How To Ski On Straight Skis

Do you want to know how to ski on straight skis? Straight skis are gone. With the rise of parabolic or carving skis, and the great difference between those newer skis and the old school straight skis, there´s no real reason to go vintage. Unless you want to, in that case you better get some practice.

To ski on straight skis you will need:

• A pair of straight skis. Dumpsters in most ski villages have them for free.
• A reasonably gentle slope to start. Even if you are a good skier, going back to straight skis may be hazardous, so take it easy.

The steps to ski on straight skis are:

1. Get yourself a pair of straight skis, considering that the length of these must be at least your height.
2. Check the condition of the bindings. Vintage skis are trendy, but also old. Check the bindings to avoid a major injury caused by a faulty binding.
3. Put the skis on and go up a beginner lift.
4. Slowly start heading down. At first, you will feel that the skis have their own mind and they go wherever they want. Don´t try to overrule them by force.
5. Take turns at low speed by changing the weight from one ski to the other quite radically. Stay on a vertical position, laying forward won´t help on these skis.
6. Slow down before you turn. Turning at higher speeds on these skis requires a lot of practice.
7. Keep an eye on the tips. A common mistake is crossing the tips, thus ensuring a painful fall.
8. Try parallel turning. As longer skis have more edge, you can use it to turn and break as long as you can keep most of the ski in touch with the surface.
9. Don´t hit the moguls too soon. With longer skis, finding the line in the moguls is quite hard, so wait until you get familiar with the skis before you go to confined runs. This also counts for trees.
10. Leaning forward is good, but don´t do it too soon, as the tips of your skis will get caught.

So, whatever the reason that made you want to ski on straight skis, do it carefully. Make sure to loosen the bindings for a quick release in case of a fall.