FAQ
Bring warm, waterproof clothing! We have a guide for skiers and snowboarders to wear , a quick checklist for your first ski trip. The safest option is to wear multiple layers of light clothing, and then put on a waterproof ski jacket on the outside, because skiing is a sport, and the more you move, the warmer you will definitely get~
It depends on where you go. Hokkaido usually has enough snow from mid-December to early April for the cable car to open. However, it still depends on the local weather conditions and snowfall.
If you've never skied before, you definitely need to schedule lessons. If you can already connect turns, do snowplow turns, control your speed, and stop safely, you've passed the beginner stage. It's up to you whether you want to continue taking lessons, but if you want to improve your skills and challenge more difficult slopes, it's definitely a wise move to find a professional coach to help you.
You can browse Visnow's ski lessons to learn more.
For beginners, it is a little easier to stand steady and have a sense of balance when skiing with a double board, because your feet are separated, so you can control the direction more naturally, and you may get the hang of it faster in the first few days. For snowboard skiing, because your feet are fixed on the same board, you may fall more often when you are a beginner, but once you have mastered the basic movements, your progress will be faster and smoother.
So if you prefer a more stable start or only have a day or half a day to learn skiing, skiing may be suitable for you; but if you like challenges and have more than a day, and also yearn for a smoother feeling of movement later, snowboarding may be more attractive to you.
But the best way is to try both so you can find the one that suits you best!
Generally speaking, beginners are advised to take at least 2-5 days of lessons, so that they can master the basic movements and preliminary skiing skills, such as learning how to control speed, turn and stop safely. If you have more time, about 5 days can allow you to go from a novice to being able to ski more freely on the beginner slopes.
If you only ski for one day, you can usually learn:
Balance and Stance : Learn how to stand on the board correctly and find balance.
Gliding and Stopping : Learn how to glide and use the rear brake to stop.
A basic understanding of turning techniques : You will begin to try to learn how to turn, but it may not be smooth enough yet.
Falling and getting up skills : Since beginners often fall, the coach will also teach you how to fall and get up correctly, which is very important.
A one-day course can give you a basic understanding of skiing, so we call the one-day course "Experience Skiing".
It is not recommended to learn both snowboarding and skiing in the same class. The techniques and equipment for these two sports are very different, and the learning process is also different. It is best to focus on one, so that you can master the skills faster. If you really want to try both, you can take the snowboard course first, and then arrange to learn skiing on different days.
We recommend that you book as early as possible because appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis, and we are private coaches and do not accept multiple customers, so our coaching availability may be tight, especially during public holidays such as Christmas, the Gregorian calendar and the Lunar New Year.
Children as young as 3 can try skiing, but 5 is usually a good age to start skiing in ski school. No matter how good you are at skiing, we strongly recommend that you have a professional instructor teach your child so that they can learn the correct techniques in a safe environment, especially when practicing in the beginner area.
We also recommend waiting until children are a little older before trying snowboarding, as snowboarding requires a lot of core strength and coordination between the feet, legs and shoulders.
There’s a saying that goes, “Fit for skiing, not skiing to get fit!” If you’re looking to tone up your core before a ski session, we’ve got a super useful insider guide: The Ultimate Pre-Ski Gym Plan to help you get ready!