| Beginners Guide to Hitting the Slopes |
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You may link to any story you would like. All other rights reserved, contact us for reprints/story use at 888-215-0820. 1. What a Beginner Really Needs to Know a) The Basic Goal. To ski or snowboard you attach various sized boards to your feet and use gravity to help you move from one part of a vertical slope to another. Or in even simpler terms, you go from point a to point b. A few thousand years ago, someone realized the benefits of this for travel over snowy landscapes. A few decades ago, others realized the income potential of this for people bored by staying inside in the winter. It’s been all downhill from there! b) Equipment Needed. Contrary to popular thought, skiing or snowboarding is not difficult or that expensive. Yes, you do need warm clothing, you do need stuff to put on your feet, and you need a place to move around. Lucky for us, Ski Resorts today can take care of all of this for us. The popularity of the sport has also brought prices down on equipment over the years and opened up many avenues to save money on tickets and passes that open up the slopes. Basic ski equipment includes hard plastic boots, bindings that release you from the ski if you make it do something it wasn’t meant to. This nice little feature helps to keep your bones intact. Skis are usually made of fiberglass and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Shape and size is much more important than color. Trust me on this. And last but not least a set of poles. Note: poles are really just used to help more you through the lift lines. They are NOT for “sword”-like play. Basic snowboard equipment includes boots that can be either hard plastic or soft “moon like” boots. The hard plastic is usually reserved for the Olympic types. Bindings that can either be straps that connect over your boot or metal “clips” that hold the boot from the bottom. Snowboard bindings do not release the foot unless you want them to. c) Where You Go. Generally the place that you should look up is called a “Ski Resort”, “Ski Area”, or “Ski Slope”. Just because they all say “ski” does not mean that’s the only venue they offer. “Ski can mean: skiing, snowboarding, tubing, biking, and much more. I have yet to come across a ski area that did not offer rental equipment or lessons. You can visit any area and be reasonably secure that they can equipment you or recommend someone who can. Once you find a place, you will want to ski on “trails” or “runs”. What’s the difference? Don’t worry about it, most ski areas aren’t sure themselves. Either way, the thing to remember about the trails are the trail symbols. They are color coordinated. So, for a beginner, just remember that green is the easiest and you should “Go” there. d) Isn’t Skiing a Non-Contact Sport? Yes, it’s supposed to be. To protect yourself and others on the slopes, get familiar with the Responsibility Code. It is posted at every ski area and you can also find it on web at NSAA.org . 2. Insiders Tips a) Shapes are In You look marvelous! Even if you can’t “swoosh” like the locals, your equipment can at least make you look like you know what your doing. Shaped skis and boards are not only the rage but also safer and more stable than straight skis of the past. Rent equipment from a certified shop. This way you know it has the latest technology and has been tuned to slide correctly. Borrowing from a friend who “used to be a great skier in High School” is asking for trouble. Plus, you can save yourself some embarrassment of hearing comments such as, “Wow! Where did you find those, I didn’t even realize they made things like that.” b) Fluorescent was not even Cool in the 80’s Wear clothing that is warm and waterproof. Chances are the old pink and fuchsia jackets or ski pants have lost their ability to keep you warm. Gore-Tex and newer materials are better able to handle the conditions on the slopes. Plus, who wants the “fashion police” to follow you home. No matter what you wear, just don’t forget the gloves and a hat. Just think, how many places do you get to cover thinning hair? c) Stay out of the trees Unless you are ready for an Out of Bounds adventure, that could include getting lost, avalanche awareness, or damaging your equipment, stay on the marked trails. Watch for marked trails and pay attention to trail symbols. Is having your very own scary story really worth the bragging rights? d) Bunny Hill before Black Diamond Remember one of the old questions your mother always asked you? Something like, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?” Of course this was before bungee jumping, but you get the idea. It’s great if you have friends that would like to take you to the slopes to teach you. There’s just one problem. And, I hate to be the one to tell you this... You friend wants you to go to split the gas/room charge/meals/company. What they will realize early on, is that they know what to do, and want to have fun. While you don’t, and need some instruction before you can join them, in their fun. Article written by Samantha Rufo, nxtConcepts 740-815-6925 Need help implementing a new sales or marketing program? We've got two suggestions: a) Check out our free marketing templates and tools on this site. There's ton's of them. You might want to bookmark the site now, you could be here awhile. Just become a registered member (it's free) of the myMarketingGuide.com website and you can download hundreds of other articles, templates and more. Don't worry, we respect your privacy. |
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