| Powder
skill building: Critical
balance
Goal: Powder pleasures Level: Intermediate Suggested terrain: Groomed intermediate terrain Author: Kobus Reyneke Summary: 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! |
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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.
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.
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.
Print this out for future
reference and remember to have fun! |