The 10 "unforgiving" sins beginner skiers make.

All sports have an "unwritten rules ", behaviors not accepted, rules of etiquette.
In past these rules were passed down from fathers, uncles or ski instructors to neophyte skiers.

Now,,,,( you feel in the spaces ).

What are those behaviors?
Here are the ones I was taught. ( I am sure others will add more )

1. Never but never bring skis into chalet, condo, house ( unless house has a ski storage area )

2. Never but never wear jeans while skiing. If you have no idea why,,,,,try it once. Now if you want to be "truly" sinful,,,,,try very tight, thin jeans ladies .

3. Never, but never smoke in chair, gondola, etc,,,

4.Never but never lean skis/board against side of car.

5. Never but never pass your ski guide or instructor in powder.

6. Never try to impress your instructor by saying you are a good skier , "since you ski the bumps, the moguls"

7. Never buy ski equipment above your level of competence.
- ski boot with a flex of 140
- World Cup racing ski
- + 130 mm,,,,, 190 cm. powder ski
( real skiers will just laugh at you )

8. Never lend your tuned/waxed skis to a beginner friend.

9. Never go off piste alone with no support material ( cell is not enough )

10. This last one is my all time 2014 favorite. Want to lose a ski friend ? Try this.
While skiing a glorious long wide, well groomed slope, stop in middle ,,,to take out cell phone and chat!


Small hints to those coming on slopes for first time.
1. Learn to carry skis and poles correctly
2. Learn to get on lift before ski day ( with friends)
3. Learn to fall ( yes there is a correct way )
4. Learn to put on ski boots BEFORE ski holiday. ( Yes there is a correct way,,,,,with baby powder )
5. Learn to walk up slope. No you do not "walk" up with tip straight up hill ( unless you have skins ).

I can't take any list seriously that discusses 'behaviors' instead of behaviour!

(And I wore proofed jeans on my first ski trip, to Italy, in April 1973. They were fine!)

Probably handy advice for a beginner. I have always wondered about leaning skis against car, I do that sometimes....

Not sure how you learn to get on and off lift before ski day? Unless you have one in your garden? It is a pity there are no videos of me as beginner in my late forties, repeatedly falling off the small drag lift on the beginners' slope, and holding up the queue of children, to the exasperation of the East German lift attendant who spoke no English. I did get the hang of drag lifts after that...

Going off piste alone, even close to the piste, strikes me as a really bad idea, though maybe it is OK if you know you are a really good skier / mountain person with plenty of off-piste experience and training.

Most convenient way to carry skis and poles. Get a shoulder strap, the same as a shoulder strap to carry a rifle.
No fatigue and no knocking persons with your skis when turning arround

If you can't carry skis, you shouldn't be skiing! ;)

Please don't use the hand bag type :oops:

bsteyn wrote:Most convenient way to carry skis and poles. Get a shoulder strap, the same as a shoulder strap to carry a rifle.
No fatigue and no knocking persons with your skis when turning arround

WHAT?????? :shock:

bsteyn wrote:Most convenient way to carry skis and poles. Get a shoulder strap, the same as a shoulder strap to carry a rifle.
No fatigue and no knocking persons with your skis when turning arround

They used to have those in the eighties and I did buy a couple .... but they were not very comfortable on the shoulder :(

silly list. Some of these nevers are just common sense mostly for safety reasons and the rest are not even rules.