Going skiing for the first time
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Get ready to have a blast! Been skiing since I was 3, and I still love it. So, things you'll need:
Hat, water proof (at the least water resistant) gloves or mittens, waterproof snow bibs or pants, goggles, waterproof winter parka, a sweater of some kind for under your jacket. Probably oughta get some thermal underwear, glove liners, and sock liners, too.
If you'd been skiing awhile I wouldn't necessarily recommend waterproof or water resistant stuff, but being your first time you're gonna fall......a LOT.....and nothing is more miserable than being cold and wet.
Hat, water proof (at the least water resistant) gloves or mittens, waterproof snow bibs or pants, goggles, waterproof winter parka, a sweater of some kind for under your jacket. Probably oughta get some thermal underwear, glove liners, and sock liners, too.
If you'd been skiing awhile I wouldn't necessarily recommend waterproof or water resistant stuff, but being your first time you're gonna fall......a LOT.....and nothing is more miserable than being cold and wet.
All of this. Water resistant gloves are REALLY important, skiiing in 0* temperatures with wet hands is absolutely terrible. Same goes for the snow pants like coiled said.
Where are you going skiing?
Definitely rent the equipment. You will trash them pretty good being your first time out. For the most part the clothing you need will come in handy during the winter anyway so it is a good investment anyway. Depending on the anticipated temps where you are going should determine what kind of gear you will need to keep warm. I would not go cheap on Long Underwear, Socks, Gloves, & Hat's. Things like Goggles you can go cheap on for your first time.
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Sweat suit, trash bags, and duct tape.
I just assumed he would rent the equipment, it's pointless to buy equipment unless you know for sure it's something you are going to be doing a lot. :shrug:
Just remember one thing...PLOW, PLOW, PLOW!!! You'll see.
This.
Especially on the gloves. I went cheap on everything except socks and then I eventually dropped some coin on Goretex gloves. If you are going out west the snow is so dry it mostly just brushes off and you won't get that wet.
Have fun!
skiing is for chicks... try snowboarding, j/k, enjoy your time!
Definite yes! Not everyone likes skiing enough to do it often. Don't invest money in anything that you're not sure you're going to continue with long term. At the very least, rent the equipment for the first skiing session, decide if you like it, and then consider buying your own equipment. You can still buy waterproof gloves and warm, water-resistant outerwear since they can be used for other things besides skiing (like N2DAMYSTIC said above).
Have a good time when you go.
Warm cloths. Wear layers so you can take them off or put them on if you get too hot.
Brenenridge in feb should be a good time. It might get pretty cold but Colorado seems to stay warmer than here.
Can you ice skate?
Brenenridge in feb should be a good time. It might get pretty cold but Colorado seems to stay warmer than here.
Can you ice skate?
people still ice skate?
Breckenridge is awesome! You're gonna have a blast! :banana:
Can you rent clothing? It's hard NOT to spend serious $$$ when getting skiing clothes.
One thing you might not think about is a bandanna/mask for your face, and a small bottle of Vodka. Nothing tastes better than a quick shot of Goose on the way up the ski lift.
PS: Go snowboarding instead.
One thing you might not think about is a bandanna/mask for your face, and a small bottle of Vodka. Nothing tastes better than a quick shot of Goose on the way up the ski lift.
PS: Go snowboarding instead.
Last edited:
Breckenridge, nice! One of the nicer resorts, IMHO, although I prefer Copper Mountain myself. Heck of a place to go for your first time, though!
Hope youre in good shape lol.
clothing: AVOID COTTON
Thermal underwear: any sporting goods store, target, walmart, etc has some decent polypropylene underwear for a reasonable price.(around 20 per item)
Gloves: Warm gloves are mandatory. Mittens a warmer than gloves, but go with what's comfortable. Columbia Airchamber Glove from Backcountry.com would be fine. I'm sure you can find a decent no name brand that would work as well.
ski socks: Synthetic is good. Merino wool is great. Personally I would try to grab a thick and a mid weight sock. You can then use your socks to help with the fit of your rental boot. Kohls normally has some during the holidays, as does costco or sams club. Wash these in the sink every night and air dry them. It'll keep your feet warmer!
Ski jacket/pants: Anything you would normally wear in the snow. No need to go crazy with it. If you hunt, don't be scared to use that equipment on the slopes. It'll stand out but there is always someone wearing camo while skiing.
Fleece Jacket, maybe pants as well: Grab a cheap fleece. They're all basically the same until you get into some high end (IE pricey) items. Fleece pants will also help cushion falls a bit more.
Hat: fleece or knit hat during and after skiing. Personally I would go with a helmet when skiing. It's warmer and you can rent them from the resort if need be.
Goggles: Buy these! sunglasses don't offer the same protection. Go to a shop and try them on. You can buy goggles to fit over glasses, work with helmets, low profile, etc. Buy at least a double lens model. (figure around 50$ for a decent setup)
a few not so obvious things:
1) Don't tuck your pants into your boot. You'll look like a fool and your shins will be cursing you by mid morning if you do.
