- 1. Skiing - learning your first steps
- 2. Learning to go uphill on skis
- 3. Skiing and braking with the plow
- 4. Learning to fall and get up safely from skis
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Skiing does not have to be difficult - learning the technique should start with getting to know the theoretical basics. Beginners who would like to learn to ski should learn to plow and brake, climb uphill and safely fall and stand up. Watch the video in which instructor Michał Jędrasik from the Strefa Ruchu Ski School shows the first steps in learning to ski downhill.
Skiingmay seem complicated, howeverlearning the basicstakesbeginnersusually a few days. This is enough time to master thetechnicalaspects of downhill skiing. However, practice decides about the progress in learning - once we know how to properly perform a given element, you need to spend many hours skiing freely in order to consolidate the techniques you have learned.
In this video tutorial you will learn what it should look likelearning your first steps on downhill skis . Our expert, Michał Jędrasik from the Ski School Strefa Ruchu in Warsaw, shows on the film, among others How to adopt the correct posture on skis, how to ride and brake with a plow, how to climb uphill and how to safely fall down and get up from skis.
1. Skiing - learning your first steps
Before you fasten your skis, take about 5 minutes to warm up: light jog, circulation of joints (especially knees, ankles and wrists), bends.
Ski lock and correct positioning
We start learning to ski by preparing the equipment and adopting the appropriate position. Place the skis in parallel and fasten them by inserting the tip of the boot into the upper fastener, and the heel into the lower fastener. We grab the poles by putting your hand in the strap attached to the handle (from the bottom), and then hugging the handle of the stick together with the strap. We keep the ends of the poles behind us. We bend our legs a little and tilt our figure so that we rest on the tongues of our shoes - we maintain this posture throughout the ride.
Interstep and alternating step
Moving on flat terrain on skis, we can use 2 techniques: stepless and regular step. The first is to push off each other with the poles, keeping the skis parallel all the time. Remember to stick the sticks behind you at an angle to the ground (not at the front).
The regular ( alternating) step ispushing one or the other skis forward, while helping yourself with the poles. There is a slightly faster skating step, analogous to that in cross-country skiing.
Turning
We connect the tips or heels of the skis and keep the same angle between them and turn. If we want to turn on the hill, we must remember that the skis should be connected with the ends down the slope - i.e. if we are facing the slope, we connect the heels, and if we are facing the slope - the tips. This way the skis will not come off by themselves. While standing sideways to the slope, place the skis parallel.
2. Learning to go uphill on skis
Another element that should be mastered by every beginner skier is climbing. There are 2 ways to do this: stepped and herringbone.
In the case of the first method, position yourself sideways to the slope and, putting the ski parallel to the ski, go up. The herringbone consists of connecting the rear ends of the skis and going up keeping the angle between the skis open all the time. We alternate the steps, setting the edges of the skis at a slight angle to the slope.
3. Skiing and braking with the plow
When learning to ski, make sure not to look at your feet. Keep your head straight and look straight ahead - this way you can feel your center of gravity more easily.
The plow is the primary means of skiing downhill. For beginners, it provides stability and better control over the ride, because in this position the skis do not accelerate and you can easily brake at any moment.
Skiing with a plow consists in joining the tips of the skis and opening their tips wide. In this position, we go down the hill. The more obtuse the angle, the more resistance the skis offer and you can slow down significantly or slow down completely.
4. Learning to fall and get up safely from skis
When you expect a fall, lower your center of gravity as quickly as possible by bending your knees, lean back and fall to the side while stretching your legs forward.
To get up from the skis, they must be placed parallel to the side of the slope. Then we connect the sticks and stick them side by side. We lean on the poles and "climbing" on them, we return to a standing position.
There are also 2 other ways to get up: the first is to put the poles down and move from side to side to squatting position. Then we hold our hands firmly by the knees and, catching the balance, we lift ourselves up. As a last resort, we can unfasten the skis and return to a standing position with boots on.