Get Downhill (Without Freaking Out)

Freak Out Skiing

For many people who are taking on a ski hill for the first time, it can be intimidating to watch the ground fall beneath you on the way up a ski lift. Even if you don’t have a fear of heights, feeling that you’re not exactly prepared as a skier to fight the law of gravity can be a daunting thought.

Why does it look so effortless for other skiers when you’re sweating at the sight of the bunny hill?

Skiing rookies, listen up: you can prepare yourself for going downhill without the trial-and-error approach. Here are some new ways to get downhill without freaking out.

Remember that even if you’re not a skier, you probably have some downhill experience already. Whether you’ve ridden a bike, rollerblades, or driven a go-kart or even a car downhill, you know what it’s like to place your life in the hands of gravity. And if you’re reading this article, you’ve lived to tell the tale.
“So?” you might tell yourself. “Skiing downhill is much more intimidating than riding a bike on solid ground.” True, it’s different, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any more scary. It’s your attitude that fills in the emotional holes, allowing yourself to freak out before you even try skiing. First, change your attitude: the slopes are a challenge to be tackled, not a scary monster to be avoided.
Try your hand at some fast downhill speed – on dry ground. Roller-blades are a great way to build the balance to handle downhill movement and they’ll also help build many of the same muscles you’ll need while on the slopes. But don’t make it easy on yourself.
As you roller-blade, imagine that you’re actually on a pair of skis, and make similar movements – swishing back and forth, controlling your speed, and throwing caution to the wind. Just don’t throw too much caution to the wind: remember your pads and helmet. This isn’t recreation, this is training!
Focus on how you can have fun rather than how you can avoid having a bad time. Ask yourself “if I fall, what happens? I’m in the snow? I might even laugh at myself.” Determine that you’re not going to try to be a professional skier right off the bat: just have the fun you can have with your current skill set. There’s no reason to reach for the stars right away, so keep the pressure off of yourself and relax. It’s supposed to be fun!

Within a short time, you’ll notice that your attitude change and new training will take effect and you’ll wonder how anything so simple seemed hard in the first place.

Photo Credit: Skimaniac

Originally posted 2009-02-11 06:00:09.

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