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The subtle skills of skidding the skis are more important for most skiers
than the skill of carving which is best enjoyed by advanced skiers who
want to go fast with control. Beginners should learn that tipping the ski
onto its edge will stabilize it on flat slopes and will make it easier to ski
through slushy snow. But never push novice skiers into carving – they
are still trying to fine-tune their balance and control.
When you start the turn on the ball of your foot, and turn just your foot,
not your whole body, you will create a skidding pivot. Practice will de-
velop the skills to control the skid to give you the right amount of 'slowing
down' while you do the turn. To pivot the
skis easily you must be able
Weight Transfer...
Earlier I mentioned that you balance with
the weight over your downhill foot. Actu-
ally when you turn, the body weight goes
from one foot to the other. You start the
turn by stepping your weight onto the ball
of the new foot. At this point you start to
turn that foot which will create a skid to
allow you to control your speed. It
sounds complicated, but it's actually quite
easy if you do it with the feet.
In past years I remember many animated discussions among ski pros
as to how much weight there should be on the downhill ski. (or foot).
The simple answer is that your body’s weight is carried on the downhill
foot while the weight of your uphill leg rests on the uphill foot. Leaving
the uphill ski on the snow helps in balancing, but it is important that there
is no extra pressure on this ski.
By transferring the body weight from one foot to the other foot, the mus-
cles in the unweighted leg have a chance to relax and rest. In ad-
vanced skiing it can be different, racers sometimes use a 50/50
weighting of the skis on flats and in soft snow, and sometimes skis are
weighted equally in deep powder for more flotation. It is really impor-
tant, however, that beginners and intermediates are taught to transfer
their body weight as they turn.
The Pole Plant Myth...
In the days of long skis, when you had to go down and up to unweight
them to start a turn, instructors would say, "bend your knees" and when
novice skiers did that their weight would usually go back especially as
boots got stiffer. To prevent this skiers were taught to reach forward and
plant their pole as they flexed their knees. This technique, introduced to
keep skiers balanced, became a poorly understood part of ski tech-
nique dogma. Even today many skiers think planting their poles helps
them turn, or gives them better timing or rhythm. But does it really? Is it
really necessary to plant your poles with today’s shaped skis? I don't
think so.
Seeing, not Looking...
A final tip: it's really important in skiing not to look at the
snow in front of you. You need to scan the slope well
ahead, to see the big picture. You can glance down, but
if you focus on the snow and lose sight of where you are
going, you will tense up. You'll see the snowwhizzing by
and feel like you are going a lot faster than you are. It
really spoils the fun of skiing.
The wonderful thing about skiing is that you can express
your own personality, you can be cautious or bold, you
can be aggressive or smooth. There are no scores to
keep, but endless challenges of snow and terrain. And
best of all, you can do it from a toddler to a grandparent.
As they say, skiing is not a sport, it is a way of life!
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ski ing for dummies 101
Winter 2012
Escarpment Magaz ine
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