There
are always so many things to think about when you go skiing
for yourself, let alone the children. As skiing parents ourselves
and having personally taught hundreds of children of all ages
how to ski, we know just what is required before kids go out
on the slopes as well as while they are on the slopes. So here
are a few guide lines which are applicable to parents as much
as to children.
Check, maintain
& correctly adjust all of your equipment before going
out on the slopes. This is usually done by the technicians
if you are hiring.
Ski within the limits
of your own ability and always adapt your speed to the
situation.
In bad weather and poor
visibilty, ski slowly and take special care.
Choose a safe line of
descent, pass any hazardous points swiftly and one skier
at a time, and try to avoid skiing on hard, steep pistes
and in melting, heavy spring snow
Before
you begin skiing first thing in the morning or after lunch,
or after a cold ride up on the ski lift, you should always do
a few simple exercises to warm up. Although this advice
is often ignored by recreational skiers, the routine is highly
worthwhile. When your body is warm, not only will you
ski much better, but you are less likely to fall and less likely
to hurt yourself if you do. Cold muscles and stiff joints
do not work efficiently: they become inflexible and lose their
elasticity, and you will find that your coordination is impaired
and your reaction time slowed down. As a result, you may
try to ski simply by using more physical force - with the risk
of tearing muscles and ligaments.
Ski racers always warm up
before a run - especially in the morning when it is usually
a little colder and when the body may be stiff from the day
before. Simple exercises loosen up stiff joints, warm
up cold muscles and get the circulation going. In other
words, they get your body ready for the demands that will
be placed on it when you set off. This is especially
true in the case of beginners, who may not be used to skiing,
who may not be prepared themselves with a pre-ski fitness
programme, and who are more likely to make mistakes, fall
and overstrain themselves. Warming-up exercises are
also particularly helpful if you find that the unusually high
altitudes make you slightly short of breath. Getting
your circulation going before you begin to ski will increase
your oxygen supply and make your breathing easier. We
suggest you try out these few, easy exercises at home before
doing them at the top of the piste and remember - you are
only aiming to limber up, not to exhaust yourself before you
start !!
Pole Exercise: Hold both
poles together and with your legs straight, bend down
to touch your ankles, then stretch your poles up and over
your head and twist them around each side.
Leg Stretching: With
your skis in a wide 'herringbone' position, bend down
first to one side and then to the other, trying to touch
the snow with your knee. Bend just enough to stretch
your leg muscles, not so far that you strain them.
Swivelling Skis: Stand
on one leg and support yourself with your pole.
Lift the other ski and swing it around behind and in front
of you.
Touching Opposite Ankles:
With your skis wide apart, stretch down and touch your
right ankle with your left hand, then your left ankle
with your right hand. Repeat until your muscles
have loosened and warmed up.
Windmills: Without holding
onto your poles, stick your arms straight forwards and
start to rotate them above your head, letting them swing
down beside your thighs.
Good
manners and a concern for other skiers on the piste is largley
common sense, but to encourage safe behaviour and to help prevent
acidents, the following code of conduct has been formulated
by the International Ski Federation. You should treat
it like you would the Highway Code.
Consideration for others:
you must ski in such a way that you put no-one else on
the slope at risk of danger or injury.
Control of speed and
movements: you must adapt your speed and movements to
your own ability and to the prevailing weather, terrain
and snow conditions.
Choice of route: if you
are approaching another skier from behind, you must choose
your route so that you do not endanger the skier in front
of you.
Overtaking: you mayovertake
another skier on the uphill or downhill side and from
the right or from the left, but you must leave sufficient
room for the other skier to manoeuvre and even fall!
The skier in front of you always has the right of way.
Joining a piste and traversing:
if you wish to enter a piste or trail, or ski across a
slope, you must check beforehand that the slope is free
of skiers, both on the uphill and downhill side.
Stopping: except in an
emergency, you should avoid stopping in the middle of
the piste, at narrow points, or in places where you cannot
be seen. If you fall, move out of the way quickly.
Climbing a slope: if
you are climbing aslope, stick to the edge of the piste.
You should avoid even this if visibilty is bad.
The same applies to skiers who descend on foot.
Piste markers: you must
observe all signs, markers and instructions from the ski
patrol
Behaviour in accidents:
in the event of an accident, it is your duty to stop and
help wherever possible - also to guarantee that the rescue
service has been notified and the precise location of
the accident given.
Identification: in the
event of an accident, you must give your identity, whether
you are a participant or a witness.
Every
skier falls - usually accidentally, but sometimes deliberately.
It is an inevitable part of skiing, and there is nothing shameful
about it. When you are learning to ski, you must know
how to stop before you set off, and one of the most effective
ways to stop in an emergency is to fall over deliberately.
Knowing that you can stop when you want to by falling safely
will greatly increase your confidence. Falling does not
normally hurt, because snow is soft and will cushion you, but
there is a safe way to control a fall, and it will help you
avoid unnecessary bruises and strains if you know how to fall
safely.
If a fall is unavoidable,
relax and do not fight it. Go with the momentum
of the fall
Slowly lower your hips
and bend at the knees.
Begin to fall by sitting
back into the slope, twisting your hips to your uphill
side.
Keep your arms up and
forward, out of the snow, to protect your wrists.
Keep your skis below
you, perpendicular to the direction in which you are travelling.
Your body will act as the brake as you touch the snow.
Try to end up with your skis across the fall line or vertical.
Kidski for Children's Ski wear, including clothing, boots, sun glasses
and accessories
Knowing that you can stop when you want to by falling safely
will greatly increase your confidence. Falling does not
normally hurt, because snow is soft and will cushion you, but
there is a safe way to control a fall, and it will help you
avoid unnecessary bruises and strains if you know how to fall
safely.