 Poster: A snowHead
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I am going skiing for the first time next month, and I am renting skis. I have booked a set of all mountain, twin tipped skis, ignoring the 'beginner' sets in the process. Is it a big deal? I want to try park and feel like the skis I rented will be more suited to trying a bit of everything, but the elephant in the room is obviously that I don't know how to ski. I am fit and athletic, and usually a fast learner, so I've leaned on the side of arrogance and made my choice, but I'm sure I can change them when I turn up, if I get a lot of opposing advice. Thoughts/grilling welcome!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ideally, as a Beginner, you want something forgiving ie.
- Not too stiff
- The correct length for your weight
- Narrow waisted Piste ski, with a radius of around 14m
Presumably you are having lessons - so you can discuss with the Instructor. A Hire shop will normally let you swap if unsuitable - and should also be able to give advice.
You need to walk before you can run.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 15-01-23 0:48; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I admire your confidence. Your first port of call will of course be to learn how to turn left, right and stop before you start going full send for massive air! Personally I would have just selected the beginner package - ideally you want something light, pretty narrow and flexible to learn on. The good news is park skis are often pretty flexible and fairly light, if a little wider than normal.
Do you have any lessons booked?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I’m going to be bold as well, and say you won’t be anywhere near a park on your first week. At least not anywhere near needing twin tips.
If you can ski parallel by the end of the week, you may be able to go on a few boxes (but probably not grinding them) and over a few small jumps*, but you won’t be landing backwards, at least not on purpose.
Do yourself a favour and get the skis what will help you progress the quickest, I.E. a beginner set up. That will get you to the park quicker.
*by small, I do mean small. Probably not even a kicker, just a simple 1 foot triangle. If you make it a couple inches off the ground you’ll feel like you’re 10 foot in the air.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I’ve just recalled my first weeks skiing. 13 years old on a school trip. We could all ski of a fashion before we got there as we had to do 12 weeks worth of lessons on the dry slope before the trip. At 13 years old, we were like sponges too and picked everything up super quick. On the last afternoon on the last day of the week, the instructor allowed us to do one tiny jump (about 1 foot high). 50% of us just about managed to stay upright.
This is probably where you should set your expectations, particularly if you are much older than teenaged.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Start on the beginners set. If after 2-3 days you find it super easy, take them back to the shop and swap them for twin tips. Pay any difference.
Will you be taking lessons? We would strongly recommend some, with a proper instructor not a friend.
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On my second week skiing, I went to pick up my pre-booked skis from the hire shop. They handed me a pair of twin tips and told me I'd have lots of fun. I didn't know anything about skis at the time, so I took them and went on my way. I did have lots of fun. I even went in the park.
Take them. You'll be fine. They are not a difficult type of ski to handle. But to take some lessons too, so you can at least control them properly.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Blacky, get the beginner skis. Then you'll have a chance to progress beyond falling over. For the vast majority if learners, going in the park is not a serious option on their first week. If you buck that trend you can always take them back and swap later.
| Cov_lad wrote: |
| ...stay out the snow park or get the best Insurnace you can get... |
Definatly check your ski insurance. Many now specifically exclude park skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@adithorp, I can understand experienced skiers going on a stag do, but novice skiers and a stag do = broken bones 
I say that as someone who has snapped my tib and fib skiing.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I cracked a rib on a stag skiing do many years ago and I wasn’t a novice. I also cracked a rib falling off an off-piste Segway. I was a novice….but it wasn’t a stag do 
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Even Ester Ledecka wasn't on the park a week after switching from snowboarding!
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You know it makes sense.
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Yeah  , I'm probably going to end up dead anyway, so might as well go all out! Honestly though, these seem like pretty beginner friendly skis from what I've read(light and flexy), and my ambition as far as park goes is just to try to hit a beginner jump or 2 and maybe an easy box after 2 or 3 days of skiing, I'm not dreaming of doing 1080s off 10ft booters.
I'm sure it probably won't work out, but I won't be trying anything I'm not able for, I'm not an idiot. I've mates who did the same trip last year for a stag with multiple first timers and they seemed to be doing grand by the end of the week.
Appreciate all the advice, sounds like it's something most would avoid, but not a resoundingly bad idea if a sensible approach is taken?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Blacky, If somebody videos you then you could send it to one of the "people doing stupid things" TV shows.
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Poster: A snowHead
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A very civil response to the teasing, @Blacky. Have a good trip and don't forget to come back and tell us all about it  .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Blacky, good luck. You're not the stag are you?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| rjs wrote: |
| @Blacky, If somebody videos you then you could send it to one of the "people doing stupid things" TV shows. |
Tors Nilson is always looking for a Jerry for the ski show.
