* Recreation. Skiing is simply a fun sport. It gets its participants out of the house during a time they normally would spend indoors. Hitting the slopes is just plain fun and making it down even the smallest of hills can be a real blast. * Skill development. Skiing in its most basic form is pretty simple, but to do the really fun stuff, there's a development of skills that's required. As people get better at the sport, the confidence building is incredible and they, too, can try their hand at the more "challenging" slopes. * Fairly easy to learn. Skiing does require some practice and an ability to maintain balance and get the feet to do what they're told, but all in all it's an easy sport to learn. There's not a 500-page rulebook or playbook to memorize and anything goes as long as the trip to the bottom results in a safe run. Those who excel in the sport can even add their own style to a downhill run, making the sport that much more fun. * The view. What can beat the view from a snow capped mountain in the middle of winter? Not much! At least that's what many a ski lover says. The views from the lifts themselves can be even more incredible. * Exercise. Skiing is a great sport for building up muscle and helping with endurance. No matter the reason a skier cites, the plain fact of the matter is that skiing is a passion shared by millions the world over. The sport is fun, challenging and not impossible to learn. With a little time, almost anyone can master the basic movements and move on to more challenging runs if they so choose.