Snow Skills

Downhill skiing is surely a sport and there aren’t too many sports where you don’t need to apply some level of athleticism. While learning to ski doesn’t require more balance than the ability to get out of bed, the nature of the fixed binding and boot combination makes it possible for a skier to lean on their equipment to make it go where they wish. This “lean” requires the skier to contort their body in ways that they couldn’t without falling down if they were wearing other footgear. You won’t need the “lean” tool to control your skis if you learn how to stand tall while moving down the slopes.

While standing on flat terrain in your skis, slowly begin to shuffle the skis forward and back, alternating which foot is forward. Keep the skis flat and try not to shuffle so much that you move away from your location. Note that your legs stay relatively long while doing the shuffling. For comparison, squat down and try the shuffle movements. You’ll probably find that you can’t make that move very successfully.

Now try making turns on easy terrain, shuffling all the way through your turns. You’ll find that these turns will be fairly skidded due to low edge angles; that’s O.K., we’re working with stance and balance at the moment. Focus on how little you need to bend your legs to create your balance and remain upright while shuffling. Now try the same run again without shuffling and try to make your turns with the same length of legs as before. You should discover that staying long in the legs allows you to stay balanced and athletic with little effort.

By “Standing Tall”, you’ll find your best athleticism no matter what the terrain or snow conditions.