Snow Skills

It’s probably the oldest skiing tip in the book; stay forward! Having trouble with control? Stay forward! Want to start parallel skiing? Stay forward! Want to ski faster? Stay forward! Fine, got it; can do it great in the living room. But just how does one stay forward on slick, uneven, steep snow at speed?

The stay forward tip is fundamentally a good one: a stance which is forward will generally promote more balance and keep you in an athletic position. While standing still on a firm, even, and level surface, one can move into a forward position with ease. The difficulty comes when you’re moving on snow, which rarely cooperates by being firm, even, and level. You’ll need grip under your feet to move into a forward position and that grip comes from edging.
You can stay forward while skiing by applying more edging, at the right time and in the right amount. Setting the skis edge gives you control and direction, allowing you to build balance no matter what the conditions. Focus on edging that moves steadily off and onto edge as you alternate your edge sets between turns. You’ll find your knees and ankles need to work in concert to edge the skis with balance; when you notice that both legs are working in a similar manner to edge the skis, you’re probably in a forward stance and that’s a good parallel turn.

So, to stay forward, stay focused on how you’re edging your skis and you’ll find the base you need to build a forward stance.