Videos what to teach
1- The most important Ski Move 4:05
5- First turns 9:15
​
Smoothly moving over the turn is the most important move in skiing.
To do it we progressively flex the ankles and tip to the outside of the turn
The main exercise for this in higher level skiing is the uphill christie
Moving over the turn drills start at number 11, 9 and 10 put the hip in the right position
9- Inside lead 29 seconds
​13-Push on knee- 27
​
The idea is teaching gliding wedges and then teaching turns from the gliding wedge rather than from a traverse. Look for turning from their feet up not turn their shoulders down.
This video shows what it looks like when customers try to turn from a traverse- https://link.getonform.com/view?id=JEMS4b3MiVPGfuL5PUtq
Compare the video above to turning from a gliding wedge https://link.getonform.com/view?id=UKcPIDdoo1nU8J3PNxL6
1- Customers have a wide range of abilities, some will take hours to do what others can do right away. Go at the pace that is best for the customer, do less flat work for fast learners because we only have an hour. The minimum is walking , stepping in a circle, and making wedges. Do not sidestep up between the beginner carpets on busy days for a straight run.
2-Teach the athletic stance by putting hands forward like holding a tray and bounce on your toes with your chest above and stop. If they need more help, bounce faster or hop up and land. You can also step from foot to foot going from slow to fast. For kids it is the same position they use for other sports. Correct individual body parts if necessary, ankles, knees, or hips. Video - https://link.getonform.com/view?id=ED48rDWgqGrW8I9ONaQF
3- Flex forward with just the ankles, the boots may need to be loosened. https://link.getonform.com/view?id=EsBEbGhLNBWnz61MNXaD
4- Make several runs of gliding wedges so they are having fun because this is their first time sliding on skis. When they get on a slope they will lean back so you have to pay attention and provide verbal feedback like hands up, stand taller, weight on your toes, chest over your toes. This is very hard for them to do; you need help them feel the weight on their toes and the chest above. Have them find an athletic stance by bouncing. Do a run slowly bouncing, then a run bouncing faster and be sure their ankles are flexing. https://link.getonform.com/view?id=Tdeg8NRW9obGQPOsP3Fo
Then try flexing forward at the ankles and return. Make some wedge change ups and stops half way and at the bottom. Go to the rope and do a gliding wedge before trying to make turns. When you change their focus to turning they may move back because it is hard to focus on more than one thing at a time, you have to keep checking.
5- To make turns, ski in a gliding wedge for 3 seconds, slightly point both big toes to the left, then point them downhill for three second, then slightly to the right. The problems to look for are turning right away, turning too far, and turning quickly all the way in the other direction. Starting in a traverse will create more turning with the shoulders. Compared how much harder it is if you are back at the ankles, knees, or hips. https://link.getonform.com/view?id=xYrqYSIKikVux2XMUVtu
6- Another way to turn is starting in a gliding wedge for 3 seconds, slightly push on the right big toe, then go straight for three seconds, then push on the left big toe. When you statically practice look for the knee moving inside rather than forward, the knee bending rather than the ankle, and the hip moving to the side which flattens the ski. This would be the end of most beginner lessons. Leave enough time to tell the parents or students what to do and where to do it, most are not ready for being high on the rope or on the chair. Parents should be looking to make sure their child is not leaning back and turning their shoulders.
7- If there is more time, try to combine pushing on a big toe and pointing it. Then reverse the order, point it and then push on it. If you are still having problems try stemming a ski, pushing on a little toe, or shoulder rotation if nothing else is working.
8- Make 3 small turns then 3 big turns. Bounce 3 times on each big toe while turning. Turn far enough to turn to a stop. If the wedge is small and the student is in an athletic stance the skis will become parallel as their speed increases. A main exercise for helping the skis move parallel is going faster in a narrow wedge and quickly pushing from one big toe to the other. This works all the way up to high level skiing for quick small turns.
https://link.getonform.com/view?id=4rMjhDrCJWNNhizRdLd2
9- The uphill christie is the main exercise for higher level lessons. We practiced uphill christie exercise indoors using the wall for the inside of the turn. You worked in pairs one person teaching the other. Starting with an athletic stance, move the side of the body next to the wall forward, smoothly move the hip toward the wall. Then flex just the ankles and finally combine flexing the ankles and moving the hip toward the wall.
https://link.getonform.com/view?id=jFpjR4shovMGXiUdEyL1
10- When the timing is good the body falls away from the wall, this is over the turn. If there is too much knee bend the body falls toward the wall. If the shoulders turn you fall toward the wall. Turning the shoulders and hips toward the wall also restricts the hip from moving toward the wall. Practice these at home in both directions in front of a mirror if possible. Stepping two feet from the wall will allow you to incline first then angulate. https://link.getonform.com/view?id=BEBa9RU4swiCoeQGY3sF
Watch exercises 9-17 they are less than a minute- https://www.instructors.site/ski-video-page the first 8 videos are a bit longer. The goal is to get people standing on their skis better and turning from the bottom up not turning their shoulders.
