Updated August 1, 2025
There’s a lot of bad ski advice out there. Most of it comes from well-meaning people who just repeat what they’ve heard.
Some of it comes from cocky instructors, clueless gear techs, or that one guy on the chairlift who “used to race in Europe.”
But the worst ski advice I ever got?
“Size up your skis if you want to go faster.”
I was young. I was stupid. And I believed it.
How It Went Down
I was skiing on a mid-160s all-mountain ski and loving life. Then someone told me I’d “unlock more speed and stability” if I jumped up to a 184cm charger.
So I did. I actually bought a stiffer, longer ski, thinking I’d immediately become some GS god slicing down groomers like I had my own Red Bull helmet.
What actually happened:
I couldn’t turn. I hated the way it felt. I skidded everything and looked like I was on rentals from the 90s. And instead of skiing faster, I actually slowed down because I wasn’t confident.
This lasted a long time. An embarrassingly long time.
Lesson learned. Bigger is not always better. And if someone tells you to size up without asking about your skill, terrain, or body weight, you can safely ignore everything else they say.
Honorable Mentions for Worst Advice
“Just lean forward more.”
Great, thanks. Like that hasn’t been yelled at every beginner since 1972. Leaning forward without understanding pressure, edge engagement, or where your weight should be just makes people stiff and defensive.
“You need to ski powder on fat skis.”
Look, I love a good 110 underfoot. But if you’re not skiing aggressively, or if you’re mostly on resort terrain, you don’t need fatties. Too much float can make it harder to control your turns. Especially for lighter or newer skiers.
“You don’t need lessons once you’re intermediate.”
Wrong. Some of the best skiers I know take a private every season just to clean up their technique. Bad habits sneak in fast, especially if you ski alone or push yourself in the wrong way.
What Actually Helped
The best advice I ever got?
Buy boots that actually fit and take a lesson every once in a while.
Unsexy, I know. But when I finally saw a proper bootfitter and stopped using sloppy rentals, everything changed. My edge control improved. My confidence shot up. Skiing just felt easier.
And that lesson I booked “just to fine-tune things”? Turns out I was doing a few key things totally wrong. Fixed them. Never looked back.
Final Thoughts
Everyone has an opinion on skiing. That doesn’t mean it’s good. The trick is knowing which advice to take and which to quietly ignore while nodding politely on the lift.
If someone’s telling you to size up your skis, lean forward more, or skip lessons altogether, you’re probably better off trusting your gut.
Or better yet, just go ski and figure it out for yourself. That’s how most of us really learn anyway.
