Overriding all other skills, balance is of supreme importance.

Staying in balance is challenging at best and downright difficult on rapidly changing terrain. However, a well-balanced skier has removed the single greatest obstacle towards advanced skiing--the other skills will come much more easily.

Athletic stance
Having an athletic "stance" doesn't mean that you stand in one spot while you ski. It is more like a neutral position that you should try to maintain while staying in dynamic balance.

Key elements are:

• All joints in the legs should be slightly flexed.
• Your upper body should be slightly countered to your skis, facing slightly towards the bottom of the hill. With a countered stance the skis can "unwind" easily underneath you into the new turn.

The sweet spot -- where is it?

• There is a "sweet spot" in skiing--find it and you will always have a point of reference to determine whether you are making "good" turns, as you ski.

It doesn't help telling you what you should look like when you're in The Spot--rather, focus on what it feels like, so you can practice staying in perfect balance.

How to feel the sweet spot Imagine a clock superimposed on your boot's opening--12 o'clock is directly in front (towards the tip) and 3 o'clock is directly to the side (90 degrees from the front.)

You are in the sweet spot while you're skiing, when your shins make light contact with the tongues of your boots. This contact should roll from one side of the tongue to the other side, as you turn:

- from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock in long turns - from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock in short turns

• When making a left turn, your shins touch the left side of the tongues at about 11 o'clock (10 o'clock if short turns.)
• When making a right turn, your shins touch the right side of the tongues at about 1 o'clock (2 o'clock if short turns.)

Feel some pressure in the outside boot and only light contact in the inside boot.

When should you feel shin contact? Basically throughout the turn, but make sure you feel the pressure in the outside boot right at turn initiation--as you cross the flow line and start a new turn. This will ensure that you extend diagonally down the flow line and over your skis.

Keep shin contact as described through all your turns and you'll know you're making great, balanced turns!

Tips:

• Slightly lift just the toes of the inside ski's foot to ensure proper weight shift and balance.
• Feel pressure along the entire foot's bottom.