How to know a good Skier

Whenever you are learning something new there is a period where you are taking longer to do the task.  I went skiing for a day when I was visiting my family in Colorado, and noticed this taking place as I watched people about to ski.  If you have been skiing you know walking in ski boots you get snow compacted on the bottom of your boots.  A experienced skier can get this snow off the boot very efficiently before they put the boot in the binding.  I ski about once a year and it took me a couple minutes to get the snow off my boots.  I watched other people and other people had similar trouble.  The easiest thing to do is to brace yourself with the poles and kick the bottom of your boots on the bindings. 

Then as you are skiing you can tell a good skier if they can go fast with comfort and make nice turns.  The faster with ease the better.  I think knowing how to ski in different types of snow is also a measure of the quality of the skier.  I was talking to Toby and he said when you are going over lots of powder you need to lean way back.  This is opposed to bending your knees and leaning into the turns.  It will start to burn after a little while in your quadriceps, so it may be necessary to stop.  The more in shape you are the longer you can ski without stopping.  Newer skiers need lots of breaks and lots of time to catch their breath.  The thing you don't realize is when you are in the mountains there is actually less air to breath.  So you are sucking wind and there is less wind to breath!  It isn't easy...