How To Prepare for Ski Season

Snow has started falling in the mountains, and for winter sports enthusiasts, that means only one thing: ski season is almost here. Unfortunately, not all of us are ready for deep, endless turns through fluffy fields of powder—aside from the fact that our gear has been collecting dust for six months, our legs aren’t in much better shape. If we’re going to enjoy ourselves on opening day, we need a good gear tune-up, along with a solid workout plan.

To help you get up to speed, we reached out to Olympic skier and half-pipe champion Alex Ferreira. The Columbia Sportswear athlete shared his best tips for how to get ready for ski season.

The first thing you need to do to get ready for ski season is prep your gear. Whether you’re a skier, snowboarder, or a cross country skier, this starts with a good tune-up. Don’t worry if you don’t have the right tools, Ferreira says. Most ski shops offer this service, as do most ski resorts. “Bring it into a shop and ask for a cleanup tune,” he explains. “They'll remove the burrs on the side of the edges and give you a full wax. They'll also put P-tex in the base wherever it needs it from hitting rocks or whatever. They'll basically give your skis a manicure.” It’s also helpful to give the rest of your gear a quick look over to make sure that everything is in place and working properly, he says. Check to see that all of the important pieces of clothing still fit and nothing is broken or torn—you don’t want to wait until you’re on the mountain to discover that a button has snapped off your jacket or a ski glove is missing. When you’re going through your checklist, don’t forget to pack a warm ski jacket, snow pants, gloves, baselayers, and a hat.

Looking for a bit of advice on how to choose the right gear? Look no further than Columbia's Tough Mother Outdoor Guide articles on shopping for a ski jacket and choosing the perfect snow pants.

Starting an exercise program ahead of ski season is the best way to get ready for winter. Combine strength-based exercises with a little cardio and you’ll be ahead of the game. In addition to having more fun on your next skiing trip, being in shape will reduce the likelihood of injuries.

According to Ferreira, there are five key factors to focus on when training for ski season:

• Core strength
• Glutes strength
• Cardio
• Flexibility
• Balance

While he recommends concentrating heavily on your core and glutes, he also stresses the importance of mobility. Skiers and snowboarders often forget this part of training, but stretching is one of the best things you can do to get in shape for skiing. The Olympic athlete says that he personally doesn’t hit the slopes without a “mandatory 20-minute stretch. Then you're all warmed up and you feel great.”

These five aspects of skiing of fitness also translate well into getting in shape for cross country skiing.