Three main aspects that set skiing the steeps
apart from advanced skiing are worth noting. They are: A strong anticipated
position at the start of every turn, body movement away from & down the
mountain and a delayed "sting."
Strong anticipated position
Always start a new turn on the steeps from a strong
anticipated position. By "anticipated" we mean that your upper body is
"ready" and anticipating the upcoming turn. Key elements of the
"Strong anticipated position" are:
- Skis face across the hill; your weight is almost
entirely on the downhill ski.
- Upper body, including shoulders and hips, faces down
the hill. Your butt points into the hill.
- Both arms reach down the hill.
- One pole points into the hill, the other reaches down
the hill.
- Although it may feel natural, never lean uphill,
especially when it is steep.
Make sure you are in this position at the very start of
every turn on steep terrain. If you've lost it for some reason, go into a
traverse or stop to get yourself into the position of strength.
Move away from the mountain
To avoid getting your skis' tails stuck in the steep snow,
you must aggressively move your upper body away (perpendicular to the snow) from
the slope. This does not mean you extend vertically upwards--rather extend down
the mountain. This will free your tails up and allow a clean carve.
Delay the sting
Haste makes waste on the steeps. As on moderate terrain,
your skis take time to complete a turn.
Learn to actively "float" through the section
where your skis face downhill for better control. It's still important to put
pressure on your outside ski and actively steer both skis, but do it somewhat
patiently. Of course you'll want to (and should) steer both skis quickly and
aggressively through the flow line, but some patience--just a bit of a
"float"--is most appropriate.
You'll quickly learn that the acceleration during this
flow line phase of the turn ends quite quickly when you have effectively steered
the skis across the hill.
Tips for the steeps:
- Practice on the small, steep pitches that can be found
on many intermediate slopes; snowmaking walls and short headwalls will do
the trick.
- Stop and collect yourself a couple of turns before the
steep pitch. Then, begin a turning rhythm and try to carry it into the steep
section.
- Begin by skiing a steep slope in abbreviated sections.
Gradually increase the length of the sections until you are skiing the whole
run in control.
- Think offensively rather than defensively.
