When you visit a ski mountain, you’ll see plenty of adults who look like they’ve been riding or skiing since they were kids, but the truth is that most people do not grow up near a mountain with enough snow to ride consistently.
SThey learned to ski and snowboard as adults. That doesn’t mean it was easy though.
Whether it’s because they’ve spent too much time behind a desk, are too worried about injuries interfering with their job, or are just not confident in their coordination, adults often approach learning to ski and snowboard with much more doubt and fear than a kid would. To help out, the ASO Mammoth team has put together a quick guide to taking ski or snowboard lessons as an adult. Check them out below before your first lesson!
Rent Your Gear the Day Before
We have enough firsthand experience to tell you that renting ski and snowboard gear in Mammoth can be an all-day affair. Even if you reserve your gear online, know what type of fit you’re looking for, and arrive a few hours before your lesson, there are still hundreds of other people who have done the exact same thing waiting in line with you.
Do not stress yourself out before the lesson begins by having to wonder if you’ll make it through the rental line in time to get to the mountain. Pick up your gear the day you arrive in town so you can follow our next tip.
Get Familiar with Your Gear
If you think you’re unfamiliar with your ski and snowboard gear when you first rent it, wait until you’re trying to use it with a pair of gloves on and slick snow underneath your feet.
Before you step onto the mountain you should know how to put on your boots and step into and out of your bindings. Your ski instructor will probably go over these steps with you and answer any questions you may have, but if you take the time to get familiar with how your gear works beforehand you will give yourself a head start.
Stretch Before Your Lesson
Skiing and snowboarding may look easy, but they are both physical sports that stress just about every part of your body, and that’s if you’re an experienced rider.
As a beginner you will be using your muscles in a way you never have before and you will fall doing it. Fortunately, you can lessen the chances of injuring yourself by stretching before your lesson begins. If you’re unsure about what stretches to do, arrive early and ask your instructor what stretches they recommend.
Know Where You Want to Go with Skiing or Snowboarding
It doesn’t matter if you want skiing or snowboarding to be a lifelong hobby or are just trying it for one day only, the more information you give your instructor about your goals the better they can teach you.
Have an idea of where you want to go with your skiing or snowboarding before your lessons begins so your instructor can give you proper goals and pace your lesson accordingly.
Private vs. Group Lessons?
Group lessons are excellent for making friends on the mountain as well as bonding with the friends you already have. However, if you thrive on one-on-one attention and believe it will help you progress then a private lesson will be better for you.
The size of your group lesson will most likely depend on how crowded the mountain is that day, so if you go in for a group lesson on a slow day you may end up getting a lesson with only a few other people or even a private lesson at a group rate!