2) Make sure your boots are on the right foot. Buckles face out! (I've seen someone break their leg from using boots on the wrong foot)
3) Sunscreen! The snow and altitude intensify the suns rays. Put some sunscreen on your face. Don't forget about your lips either. side note: your goggles and your helmet/hat should contact each other unless you like a half moon shaped sun tan on your forehead.
4) A helmet is much warmer than a knit hat. Lots of people wear them on the slopes, and I highly recommended them.
5) When you see a good skier/rider (you'll quickly be able to pick out the hacks who you do have to worry about) just accept that they are in far more control than you think. Don't worry about them flying by you. The polite ones will give plenty of room (6 feet or more) but on a crowded slope sometimes they come closer. Try to ignore them and focus on you. (This will mostly happen at the end of the day when experts come to the base area from peak 10)
6) Try not to ski all the way to the edge of the run. Most advanced skiers will ski toward the side of a run and leave the middle to beginners. If they are approaching from behind and you go all the way to the edge of the trees, the uphill skier will sometimes get caught and have a choice of hitting you or a tree. (especially if you have people following behind you) They'll pick you 100% of the time. This should never happen and it's the uphill skiers job to avoid you, but life (and skiings rules) arn't perfect.
7) This is on the skier code but worth repeating. DON'T STOP WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE YOU! That means that after you crest a roller (steeper section of a slope) you can't sit down and rest. People above can't see you and if they pop off the lip of the roller right above you... well... you get the idea. Same goes for the terrain parks. They're not benches for you to sit on. If you crash, get your stuff quickly and get out of the landing zone! If you want to take a break, do it above the roller/feature!
8) This is a big one... On the lift... The safety bar... GIVE PEOPLE A WARNING BEFORE SLAMMING THE BAR DOWN!!!! Anyone over 6' gets beamed in the back of the head by the bar. Give a heads up and realize that some people have music playing, it might take a second for them to hear/react to you. Please do this! This is literally the largest reason for wearing a helmet. (especially when starting out)
9) To carry skis: lock the skis together base to base. place the skis over your shoulder. Tips face forward, bindings behind your shoulder. Rest your arm over the front of the skis and the weight of the bindings will balance the skis on your shoulder. If the top ski slides forward, flip the skis over. (only 1 of the skis can slide forward when they are base to base and locked by the bindings)
For Breck:
You'll probably start out on the lower parts of peak 9. It's a good area to start with, stick to it! Once you're ready to try a blue head towards peak 8, not the top of peak 9. Peak 8 offers a green run down. Once on the blues on peak 9, you're kinda stuck on a long run and I remember them being a bit steeper than peak 8. Once comfortable with blue runs, go check out peak 7. It's wonderful intermediate terrain. The leap from greens to blues to blacks is not as large as you might think, assuming that you pick the right run. Ask ski patrol or ski school, they'll point you in the right direction.
Cheaper food is found at the base areas. Most of the restaurants/bars will be owned by the resort and charge resort prices. Look for the push cart vendors. Hot dogs and bbq pork sandwiches = the best food in the world after a day on the slopes. If you want something to carry with you on the slopes, buy one of the huge brownies from the mid mountain restaurants. They are super rich and are basically raw energy in brownie form.
If you're driving from Denver, take highway 6 instead of the Eisenhower tunnel on your way back. The views are great! (just don't drive off the road!) Officially it's about an hour to an hour and a half drive to get to Breck from Denver. Coming from DIA, expect 2 hours. Coming from DIA during Friday night, Sat or Sun morning? Expect 3 hours. A 4wd suv doesn't stop any better than a geo metro. (arguably worse) Take the drive slow if it's snowing. The mountain will still be there and you probably won't be skiing until the weather clears anyway.
A few sites to keep an eye on for gear deals and information:
steepandcheap.com - gear deals. grab them fast!
tramdock.com - same as above.
rei.com, backcountry.com, moosejaw.com - gear sites. Most items will be very pricey.
cotrip.org - road conditions in colorado (includes webcams)
*** Read description before clicking at work! *** [ame=http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177754]Live Web Cams - Vail Resorts - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame] - shows webcams from several summit county resorts. -This thread is SFW, but the forum is probably best left at home.
Have fun!
Thermal underwear: any sporting goods store, target, walmart, etc has some decent polypropylene underwear for a reasonable price.(around 20 per item)
Gloves: Warm gloves are mandatory. Mittens a warmer than gloves, but go with what's comfortable. Columbia Airchamber Glove from Backcountry.com would be fine. I'm sure you can find a decent no name brand that would work as well.
ski socks: Synthetic is good. Merino wool is great. Personally I would try to grab a thick and a mid weight sock. You can then use your socks to help with the fit of your rental boot. Kohls normally has some during the holidays, as does costco or sams club. Wash these in the sink every night and air dry them. It'll keep your feet warmer!
Ski jacket/pants: Anything you would normally wear in the snow. No need to go crazy with it. If you hunt, don't be scared to use that equipment on the slopes. It'll stand out but there is always someone wearing camo while skiing.