I all seriousness though @Blacky if you keep it within sensible boundaries (and that might mean not doing it if you don’t feel it) then that’s sensible. Just don’t break anything otherwise it might put you off.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks everyone! I am the stag, so I may not even make it out onto the slopes if my mates can help it 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Blacky wrote: |
| Thanks everyone! I am the stag, so I may not even make it out onto the slopes if my mates can help it |
Throwing alcohol into the mix now as well hahahaha! Have you had any lessons mate ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Cov_lad wrote: |
| Blacky wrote: |
| Thanks everyone! I am the stag, so I may not even make it out onto the slopes if my mates can help it |
Throwing alcohol into the mix now as well hahahaha! Have you had any lessons mate ? |
I'll be doing one the first morning, and might try to go to a dry slope before I leave too(no snow domes where I live).
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How long before your wedding is the trip? And where does your fiancee sit on you turning up to the wedding in a cast?
Get some lessons at a dry or indoor slope before you go. That'll put you in a much stronger position when you get there. 4 days is nothing as a beginner. You'll still be in a mild state of panic each time you do a snowplough turn muttering 'finish the turn, finish the turn' as you pray you don't lose control.
Can I ask how old you are? I once commented on here that my children were utterly fearless and wondered at what age the fear kicked in. The reply I got back was '28'.
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@Owlette, I was going to say hopefully the wedding is 3 months after the trip so crutches could be dumped...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thinking back to my first ski trip, (It was in Soll -1979) Crap skis and badly fitting rental boots. I had a 2-300m snowplough down to the school meeting point under the supervision of one of the party on her 3rd trip. (I was out-skiing her before the end of the week).
Cracked the snowplough and a couple of turns on the way down, was step turning the first afternoon and parallel by the second day, including a fair number of pole turns. Got bored waiting around on the lessons for some who couldn't progress.
Skipped the last day of lessons (should have skipped 2, maybe 3) to ski with the rest of my party, and was keeping up all day.
On the first run, my mate was spitting feathers* when I stopped on parallel edges. 
There were no parks to play in those days. (I think Snowboards were still a figment of someone's imagination), but would have never even thought of using one. Just a few little hops off small bumps.
* It took him 2 trips to crack that. Can you imagine what he said when I started doing pole jumps on a trip to Aviemore the following year?
@Blacky, I wouldn't worry about jumps on a 4 days Stag do, especially on morning sessions. If you do take any air on piste, the adrenaline rush from the acceleration on landing (if you stay up) will be enough, even if it's only 1/2 ski length.
Can guarantee you will soon be back for more.
Absolutely any practice on a dry slope will be of use. Lessons if you can fit them in. If you can Snowplough on arrival, and show it on your first morning, then the chances are you will get moved to a more advanced group and learn much more in those few days than might otherwise have been the case.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Owlette wrote: |
How long before your wedding is the trip? And where does your fiancee sit on you turning up to the wedding in a cast?
Get some lessons at a dry or indoor slope before you go. That'll put you in a much stronger position when you get there. 4 days is nothing as a beginner. You'll still be in a mild state of panic each time you do a snowplough turn muttering 'finish the turn, finish the turn' as you pray you don't lose control.
Can I ask how old you are? I once commented on here that my children were utterly fearless and wondered at what age the fear kicked in. The reply I got back was '28'. |
Don't worry, I've spaced it out so that anything non-fatal should heal up by the time the wedding comes around! I'm in my early 30s, but probably still immature enough to be under that threshold mentally
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| Blacky wrote: |
| Cov_lad wrote: |
| Blacky wrote: |
| Thanks everyone! I am the stag, so I may not even make it out onto the slopes if my mates can help it |
Throwing alcohol into the mix now as well hahahaha! Have you had any lessons mate ? |
I'll be doing one the first morning, and might try to go to a dry slope before I leave too(no snow domes where I live). |
Do the dry slope lesson, it will give you an idea of the sensation of having massive planks strapped to your feet which feels so unnatural at first.
Enjoy your stag do and good luck!
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You know it makes sense.
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He's only doing one lesson, @brianatab, so there won't be any "moving up to a higher group"
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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No snow domes anywhere near me either. Definitely do the dry slope lessons. Multiple if you can. We did one at a dry slope before our first time, which was great for learning how to clip in and out of skis, and learning a basic, slow snowplough from 10 feet up the slope, but we were still very much beginners in resort. A block of lessons would have been better for competency on arrival. In that first lesson though, our instructor eben had us doing a tiny jump as we finished coming down the slope. Just for fun. So that'll give you a feel for it.
This year (week 2 on snow), Mr. O and I were playing on the nursery slope, jumping a mound someone had built. I asked him after one jump if there was air between my skis and the snow. He replied that he could have got a piece of paper in the gap. I'll take it to be fair. I felt like I was 10 feet off the ground.
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