Previously in my article series of Learn To Ski - Skiing Beginners Tips For Skiing, I have discussed about motivation and the basis of skiing as well as finding a balanced position and sliding the first meters with skis.

This third article in my six articles series of skiing beginners tips will teach you how to make the very first turn with skis. Before making your first turns I also tell you how to get on and off a chair lift. Before entering pistes, remember to protect your skin from sun and cold! Use plenty of sun cream, preferably some well-known and high quality sun cream. There are lot more ultraviolet radiation up in the mountains, so you can easily burn your skin badly in one day. Use also goggles or sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Now that you have learned how to slide with your skis, it is time to get on a lift and go to the top of the piste. Start with beginners or family pistes; do not go directly to advanced skier’s piste. All pistes are marked with color coders as stated below.

Green - Beginners
Blue - Little advanced skiers
Red - Intermediate skiers and experienced skiers
Black - Very experienced and skillful skiers

Getting on and off a chair lift

When slotting your boots into the bindings on your skis, use your poles to scrape any snow off the bottom of your boots. Then use your poles to join the chair lift queue. As you approach the ski lift, look at people ahead and see where the launch spot is where they wait for the lift. You should go standing on that same spot as well. If you cannot see it or you are not sure, ask the man or woman operating the lift. If there is nobody operating, ask other people. Next take your poles to one hand and go standing on the line in order to catch the lift. Watch behind, wait until the lift touches your knees and then just sit on the lift. Pull down the safety bar. Do not try to licking the cold metal because your tongue will immediately be stuck in the metal! This might sound funny, but believe me; I have seen people doing it. They just had no idea what will happen if you stick your tongue on cold metal ?

As you approach the upper landing spot, pull the safety bar off about 10-20 meters before getting off. Beware of falling! Slide your butt to the edge of the seat and prepare to get off the lift. As soon as your skis touch the ground, stand up and push yourself away from the lift. Keep gliding out of the landing spot because the next chair is coming after you. Slide with your skis to a safe area in which you will not collide with other skiers getting off the lift. Then take your poles and prepare for your first ride.

Making the first snowplough turns

Start sliding downwards the piste, not straight but towards the other side of the piste so that your velocity will not gain high. Keep your feet apart so that they form a V-shape (angle in front). This stance is called a snowplough stance and turning your skis like this is called a snowplough turn. This stance helps you to keep control over your skis and prevents you getting a high velocity. Some folks call this also as “wedge” or “pizza” turn. As said in Wikipedia “The front tips of the skis are brought together and the tails pushed wide apart, with the knees rolled inwards slightly. By applying pressure against the snow with the edges of the skis, speed is reduced and the skier can stop completely“. As you approach the other side of the piste with your skis in V-position, start moving your weight to the uphill ski. By this you notice that your skis are going to turn downwards. Keep your arms relaxed and poles positioned in front of you. As you make the turn, your uphill ski becomes the downhill ski because you make 180 degrees turn. As soon as you have done with the turn, continue back to the other side of the piste. Repeat this same on the other side but this time other way round. As it is said, one picture tells more than one thousand words. I believe one video clip including 24 still pictures per second tell more than a zillion words. Check out the video below provided by YouTube user called filibo. It shows pretty well how to make a snowplough turn.