Okay, so I’m a newbie.
And that’s to a lot of things; moving to Canada, the freezing cold, sooo much snow and skiing.
I’m Stephen, an international Blue Mountain employee from England. I haven’t seen more than 3 inches of snow since I was 14 and I know recently England got a light dusting and the whole country shut down for a day. So you can understand how shocked I was when I saw people here were still functioning in over a foot of snow. HOW?! My mind is still blown.
So these are the newbie chronicles. Where I’ll be documenting my ski learning experience to help you get on the hill. Here you’ll be able to find important information regarding what you need, lessons and what you should know before going all from the perspective of a fellow newbie.
Newbie Chronicles II – First Day
Getting a season pass or lift ticket
Prior to purchasing a season pass or lift ticket you should look online to find which option suits you best. A pass is great if you want to ski or snowboard multiple days, while a lift ticket allows you access to the slopes on the day of purchase. There are a lot of different season pass options, so I would suggest comparing your options here first.
At Blue, you can order season passes or lift tickets in advance online for the best deal on pricing. If you order a lift ticket you can choose to collect them on resort or have them delivered to your home. If you order the pass or lift tickets online then choose to pick up you need to bring a piece of ID with you when getting them. Note that all season passes require completion of a waiver each season.
Rentals
You can find rentals inside Activity Central by the Silver Bullet ski lift or downstairs at South Base Lodge (Or walk confused in circles through the snow like me). Make sure you sign the waiver on the iPads at rentals before renting your stuff. At Blue you can rent everything from boots, helmets, gloves, poles, skis or board to snow pants, gloves and goggles. Blue’s got your back. There are lockers for a small fee to keep your belongings safe while you head out on the hill.
Tip: When walking in ski boots walking heel to toe is the best way to do it and side steps on stairs. (But avoiding stairs is recommended.)
The Newbie Circuit
You’ll find the Newbie Circuit by following the signs or asking one of our friendly staff members.
There are two start points; one for skiers and one for snowboarders. The stages work through 1 – 4 starting at the real basics to the ‘Graduate’ hill.
I walked over to the ski sign. The instructor, dressed in blue and yellow, talked me through putting on equipment and then gave a quick talk regarding the basics of what we were about to practice.
The most valuable lesson of the day was The Pizza! (or snow plow, whichever you want to call it). This skill helps you slow down. You’ll make some progress and make it on to the magic carpet which is a conveyer belt that takes you up the bunny hill. At the top of the carpet there will be another instructor who you can practice stopping and turning with.
If you need a break you can take advantage of the ski valet for your rentals, simply drop your skis off, like coat check, and make your way to Grand Central Lodge to grab a hot chocolate or some après. Or I would highly recommend getting a ski key so you can lock your equipment at one of the available ski racks for safe keeping if you choose not to use the valet.
Thoughts and feelings
What I love the most about this experience is how understanding everyone was of being a newbie. As someone who has no idea what they are doing (skiing and through life) it was refreshing to be able to make mistakes in a place where you feel you’re not going to be judged. Also, I’m proud to say that I didn’t fall on my first lesson! Oh yeah.
You can find a lot of information regarding pricing and further details on our website. www.bluemountain.ca. Make sure you’re following my journey on Instagram @bluemtnresort and on YouTube @bluemountainresort
Stephen, The Newbie.