Skiing Tips & Techniques

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with fear

DEALING WITH THE FEAR!
“It’s alright for the kids, they pick it up so quickly, they don’t have THE FEAR”
If I had to pick one thing that held skiers back from achieving their goals it’s not their strength, their fitness, their balance,- we all have differing levels of each but almost always perfectly sufficient for the skiing we are aiming to achieve. The main distraction from fulfilling our potential is dealing with THE FEAR.
When I say THE FEAR, it’s not always the fear of injury from hurtling out of control and crashing that I refer to, although it is one factor. There is also the fear of failure, of embarrassment, of being the one who doesn’t get it. There is even an extent where we can have a fear of doing too well, of being seen as a show off, of letting ourselves go. As skiers, falling over from time to time is something we have to get used to. Dealing with tumbles is part of the sport, not the best bit I would suggest, but it’s all part of the game. Much of the dread we have about falling and hurting ourselves often comes from our mind taking over and running away with our thoughts, seeing disasters where in reality, minor inconvenience is a lot more likely.  Realise when your mind is running away onto illusionary scenarios. Look carefully at what is ahead, plan your route, focus on doing what you have practised before, and keep breathing!
Living up to our own and others’ expectations can be daunting.
“I should be able to do this”
“I don’t want to hold the others back”
The more we look at ourselves from the perspective of what we should be doing and how others will react to us, the more we allow our mind to squash our natural abilities. Rather than freeing our bodies to move and react naturally we create tension and a fear of falling behind. Focus on the here and now, what should I do to control my skis here? What is the best route to take here? Blinker your thoughts to the task in hand, give yourself every opportunity to perform well. What if we fall behind others?  Make plans that do not place outside pressure on your performance. If we are always feeling pressure to go faster, ski steeper, keep up, our mind is full of these thoughts rather than just focusing on the task in hand. When dealing with THE FEAR try to be rational and perhaps your fears can be handled positively.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with hard or icy pistes

Rain in the first week of the season followed by a drop in temperature has created hard snow on the lower pistes and some patches of ice. There is no doubt that ice is a technically demanding surface to ski on. It can create all sorts of problems, lost grip leads loss of control of direction leading to loss of control of speed= loss of confidence. To ski well on hard icy slopes requires a combination of good equipment, sound tactics, and good technique.

Equipment

If you are going to be skiing on hard packed snow you will find life much easier with skis that are narrower underfoot. The wide off piste powder skis can be put away for now as you need to be able to balance over the edge of the ski to make it hold. Also the edges will need to be sharp, dull or burred edges won’t make life any easier at all.

Tactics

When skiing runs where there are likely to be icy patches, be aware of what effect the icy patch will have on your skis. Ice is more slippery than the snow around it, when we hit a patch of ice our skis will slide faster. When we want to maintain the same speed without merely getting faster we have to brake a bit more by turning our skis across our direction of travel and, knowing that the skis are going to slide faster, we need to let our body go with our skis, keeping our feet below us. As our confidence grows we can start to look for more dynamic turns.

Technique

For our skis to hold on ice we need to build our turns with gradual movements. Throwing our skis sideways will just exaggerate skidding and once the skis are going sideways it is harder to get them back on track. Think of driving your car on ice. If you turn the steering wheel quickly to one side the car will skid, we are then taught to turn the wheels in the direction the car is skidding to straighten the direction of the car and re-establish grip. When skiing on icy slopes we need to find the edge of our skis early in the turn and try and build grip rather than rashly moving too quickly. To give our skis the best chance to bite into the snow our outside ski needs to be the one doing most of the work, with our inside ski providing some balance.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with hard or icy snow

The lack of snow over the past few weeks means that some of the slopes are becoming harder, especially the runs into the resort. There is no doubt that ice is a technically demanding surface to ski on. It can create all sorts of problems, lost grip leads loss of control of direction leading to loss of control of speed = loss of confidence. To ski well on hard icy slopes requires a combination of good equipment, sound tactics, and good technique.

Equipment
If you are going to be skiing on hard packed snow you will find life much easier with skis that are narrower underfoot. The wide off piste powder skis can be put away for now as you need to be able to balance over the edge of the ski to make it hold. Also the edges will need to be sharp; dull or burred edges won’t make life any easier at all.

Tactics
When skiing runs where there are likely to be icy patches, be aware of what effect the icy patch will have on your skis. Ice is more slippery than the snow around it, when we hit a patch of ice our skis will slide faster. When we want to maintain the same speed without merely getting faster we have to brake a bit more by turning our skis across our direction of travel and, knowing that the skis are going to slide faster, we need to let our body go with our skis, keeping our feet below us. As our confidence grows we can start to look for more dynamic turns.

