Originally posted by: SandInMyShoes
I think some people are skiers, some are boarders, and some are both. I was very comfortable with skiing in less than two days. At the end of my day of boarding, my wrists were very sore, and I was still on the bunny slope.
Some tips: Cheap Gore-tex bib pants and a jacket from eBay are what I wear, they keep me warm and dry. Layers are key. I layer up with a flannel jacket or three underneath, depending on how cold it is. My legs have been good down to 10F or so with just jeans and bibs on. Socks are important; Spend the $10 or so and grab a pair of SmartWool or some other sock with a good wicking action that's comfortable. Cotton socks are can make for a miserable day, especially if they happen to get wet. For headgear, I personally prefer a balaclava to a stocking hat; my face is sensitive to cold, though. Cheap goggles will suffice, but they tend to fog easily if you exhale onto them, or if you work up a steady sweat. The worst thing you can do is take them off and/or wipe them off, especially on the inside. They'll clear faster if you just leave them on. If you wipe off the anti-fog coating, some Kat Krap (available at ski shops) will really help.
If you decide to go with the skis, here's a few tips that might really help keep you on your feet in turns; I just wish somebody had told me from the get-go!
~Don't snowplow/wedge to stop. Keep your skis parallel and turn to the side hard enough to break traction, so you're sliding sideways down the hill. If you keep your skis parallel, you're still in control and can pull out of the slide when you want. If you're making a right-hand turn, shift your weight to your LEFT leg, lean into the turn, and turn your ankles in so you're on the right-side edges on your skis. It take a bit of practice, but the sooner you get to where you can shift alot of weight to your outside ski, the better. The idea is to have the inside (uphill) edge of your downhill (outside) ski control your turn, with your uphill ski just following along for the ride. The two keys here are to get used to transferring your weight to that downhill ski; I was nervous at first, but once I got used to putting all my weight on the downhill ski, my turn abilities improved immensely. The other key is to turn those ankles in far enough that the downhill edges on your skis don't catch on bumps or patches of snow.
Another important tip for when you are finally comfortable with skiing but want to improve your turns some more: Keep your chest and shoulders pointed downhill, and focus your eyes on where you want to go. Your lower body should be making the turns, so you there's much less negative transfer of momentum. I was a mediocre skier for days, not comfortable with taking steep runs since I couldn't carve turns back and forth very fast. Once someone took 30 minutes to coach me on keeping my upper body pointed downhill throughout the turns, and to throw all my weight on the outside ski, I suddenly was tearing up the worst Copper Mountain had to offer, and it felt easy.
If you want cheap rentals, go to Virgin Islands ski shop in Dillon. It's on the west side of the main drag in a strip mall, just south of I-70. Last season skis/boots/poles could be had for $12/day, and snowboards/boots for $20/day. That was much cheaper than any other place I've priced in Summit County.
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