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Top Tips on How to Put Skis on Properly

Author: Lisa Jeeves
by Lisa Jeeves
Posted: Nov 26, 2015

Working a ski season in Europe is a very popular way for young people to spend a winter filling in the gap between school and university. You might find yourself running a chalet, driving a van, taking care of children, or working in a pub or restaurant. But whatever job you do, the main reason to do a ski season is to ski, right?

If you're thinking about spending a winter in the snow but have never skied before, you'll have a steep learning curve to navigate. Taking professional lessons is recommended, but, for an even more basic head start, here is a guide to the technique of putting on your skis.

Position, Position

Putting on skis is not as easy as you might think and you need to understand some basic principles to start off on the right foot – so to speak. Firstly, you need to set yourself up properly, which involves making sure that your skis are lying across the slope, so that they're stable and won’t slide away while you're trying to put them on. It follows that you'll then be also be stable and still once you have your skis on.

Check Your Boots

Check your boots before you attempt to put on your skis as snow can get stuck to the bottom and stop the binding clicking into place properly. If your boots have become compacted with snow underneath, stamp your feet one by one on the front of the binding to remove it. You might have to stamp quite forcefully, so check your position is correct again before continuing. You can use your poles to lean on while you're putting on your skis, but they can also be used to get snow out of the bottom of your boots.

Get 'em On!

Note that you should put the downhill ski on first and make sure that the underneath of the boot is at the same angle as the bottom of the ski – this makes life a lot easier.

When you're ready to put the boot securely into the binding, make sure you can see where the lip at the front of the boot is. The lip needs to be slid into the correct place on the front of the binding, which should be obvious. Then the heel of the boot needs to be fitted to the back of the binding, by lining it up and pushing hard downwards until it clicks in and the lever on the binding clicks into place over the top. While this part is pretty simple, you need to be in a stable position to do it effectively.

While you should book in for some expert lessons as soon as you arrive for the ski season, understanding even a few simple techniques – like how to get your skis on – will give you a good head start.

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 great deal this ski season in a catered or self catered chalet, we can help. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday call Ski Amis.

About the Author

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.

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Author: Lisa Jeeves

Lisa Jeeves

Member since: Oct 18, 2013
Published articles: 4550

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