Sports are full of superstitions. In baseball, you’re never supposed to mention a perfect game as its happening. Some football players have very specific pre-meal games. Many hockey players are obsessed with putting on their pads exactly the same for every game. You’ll see athletes who refuse to wash specific articles of clothing, refuse to play a game without a specific piece of jewelry, or refuse to let anyone touch their gear. Traditions, curses, and rituals fill the world of sports, and skiing is no different. SRG Skiing broke down the most widely believed superstitions followed by skiers around the world.
Skiing Superstitions
- Evenly buckling your boots: Nobody’s feet are perfectly symmetrical between the left and right. Yet many skiers refuse to hit the mountains without even boot buckles, no matter how painful it may be. If they aren’t even, some believe their control and turns on the mountain will take a serious hit.
- Pole Taps: Many skiers tap their poles together before they send a run. It could be a superstition or it could be purely habit. For some it helps them focus. Others see it as a way of letting the people around you know that you’re about to drop. I don’t know why I started doing it, but I know I’d feel incredibly wrong if I didn’t.
- Never Call Last Run: Calling last run is a great way to have someone yell at you on the mountain. There’s no better way to welcome injury and suffering onto the mountain than saying “this is my last run” or “let’s hit that trail for our last run.” Instead, we generally say “2 more, skip the last.”
- Lucky Chair Numbers: This is often a more personal superstition, with some people believing that a specific number brings them luck. As such, getting on a chairlift with that number is inherently lucky.
- Snow Summoning Rituals: Turning toward the Norse god of snow, Ullr, is how many skiers call for snow when the slopes are dry. For some this means sacrificing old skis, for others it means simply praying for powder.
- Location Specific Superstitions: Some superstitions are dependent on location. On the way to Mount Hood in Oregon, for example, many refuse to make a single noise as they pass “Silent Rock” for fear of bringing bad luck.
- Other Superstitions: Superstitions are often deeply personal. I (and I’m not alone in this one) like to give the chairlift crew and ski patrols some candy when I see them for good luck.
