Determining your skiing ability level can be challenging. Different people use various criteria to assess their skills—some equate speed with expertise, while others prioritize park techniques. This guide outlines skier levels from an all-mountain technical perspective, helping you navigate SkisNTrees’ website and determine your level for gear rentals or ski shop services.
Being a beginner skier can be daunting, but it’s also an adventure. If you’ve never skied before, you’re a beginner. However, beginners also include those who:
Ski green runs comfortably
Start to ski blues with parallel skis between turns or toward the end of a turn
Transitioning to intermediate skiing means greens feel easy, and you’re looking for a challenge on blues.
Intermediate skiers make up the largest skill group, ranging from novice to advanced intermediates. Here’s how they break down:
Novice Intermediate: Comfortable on greens and beginning to tackle blues.
Intermediate: Controls speed on blues and skis mostly parallel.
Advanced Intermediate: Confidently carves on blues and starts skiing blacks with control.
Note: Skiing a black diamond does not automatically make someone an advanced skier. Control and technique define your level, not just surviving the run.
In ski and rental shops, you will often be asked about your ability level. It can be difficult to determine whether you are an expert or an advanced skier. Unless you are absolutely certain that you qualify as an expert, choose advanced.
When the fate of your knees hang in the balance, there is no room for pride. Ski shops rely on the information you provide to set the DIN on your skis (the DIN determines how tightly your bindings are set). The higher your skill level, the tighter your bindings will be, making it more difficult to release from your skis. If your skis do not release when needed, you increase the risk of tearing ligaments in your knees.
Think of it this way:
If you rate your ability lower than it actually is, you might release from your skis more easily and end up with a few bruises. You can then have a technician adjust and tighten your bindings and off you go. On the other hand, if you overestimate your ability level, and not to be dramatic, but you can tear your knee to shreds. Ski technicians can’t fix your knees.
Expert skiers confidently ski black and double black diamond runs in control. They aggressively ski on all terrain and maintain advanced skiing techniques, skiing parallel except in extremely challenging conditions.
If you earn money through skiing—congratulations, you’re a professional (as per the standards set out on this site)!
Ski resort difficulty ratings are relative to their location. A black diamond in Ontario differs significantly from a black diamond in British Columbia. For this article, we use British Columbia’s big mountains as the standard.
Understanding your skier level helps improve your skills and ensures you get the right equipment and instruction. Here are a few quick beginner ski tips:
