Mad River Mountain Skiing
Last weekend a group of friends and I went skiing in Mad River Mountain, OH. About an hour drive away from Columbus, this skiing site was pretty busy on a Saturday, especially with the discount rate it offered to college students. I was thankful that I went with a perfect group of people who knows the “when, what, how” to make an efficient, well-planed, and happy skiing experience.
We set off at around 8:30am and arrived around 10am (including time to drive around the city to pick people up). For first timers (i.e. me), it is very important to have enough space to practice and overcome the fear of falling. And arriving early made it possible! With the basics taught by my friends and some observation of other skiers, I quickly mastered how to balance and turn when skiing. Soon after that I was able to progress to a higher level line!
The most difficult part for me is to control speed and stop within a short distance. Without a good skill on these two, you are guaranteed to fall as speed continues to increase. I still need to practice more to improve my control so I don’t have the authority to give advice. But a tip would be helpful in terms of falling—wear waterproof pants and gloves. You will be grateful to have them as your falls increase.
Another hint for the beginners is to work your arms out before going to ski. Not because you ski with lots arm movements, but because you need very strong arms to hold the handles that drag you up the hill (higher level slopes have lift chairs, but beginner’s practice field doesn’t). And you need to lift your body up if you fall.