Keep your poles strapped on.

Out of the way of traffic, stand facing down the hill--plant your poles on either side of you.

Hop and twist your feet to point toward one pole. Then, hop again and twist your feet to point to the other pole.

After hopping, stand for a moment and notice the twist of the legs in relation to the body. Feel a pinch on the downhill side of the waist and a stretch in the back on the uphill side.

Hop with poles planted a few times, then try adding a pole swing with the hop. The pole will swing to the pinched, downhill side. When you hop up, swing the other pole.

• Use the flex after landing as the spring to get you into the next hop.

Now practice with your skis on--start with very small direction changes.

On a very gentle slope

Start with your skis straight down the flow line on very shallow terrain. Hop your skis, making shallow direction changes.

• Ensure that you hop forward (down the hill) and not just vertically up and down.

As your spring and redirection becomes easier, hop your skis more across the hill.

Don't get too wild and try to keep a rhythm from hop to hop.

Gradually tone down the hopping and focus on the movement pattern only, so that you are just flexing and extending into the turn.

Tips:

• Keep your upper body moving down the flow line.
• Swing the pole down the flow line.
• Flex to propel yourself down the flow line.
• Let one movement flow into the next.
• Try using a verbal guide, such as "boing" with each hop.

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