There is one goal I set every year (OK, to be honest just about every day) that we all should set and we all can do easily.

Get a friend into skiing or riding, and do it the right way.

The right way means supporting them from start to finish; make sure they have the right attire,
gear and attitude. Help them sign up for a lesson and for goodness sake no matter what – do
not teach them yourself. (Say it loud for the bros in the back who want to teach their new amore.
Pay for the lesson – it’s better for everyone).

January is the ideal month to do it because it’s Learn to Ski And Snowboard Month. Across
the nation, resorts of every size offer up deals for newbies, specials on tickets and even
chances to win prizes for those of us to bring a newbie along.

Here in Massachusetts, Friday is officially Learn to Ski and Ride Day, complete with a
Proclamation from our governor. Organized by the state’s Tourism group Visit Massachusetts,
the program has special offers at 11 ski areas on Jan 3 and all the way through Jan. 5. Details
on the deals are here: https://www.visitma.com/blog/2024/12/learn-to-ski-
2025/#:~:text=Learn%20to%20ski%20&%20ride%20weekend,Massachusetts%20Office%20of
%20Travel%20&%20Tourism, and advanced reservations are suggested.

And even if you cannot get out for those specials, almost every ski area has some kind of
learning package, complete with equipment rentals and often even an all-day lift ticket for after
lessons. www.skinh.com has many listed. If you cannot find one at your area of choice, give
them an old-fashioned phone call. They’ll hook you up.

A few things to help get your friends out there:

*Ski clothes are warm. Worn correctly (and you’ll help them be sure to), they should be fine in
almost all weather. And when you do get cold, base lodges are fun too.

*You are never too old to start skiing. Some doctors even feel adding a winter sport as you age
helps with your health overall; fighting things like osteoporosis. Plus, it’s fun to hoot and holler
like a teenager out there. It keeps you young.

*It takes a little time to learn to ski, but it’s worth it. Like golf, skiing requires some patience.
Newbies should not push themselves to ski with the long-timers. Rather, we long-timers should
adapt our day and ski where our newbie friends belong. After all, we want them to experience
one of the best parts of skiing: sharing it with fun friends.