How long does it take to be good at skiing?

skithemidwest

skithemidwest

Member
I live in Iowa and I absolutely hate it here. I love to ski, and obviously I can't really here. I plan to go to college out in Colorado. How long do you guys think it took you (for those of you who can) to be able to throw down a nice run in the park. I mean to be able to spin of boxes and rails, and do spins larger than 360s off jumps? How many days a week have you skied and how many years to get to what you can do now. I think it's too late for me to get very good. I'm already a junior in high school, but I will hopefully go to college out in Colorado.
 
it all depends on how commited you are and if you have any natural talent when it comes to skiing.

obviously practice will make you better then anything else and getting to the hill 1-2 times a week will even improve your skills.
 
if you love skiing then skiing everyday is the obvious choice. when things limit you, you ski when you can, put simply.

my friend nolan started skiing two years ago and he is just as good (in the park) as me and i've been skiing 13 years
 
Don't go anywhere near the park until you are a strong skier. You should feel very comfortable going down black runs. Once you get that down, you should go to the park. The time it takes to "get good" varies. Don't worry about becoming pro or anything man. Just progress at a safe rate and have fun. I repeat: have fun. That's a command. If anyone participates in our great sport with the sole goal of becoming pro, then they need to quit skiing forever. It sounds harsh, but you probably will not go pro. Same goes for 98% of all other park skiers. With that being said, have fun because trying to go pro is foolish and a general waste of time. I don't wanna squash your dreams or anything, but just ski. Don't worry about anything else. Just be content with the fact that you are doing what you truly love.
 
You can get "good" fairly quickly if you really want to, its all about the effort you want to put in. If you want to learn a new trick be ready to hike and try 50 times before you get it.
 
DIsagree. Taught my buddy how to snowboard this season, had him doing boxes before he could even hold a straight line. I've never seen anyone get good at snowboarding so fast. He could do every run on the mountain after probably 15 days.

If you plan on skiing park i'd start hitting park stuff as soon as possible.
 
look man first remember HAVE FUN .. i can say i have been skiing for like 10 years but still cant 540 ( only 1 year in park tho) but fuck i made a nice backyard jib and i can 270 on and off and k fed that was skiing every day tho.

so really have fun don't try to care about style or anything
 
its never to late. but i think your chances of going huge pro is slim to none.( not to hate) maybe shop sponsor. i also started park 2 years ago. and i can throw some big spins and spins off rails and shit. enough to end up getting a shop and small clothing line sponsor( haha claim). i live in the worst place you can if you love skiing tho. in chicago. but i went every weekend in the winter sometimes twice a week and gave it my all and just had fun. also people learn at different paces. like my friends tell me i learn hella fast but i have little style haha. on the other hand some of my friends don't learn as fast but have some sick style. so just have fun grow a pair haha and ski the shit out of what you got.
 
Oh, yeah, I know I will never even be close to being pro, and I am a good downhill skier and I can ski blacks well, but I'm just terrible in the park. I just know how sweet it can feel to land tricks, I just don't know how long it would take me to be able to throw down a pretty decent run in the park. I will be honest. I look like a fool in the park.
 
+K Its not about how many spins and flips you can do its how little spins and flips you can do and still believe it was awesome. Don't listen to people telling you that you suck because guess what they were at that point once too. Pros were once learning how to ski on a magic carpet with someone holding their hand to make sure they didn't fall, imagine that.
 
Your buddy should have waited the 15 days it took him to do every run (really?) at your mountain and then go to the park. Cuz then, there would be one less person falling on their ass after coming straight off of a box in the park. I'm sure your buddy could stand on a snowboard while letting gravity take him over a slippery surface, but he probably couldn't stop too well and fell. Then the rest of us have to wait until you scoop your prodigy up out of the landing. Catch my drift?
 
it kinda of depends how committed you are, i have just in the last 5 mins got back from skiing at my local dryslope (in england) where tonight we were just slaying boxs and rails and shit, but my little brother came along, and within the 3 hours of continual slayage of this one flatdown he had progressed to having simple sideways sliding skills and he looked pretty ballin, so it depends on if you are willing to look like a idiot (like we all do when attempting our first backy or 270 on) for a couple of hours, to get the skills you want. so just commit and the skills that kill will come to you.
 
Just make some friends that ski in the park and all your worries will melt away. Believe me. You might look at a group of skiers and think, "They're too good at skiing or cool to hang with me." But they'll be nice to you and let you ski with them, and if they don't then they're FACKING BATCHES! haha
 
i didnt know you could measure practice in time. guess i've been living under my rock for too long.

but in all seriousness. commitment. thats all it is. you can ski 1 or 2 days a week and still rip.
 
I just started last year at age 16 (well I skiied like twice a year before this) and I learned 5's, 3's over 40 footers, switch 5's, 270s on and out, switch ups, and just became a better skier in general. As long as you have fun and do what you're comfortable with without being a pussy, the progression will come naturally and you can still have fun, just don't worry about everyone else being better than you, because they have way more experience, but I'm sure you will catch up quickly if you stick to it.
 
it honestly all depends on your work level.

Of course natural talent plays into it, but it's about how hard you push yourself to progress.

You're gonna get beat the fuck up for awhile. Best advice, learn how to enjoy falling.

 
could not agree with this statement. I definitely agree with the fact that you need to get used to skiing normal slopes first. then hit the park. And remember. Please have fun. AND DON"T BECOME A PARK RAT. A good day of traditional skiing is always fun. to me atlest.
 
to each his own. I would probably enjoy ripping powder lines nipple deep, but I live ice coast so that's out of the picture.

Ski how you want because you love it.
 
yeah. indiana is basically classified as ice coast. well i classify it as ice coast. definitely can't ski pow here. but i still enjoy ridin the hills and lookin at some small 2 ft jumps that random kids built while skiing down. I'll usually hit them and throw 180"s. always fun to me to have a day of traditional skiing. but my personal opinion.
 
First off I just want to say that everyone would like to go to college in CO. It's just the fact that tuition would be huge since you're out of state. So unless you're stacked, good luck getting there.
And how good you are isn't really measured by time. It depends on skill, style, and the ability to stomp a new trick fast.
 
I started skiing last year (after moving out here from ND). Midway through the season of snowboarding I bought skis. After three solid days of skiing with experienced friends (some were ski instructors and others were avalanche rescue) my progression was huge. After three days, was feeling comfortable with every run on the mountain (Summit County, CO). Still suck in the park, but am super comfortable with all runs on the mountain including powder days. I'll attempt the park, but as stated above, it's all about having fun and starting somewhere. I definitely eat shiz all the time there, but that's the only way I'll get any better. Again, all about having fun and creating simple goals for yourself. Next goal, consistency on the 3's and more comfortable on simple rails and boxes.
 
I found out if you ski with people way better than you. you will get more pumped and prgress faster sice you will try more stuff.
 
pretty much it. ski because it is so much fun there is nowhere else you would rather be at that moment in time.

if thats you, then push yourself and practice practice practice, and it will come.
 
I was very lucky that I had been skiing for 10 years before I even entered the park. I just try to have fun every day whether I'm in the park or just skiing around. The moment you get in the mindset of "training" skiing becomes less fun, or it is for me at least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top