pair of sunglasses if it is a sunny day.
Helmets are a necessity that will reduce your risk of brain injury. Throughout Land’s time working as ski patrol, he has seen many people who think it is “cool to show up in your favorite beanie,” even though that head wear “is more subject to overheating and falling off while you are out riding,” he said. A good helmet will “allow you to open and close the vents depending on temperature” and will also not fall off your head, Land said. Make sure your helmet is MIPS certified, and feel good about spending the extra money. Protection from a serious head injury is priceless.
Advice On Where to Start
Being a beginner out on a mountain can be scary. Looking around and seeing the experienced riders skiing by you with no effort is not exactly what everyone wants on their first day skiing. But that is OK! Remember that all of these people started as beginners, just like you.
“Go to a small local mountain on a Friday or Saturday. Small mountains with easy trails are a good place to learn. Once you know you like the sport, you can begin to expand your territory by getting a pass, gear and upgrading some of the past equipment that you have bought already,” Zientko said.
Kelsch suggests signing up with friends for a lesson. “Learning anything with people around the same level as you or a bit better than you is awesome because you can trust yourself to have fun with them when you go out. Plus, you all can learn at the same pace and ski together after! The ski community is generally very friendly and helpful if you talk to people, and going with other people can help you develop the ski community on your own,” Kelsch said.
Regardless of how you dress, where your gear comes from, or how you learn when you are out on the slopes always stay in control, Land Said. “Start on the easy trails and work your way up. Not only is it harder to stay under control on steeper slopes, but there will already be faster skiers that may be out of control on those trails…start small and work your way up! There is no benefit to getting hurt before you get comfortable with your new sport. Speed and tricks come with time.”
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