HOW TO SKI SAFELY

Skiing is one of the sports providing a feeling of total freedom. But in order to enjoy the most of this sport, it is necessary to not put oneself in danger and to adopt a cautious behavior on the slopes.

SKIING IS A SPORT: DON’T FORGET THAT!

Like all sports, skiing requires good training to reduce the risk of injury.So before you start a ski session, you have to warm up the whole body. Skiing requires many parts of the body: knees, thighs, hips, hands, arms, neck, and so on. So, warm-up should not be overlooked and is necessary to avoid injuries and accidents, which are unfortunately too frequent during the winter.Also, after your ski session, remember to stretch your muscles, to avoid body aches and potential cramps. So stretch your thighs, your calves, relax your back. You can also think about massaging the muscles that were used the most during your ski session : you will recover much better that way.Ideally, after a long ski session, the best is to eat healthy and to go to bed early, in order to be ready for an other session the following day or few days after.

SKIING REQUIRES SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT

The practice of skiing is not ordinary: you have to keep in mind that it remains a sport of sliding where you can reach a speed of 70-80 km/h and where zero risk does not exist.Some pieces of equipment become necessary for the expert skiers: helmet, mask when there is fog, dorsal protection, ARVA bag for off-piste skiers (bag with avalanche transceiver).Also, be sure to adjust your attachments and shoes correctly according to your weight and height. Without it, you could hurt yourself badly if you fall! It is therefore necessary to have a sufficiently qualitative equipment to ensure your safety on the slopes.Then, use equipment adapted to your weight and height : ski sticks, pair of ski, ski boots. If you have a doubt about a piece of equipment, go seeking advice from a ski professional: this expert will tell you if your equipment fits or if it doesn’t suit. Don’t take the risk of using unsuitable equipment : you might hurt yourself badly because of it!

Don’t hesitate to have a look about the recommended equipment on our post: “10 items to bring for ski holidays”

SOME RULES TO FOLLOW ON A SKI SLOPE

When skiing, everyone must be able to enjoy the slope on which you are engaged. This means that there are rules to retain:

- The skier upstream of the track should pay attention to skiers downstream of the ski slope.- Always be able to regulate your pace.- Always be alert and cautious on the ski slope: danger can come from anywhere!- At the end of the day, be vigilant!- Indeed, most accidents occur at the end of the day, when skiers return home and relax their attention. During the end of your session, it is essential to pay more attention to the environment.- Carefully study the difficulty levels of the slopes: don’t take the risk of skiing a black track if you’re just a beginner skier! You could both get hurt, and then develop the fear of ever skiing again! :(- Be extremely cautious if you want to practice off-piste… This practice, while strongly discouraged, requires specific equipment and a certain level of skiing. Also, study carefully the off-piste conditions fixed by ski patrollers every day.

3 TIPS TO ALWAYS REMEMBER

- Warm up your body before your ski session and stretch your muscles after skiing.- Use a qualitative equipment for skiing to enjoy it the most.- Always be vigilant and follow the signaling and instructions on the slopes.

"A BAD DAY ON THE SLOPES BEATS A GOOD DAY AT WORK."

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SKI & SNOWBOARD COLLECTION

Mathis Brun

Digital Sport Leader - Skiing

I've always been a great fan of skiing and winter sports: I think I learnt sliding on skis before walking on my feet!

Ski sensations are so unique: it permits me to experience pure speed in wonderful landscapes!