A huge hill multiplied by freezing temperatures divided by hotshot teenage snowboarders might sound like a formula for intimidation. But if you put your fears on ice, you may just find that whooshing down the slopes is pretty darn fun. We asked 20-year Boston Mills Brandywine ski and snowboard instructor JoAnn Larsen her advice for beginners. Her first rule is to relax. Lots of people have sore shoulders at the end of the day because "they're freaking so much!" So take it easy and remember: The bunny hill is your friend.

1. Start small. Larsen recommends beginning on a flat portion of the hill. Practice sidestepping up the rise a little and then glide down. "The higher you go up a hill, the more gravity's pulling you down, and the faster you'll go," she says.
2. Always look ahead. "If you are traveling downhill, you have to realize that the skier or snowboarder in front of you has the right of way," Larsen explains. They can't see you, so keep your eyes up, not on the tips of your skis.
3. Skip the pie. Instructors used to tell beginners to place their skis in a wedge position, like a piece of pie, to control speed and direction.
   "The skis are differently shaped now," Larsen says. She recommends keeping skis shoulder-width apart and parallel.
4. Weave in and out. Imagine yourself as a car cruising down a steep mountain — you wouldn't drive straight down; you'd cut back and forth. Be the car. "The best way to get yourself down the hill is to think about making really wide turns," she says.
5. Stand tall. Don't crouch forward. "You want the center of mass to be starting your turn, as opposed to your shoulders," she says.
6. Be ready to fall. If you lean back on your skis, "what it does is actually accelerate them." If you're too far forward, it'll be harder to turn. When in doubt, just sit down on your butt and regroup.

Powder Crew

BOSTON MILLS

/ stats / Boston Mills offers six chair lifts, three black-diamond routes — including the park's most challenging slope, Tiger — and the same 240-foot vertical drop as Brandywine (Boston Mills' sister park). / why you should go / Open at 10 a.m. weekdays, it caters to the daytime skiers. You'll find the resort's only conveyor-style lift here. "A lot of people, especially beginners, really find it to be an easier introduction to being on a real lift," explains marketing manager Kim Laubenthal.
/ cost / $41; complete gear rentals are $28 7100 Riverview Road, Peninsula, 800-875-4241, bmbw.com

BRANDYWINE

Northeast Ohio's slopes cater to families, with rates and difficulty levels that are great for the casual skier. Here are three local favorites.

/ stats / With two terrain parks, snow tubing and late-night skiing and snowboarding (until 2 a.m.) on Fridays, this is the spot to see and be seen. / why you should go / The terrain park features jumps, ramps and rails for Northeast Ohio's would-be Shaun Whites. "Brandywine is where we concentrate our freestyle efforts," Laubenthal says. Skiers and snowboarders can hit the main park or the progression park, a less-intimidating introduction to freestyle action. / cost / $41; complete gear rentals are $28 1146 W. Highland Road, Sagamore Hills, 800-875-4241, bmbw.com

SNOW TRAILS WINTER RESORT

/ stats / The resort boasts a vertical drop of 300 feet and 60 acres of lit slopes. Plus, there are three snowboard terrain parks and snow tubing. / why you should go / These slopes were Ohio's first back in 1961. The site was a farm before it catered to thrill-seekers, says business manager Scott Crislip. "The buildings are kind of clustered together and have an out-West atmosphere to them." / cost / Weekdays, $33; weekends and holidays, $45; complete gear rentals are $29 31 Possum Run Road, Mansfield, 800-644-6754, snowtrails.com