For me, downhill skiing is a passion that has pretty much crowded out all other winter activities. I can't seem to get out enough. I didn't grow up skiing, though, so I'm envious of my friends who've been skiing since about the age of 5 and make it look so easy (that's you Sandie and Craig!). Naturally, I'm forever trying to improve my skiing so I can keep up with these clowns, er, friends... To ski a tighter line, carve a sweeter turn, take those bumps with, well, just make it down the damn bumps!

Better skiing doesn't just happen, however. You've got to work at it, for sure. But it's fun, and worth it when more of the mountain becomes your own.

Check out these 5 Secrets of Great Skiers and find out how to really make it happen:

1. Hang out with better skiers. This is soooo true! A few years back, after 10 years of skiing, I had definitely plateaued. I could ski most or all of Sunday River or Sugarloaf, but often struggled on the steeper, harder stuff. But then I hooked up with Shaun and Lori, a couple of really (I mean really) good skiers, who skied everything, everywhere, anytime, in the trees and out. In a single season, my skiing ability--and my enjoyment--took a quantum leap forward. And I've never looked back. Tag along with good skiers, watch them, follow behind and learn. It'll make a huge difference.

2. Don't be cheap when it comes to gear. You know you're skiing on old equipment when: You're in the lift line and people are looking down at your straight, narrow skis and chuckling and pointing at you. Ok, fine. Or, at Park City, you look up outside the mountain's ski shop and there's a set of skis just like yours, mounted to the wall as a decoration! I get it. I retired my beloved Rossignol's soon after and bought some cool, new Salomon shapes. They're awesome and totally worth the big price tag. Whoa! Now I get to laugh and point fingers at others with their old, crappy skis. Hah!

3. Ski all day and in many different conditions. If you're following #1, it's likely that you'll be doing this anyway. Bumps, trees, crud, whatever. Good skiers that I know ski it all, all day. They live to get as much skiing in as possible, no matter the weather or the conditions, and like to be the last one into The Bag in the afternoon. Makes the beer tastes better or something like that. Besides, could anything be better than riding the last chair to the top of Sugarloaf and watching the setting sun turn the Bigelows and the Crocker Mountains pink and orange as you set off down an empty trail for that last glorious run.

4. Buy and study the latest ski movies at home. There's nothing like a Warren Miller movie to get you all pumped up for skiing! The mountains are spectacular, the runs incredible, and you can certainly learn a thing or two about technique by watching the best skiers in the world.

5. Stay in shape in the off season. I love to hike and backpack and mountain bike throughout the spring, summer and fall, which keeps the legs in decent shape. And paddling helps keep the arms in reasonably good condition. Beer helps too. I'm not sure exactly sure how, but it does. I just know it.