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If you’ve never tried skiing or snowboarding before, you should definitely add it to your ‘to do’ list this winter.
Hitting the slopes is a great way to get fit and meet new (hot!) people in some of New Zealand’s most stunning environments.
Learning Ideally, team up with a friend who is also keen to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time. You will spend a lot of time on your butt, so you need to be able to laugh at yourself and each other. It is well worth getting a lesson, at least on your first day. If you can afford it, book a private lesson with an instructor. The one-on-one attention will have you swishing down the slopes in style much quicker. Whatever you do, don’t get your partner to try to teach you. Like learning to drive, it often ends in tears.
Gear Don’t buy an expensive set of gear before you even know if you love skiing or boarding. You can hire gear at all of the commercial fields, and the rentals staff will make sure everything is adjusted to fit you properly. Another option is to hire gear from an outlet in a town near the ski field. This is often cheaper, but means you have to be able to transport the gear up and down the mountain.
Clothing It can get extremely cold up ski fields, but that shouldn’t bother you if you are properly dressed. As a general guide for a day up the mountain, wear or bring:
Waterproof, windproof jacket and pants
A woollen or polar fleece jersey
Polypropylene or merino tops and long johns
Two pairs of warm socks
Woollen hat, water resistant gloves
Goggles or sunglasses
A change of clothes for the end of the day
You might look like a candidate for Downsize Me’with all of this on, but so will everybody else! You can hire jackets and waterproof pants from most places that hire gear, and some places also hire gloves and goggles.
Food Food at ski fields is pricy, so if you are on a budget, bring your own. A hot lunch can be like a godsend on a cold day up the mountain so it may be worth splashing out for this but bringing your own snacks and drinks. You will work up a good appetite from all the physical activity, so pack generously. Plan Ahead Even with the right clothes, skiing and snowboarding are a lot less pleasant on wet, windy days, so check the weather forecast before you go. Most of the big fields provide regularly updated weather reports on their websites. Most importantly, don’t forget your sunscreen! The sun reflecting off the snow is fierce, and burnt cheeks with goggle-shaped pale patches are not the most beautiful look to impress the hotties with when you hit the bar at the end of the day!
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should definitely add it to your ‘to do’ list this winter. 
Learning
Waterproof, windproof jacket and pants