[Torture]

Well...I've been skiing for....who knows how many years...probably 15ish...since I was a little kid.

Like a lot of people have said...Snow Plow (the pizza slice!). Snow Plowing you can ski pretty much anything (I've seen little kids go down mogul runs, or anything in a strong snow plow)

Once you get better you can get parallel, but start with the snow plow.

Lean forward! Don't lean back on your skis, you have better control leaning forward.

Wear a helmet. Seriously, they don't look bad....they're warm, and it's the smart thing to do. I'm a double black skier, I ski all over the place, (but don't do a whole lot in the park) and I always wear a helmet.

Don't wear jeans! It'll be one of the most uncomfortable experiences of your life.

Rent the day before you go from somewhere like Ski Cellar. You can pick it up on the way out of Calgary, and you'll get much better gear, for a more reasonable price.