Skiing

The frosty air, spectacular mountains, and the feel of gliding over fresh soft snow – there’s nothing quite like skiing.

This hugely popular winter sport is a favourite pastime for many Australians, making the trek to the mountains here, across the ditch, and around the world for the thrill of the perfect run.

And if you can’t enjoy the actual activity all year round, you can at least read about it. There’s a wide range of skiing books available online with Booktopia, so you can dream about those perfect tree runs any day of the year.

Skiing books from the pros
It’s easy to watch the pros zoom down mountains and flip their way into Olympic glory without knowing more about the struggles and battles that it took to get them there. With skiing books written by the world’s biggest names, we can learn more about who they are and what it took.

The Will to Fly is a fantastic read from Lydia Lassila, the Olympic champion who was the first woman to successfully perform the most dangerous manoeuvre of any acrobatic sport. This story has since been adapted into a feature documentary, showcasing this Australian legend’s rise to the top.

For an epic adventure of a different kind, try Unbound. This autobiography chronicles the story of Steph Jagger, an overachieving woman who packed up her ordinary life and threw it all in for the goal of skiing four million vertical feet in one year.

Instructional skiing books
It is said the skiing is easy to learn and hard to master, but try telling that to someone on their first day on skis. Fortunately, there are plenty of skiing books to help you get your head around the basics, as well as advanced guides to help you progress.

The New Encyclopedia of Downhill Skiing is a great place to start. It promises a range of advice and information for novices, intermediate skiers, and experts. It offers advice for improving your skiing within just a few hours, explains when you need to upgrade your skis, makes suggestions for avoiding injuries, and provides tips on getting ski boots that fit perfectly.

For skiers with older joints and muscles, Soft Skiing is a great guide to continuing to enjoy the sport through the years. It contains practical, easy-to-follow tips from a renowned ski instructor, and helps readers lessen the strain on their bodies while still enjoying this fantastic winter sport.