Technique
For our skis to hold on ice we need to build our turns with gradual movements. Throwing our skis sideways will just exaggerate skidding and once the skis are going sideways it is harder to get them back on track. Think of driving your car on ice. If you turn the steering wheel quickly to one side the car will skid, we are then taught to turn the wheels in the direction the car is skidding to straighten the direction of the car and re-establish grip. When skiing on icy slopes we need to find the edge of our skis early in the turn and try and build grip rather than rashly moving too quickly. To give our skis the best chance to bite into the snow our outside ski needs to be the one doing most of the work, with our inside ski providing some balance.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with moguls

Skiing freely down a bump run, getting a reaction through your skis from every bump, feeling yourself stretch and bend to conform to the slope, is a wonderful feeling. Many skiers think bumps are to be avoided, there is no doubt you have to be ready to move quickly and they can be intimidating, but with a little perseverance, great pleasure (and no little kudos) can be gained.

When looking to build our skills in the bumps, choice of terrain is very important. Before you are ripping the fall line from top to bottom, it is easier to find some bumps on (or often just to the side of) a slope that’s not too steep and where the bumps are defined but not too close together. Select a spot where you can see a line and plan where you expect to make your first 3-4 turns. Look for a line that gives you an escape route out or somewhere to take a break as it’s strenuous work.Look at the shape of the bumps. Look for the troughs where you could imagine water would run down the slope. Look for the flatter peaks where loose snow has been pushed to, and look for the spines and shoulders, ridges offering contours where speed can be controlled.

Technique for skiing in bumps is about maintaining contact with the snow by allowing your body to flex and extend like the shock absorbers in your car, and turning your skis from peak to peak to use the flatter part of the bump to control speed.

An image I like to use is that each bump is just a soft platform and as we make our way down the slope we go from platform to platform. Try to use the platforms and not cut in above them to keep your skis in the rhythm of the slope. A good pole plant on the peak of each bump will help maintain a quiet upper body.

To build techniques that will help in the bumps we focus on developing

1. Leg turning.

On a moderate slope practise skid stops, at first from an angle across the slope and then more directly down the fall line. As you make the STOP aim to be in balance and making a clean stop. Add a pole plant just after you have stopped. Practise on both sides then link from one side to the other. Reduce the distance between stops and build more rhythm and speed.

2. Pressure Control

Develop a range of movement where you can flex and extend your body whilst maintaining balance over the middle of your skis.

3. Pole Plant

Whilst traversing across a line of bumps plant you pole on the top of each bump as you ski past. 

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with poor visibility

If you really feel the need to ski/board in poor visibility it is a good idea to ski/board on pistes you know and which have been pisted. Stay in the tree line if possible as the trees help gave definition of the slope. Try to keep turning smooth curves to keep your legs working so that they don’t go too stiff.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to cope with slushy snow

During the spring season at the end of the day, the lower slopes can often become very “slushy” with heavy wet snow. Here are a few tips to help you cope:
Ski with a slightly narrower stance, so that you can work both skis as one.
Press and balance against the outside ski while using the inside ski to be in charge of steering so that it does not feel out of control, and get caught by the slush.
Make sure you press and balance against the outside ski before you steer it so that you do not “trip over” your skis in the heavy slush.
If you are feeling confident, a bit of speed helps! If you are feeling brave, go a bit faster.
Don’t forget you could always do one extra run at the top of the mountain on the better snow and then get the bubble down to avoid the lower slushy slopes.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - how to ski in powder

Skiing off piste powder is often considered the ultimate skiing experience. Here are few tips to help you on your way.

Always make sure that you are balanced over the centre of your skis. A common misconception is that you should lean back; this will tire your legs and make turning more difficult.

Getting a rhythm is very important and to help this, the pole plant is crucial.

When you are turning your skis you should press the skis into the snow through the second half of the turn so that at the end of the turn the skis are in “reverse camber” and they will spring back enabling you to unweight the skis and start the next turn.

A good exercise is to find an area which is not too steep so that you do not need to turn the skis. Start down the slope, do your pole plant and push the skis into the snow and feel the bouncing sensation that is required for skiing powder. When you are happy with the rhythm and bouncing, add in foot turning and you are now skiing powder!

Your upper body should be facing down the mountain.

As you become more experienced you will want to venture further off piste but always ensure you have the correct safety equipment and are accompanied by a qualified guide or instructor.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - making the most of good snow to improve your technique

Skilful skiing is often about subtle movements. Get a feel for your skis; understand how to make them work and your skis will respond to your slightest movements. Your skis are remarkable bits of design technology. They are turning machines, tune in to how they are designed to be used and they will work at one with you.

