Pro Ski Tips - Carry Your Skis Safely

With the many budget airlines and excellent packages available for ski holiday bargains, skiing has become one of our favourite winter leisure pastimes. When winter rolls around to the UK, it's the time of the year when everyone's looking for the best ski holiday bargain to escape the cold dreary weather at home. Even if you've never skied before you might be convinced by the magical temptations of the Alps, so a few pro tips could come in handy for your ski break!

Ski Carrying Tips

Whether you're a beginner or an expert on the slopes, you'll probably find yourself spending a fair amount of time carrying your skis. While this is inevitable - when you need to get yourself to and from the slopes, in and out of bubble lifts and into restaurants – as you may already know, skis are not easy to carry! They're long and awkward, and when you're wearing ski boots, life becomes even harder.

Shoulder the Load

The best way to carry skis is on your shoulder, but for this to be effective, you need to put the skis together. To do this, stand the skis up vertically and hold each by the toe end of the binding. With the skis base to base, put one slightly higher than the other, before sliding it down in contact with the lower one. The brakes on the bindings will lock together and make the skis much easier to control when you're carrying them.

Next, swing the skis over your shoulder. Everyone has a 'best' shoulder so choose the one you tend to favour and carefully place your skis over it - being careful not to hit anyone standing near by! The ski that was the higher one when you put them together should be the one that is in contact with your shoulder, as this stops the other sliding upwards; the part just in front of the binding is what rests on your shoulder.

Hold your skis firmly in this position by pushing carefully downwards with the hand that's on the same side as your favoured shoulder. The poles should be held in your other hand and you're all set!

Ski Etiquette

There is a certain 'ski etiquette' to be aware of if you're a newbie to the sport. Remember that you should not swing your skis around while you're walking, as you may hit other people - be aware of where the tips of your skis are at all times. Lift queues can be very busy, especially at peak times in the season, so be extra vigilant and take the skis off your shoulder, holding them upright next to you. You can edge your way forward in the queue holding the skis as you would a walking stick.

Be aware of your surroundings, follow basic etiquette, be respectful to fellow skiers, and your ski holiday bargain break should be incident free!

Belinda Smythson works for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service offering bonded holidays in La Tania and other fantastic locations. If you're looking for a ski holiday bargain in catered or self catered chalets, we can help. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday call Ski Amis.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.