Illustrated: The 5 Most Important Skiing Techniques for Beginners

As beginner skiers, if it’s your first time hitting the slopes without hiring a coach, it’s best to do some research beforehand. When I, as a writer for SkiNet, went skiing for the first time, I had a coach guiding me—but even then, there were plenty of techniques my instructor didn’t cover, especially the few key tips I’m sharing with fellow skiers today.

How to turn? For beginner snowboarders, mastering turns is the first major hurdle to overcome. Before hitting the slopes, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the following techniques:

1. For a right turn, increase the pressure of your left snowboard edge on the snow surface; for a left turn, do the opposite.

2. When turning, in addition to applying pressure from the snowboard onto the snow surface, the pressing foot also performs an inward-rotating motion.

3. Avoid pressing your knees inward—simply maintain a bent position. To summarize in eight-character guidelines: "Press left, turn right; press right, turn left."

From beginner to expert, falling is inevitable when skiing—but learning the right falling technique can help minimize injuries.

1. Sit down to the left rear or right rear.

2. Absolutely do not sit directly backward, as your hips won't be able to reach the ground when sitting that way.

3. Place your hands at your sides—make sure they aren’t pressed against your hips.

4. After landing on your buttocks, the steel edges of the snowboard will also scrape against the snow, creating resistance that helps bring the snowboard to a stop.

How do you get back up after a fall? (Let me tell you—did I manage to stand up on my first-ever ski attempt, even though I was using all the wrong technique and just couldn’t seem to get up?)

1. The hips are above, and the snowboard is below.

2. The snowboards come together and merge, forming a 90-degree angle with the slope.

3. Use your hands to lift your hips and body, then crouch on the snowboard and stand up.

4. You can also hold the snowball behind you and use it to support yourself.

How to make a U-turn while standing on a hillside?

1. Use the Ba Zi braking technique to stop safely on the hillside platform.

2. Keep the tail steady, quickly move the tip of the ski, and rotate your body—while maintaining an shape with the ski throughout the motion—and use the edge to grip the snow surface.

3. If you're standing on a sloped surface, use your ski poles to maintain balance—make sure to firmly plant the edges into the snow for stability—and once steady, carefully turn around.

How do beginners turn around while gliding?

1. When first learning, start by using the eight-character braking method to slow down to a certain speed.

2. To turn left, shift your body weight onto your right foot while keeping the snowboard parallel to the snow surface.

3. At this moment, you can open your arms to feel gravity and direction.

4. Relax your body and shift your center of gravity.

In addition to skiing techniques, the GoSkiNet editor also advises beginner skiers to do their homework and stay aware of common ski injuries to avoid them.

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