By Shana Helps
People who have never been skiing or snowboarding can overcome their fears of these sports this winter.
All of Utah''s mountain resorts have beginner programs, said Kip Pitou, president of Ski Utah. However, Sundance may be the least intimidating because of the friendly atmosphere.
'All the other resorts have terrific programs,' Pitou said. 'Certainly for a learning snowboarder or skier, they''re all the same because they''re going to be on something easy.'
Utah''s 14 resorts all plan to open later this month or in December, dependent on snowfall.
'We live in such a beautiful area of the country to enjoy the mountains,' said Cindy Allen, Beaver Mountain secretary.
Skiing is one of the least dangerous sports, and all Utah resorts have skiers'' liability risk programs, Pitou said.
'Injuries certainly occur,' he said. 'You take a risk like you do with any sport.'
There were 47 fatalities among skiers and snowboarders in 2000, according to The National Ski Areas Association Web site. Thirty-five were skiers and 12 were snowboarders.
Wearing a helmet will help prevent injuries, Pitou said. While it will not solve every problem, a helmet gives protection at a certain speed level. Safety equipment is available when renting other gear, he said.
Most of Utah''s resorts have terrain parks, which are managed areas with built-in obstacles, he said. They include half pipes, rails, jumps, bumps and more.
Beginners should just try the sports, said Dan Malstrom, Brighton marketing director. Learning snowboarding is about balance, while learning skiing is about technique.
'Snowboarding is a lot easier to learn in the long run, but in the short term it''s easier to ski because you have two feet down,' Malstrom said. 'In snowboarding you get on the one plank and you have to learn how it balances.'
Snow resort workers echoed the same advice for beginners: take lessons from a professional.
Teachers are better guides than friends during the initial practice, said Connie Marshall, Alta public relations director.
'If that first experience is negative, they don''t really come back and give it a try,' she said.
First-time skiers or snowboarders should not make decisions after going only once, Allen said.
'You''ve got to go back a couple of times,' she said. 'I''m a skier and I tried boarding. I don''t like it. It hurts when I fall, but I went a few times.'
Going to ski school is a great way to get started, said Christa Graff, Deer Valley communications manager.
'Then you have a professional giving you tips and the confidence you need,' she said.
People can rent snowboards specifically designed for beginners, and learn how to use them from an expert, said Dave Fields, Snowbird public relations director.
'Friends are not really well equipped for teaching others,' he said. 'Once you have a lesson then you can go out and do it on your own, and you''re moving in the right direction rather than reinforcing bad habits.'
Beginners should look forward to learning to ski, instead of being apprehensive, said Scott Nyman, Sundance ski school director. Friends usually just make the first experience stressful.
'A lot of times their friends, their roommates will say ''oh I''ll teach you,'' and over the years we''ve observed most of the time friends teaching friends doesn''t work,' Nyman said. 'Both the student and the teacher end up very frustrated.'
Multiple lessons can also be helpful.
'In order to truly understand and enjoy the sport it takes more than one day,' said Gene Gatza, Elk Meadows general manager. 'Lifetime sports such as skiing, riding, playing golf or tennis take time to develop.'
Beginners should get the fundamentals from a first lesson, then ski or snowboard for a while, after which they should take another lesson, said Jay Burke, Solitude marketing director.
Sinking in the snow and getting used to sliding on it is helpful, said Kelley Siefert, The Canyons public relations coordinator. Beginners should not be afraid of the mountain.
'Once you get the hang of it, there''s no recreation quite like it,' Siefert said.
Twenty-five percent of Alta, which does not allow snowboarding, is for beginners, Marshall said.
'The top of our whole canyon was carved out by glaciers, which tends to make a lot of wide-open bowl skiing,' she said.
Thirty-five percent of Beaver Mountain is beginner terrain, Allen said. While there is advanced terrain, the resort focuses on beginning and intermediate runs.
Brian Head''s Navajo mountain is dedicated to the beginner, said Alissa Nourse, sales manager.
Brighton''s beginner ski school aims to have people turning after the first lesson, Malstrom said.
'Oh yeah, we''re the kings. We''re where Utah learns to ski and ride and continues learning,' he said.
The Canyons has a beginner''s terrain park, Siefert said. There is an area designated for first-time skiers and snowboarders.
'The learning area provides terrain designed to make learning to ski and snowboard the fun experience it''s meant to be,' Siefert said.
Fifteen percent of Deer Valley, which does not allow snowboarding, is beginner trails, Graff said. They are unique because they are not all at the bottom of the mountains, she said.
Elk Meadows has small groups, which allows for a personal learning environment, Gatza said. Beginners could take several private lessons throughout the season from 'older instructors that have taught here for years, rather than young kids hustling up a buck,' he said.
Nordic Valley has a gently sloping hill, said Ray McNeely, president. There are no trees, boulders or other impediments. The run is not so long that skiers will be petrified at the top of the mountain, he said.
'We''ve been told that we have the best beginning hill in the state,' McNeely said.
Park City Mountain''s instructors tailor their lessons to meet individual needs, said Michelle Palmer, communications manager.
Snowbird''s Chickadee Bowl, a nearly flat zone with little traffic, is dedicated to beginners, Fields said. There is also a beginner terrain park.
'People who''ve seen terrain parks in magazines or in ski movies might want to try out these little jumps,' Fields said.
Solitude''s less crowded mountain makes it easy to learn on, Burke said.
Sundance has beginner terrain, and is close to BYU, Nyman said.
Non-holidays, when there is little crowding, and non-stormy days are the best time for a beginner, he said.