Skiing is very simple, and we need these clear, simple, and consistent goals because they are very hard to do. Especially standing in an athletic stance on a slope so they can turn from the feet up.
Below are two pictures that are almost 90 years apart showing the timeless progressive ankle flex and angulation to move over the turn. Notice inside half of the body is forward to allow the upper body to move over the turn and down the hill.
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Text
​
Ski Moves provide visible goals that replace the moves that people make naturally. The most basic move in skiing is keeping the body moving over the turning skis.
​
They take a long time to develop and maintain because they are opposite the way people move naturally.
Natural moves
1- Leaning back when standing on a slope
2- Turning the shoulders to make a turn
3- Tipping the upper body inside a turn
​
These natural moves combine with the turning forces to move skiers back and inside rather than downhill.
​
​
Goals
1- Athletic stance
2- Gliding wedge and wedge stop
3- Gliding wedge to turns using the feet
​
Athletic stance
​
1- Feel the weight on the balls of the feet, toes for kids, with chest over the toes
2- Put hands in front like holding a lunch tray, bounce and stop, that is the athletic stance
3- Adjust individual areas if needed, ankles, knees, waist, hands, eyes looking ahead
4- Flex forward just with the ankles and return
5- Tell them before every run to start in an athletic stance so it is the first thing they feel. Make sure they do it and provide verbal feedback or physically position them if necessary.
They will lean back when they get on a slope, go further up the hill, or when the slope gets steeper. Leaning back is a natural move that is very hard to change. It makes it difficult for skiers to turn with their feet. It takes a lot of concentration to help people feel weight on the balls of the feet with the chest over the toes.
​
Gliding wedges
​
1- In an athletic stance make a narrow wedge and ski straight downhill. This gets people comfortable sliding downhill in an athletic stance on skis. It is also the platform to start turns with. Provide verbal feedback while performing: look ahead, hands up, feel the weight on the balls of your feet, chest over the toes. Start with skis parallel if the snow is slow.
​
2- Bounce in a gliding wedge feeling the weight on the balls of the feet and chest over the toes. Be sure ankles, knees, and waist are flexing.
​
3- Flex forward just at the ankles in a gliding wedge and return to the athletic stance. This is hard to do because they would fall forward without skis on, so the body resists. Be sure the boots are not too stiff if they are having problems. Loosen the buckles.
4- Go from a narrow wedge to a slightly wider one and back. Repeat several times, it is called wedge change ups. Many will struggle with this.
5- Start with skis parallel and make a wide braking wedge to stop. Be sure they stay in an athletic stance and do not lean back. Weight on the balls of the feet chest over the toes. Repeat several times going faster each time.
Gliding wedge turns
1- Start in an athletic stance with a gliding wedge and at least 3 seconds of speed, then make a very slight turn, go straight, then turn in the other direction.
​
2- Turn by pointing both big toes. Or pushing on one big toe then the other. Try combining both turning and pushing, or reverse the order and try to push and then turn. This helps them continue to focus on their feet and turn from the ground up, rather than turning their shoulders and leaning inside the turn. As soon as their focus shifts to turning they will often lean back.
3- Make a certain number of bigger turns then move faster to make smaller turns. Make three big then three small. Next change the order and go from small to big. Go faster in a smaller wedge and quickly push on one toe then the other to make very small turns.
4- Link turns and then turn more across the hill to stop. Do in both directions. Touch hand to the downhill knee, then bounce on the downhill toe. Focus on the feet so they don't turn their shoulders and lean inside the turn.
Momentum
​
Momentum works with gravity when skiing straight downhill to increases speed that-
1- Reduce friction
2- Improve stability
3- Create more force so the skis respond quicker
Making minimal turns, just enough to start slowing down allows momentum to move skiers downhill as soon as they stop turning. They become comfortable moving with gravity as they learn to control their speed and direction. This creates offensive skiing right from the start with an athletic stance, focus on the feet, and Big MO (momentum) let it go and go with the flow.
​
This is in contrast to traversing and trying to turn downhill which encourages turning the shoulders and leaning inside the turn. There is little gravity helping to start a turn on a gentle slope. So releasing the downhill edge, turning the feet downhill, and gradually transferring weight is a slower and more complex way for beginners to try to turn, especially children.
Traversing can also teach skiers to turn more across the hill to slow down and defensively brace against gravity and the flow of the turn. A traverse is often a crutch when people have stance and turning problems. We teach downhill skiing, not across the hill skiing.
