What material is needed?
You need a pair of skis and also a pair of sticks. Then because in winter it is rather cold a pair of gloves and also a cap is requiered to protect your ears. Then you need a pair of special shoes which go into the fixations of your skiis. To guarantee a good stability this shoes are rather hard, so that they aren`t as comfortable as a pair of normal shoes. Not an obligation is a good pair of trousers and a jacket which give warm and protect you from the wind, because when you drive a little bit fast the wind can make you feel a little bit cold. For beginners it isn`t requiered to buy all this things, because material is really expensiv. In most of the good sport shops, material can be rented for a good price.

What people can practice this sport?
This sport is a sport which can be practiced nearly by everbody. There also are no age limits.

Where can this sport be practided?
Skiing is a sport, which can be practiced everywhere there is enough snow, that meens mostly during the wintertime. But there are also stations which are enough high, so that you can ski all the year long. This is the case at places where there is a glacier for example. For beginners it is requiered to drive on the pists which have been prepared by professional people. When you get a higher level then it is also possible to drive beside the pists in the new snow. This is a totally other feeling of driving, but it can be very dangerous and has to be learned carefully, because the risk of avalanches is very high. When you want to go driving beside the pists then you have to inform you at the station about the actually snow situation and about the avalanche danger. Here a few basic rules you should always respect when you go skiing beside the pists. But they also can be useful when you drive on the pists:
? Never drive alone. If you should have an accident and you are alone then nobody is able to get help for you.
? Control your material before starting your trip, because a material defect can be very dangerous.
? Always take a barryvox with you ( a Gerät which is sending out accoustic signals for the case you should be taken of an avalanche. This accoustic signal enables the searcher to localise a person in the avalanche and to find you quicker what can save your life. )
? Check the weather forecast the day before and only go when the weather is really good. Bad weather in the mountains can be enourmously dangerous.
 

How and where can it be learned ?
In most of the ski stations there are schools with professional teachers, where you can learn skiing. For beginners it will be better to visit a few courses. You will have more pleasure later because when you have learned it well the risk of falling down is not so high and you won’t injure you. Each country has an school association where you can ask for courses. You also can ask at the tourism office of the station where you are. They often can give you the best information. There often are also special courses for advanced people which want learn to drive beside the pists ( see up ) or also for children.