Look at your skis, the shape of them, where the bindings are mounted, how the edges curve. Feel how the ski flexes. When we wear our skis, how and where we direct pressure through the ski affects hugely how the ski responds.  When you put your skis on, look carefully between your bindings and you will see a mark that determines where your bindings should be mounted. This point can be called the “sweet spot” on your skis.

Imagine playing tennis. On the tennis court, when you hit the ball in the sweet spot of the racquet, in the centre of the strings, the ball will zing off the strings. Hit the ball off centre and it will still go but not nearly with the power and accuracy the sweet spot generated. It’s the same with a golf club.

In skiing when you can maintain balance over the sweet spot, you are in the place where the skis will zing for you. They will pivot more easily and the ski, when put on edge will flex and hold as they were designed to. If the point you are balancing over is somewhere off centre the skis may still turn but not with the ease and accuracy the sweet spot would allow.

FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT!!

The soles of our feet are very sensitive. Stroke them with a feather and we feel the lightest of movement.  Put on your ski boots and gently rock forwards a few degrees and then slowly rock back a few degrees. As you rock, tune into what the soles of your feet are feeling.  As you rock forward where on the soles of your feet do you feel your feet in contact with the soles of your boots? As you rock back do you feel the area change?

Gaining an awareness of where along the soles of your feet your balance is focused is the first point on the way to skilful skiing. Once you can recognize your balance shifting forwards and back from the balls of your feet towards your heels, try and find where your feet are equally pressed into the sole of your boots right along their length.  With your feet evenly pressed against the soles of your boots, you will be balanced over your skis “sweet spot”. Practice moving, stretching tall and compressing small whilst maintaining balance over the sweet spot. Notice how your joints and limbs move to stay in balance. When you feel comfortable with this whilst stationary take it out onto the slopes.  Learn to move in balance and you will free your body to deal with the forces and terrain features that the mountain throws up.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - some common skiing misconceptions

1) GOT TO GET FORWARD
When chatting to skiers about what their goals are in their skiing one old chestnut that always comes up is “I need to get forward”. Whilst we can all agree that levering on the back of our skis does not produce the feelings of balance, stability and flow that we desire, chances are we won’t cure this by giving ourselves an equally uncomfortable point of balance somewhere over the balls of our feet. Set your balance goal to “I WANT TO FEEL CENTRED”. Aim for balancing over the whole of your foot and you will find something achievable that gives you the opportunity to move freely.

2) DIGGING YOUR EDGES IN TO CONTROL SPEED WHEN THE SLOPE GETS STEEP
When approaching a steeper slope, particularly when the snow is firm, it is natural that we want our skis to grip and hold against the snow. Our lifetime of experience in climbing up and down hills has taught us that we need our feet to hold on the surface to stay in control. Have you ever been in the position of edging your skis hard on a steep slope to stop them slipping away only to find yourself traversing across the slope at a shallow angle and all too soon getting stuck at the side of the slope with no room to turn? Annoying that isn’t it? Learn to stay in balance while your skis make a controlled, steered skid and check to descend steep slopes with rhythm and flow. Turning your legs and skis independently of your upper body is one of the movements’ good skiers use effectively on steeper slopes to make a controlled, flowing descent.

Parallel Lines Ski Tips - tactical skiing

The mountain throws many challenges at us. Soft snow, hard snow, steep slopes, narrow slopes and bumps, to name but a few. As our technique improves we need to develop a range of different “tools” to use at the appropriate times. When the slope is open and the gradient comfortable, letting our skis run and feeling the edges carve into the snow from turn to turn, is one of skiing great joys. If we continue using this technique as the slope steepens, we will soon find our speed increasing, perhaps more than we would like. When we need to reduce speed what are our options? We could perhaps go further around the curve of our turn before moving into the next turn, or we could maybe scrape off some speed by pivoting the ski around the curve of the turn, allowing an element of skidding to lose some speed.

I remember training some very talented skiers in skiing bumps. They had a strong racing background and thought they could do everything at full speed. Problem was in the mogul field they could manage maybe the first half dozen bumps before gaining too much speed and blowing out. Trying to ski carving turns in moguls wasn’t working. Only when we changed our tactics to work with the terrain - pivoting our ski around the bump to scrape off speed, compressing against the face of the bump to avoid being spat out - did we start to achieve the success we desired. Choosing the right tactics for the result you desire is the art of tactical skiing!

Skiing Tips & Techniques

We have teamed up with one of our top ski school instuctors to produce guides on ski technique. The articles featured here include learning how to carve and how to conquer moguls. To ensure you get the most out of your time on the piste, check out our Ski & Snowboard School Listings and perfect your skills!