Snow skiing help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Question

so i'm going skiing at the mountains in 3 weeks with my friend, ive never been snow skiing, i'm a pro at water skiing, but i've never tried snow skiing, are they kinda the same? is it hard?, can anyone go into deatial and help me out lol i know im gonna bust my but a few times lol thanks!

Answer 1

Snow and water skiing are totally different, as someone else already pointed out.  In the water the boat and rope are pulling you and it's very much on your arms and torso to keep you up and moving.  On the snow it's all gravity and your feet and legs.

If you have some friends who don't mind showing you you could try taking a run down an easy slope but I'd recommend just going straight for a morning lesson to get going.

Answer 2

Riding a rope tow is a lot like water skiing.  The rest of downhill skiing is very different.

As one of the other folks observed, for downhill skiing, you need to keep your weight way forward.  That is the key to control and staying on your feet.  That's a challenge for most of us, and might be even harder for a water skiier like you.

The first thing you're going to need to learn is a way to slow down and stop.  Most people start with the wedge.  That means putting the tips of your skis about 4" apart, and the tails much wider (about 24"-48").  Do that, and keep your weight foward, and you can control your speed on a slope as long as it is not too steep.

The next thing will be the turn.  You will do that by putting your skis into that wedge, and putting your weight on the ski that will form the outside of the turn.  Again, keep your weight foward.

These are the first couple of things that I always teach to beginners.  You know your abilities, but I would think that you would want to sign up for at least a half day lesson.

Answer 3

Water skiing started when a family of skiers towed one of their members behind a speed boat on snow skiis. So yes they are similar, but also different.

  Both involve balance on a slippery surface. When water skiing, you balance against the rope and the ski against the water. In snow skiing, you have no rope to hold you up, so you must balance on your whole foot, with your weight where the arch meets the heel.  Snow skiing is a dance with gravity and snow, you must be able to balance over the big toe edge of the ski in every turn.  

   Take a series of lessons from a qualified professional instructor, I would reccommend that your first lesson be a 2 hour group lesson, just to learn all of the names of the gear and how to use it in a basic way.  After that, a series of private lessons should let you progress very quickly to a competent intermediate or advanced level.  Your ski boots must fit very TIGHT around your foot and ankle.  Only your ski sock and your foot should go in the boot. No ski pants or jeans.

  I hope this helps, this is a learned skill, which does take some time to learn.  I had a student at New Years who was a beginning skier but a very good wind surfer, it took her about 4 hours of lessons and another 4-6 hours of practice to be very competent on an intermediate slope at a fair speed.   Make some new friends and enjoy your old ones. This is a social sport as much as a snow sport.

Answer 4

I would sign yourself up for a lesson. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang out of it, but having an instructor help you when you first start out will probably make things a lot easier for you!

Answer 5

NO.  I water ski, too. And you lean back.  And i snow ski, and I lean FOWARD.  Also, try and keep your thighs and knees close together.  and turn with the waist.

if you can, try a small run first to see if leaning foward will work.  otherwise, suck it up and take a 1/2 day ski lesson.

Answer 6

sking is fun.. but kinda frustrating at first.. Make time to take a lesson.. First off.. because you are not going to be able to get on the slopes your friends are going on at first.. your gonna be stuck at the bunny hill.. Your friends will probably get bored there real quick.. So get a sking lesson and spare them for the first few hours of falling on your butt, most people can catch on quickly enough to at least do some of the green slopes the second half of the day..and also doing a lesson will save you some embarressment as your falling on your butt lol... i remember my first time sking.. my family stayed with me for about 30 minutes and then finally said "hey do you mind if we ski bleh bleh slope .. we'll be right back" so i say ok.. and i swear there gone like 2 hours.. but i just kept doing the bunny hill over and over.. finally we met back up and i was alot better at that point..and i think we were all glad// even thou i was kinda ticked about being left.. HOW RUDE.. hind sight.. i shoulda took a lesson.. i know here the instructors are awesome....

as for sking.. start with the pizza to stop.. lol

Answer 7

I'm an expert snow skier & an expert water skier & your water skiing ability will definitely be of tremendous help to you. Remember, now you can rent snow skis or snowboards for the same price & you'll find snopwboarding easier for you since it's more similiar to water skiing. You have only one board rather than two skis & it's shaped like a water ski except your feet are placed side-ways instead of one in front of the other. Another suggestion is to rent something a little shorter than your height. When you're first learning, a shorter ski or snowboard will make it easier to turn & stop. I'm sure your friend & family will give you some good pointers & if you're that good of water skier, you probably don't need a lesson. While you're riding up the lift, watch the experts & try doing what they do. You might try renting a snowboarding the first day & then renting skis the second day & see which you like better. Don't attempt any expert runs at first & don't feel bad on starting off on a beginner run & then trying an intermediate run when you feel more confident. Some intermediate runs can be fantastic. Don't be discouraged when you fall; that's part of learning & someone would be lying to you if they told you they didn't fall a lot when they first learned. Good Luck.