Snow Skiing - An alpine affair
For all you history buffs, let’s start from the very beginning, and go way back. Long ago, skis were used for ease in getting around, rather than for actual fun snow skiing. Norwegian rock drawings, dating back 5,000 years, depict hunters wearing skis, and the oldest ski ever found was in a Swedish peat-bog about 4,500 years ago! Throughout the Middle Ages, it is documented that Scandinavians used skis while farming and hunting. In the 1700’s, Norwegian ski troops were formed. In the early 1800’s, Sondre Norheim - of Telemark, Norway - invented ski bindings (made from birch tree root) that facilitated turning on skis, and by the mid 1800’s, skis made their way to America. However, snow skiing - as we know it - was not in full force until the 1890’s. Skis progressed over time, and have been made from many different materials, such as hickory, aluminum, fiberglass, and steel. As a side note, vintage wooden skis are currently a very hot eBay item, and people are using antique skis for decoration in their homes, ski lodges, and so forth.
Today, snow skiing is enjoyed by thousands, who travel the world to reach their favorite ski destinations, and it’s a multi-billion dollar industry! Not only is snow skiing challenging, and a lot of fun, but skiers reap the benefits of a terrific work-out! Snow skiing is an excellent form of aerobic and cardiovascular exercise, but before hitting the slopes, make sure you get in shape to reduce the chance of injury and sore muscles. Give your body several weeks to prepare by performing exercises to strengthen arm, leg, back and abdominal muscles.
If snow skiing sounds like something you’d like to try, my best recommendation would be to not do what I did, and that was to put on a pair of skis, jump on a chair lift, and pray that I could figure out a way to make it back down in one piece! Believe me; the mountain is much larger from the top, than it appears when at the bottom! When I was a very young teen, my friends and I learned by trial and error, and after we ran into a few trees, lost skis, and trudged through the deep white forest to find those skis, we learned not to do that again! There’s a much safer and sensible way to get started with snow skiing, nowadays. Almost all ski resorts offer professional private and group snow skiing instruction for beginners, and advanced skiers, alike. Taking at least a one-day snow skiing lesson, so somebody can guide you through the steps, is an excellent way to get familiar with not only your ski equipment, but also with all the important fundamentals, such as learning how to stop!
As a beginner, you’ll need to rent ski equipment, and purchase a lift ticket / pass. All ski resorts have rental shops that offer skis, poles and boots. It’s a good idea to purchase all your clothing accessories beforehand. Ski shops are available at most every resort, but they tend to be very pricey. You’ll need waterproof clothing, such as a ski jacket, ski pants, winter gloves, and hat. Remember to dress in layers, and plan for the worst snow skiing conditions. You can also check the weather reports online. It’s better to be over prepared, than to have to sit in the lodge all night. Mother Nature isn’t always cooperative - especially when the wind kicks up.
Now, that you have a little snow skiing background, and some basic information for getting started, I’ll pass along the best advice that was given to me…Go for It!