Snow Skills

Separate the upper body from the legs at the hip joint.

The ability to twist the legs without steering the body is crucial to short turns. Stand in a hip-width stance without skis on flat terrain. Using your poles to stabilize your upper body, explore twisting your feet with all the parts of your legs from the hips down. The best twisting movement is one where the toes and heels move a similar distance to leave an hourglass shape in the snow.

Next, twist your feet without using the poles and focus on isolating the movement of your legs in relation to your body. Now, apply this move in gentle parallel turns by focusing on twisting your legs together such that the skis turn more than your body. You’ll find your balance is more steady from turn to turn and your short turns more precise.