Research By Iglu Ski Reveals Most Skiers Learn In Their 20s,

Research by Iglu Ski reveals significantly more people learn to ski as an adult, as opposed to when they are a child or teenager. In fact, 60% of survey respondents started skiing over the age of 20, with almost 34% skiing for the first time between the ages of 20 - 29 and 13% between the ages of 30 - 39.

Dig a little deeper, and the survey also revealed older adults have been choosing to hit the slopes for the first time over the last 60 years, with the average age of the beginner skier increasing from just 5 to 9 years old in the 1950s to a peak of between 30 - 39 in the 2010s

However, more recently, the average age of the first time skier has been getting younger, with 26 to 34 now the average age of people skiing for the first time.

What are the top 4 tips for adults learning to ski for the first time?

Of course, it’s not just about looking forward to glorious sunshine, beautiful scenery, and crazy après. Understandably, adults looking to ski for the first time have some concerns.

• Get dry slope lessons before hand. Commit to two or three sessions at a UK dry slope before heading to the real mountains, to get a feel for all the equipment, and start to understand the basics.
• Make sure you’re prepared. Depending on the time of year you go, the temperature can easily change from plus 10 degrees to minus 10 degrees and glorious sunshine to full on snow storm, so make sure you go fully prepared with the right gear.
• Ski with people your own ability. Either book a private instructor, or join a beginners’ group class, so you are not holding up your more expert chums. It’s easy to get together after lunch on the lower slopes, to show off your new skills, and as the week goes on, to go up higher to join the others.
• Choose a ski resort with lots of beginner friendly runs. This is important, particularly for when you’re ready to move off of the nursery slopes and want to get more of the full skiing experience. Pick a resort with a great variety of runs for beginners. You can look up a piste map for any resort online. Make sure you can see lots of green and blue runs, which will give you the opportunity to explore the mountain once you feel comfortable doing so. 
• And for those keen to après, make sure the bars you want to go to are on a blue or green run back down, or there is a gondola nearby for you to get a lift down if you need to, otherwise you’ll be sliding back down on your bum!

What are the experiences of those who have learnt to ski as an adult?

Iglu Ski asked some of their survey respondents to say a bit more about their experience learning to ski as an adult.

JAKE

Jake Rogers, age 25, skied for the first time in 2024 with a group of friends. He told Iglu Ski: “Me and my friends think [skiing] is the best type of holiday for people in their 20s and 30s. It would mean so much if we could keep on going together well into the future”. 

“I’ll never forget the first slope that I completed - we all said how we felt on top of the world. Skiing is one of the most unique things I’ve ever done, and to do it with friends was just one of the best things I’ll ever do. That and the après - “it’s unlike any party experience and is an absolute must-do in life” 

LOUISE

Someone who champions the idea of skiing later on in life is 46 year old Louise Napier, who skied for the first time in Isola 2000 in 2024. She skied for the first time in her 40s so she could start skiing with her partner.

She “loved the overall ski experience”, citing “the weather, the beauty of the places, the long lunches, afternoon beers”, and of course, the skiing itself as the highlights of her trip.

ABI

Abi James is now in her 30s. As a millennial born in the 1990s, she started skiing aged 24.

She loved skiing, stating “the opportunity to do something different and be in a completely different terrain to usual” was a big part of the enjoyment.

She “loved partying in bars”, with plenty of visits to big sun terraces in the mountains and lots of live music - “après was one of my favourite parts of skiing”. 

“I’m also active, so learning another sport was exciting”, she explained. 

MATT

Matt started learning to ski because of his wife’s love of skiing. 

He loved that you could take the holiday at your own pace, with big long lunches on the mountain after a morning of lessons, and a few beers after an afternoon of practising his new-found skills.

“I really enjoyed my lessons and the fact that I could really feel myself progressing every day - much more than I would have done on my own. It was great that I could learn to ski with another member of the group who was at the same level (he also happened to be a first-time skier in his 40s!). The burgers on the mountain were also a highlight!”

Iglu Ski was established in 1998 by ski fanatic Richard Downs, who is Chairman to this day. Iglu is the UK’s largest ski travel agency, offering over 280 ski resorts across 18 countries and three continents. An independent agent, Iglu offers unbiased advice to find the right winter sports holiday for every guest. Their website includes handy snow reports and snow forecasts. In their history Iglu has provided holidays for almost 500k skiers and boarders. Crowned Online Travel Agency of the Year 2023 in the prestigious Agent Achievement Awards, Iglu is an ABTA-bonded travel agent selling ski accommodation and ATOL-bonded flight packages. Awarded the Platinum Trusted Service Award from Feefo in 2023 and 2024 with a 4.8/5 score from customers and a rating of ‘Excellent’ from Trustpilot reviews.