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snow field and green pine trees during daytime
snow field and green pine trees during daytime
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Life > Experiences

Skiing Isn’t Just for the Pros: How to Enjoy Skiing as an Amateur

Jordan Chamberlain
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

Growing up in Colorado, I have always been immersed in the skiing and snowboarding culture. After all, you can see the mountains and their snow-capped peaks from almost anywhere in the state, and as a kid, people were always reminiscing about the last time they’d hit the slopes. 

It’s not that I don’t enjoy skiing. It’s just that I’m not very good at it. Having only gone once or twice a year for my whole life, I don’t get a lot of practice, and it is so expensive that oftentimes that’s as many times as I can afford to go. 

When you are not a serious skier, living in Colorado, especially in a mountain town like Boulder, can feel kind of intimidating. Every weekend, from November through March, I see cars loaded up with equipment and people marching into dinner wearing their snow pants, cheeks red from a day full of fresh air and the cold. I feel pretty embarrassed when I hear people my age (or even worse, people who are way younger than me) talking about “ripping that double black diamond” or “crushing those moguls.” 

Photo courtesy of Vail Mountain Resort—now that’s what I call powder!

Sure, I can cruise down a run. It will just be a green or a blue one, instead of a black. Could I make it down a more challenging run? Sure—but I much prefer whipping down a green to having a full-blown panic attack at the top of an ĂŒber-icy “double-black-diamond-that’s-so-easy-it-should-be-a-blue” (true story—shoutout to my mom for forcing me to do this run). 

Truthfully, it can be hard to enjoy skiing when it feels like everyone around you is more experienced than you are. Here are my tips for conquering those skiing-scaries. 

It’s okay to stay in your comfort zone.

As stated above, I like doing green runs and blue runs. I also love exploring the terrain parks that many ski resorts offer. I may not know how to do any tricks, but I love catching a few feet of air by going off the corner of the big jumps they have in there. There isn’t anything wrong with sticking to what makes you feel safe—just don’t get too comfortable. Maybe challenge yourself with a more challenging run that is still in your parameters—widen your zone of proximal development (thank you, Vygotsky!). You’ve got this!

A Copper Mountain athlete demonstrates how I feel when I gain approximately 2.5 feet of air.

Save those $$$ for something That’s worth it.

Even if you don’t go very often, winter sports can put a big dent in your bank account. Save money by packing your lunch instead of eating at the lodge, which is basically just a glorified school cafeteria. Instead, splurge at the end of the day with dinner at an actual restaurant, and don’t forget a cup of steaming hot chocolate (cocoa is the only thing I recommend actually buying from a ski lodge. It just hits different).

Skiing is hard—don’t overwork yourself.

Usually, when I go skiing, I’ll only end up going for three to four hours, tops, before I am bone-tired. Then I feel guilty for not taking more advantage of the opportunity, but I always forget how draining skiing really is. After all, skiing is one of the most intense and beneficial workouts you can do. As a skiing researcher and professor of sports science and kinesiology at the University of Salzburg, Thomas Stöggl claims that “‘The mix of highly coordinated movements with different types of exercise modes’—carving, skidding, quick turns, jumping—‘and the mix of eccentric, isometric and concentric muscle work might be seen as quite unique when compared with other types of physical activity.’”  So, it’s okay if you only get a couple of runs in—you’re still getting a fantastic workout. What really matters is if you are having fun.

Don’t forget to take in the scenery.

It can be easy to forget to pause and look around when you are physically and mentally exerting yourself. Take advantage of the breaks you get on the chairlift and of the moments when you are paused to look around you. Especially if you are back- or cross-country skiing, you can see some pretty amazing parts of nature. There is nothing wrong with stopping mid-run to take a picture of a sweet view. Don’t get so lost in the snow that you forget to appreciate it.

A stunning view from the top of Breckenridge Mountain Resort.

However often you go and however technically skilled you are, skiing is a wonderful way to workout while spending quality time with yourself, family, or friends and enjoying the great outdoors. So, whether you plan to take a T-bar all the way to the top of the mountain or to hang around the bunny hill all day, have fun, shred the gnar, and earn that aprĂšs-ski drink.

Jordan Chamberlain

CU Boulder '24

Jordan Chamberlain is a fourth year student at the University of Colorado Boulder and an editorial assistant for CU’s chapter of Her Campus. In her editorial position, Jordan reads and edits many of her fellow authors’ articles, providing feedback on spelling, grammar, AP formatting rules, and cohesion and flow. Jordan herself enjoys writing about traveling, education, her home state of Colorado, and the general messiness of life in your early twenties. Outside of Her Campus, Jordan can be found working on her Elementary Education degree at CU Boulder. She is very excited to graduate in May of 2024, and hopes to transition directly into the teaching profession. She hopes to teach upper elementary, and is currently a student teacher for fifth grade. In her free time, Jordan enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, listening to music, and disappearing into fictional worlds through reading, creative writing, and watching an unhealthy amount of T.V. shows and movies. You can find her scouring Boulder for the best coffee shops, collecting funky postcards, and listening to a chaotic collection of music.