Your skiing skill level is based on your ski experience and how well your technique has developed.
Accessing your ski ability will help to correctly identify where you are on the level scale. Of course, you will never stop learning and there is always room for improvement. Even the most novice and timid skiers will transform into confident and competent skiers through practice.
Everyone has different skills in different areas of skiing. These skiing skill level guidelines will not be able to describe your exact skill level, but the description will help you to get an idea of where you fall on the charts. Whether you have never been skiing before or whether you hit the slopes regularly, it will advantage you to accurately be able to pinpoint your ability level.
Why Know My Ski Skill Level?
Knowing your skill level can help you properly set realistic goals for yourself each time you hit the slopes. Having tangible goals to work towards keeps you accountable and for constantly improving and pushing your limits on the hill.
Knowing how to identify and describe your skill set can also help to properly place yourself into the right lesson level and avoid accidentally taking a repeat lesson or a lesson above your ski ability. This is especially helpful if you are taking lessons at different resorts which may have different level grades.
Another reason for knowing your ski ability is to determine which skis, bindings, and boots are the right style for you. Skis have varying technology that is built to make learning easy, or to help make your skiing more aggressive as you advance through the levels.
The Skiing Skill Levels
Most skiers will classify themselves as beginner, intermediate, or expert. But within these classifications are specific levels with specific skill sets. As you advance in skill set, you advance in skill level ability.
The beginner stages are easier and quicker to move through than the more advanced stages. Moving through beginner stages may even be accomplished in 3 days. However, if you are only spending only 3-4 days a season on the mountain, it may take multiple seasons to move through the beginner stages.
Beginner:
The beginner level contains those skiers who have never been on skis before or have only skied a few times. These are the critical levels in the learning process. At the beginner stage, new skiers learn how to stand without falling, stop without falling, straighten skis into a parallel position, and to gain distance down slope. They are taught how to use the edge of their skis for speed control and to make wedge turns in both directions.
Level 1: First time skiers who have never skied before.
Level 2: May have skied only once or twice before although some have gone more frequently but feel less comfortable and have not made significant progress yet. Skiers who have skied before at some point and can stop. They are able to perform a confident wedge and slight direction change. Novices who are able to do a wedge turn in both directions are able to stop but linking turns smoothly may be difficult.
Level 3: Confident novices who are able to stop and make round wedge turns on easy beginner green terrain trails.
Level 4: Cautious intermediate skiers who can link turns under moderate speed on green or easy blue trails. Almost parallel on green runs but are still in a wedge some of the time, or skiers can keep skis parallel. They are able to link turns with control and bring skis together and parallel at the end of the turn on green and easier blue runs. They may still be reluctant to increase speed.
>>Top 10 Men’s Beginner Skis
>>Top 10 Women’s Beginner Skis
Intermediate:
Intermediate skiers are comfortable skiing green and easy blue terrain at higher speeds with complete control and can navigate over varying snow conditions. These skiers may start attempting to ski more challenging steeper black diamond runs.
Level 5: Completely parallel with no wedge on all green runs, almost parallel with some wedging during turns on easy blue runs. Cautious on intermediate trails that are slightly steep or icy. Ski mostly parallel but may wedge or step to start the turns. Falls back on using wedges to begin a turn or to stop when on more difficult runs.
Level 6: Completely parallel on all blue runs, almost parallel on black runs. Starting to ski off piste, small moguls, and experimenting in beginner terrain parks. They are testing skills on varied terrain and in different types of snow conditions. They are able to use poles to initiate and make precise turns. At this level, skiers are often interested in learning and advancing to more challenging terrain to master variety of different types of terrain and snow.
Advanced:
Advanced skiers are confident on all mountain terrain and under less than ideal snow conditions. They can comfortably ski terrain park features (rails, boxes, jumps, etc.). Advanced skill level lessons focus on perfecting skiers’ technique and skiing under very challenging terrain conditions.
Level 7: Skiers confidently execute parallel turns and ski blue and blue/black groomed trails with controlled speed and rhythm. Starting to do experiment in the bumps, trees, and powder. Able to ski through intermediate terrain park. They are adept at adjusting the size and length of their turns and can ski on a variety of different types of snow and terrain. Stays in control. Seeks to improve overall proficiency.
Level 8: Skiers can ski all terrain confidently. Carving is natural on all groomed runs, both short and long turns. Confidently skiing moguls, trees and powder. Comfortable skiing all terrain parks. Mastery of technique on all terrain and snow conditions.
Expert:
Expert skiers have a fluidity to skiing. They have developed their own style after mastering all the basic techniques. They seek out the steepest and narrowest ski lines. They can ski backwards, go off jumps, and get good air time.
Level 9: Skiers enjoy the challenge of difficult ski trails and actually seek out the thrill of carving at speed down black runs. Aggressively take on moguls, steep lines, deep powder, and any black diamond terrain.
Summary
Of course, as mentioned, you won’t necessarily fit any of these levels perfectly. There are skiers who might be advanced or expert at certain skill aspects, but might be less adept at others. For example one skier might have great jibbing skills but not be as good going through trees in powder or visa versa.
But the hope is that this gives you a rough idea of where you fit.
Sometimes it can also be helpful to have a friend help you to assess your level (if you can trust them to be honest of course!), as it’s sometimes hard to assess ourselves.
Also worth re-mentioning is that progressing through the beginner phases is typically quite quick. Then going through the intermediate phases is a little slower. The advanced phases slower again.
Moving from an advanced to expert level takes the longest – and won’t even necessarily be achieved, even after many years of skiing. Achieving this level is not just a matter of time, but also a matter of continuously setting goals and pushing the envelope a little bit. Whilst going through the other stages is mostly a matter of time/experience (with the amount of time needed seriously reduced with good lessons/good technique) – going to the expert level takes a more conscious effort to get there.
Where do you identify your skill level?
