Getting Back on Skis After 20 Years

There is a generation of Yorkshire skiers who learned at Sheffield Ski Village, or on the dry slopes at Halifax, or in school trips to Aviemore in the 90s. Many of them haven’t skied since. Their kids have grown up. They have a bit more time, a bit more money, and a memory of something they used to enjoy a lot.

If that is you, this is written for you.

What has changed

The equipment is the biggest change. If the last time you skied was the 1990s, the skis you used had different proportions and a different shape. Modern skis are shorter for your height, wider underfoot, and shaped differently, all carve-friendly and significantly more forgiving than the straight skis you probably learned on.

You will actually find it easier to ski now than you did then. That is not a pep talk, it’s a fact of how ski design has evolved. The sport is more accessible to intermediates and returners than it has ever been.

Helmets are now the default, not the exception. In the 90s almost nobody wore a helmet. On a modern slope or modern chairlift, you will stand out if you don’t. Get one. This is non-negotiable if you have kids who are also skiing with you.

Lift passes are more expensive, in real terms, than they were. Nothing to be done about this, but budget for it realistically.

What hasn’t changed

The fundamentals of skiing are unchanged. Parallel turns still work the way they did. Weight on the downhill ski. Looking where you want to go. Keeping your hands forward. Everything you learned at Sheffield Ski Village is still correct. It’s in your legs, even if you think it isn’t.

The muscles have to remember what they know, which takes longer than you would hope. Give yourself at least a morning on indoor snow before any proper trip.

Where to start

If you’re in Yorkshire, the starting point is Snozone Yorkshire at Xscape Castleford. Real snow, a quiet weekday session, maybe an hour’s private lesson if you want a sanity check from an instructor. That is the single most useful thing a returning skier can do before booking an Alps trip.

Halifax Ski and Snowboard Centre is a reasonable alternative if Castleford is too far, though it is Snowflex rather than real snow. It will feel different to what you remember from the old Dendix days; Snowflex is softer and more forgiving.

If you learned at Sheffield Ski Village specifically, there is currently nowhere operational at Parkwood Springs. Regeneration plans are active and may yet bring skiing back to the site, but for now it is closed. The Sheffield Ski Village history piece covers what happened if you want the full story.

Kit: start cheap, then upgrade

You don’t need to buy all-new kit to return. For your first session back:

Borrow or hire skis and boots. Boots especially: your feet have probably changed in 20 years and trying to fit old boots will hurt you.
A waterproof jacket you already own will usually do for indoor snow. You will warm up fast.
Get proper ski socks. Thin, long, not cotton. Do not use hiking socks.
Helmet and gloves are worth buying new. Helmet for safety. Gloves because old ones will be cracked and useless.

Only after a session or two should you start thinking about jackets, pants, skis or boots of your own. You’ll have a better sense of what you actually need once you’ve been back on snow.

What to expect from your first Alps trip back

Book for a whole week, not a long weekend. You’ll spend the first day and a half finding your legs. Rushing the return will make it feel harder than it is.

Go with people you can be slow with. A group that’s ready to attack blacks on day one is not the right group. Friends, family at a similar level, or a beginners’ package holiday are the better options.

Accept that you will be tired in the first few days. Your knees, thighs and lower back have been on a very long break and are going to be asked to do a lot of work again. Plan an easy evening on day two. Don’t try to ski six hard days straight until you’ve tested yourself on two.

Is it worth coming back

For most lapsed skiers I’ve spoken to, yes. The sport is more enjoyable than you might remember, the equipment is better, the process of returning is simpler than you expect. The main barrier is mental, committing to a trip for the first time in a long time, and that barrier is lower than it feels.

If you used to ski and haven’t for a decade or two, book a weekday morning at Snozone Castleford and see what comes back. You’ll know within an hour.