Skiing is a highly technical sport and it can take years to perfect your form. While it’s fun to zip helter-skelter down the slopes, you don’t want to ignore your skiing technique. Improve your carving and your general stance and you’ll be able to ski almost anything! While this might sound like a difficult task, the good news is that often small details can make a big difference. If you’re on the cusp of a breakthrough in your skiing technique, check out these five tips and find out how you can ski better!
It sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many skiers have a tendency to focus on the snow right in front of their skis. Maybe you do too and you don’t even realize! When you look in front of you, you can better anticipate what’s coming, adjust your speed or change direction in time to avoid nasty crashes.
Skiers who keep their arms hanging next to their legs are more likely to backseat. By holding your arms out wide in front of you, you’ll correct your entire posture and your skiing form will be much better. This position also helps your pole planting and helps balance better on your skis.
Backseating, or leaning back, is the instinctive choice for skiers who are afraid of going too fast. Unfortunately, this gives you way less control over your skis and makes you work harder to pull off each turn. It doesn’t even help you go any slower! Instead, try to distribute your weight along your entire foot while skiing, and keep a more neutral position over your skis.
Once you start going too fast, it’s not long before you completely lose control. This uncertainty causes you to lean back, losing even more control over your skis. Slow it down by completing each turn 100%, even turning the skis slightly uphill at the end of each turn. This naturally slows you down, allowing you to complete your next turn at a controlled pace and giving you more stamina overall.
Ski boots are designed to transfer power from your body, down through your feet and all the way along your skis. They can only do this if they’re closed tight, so when you’re doing your boots up, check for pressure points and then latch them closed as tight as can be, without forgetting to do up the Velcro at the top. Keep checking your boots periodically as you ski and tightening them as necessary – the movement can loosen them over the course of the day.
All tips and images courtesy of Jasper, who works as a ski instructor at Gerlos and owns Sneeuwsportleraren.nl
Skiing is a highly technical sport and it can take years to perfect your form. While it’s fun to zip helter-skelter down the slopes, you don’t want to ignore your skiing technique. Improve your carving and your general stance and you’ll be able to ski almost anything! While this might sound like a difficult task, the good news is that often small details can make a big difference. If you’re on the cusp of a breakthrough in your skiing technique, check out these five tips and find out how you can ski better!
It sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many skiers have a tendency to focus on the snow right in front of their skis. Maybe you do too and you don’t even realize! When you look in front of you, you can better anticipate what’s coming, adjust your speed or change direction in time to avoid nasty crashes.
Skiers who keep their arms hanging next to their legs are more likely to backseat. By holding your arms out wide in front of you, you’ll correct your entire posture and your skiing form will be much better. This position also helps your pole planting and helps balance better on your skis.
Backseating, or leaning back, is the instinctive choice for skiers who are afraid of going too fast. Unfortunately, this gives you way less control over your skis and makes you work harder to pull off each turn. It doesn’t even help you go any slower! Instead, try to distribute your weight along your entire foot while skiing, and keep a more neutral position over your skis.
Once you start going too fast, it’s not long before you completely lose control. This uncertainty causes you to lean back, losing even more control over your skis. Slow it down by completing each turn 100%, even turning the skis slightly uphill at the end of each turn. This naturally slows you down, allowing you to complete your next turn at a controlled pace and giving you more stamina overall.
Ski boots are designed to transfer power from your body, down through your feet and all the way along your skis. They can only do this if they’re closed tight, so when you’re doing your boots up, check for pressure points and then latch them closed as tight as can be, without forgetting to do up the Velcro at the top. Keep checking your boots periodically as you ski and tightening them as necessary – the movement can loosen them over the course of the day.
All tips and images courtesy of Jasper, who works as a ski instructor at Gerlos and owns Sneeuwsportleraren.nl
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
