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Question
HI. My family is going on a ski trip next Christmas and I had a few questions... If you have never gone skiing before is it dangerous? Do you need to buy your skis before you go on your trip or do you rent them right before you actually snow ski? Should a 15 yr. old girl(about 115 to 120 pounds and 5'5") use different skis than an adult? What all are you supposed to wear when you go skiing? Thank you so much!

Answer
Dear Suzanne --

If you are brand new skiers, I recommend you get the lift, lesson and rental package at the hill where you will ski.  If you can afford to get them, private or semi-private lessons will give you a chance for even more progress.

If you stay within the areas your instructor says you can ski, then skiing will not be particularly dangerous.  However, there are hazards that you could ski into, and there are reckless people you need to avoid, and as a novice, that will be more difficult for you.

Equipment style and size is based on height, weight and skill level.  As novices you will want to start on fairly short skis, and move to longer ones as your skills progress.  With today's super-sidecut skis, you can get excellent performance on quite short skis.

For clothes you should wear layers of comfortable items made from silk, wool or polypropylene, with a wind and water proof shell.  The number of layers you should wear will depend on how cold and windy the weather is.  You should have a warm hat that covers your ears, and good insulated gloves (not leather driving gloves).  You should get a couple good pair of thin silk/wool blend socks to wear in your ski boots.

Your ski boots should fit as tight as a glove, but not have pressure points or give you pain.  This is very important because your boots allow you to transfer energy and pressure to your skis to allow you to guide the skis and make the turns and stops you need for safe skiing.

If you have other questions, please feel free to write back.  I hope you have a great time skiing and come back for many more!