When you are snowboarding or skiing, you need to learn lots of things. Skiing is becoming extremely popular with the passing time. Many people overlook the importance of learning the basic things before planning their first trip on the slopes. “Gaperdom’ is a mountain slang that describes a snowboarder or skier clueless about the skiing codes.
If you are learning, you might act like a gaper. If you are searching for some quick skiing tips, the skiing posts from Snow Gaper can be your knowledge hub. However, if you want guidance on avoiding acting like a gaper, here are seven tips to follow.
1. Carry Your Stuff In A Neat and Tidy Manner
Do not be one of those awkward and clumsy skiers who don’t carry their equipment smartly. Dropping a glove on the ground is not a big deal, but if your skiing equipment keeps falling on the ground frequently while pushing your way through the crowd, you will look immature and clumsy.
2. Learn The Proper Lingos
It might be hard to choose the mountain words when you are a beginner. Start researching some jargon and practice saying a few of them before going on your first skiing trip. Here are some terms you should include in your vocabulary.
- Jibber – A snowboarder who sticks to the hills’ human-made features, such as boxes, rails, and ramps.
- Jerry – Someone who hits the slopes despite their lack of skill sets. They make mistakes, laugh at their mistakes but still have a good time.
- Gaper – They are similar to a jerry because of their lack of basic ski skills. Unlike a jerry, a gaper does not realize their faults and keeps blaming the snow quality or the rented skis for the mistakes.
- Bombing – Bombing is the dangerous act of blasting down the slopes at maximum speed. While doing this, a skier does not show concern for fellow- snowboarders. However, many expert skiers do this often. When a beginner tries to do this, the chances of accidents increase.
3. Plan Your Route Ahead
Planning your route is the smartest way to avoid getting in the middle of a sticky situation while skiing. Having a clear road map will allow you to avoid the terrains which are riskier. It will also help you to ski at the most suitable pace so that injuries don’t happen. When you know the exact route ahead of time, you won’t lose track.
4. Remember The Mountain Rules
Simple codes like not cutting off another skier, not stopping at a blind spot will certainly go a long way. There is no bigger sign that you are a gaper when you don’t follow the basic skiing rules. It does not mean that you should not push your limits or take some challenges but taking a huge risk as a beginner is not a good idea. If you want to try a new skiing technique, you should get proper training before trying it on the slopes.
5. Wear The Right Mountain Gear
Every skier wants to have a full wardrobe of fancy mountain gears. If you don’t want to appear like a gaper, do not dress like one of them. For example, do not wear jeans while skiing. Also, do not wear very baggy or unfashionable clothes. For your information, the waterproof softshell gear looks very fashionable while a windbreaker-style jacket is completely out of fashion nowadays. Simply visit a local ski shop or a professional ski website and check out the latest fashion trends.
6. Don’t Wear Leggings Or Jeans.
Wearing any cotton fabric means that you have no clue what you are doing on the slopes. Unless you are a skiing expert who has decades of snowboarding experience, you will end up feeling cold and miserable in jeans or any other cotton material which is not waterproof. As a beginner, you need to invest in a waterproof jacket and waterproof ski pants.
7. Wearing Sunglasses Despite Ski Goggles
Skiing needs a separate wardrobe. Though fancy sunglasses look cool, they can’t protect you from cold, and also, they might slide off as you increase your speed. Plus, they can’t prevent your eyes from the cold slaps of wind.
Ski goggles solve all these purposes. However, if you are a first-timer, you don’t need to buy a super expensive goggle but get something particularly designed for skiing.
To conclude, make sure to watch some skiing video tutorials and pack for your ski trip properly. Before stepping out, check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.