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skiing-clothing-basics-for-the-beginner

Skiing Clothing Basics for the Beginner

Downhill skiing is one of the most popular winter sports in
the country. Every year, almost seven million Americans hit
the ski slopes. This dwarfs by a factor of three other
winter sports such as cross country skiing and ice hockey.
Only the ever increasing in popularity sport of snowboarding
comes close with a little over six million snowboarders in
the country.

Skiing is a great all around exercise. It's excellent for
strengthening the upper leg muscles such as the thigh as
well as the lower calf. A season of skiing will strengthen
the shoulders and back and will help to trim your stomach.
Skiing is also excellent aerobically. Experts estimate that
an adult skiing with moderate effort, will burn anywhere
from 300 to 500 calories an hour.

But in addition to its exercise benefits, Alpine skiing is
also an exhilarating sport. Nothing quite compares to it.
Olympic caliber skiers can top 80 miles per hour. But for a
novice, even skiing at 5 miles per hours is a thrill.

So what are the dressing basics for alpine skiing? There are
six essentials that every beginner should start with:

UV Rated Goggles or sunglasses - No, these are not just for
style, although stylish sunglasses are always cool. You need
sunglasses or goggles with a good UV protection rating. UV
light can do real damage to the eyes ranging from simple
sunblindness to major cataract problems. The best UV rated
sunglasses are 100%PRCTG% UV protective and most are relatively
inexpensive.

Hat - You can lose up to 80%PRCTG% of your body heat through your
head. Most heat, as we know by now, escapes through the
head. A good ski hat will keep you warm, even in the coldest
of temperatures. Some of the nicer hats will even have ear
protection.

Sunscreen - Skiing is a fun sport and you can easily spend
an entire day on the slopes and in the sun without realizing
it. Sunscreen serves the same purpose on a ski slope as it
does on a beach. On an especially bright and sunny day, you
can get a sunburn in as little as 20 minutes. A good
sunscreen will protect you from the sun's UV radiation and
from sunburn.

Gloves or mittens - to keep hands warm. If you want the
best, you can pay well over %100 for a good pair of ski
gloves. You'll want gloves that breathe well, are flexible,
with some water proofing, and that are warm. Mittens are
generally warmer than gloves, but gloves are more stylish
and will do fine in most cases. Pick whichever you are more
comfortable with.

Jacket and pants - to keep warm and protect you from
hypothermia. The main feature you want in a ski jacket and
pants is that they are water proof. This usually means that
you want ones with a good polytetrafluoro-ethylene or PTFE
membrane. PTFE is often laminated to nylon and polyester
materials giving them excellent water protection but still
allowing them to breathe. Of course, you will want jackets
and pants that are warm and stylish also.

These are the minimalist clothing basics that every skier
should have in order to have the best experience possible on
the mountains.

Downhill or Alpine skiing is one of the most popular winter
sports in the country. So what are the dressing basics for
alpine skiing? There are six essentials that every beginner
should start with.

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