Snow Skills

Many skiers and snowboarders hear instructors or fellow sliders talk about the fall line. Normally it comes up in conversations about what path to follow or where to start or stop a turn… if it is “in” or “out” of the fall line.

So what is the fall line? The fall line is a specific path down a slope where gravity will have the strongest impact. Does that help? We didn’t think so.

Okay so imagine this. You are standing at the top of your favorite ski or snowboard trail. You pull a tennis ball out of your pocket (that you just happened to be carrying) and place it on the snow. Gravity starts to pull the tennis ball down the hill. The tennis ball will follow the “fall line” down the hill.

If the trail has a crown in the middle the ball will likely go towards one side of the trail. If the trail makes a sharp turn the fall line will likely go into the trees!

Here is another way to think of fall line. Think of a river winding its way down the side of a mountain, into a valley, and out to the ocean. The entire path is down the fall line. Or sand on the top of a hill with a garden hose spouting water…. What path will the water take down the hill? It will follow the fall-line of course!

So now when your fellow ski or snowboard buddies talk about the fall line you should understand what they are talking about.