The Purple Guide to Learning Skiing in 10 Days

Chapter 1: First Day

Day one is not about skiing down a mountain. It's about standing on two slippery boards and not falling over while trying to get to the magic carpet (the slow conveyor belt that moves you a few yards up a gentle slope). That's it. That's the whole session. If you do that—if you get your feet into rental boots, shuffle onto the snow, and glide a tiny bit—you've beaten day one.

Here's what your first session actually looks like. You'll go to a small local hill, not a big resort. You'll find the rental shop and give them your shoe size. The rental person will hand you a pair of ski boots, which are hard plastic shells with a soft liner inside. They should feel snug—like a firm handshake around your foot and lower leg—not painful. If your toes press hard against the front when your knees are bent, say so. Ask to try a half-size bigger. If your heel lifts up inside the boot when you walk, ask for a smaller one. This step takes ten minutes and it matters more than anything else you do today.

The boots will feel weird. When you walk to the slopes, you'll clomp like a robot. This is normal. Do not try to walk on your tiptoes. Keep your knees slightly bent and your steps flat. You might walk past a mirror and wonder who the stiff-legged stranger is. Let them be. The stranger is just you, learning