Snow Skills

Skiing is a moving sport; you’ll improve your skiing only when you’ve become comfortable with new skills while on the move. I like the term ‘Moving Balance’ to describe the movements you use to stay balanced and athletic on skis while moving over uneven terrain. In Moving Balance, the position of the body in relation to the feet is critical to the getting the skis to turn with control and ease.

One of the best exercises to building moving balance is the Falling Leaf. With your skis across the slope, stand balanced on your uphill edges with slightly flexed ankles and knees. Simultaneously release your edges just enough to begin sideslipping and move your torso slightly ahead of your feet. You will begin to move forward diagonally to gravity; now move your torso slightly behind your feet and move backward diagonally to gravity. Begin to make alternating redirections that sweep forward and backward, similar to the manner a leaf falls from a tree. After exploring these movements, do five redirections and, on a frontward movement, fully release the edges to allow the skis to turn so you face across the hill in the other direction. Now start doing sets of five redirections followed by one turn so you experience these moves in both directions. Focus on the sensation of having your body slightly ahead of your feet as the skis enter a turn so you feel like you’re “dropping” into gravity.

After a few minutes of the falling leaf, take it on down the rest of the trail. While making gentle parallel turns. focus on moving your body into gravity with the skis as a single unit. The resulting change in your skiing should be a greater sense of balance right through each turn due to a steadier stance.