Fleece Jacket, maybe pants as well: Grab a cheap fleece. They're all basically the same until you get into some high end (IE pricey) items. Fleece pants will also help cushion falls a bit more.
Hat: fleece or knit hat during and after skiing. Personally I would go with a helmet when skiing. It's warmer and you can rent them from the resort if need be.
Goggles: Buy these! sunglasses don't offer the same protection. Go to a shop and try them on. You can buy goggles to fit over glasses, work with helmets, low profile, etc. Buy at least a double lens model. (figure around 50$ for a decent setup)
a few not so obvious things:
1) Don't tuck your pants into your boot. You'll look like a fool and your shins will be cursing you by mid morning if you do.
2) Make sure your boots are on the right foot. Buckles face out! (I've seen someone break their leg from using boots on the wrong foot)
3) Sunscreen! The snow and altitude intensify the suns rays. Put some sunscreen on your face. Don't forget about your lips either. side note: your goggles and your helmet/hat should contact each other unless you like a half moon shaped sun tan on your forehead.
4) A helmet is much warmer than a knit hat. Lots of people wear them on the slopes, and I highly recommended them.
5) When you see a good skier/rider (you'll quickly be able to pick out the hacks who you do have to worry about) just accept that they are in far more control than you think. Don't worry about them flying by you. The polite ones will give plenty of room (6 feet or more) but on a crowded slope sometimes they come closer. Try to ignore them and focus on you. (This will mostly happen at the end of the day when experts come to the base area from peak 10)
6) Try not to ski all the way to the edge of the run. Most advanced skiers will ski toward the side of a run and leave the middle to beginners. If they are approaching from behind and you go all the way to the edge of the trees, the uphill skier will sometimes get caught and have a choice of hitting you or a tree. (especially if you have people following behind you) They'll pick you 100% of the time. This should never happen and it's the uphill skiers job to avoid you, but life (and skiings rules) arn't perfect.
7) This is on the skier code but worth repeating. DON'T STOP WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE YOU! That means that after you crest a roller (steeper section of a slope) you can't sit down and rest. People above can't see you and if they pop off the lip of the roller right above you... well... you get the idea. Same goes for the terrain parks. They're not benches for you to sit on. If you crash, get your stuff quickly and get out of the landing zone! If you want to take a break, do it above the roller/feature!
8) This is a big one... On the lift... The safety bar... GIVE PEOPLE A WARNING BEFORE SLAMMING THE BAR DOWN!!!! Anyone over 6' gets beamed in the back of the head by the bar. Give a heads up and realize that some people have music playing, it might take a second for them to hear/react to you. Please do this! This is literally the largest reason for wearing a helmet. (especially when starting out)
9) To carry skis: lock the skis together base to base. place the skis over your shoulder. Tips face forward, bindings behind your shoulder. Rest your arm over the front of the skis and the weight of the bindings will balance the skis on your shoulder. If the top ski slides forward, flip the skis over. (only 1 of the skis can slide forward when they are base to base and locked by the bindings)
For Breck:
You'll probably start out on the lower parts of peak 9. It's a good area to start with, stick to it! Once you're ready to try a blue head towards peak 8, not the top of peak 9. Peak 8 offers a green run down. Once on the blues on peak 9, you're kinda stuck on a long run and I remember them being a bit steeper than peak 8. Once comfortable with blue runs, go check out peak 7. It's wonderful intermediate terrain. The leap from greens to blues to blacks is not as large as you might think, assuming that you pick the right run. Ask ski patrol or ski school, they'll point you in the right direction.
Cheaper food is found at the base areas. Most of the restaurants/bars will be owned by the resort and charge resort prices. Look for the push cart vendors. Hot dogs and bbq pork sandwiches = the best food in the world after a day on the slopes. If you want something to carry with you on the slopes, buy one of the huge brownies from the mid mountain restaurants. They are super rich and are basically raw energy in brownie form.
If you're driving from Denver, take highway 6 instead of the Eisenhower tunnel on your way back. The views are great! (just don't drive off the road!) Officially it's about an hour to an hour and a half drive to get to Breck from Denver. Coming from DIA, expect 2 hours. Coming from DIA during Friday night, Sat or Sun morning? Expect 3 hours. A 4wd suv doesn't stop any better than a geo metro. (arguably worse) Take the drive slow if it's snowing. The mountain will still be there and you probably won't be skiing until the weather clears anyway.
A few sites to keep an eye on for gear deals and information:
steepandcheap.com - gear deals. grab them fast!
tramdock.com - same as above.
rei.com, backcountry.com, moosejaw.com - gear sites. Most items will be very pricey.
cotrip.org - road conditions in colorado (includes webcams)
*** Read description before clicking at work! *** [ame=http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177754]Live Web Cams - Vail Resorts - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame] - shows webcams from several summit county resorts. -This thread is SFW, but the forum is probably best left at home.
Have fun!
Most importantly, bring lots of energy, flexibility and ability to party after a day on the slopes. 
These peeps got you all covered, you're gonna have a blast.
These peeps got you all covered, you're gonna have a blast.Users who are viewing this thread
