If You Can’t Fight Winter, Revel In It Skiing Can Enliven Your Social Life And Give Your Body Some Exercise

It’s never too late to learn to ski. This winter is as good as any to give it a try and it can be done cheaply and effectively. You could be zipping down the slopes sooner than you realize.

Skiing is one of the most sociable of recreational sports, which accounts for a lot of its popularity. You can participate with the entire family or groups of friends, even when some skiers are good and others are not so good. Thrills, challenges and adventures await you in the midst of often spectacular mountain scenery, and the convivial apres-ski life is a lot of fun, too. I’ve been skiing for 40 years, and I can attest that it’s a sport for a lifetime. Almost nobody physically active is too young or too old to learn.

Don’t let those ski magazine photos of daredevil high jinks on skis scare you. Only the professional hot shots ever attempt those aerial leaps and nosediving descents. The rest of us keep our skis planted in the snow, where we can maneuver under control about as safely as if we were hiking down a mountain trail. In your very first lesson - and every first-timer should take lessons - you will learn how to maintain control on surprisingly steep terrain.

I cannot emphasize too strongly how important lessons are, both for safety - yours and other skiers’ - and to get the most enjoyment out of skiing.

Planning a first-time ski trip can seem intimidating, because there are so many things to consider. Where to go? What to wear? How much will it cost? Where do I rent equipment? And how do I put it on?

If you have skiing friends urging you to accompany them on a ski holiday, why not go? Associates can help smooth the way by boosting your confidence and, perhaps, lending you some of the cold-weather clothing you will need. But don’t ask your friends - or your spouse, for that matter - to give you lessons, and don’t take lessons from them if they volunteer. They don’t want to waste their time on the “bunny” slopes with you, and untrained instructors usually don’t know what they are doing. Sign up for a class, and rejoin your buddies after the lifts close.

But before putting up a lot of money for a week away at a distant destination, slip off for a day to a ski resort close to home just to see if you and the sport are compatible. I know people who find chairlifts terrifying. If you are frightened by heights, skiing is not going to appeal to you. Or you may discover skiing requires more physical stamina than you want to exert. Skiing is vigorous exercise, and it takes muscle power to control your skis on a downhill run. Maybe you simply hate the idea of tumbling in cold, wet snow. At the same time, a trial run will introduce you to your equipment - skis, boots and poles - and give you experience in putting them on properly. Don’t buy equipment until you are an experienced skier. You also will have assembled the necessary ski clothing, and you will find out what works for you and what doesn’t. You don’t have to dress fashionably, just warmly. I suggest going midweek, when the hubbub in the equipment rental office is at a minimum, the trails are less crowded and lift tickets and lessons are cheaper. A few ski areas offer a free lesson to first-timers and others have put together learn-to-ski packages.