We’ve all received unsolicited advice, and while some of it may have been helpful, most of it was probably bad.
(Photo: Keri Bascetta)
Updated June 9, 2026 10:07AM
Have you ever found yourself sitting on a lift looking below at skiers and thinking something along the lines of: he’s way too far over his toes, or listening to someone complain about their boots all day long, only to realize they’re a size and a half too small?
Like most growing pains in life, skiing requires plenty of feedback. Some of it is good, most unsolicited.
After I found myself struggling with a bit of vertigo on an especially low-light day and someone suggested to “close my eyes” while skiing, I decided to open the floor to ask SKI readers what the worst ski advice they’ve ever heard was.
As it turns out, and likely to no one’s surprise, there’s a lot of bad advice out there.
Don’t think, send it!
“Just point them down, you’re athletic, you’ll be fine. I wasn’t,” but thankfully it all turned out for the best as the commentator noted he took some lessons and eventually became part of ski patrol. -Robin Sparer via Facebook
“Ski, really fast, if something gets in your way, turn!” -Wes Hunter via Facebook.
“You’ll be fine, I promise. It’s not as hard as it looks.” -@Redheadmomentum via Instagram
“You will be fine in the trees on those 210s.” -@Cehorle via Instagram
Related: The 11 Best Ski Helmets of 2026
The best advice for handling the lodge…
“Make sure you hit the lodge at noon for the lunch special.” -@ejmoto via Instagram
“There are no stairs to get to the bathroom.” -@Jonsapadennavarro via Instagram
Our friends at Yoga Journal also added that “You don’t need to stretch after skiing,” and while it may be tempting to stretch our après-ski Aperol Sportz muscles, stretching our actual tired muscles is far more important.
Keep reading: The World’s Greatest Stretch for Skiers Who Don’t Stretch
Ski boots are the best part
“I’m not trying out for the Olympics. I just want to ski all day and be able to feel my feet and not hurt. I’m a pleasure skier, not a competition skier.” -@Jscottbarker put via Instagram
“Save money, they have ski boots at the thrift store.” -Bruce Platt via Facebook
Mountain guides…
“I was once off piste with a French instructor. He didn’t say much, so we asked him to share some guidance and provide feedback. He did nothing of the sort until we reached a very steep place. Then he stopped and said, “Now I’ve got one piece of advice for you. Don’t fall here because you will never stop again.” -Timo Klindt Bohni via Facebook
Honorable mentions
“Kiss the chairlift said my brother to me when I was very little on a cold day.” -@Larafayerose via Instagram
“Don’t ski down the stairs in the house. You’re only 2 years old. I did. They couldn’t stop me.” -Carol Ackerman via Facebook
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!
