Powder skill building: Critical balance

Goal
: Powder pleasures
Level: Intermediate   Expert + Powder
Suggested terra
in: Groomed intermediate terrain
Author: Kobus Reyneke
Summ
ary:
Skiing in powder requires you to balance equally on both skis--and to not lean back. Get it right from the start.

Photos and Videos coming soon!

IMPORTANT! Understanding our approach and philosophy is important if you'd like to successfully use the drills in Ski Smarts
 ... read more.


One thing is certain about skiing powder: You have to maintain roughly equal pressure on both skis. Forget this and you'll quickly hook the inside ski.

Unfortunately, learning to ski with your skis equally pressured is very hard. Ease into it with the following exercises and it'll be much easier.

On easy groomed terrain.

In a straight run, hold your arms comfortably in front of your body and make sure you feel your shins touching the tongues of your boots.

Continuing in a straight run, "walk" from ski to ski, then slowly tone it down until you are pressuring both skis--equally weighted.

  • Feel what it's like to weight your skis equally.

Now make long radius turns on easy terrain while putting more weight on the inside ski as you cross the flow line. There's no harm in taking it to an extreme by lifting the outside ski.

Now gradually transfer the weight earlier and earlier in the turn, until you keep your skis equally weighed throughout linked turns.

  • Remember the feeling when you get to the powder.

Having mastered that, gradually shorten the turn radius until you can make medium radius turns (on groomed terrain) with your skis always weighted roughly equally.

  • Be patient, as it can take days to master this technique fully.
  • Make sure you don't "bank" by leaning your whole body into the hill--always keep your upper body facing slightly down the hill.
  • Keep slight pressure between your shins and your boot tongues--stay in the Sweet spot!

Print this out for future reference and remember to have fun!