Many people believe that maintaining your balance is a big part of mastering skiing. However, they fail to realize that skiing is an adventure sport in essence that holds different elements together in just a single thrill of skiing. After all, if you are skiing from a certain spot A to B, you must reach that spot with all your ski gear.
So naturally, carrying ski equipment safely, without bumping into anyone or dropping stuff everywhere, is a major part of the sport, with many people struggling to do it right. But nothing to worry about as every ski junkie has been there, and with the help of the right steps, you can master the technique too.
Top 5 Ways You Can Ideally Carry Your Skis
In case you haven’t noticed, skis can be very heavy. To add their length to the equation of finding a comfortably ideal way of carrying your skis, you have got yourself a task. A seasoned ski professional has all these tricks mastered while regular folks like us try our best to keep it together and wonder, “I should have seen a YouTube tutorial for this.”
So gear up as we breakdown our favorite five ways to carry skis and turn you into a pro at it:
1. Carrying Your Skis on One Side
One of the most commonly used methods of carrying skis is of carrying them on your side. It does emphasize the weight over a single shoulder and bicep. However, it is just as easy to keep switching over until you reach your destination.
So the best way to make it safe and comfortable for you to carry is by aligning the two skis parallel with their bases together and brakes interlocking. Ensure the outside ski and feel for the meridian point that will hold the weight balance of your ski.
Now strap it up tight and add a piece above and below for some extra stability and binding. Now try picking it up to your side and switching over the sides to check if it is convenient to do so and comfortable either way.
2. Carrying Skis on Your Shoulders – Banded Together
Many pro skiers carry their skis on their shoulders. It looks tricky to master as someone who is just starting to get the hang of it. However, it sure is a good way of carrying skis on an uphill hike as it frees your hands in case of an accident.
The idea of carrying skis like this is to distribute the weight evenly and balance the pair on your shoulders. So the best way to do this is by binding the skis same as we mentioned above and checking the balance of the skis according to their weight.
Place your skis as per the balance point you have discovered and ensure that they aren’t sliding off. You can use one arm to hold them in place initially as you learn to master this technique and use the other to carry your poles and boots along with you.
3. Carrying Skis on Your Shoulders – Individually
Just as you can carry your skis strapped together on your shoulders, you can carry them individually on both shoulders. It is a bit tricky job because you have to be hyper-vigilant of your surroundings as your skis are dangling on your shoulders.
However, the best way that many people seem to get by is called the “X method.” So as the name suggests, you crisscross the tip of your skis in front of your face while the remaining part goes across your neck and takes support from your shoulders.
It is seemingly dangerous because ski ends are sharp. Having them openly pointing upwards on your shoulders while you have your back to anyone behind you requires a bit of caution from all parties involved.
4. Carrying the Pole and Ski Tie Up
This one is an innovative way of carrying your skis, and it is just as easy to achieve as the ones we have mentioned above. All you have to do is use multiple straps and use them pair up with your poles. Use at least three straps for a good grasp according to the weight balance.
The idea here is to use the pole as a handle to carry your skis. Hence, the first step would be binding and interlocking the skis as we described in the first method. Next, put the tips of your skis through the wrist straps of your pole.
Now slowly pick up the tie-up you have created and check if it balances out the weight and holds tight. Chances are that it will, and you have a new and easy way of carrying your skis. The only downside? Ski veterans make fun of this way because it is a rookie way of doing things.
5. Carrying Your Skis over Your Backpack
Many skiers want their hands to be free for carrying other ski equipment or just completely free as they hike to safeguard themselves in case of a fall. Hence, carrying your skis in your backpack is the perfect way to keep your hands completely free.
Obviously, the backpack would carry all the stuff, and as for skis, you can strap them over your backpack vertically. This is called the “A method.” It perfectly tightens the skis over your backpack, distributing all the weight evenly on both sides of your frame.
It is also a great way of carrying skis for tall people because the skis are vertically adjacent to their height, making it far less dangerous for them and others around them. However, for a steep upward incline, you have to ensure your steps are measured.
Our Final Thoughts
Now you know how to ski and have also mastered one other essential element of skiing – carrying the skis like a pro. No matter what the veterans say about the rights and wrongs of carrying skis, the idea is to make it comfortable for you and safe for people around you. You certainly don’t want any hits, bumps, and scratches along the way. Cheers!
