Snow Skills

It’s sort of a fact of life that things that start well tend to go well. Consider that making a good parallel turn in skiing requires a number of movements in a set pattern, all relying on the last motion to build toward the next one. For those conditions, it would be very helpful to start the turn off with a very positive effort: release both edges at the same time to start a turn.

From a sideslip, practice the skill of releasing your edges initially with your ankles and then supplement the motion with your knees. From these subtle movements, now be even more precise by focusing on the downhill ankle releasing milli-seconds ahead of the uphill ankle. Think about the little toe of your downhill foot leading the way to release all the remaining body parts to enter the turn. From these fine movements, release both skis simultaneously at the start of a turn and re-engage them on the new set of edges simultaneously onto the snow.

By setting, dis-engaging, and re-engaging your edges simultaneously, you’ll be in a position to ride your edges all the way through the turn.  These movements will give you a strong grip on the snow and assist you in the other skills of turning including balancing, steering, and pressuring the skis. 
Black diamond trails will respect you if you develop the ability to edge your skis throughout the entire turn. By releasing the edges together, you’ll be able to move onto your new edges with confidence and show gravity who’s the boss.