I sat down with Kirsten, instructor extraordinaire from our Winter Sports School and asked her why she thinks everyone can ski and why everyone should start skiing;

1) Many think skiing is hard who have never tried it- but we know different- why?

Skiing is easy and fun if you learn the right way, it’s a lot easier then it looks to pick up and master, once you have the basics behind you, all you need is mileage and some good encouragement, once you start you cant stop.

2) Why would you say new Canadians should try skiing?

Simply because you have the biggest playground in your backyard, winters in Canada can be long and cold, but when your skiing, those long cold days are something you can look forward to, it’s a great winter activity that the whole family can take part in and enjoy. 

3) What does skiing provide guests who try it?

Fun, accomplishment, laughs and a great experience you can take with you for the rest of your life, yes some guests may not enjoy skiing as much as others, but at least you can say you have tried it. It also opens your eyes to a whole new world and a whole new winter activity, you get to see things from a different perspective and the views from the top of the lift are always worth it 😀

4) What is the first timer experience like? Can you break it down- teaching steps, dealing with weather, how to dress etc.

The first tier experience can be a bit daunting to some non the less the end result is almost always a good one, when you have your first ski lesson you will be shown how to handle the equipment (skis, poles, boots etc ). You will learn how to get around on your skis, how to move and how to stop… stopping is an important one, once you start feeling comfortable with all of that, you will be introduced to turning, once you are turning comfortably and are in control, the terrain will be adjusted and you will be taught how to get down various terrain safely while enjoying it. 

There are many factors that go into a first time ski lesson, you will want to dress appropriately for the weather, generally you would want some good snow pants and a good snow jacket, under layers are important to, and the amount of layers will change depending on the weather, socks are another important one, you would want to get a good pair of ski socks, and one pair is enough, your toes will be nice and toasty. There are a ton of other options for those extra cold days to when it comes to keeping those feet nice and warm. I would advise wearing a helmet and having a good pair of goggles, gloves and a face mask will come in handy to, all of this is very important especially if its your first time, because you may fall over a few times while learning, it doesn’t hurt to fall over on your skis, I promise 😀

Discussing what we’ve learned today

 The more prepared and comfortable you are, the easier it will be to focus on your lesson and get skiing faster.

5) What made it special about teaching these two (new Canadians)?

They had never been skiing before, it was a new adventure for both of them. They were really excited and enthusiastic from the get go, they listened well and progressed quickly, they had tons of fun learning and wanted to keep going. It’s always a pleasure to introduce someone into skiing and seeing the joy it brings them. 

Check out the video of Kirsten teaching two new Canadians to ski earlier this season, produced in partnership with Go Ski Alberta and Snowseekers on our YouTube channel;