Snow Skills

Consider why a NASCAR stock car has a wider body than the family mini-van. The forces on a stock car in a high speed turn are better managed when the wheelbase is wider. You’ll find similar sensations making turns on steep terrain where the forces of gravity and turning are higher. Like the stock car, you’ll be more athletic and consequently have more control on the steeps if you use a wide stance.

A wide stance is one which is just slightly wider than your hips. While standing on a flat surface in your ski gear, explore setting your feet at a width where the outside of your boots are even with the boney part of your hips. Explore how much edging you can create with your ankles and knees.

Now move your feet directly outward another inch in each direction for a total increase of about 2 inches. Explore again the degree to which you can edge your skis using the ankles and knees. You should find that you have a greater range of motion, especially in your knees. While balancing on your edges in the wide stance, you should also find that you have stronger balance than if your feet were closer together.

Yes, you can have a stance which is too wide. Continue to explore by widening your stance so that both feet are fully no longer under your hips (the feet are outside your body). You’ll find you have minimal range of edging motion in the ankles and knees and are beginning to lose athleticism.

Keep your wide stance at least partially under your hips and you’ll find better edge grip on the steeps.