Learning to ski in my 30s
Work in progress ⛷️
I'm taking some notes about my experience learning alpine skiing these past winters.
How it started
I wasn't one of those kids that learned to ski in childhood. I did do cross-country skiing with my parents, but I remember that I found it a bit boring at the time.
At some point, I did try snowboarding, but I can't remember it very much. I must have felt overwhelmed by it somehow, because I didn't do more of it.
Fast forward to my 30s, and living in Montreal, I found some renewed interest in cross-country skiing. Particularly the backcountry flavor (also called backcountry nordic skiing - confusing name if you ask me). The COVID-19 pandemic also kinda forced me to find a winter sport to get outside more, and I slowly developed a love for it.
A few things helped during the process:
- I got myself some great Asnes Nansen Waxless. Great skis that mostly fit in groomed tracks, but are also great in deep snow. Waxless, meaning they have a grip zone built into the pocket. They also can be fitted with skins, allowing to climb hills easily.
- I discovered / started looking for spots where to ski on Open Ski Map
- I also discovered the awesome blog of Barclay Fortin
At some point, wanting to get better at downhill in my cross-country skiing, I learned about the telemark technique. A few weeks later, I booked a telemark course.
Little did I know, alpine skiing skills were expected in this telemark course. I was the only one in the group that hadn't learned alpine skiing beforehand.
It was a very humbling experience. But three things happened:
- I felt bad for being so terrible at skiing. I was clearly slowing down the group.
- I somehow managed to learn the basics and do alpine skiing for the first time in my life
- I had the most fun in a long time
Even if I didn't technically learn the telemark technique, I was hooked to alpine skiing. I wanted more of it.
Two weeks later, I went back skiing at a resort with a friend.
How it's going
Since then, I went deep and kept wanting more of it. It truly felt like finding a new love for a sport.
- Bought some gear: skis, boots, gloves, poles.
- Bought an evening seasonal pass at a mountain close to home, allowing me to go skiing after work between 17:00 and 22:00.
- Took some private lessons at the same mountain.
Tips
From Youtube videos to official ski lessons, here's some tips I gleaned along the way:
- Relax. This is a chill sport. Don't be so tense.
- Look where you're going (it helps with turning).
- Use your legs to turn, not your torso.
- Lean forward. Yes, more.
- Bring your knees inside when turning so that your skis can bite in the snow.
- Relax some more. You'll be fine.
- ← Previous
Annapurna - Advent of Sysadmin 2025