​
Problems
1- Moving back at the ankles, knees, waist, or all three
2- Starting with a wedge that is too wide
3- Turning too soon before there is enough speed
4- Turning too far across the hill which slows them down
5- Rushing from one turn to the next rather than going straight first
6- Moving the knee inside, move the hip out, or flex the knee rather than the ankle
​
Quality and safety standard Video
​
1- Link turns and turn to a stop in both directions.
2- Be in an athletic position, not leaning back.
3- Turning the feet, not turning their shoulders, or leaning inside the turn.
​
Make good turns before going to steeper slopes. Turns before terrain.
Intermediates
Often have trouble controlling their speed and skiing parallel. Skiing on steeper slopes has reinforced the natural moves and made them habits that are even harder to change.
​
Goals
​
1- Athletic stance and turning with the feet
2- Parallel turns with pole touch
3- Progressive ankle flex and tipping(angulation)
Gliding wedge turn
1- Review - On a gentle part of a run, in an athletic stance(weight on the balls of the feet and chest over the toes) very narrow wedge, speed, and make slight turns by pushing on big toes or turning both feet. Hand to outside knee. Skis often become spontaneously parallel.
2- Early weight transfer
3- Down and up movement
​
Active matching
​
1- Stand in a narrow wedge with skis across the hill. Push hand on the downhill knee and match the skis. Do from a shallow traverse, then a steeper one. Do in both directions, then link.
2- Stand in a narrow wedge with skis across the hill. Plant both downhill. Stand on uphill ski and project onto poles. Make this same move from a steep traverse. Do one in both direction, and then link.
Parallel turn
1- Stand with skis parallel across the hill. Plant both poles downhill. Stand on the uphill ski and project onto the poles. Do from a steep traverse in both directions and then link.
2- Do uphill christies exercises for inside lead, progressive ankle flex and tipping(angulation)
3- Pole touches- stand with skis across the hill and swing the downhill pole with the wrist and touch it to the snow. Touch the right pole before a right turn and the left before a left turn. When moving into the new turn it is swing, touch, turn.
​
Advanced
Advanced skiers can be someone just trying to ski advanced runs to those wanting to work on something specific like slalom and giant slalom turns or moguls. Higher speeds, steeper slopes, or challenging conditions may cause them to move away the next turn and be more defensive.
1- Evaluate by looking for progressive movement over the turning skis. Natural moves will cause them to move away from the next turn and create problems controlling speed or making smaller turns.
2- Statically review athletic stance and ankle flex.
3- Turning both feet for skidded turns will be a realistic goal for most students. Uphill christies exercises for progressive ankle flex and tip (angulation).
4- Progressions can be used for some moves: make the move statically, in a traverse, up hill christie, garlands, fan exercise, one turn, and link. Make opposite and extremes move to increase awareness.
​
5- Add a variety of turn, sizes, shapes, speeds, steepness, conditions, moguls, and park for those interested. Smooth (continuous) flow over the feet while loading and unloading the skis, keep Big MO going downhill. Know the "visual skiing position" that shows right timing of the ski moves.
​
Ski Moves
The Image
The progressive ankle flex and tipping keeps the body moving forward and downhill while turning and then keeps it moving into the next turn. Moving the inside half forward allows the upper body to move out as the hip moves in (angulation). Progressive ankle flex and tipping, ski like PAT
Timing is critical, the flexing and tipping must be progressive while edging the skis so the body moves over the forces of the turn that push the skier back and inside. Ski Moves that are well timed look like this when the edging ends-
​
​
​
​Lindsey Vonn turning right
​
Ski Moves are TIMELESS
​​
Ski Moves in small mogul turns by
Patrick Deneen former US Freestyle Team
​
Ski Moves are timeless. They they provide visual goals that make specific feedback easier.
This more simple approach does not mean easy, Ski Moves require a lot of work to develop and maintain. They are opposite the way people naturally move, so it is a constant challenge to develop and maintain them in a variety of speeds, slopes, turn sizes, and conditions.
Without these clear and consistent goals it is very hard to improve. It is even more challenging because it is hard to know how we are moving, even if we know what moves to make. So it takes clear consistent goals and specific feedback.
If goals are regularly changing with new trends, it becomes very difficult to improve.
Common Goals
It can take very long time to perform Ski Moves especially when they have been reinforced into habits. But some people do not ski enough or lack the talent it takes to reach the high expectation they may have.
​
Moving back on the tail of the skis is a big and hard to fix problem. So it is important to make as much progress as possible in the short lesson time you have, without spending it all on creating an athletic stance.
​
Most people do not have the time, money, or desire to rebuild their skiing. Realistic goals for most are to develop a bit more athletic stance, and to turn their feet more than their shoulders while tipping over their outside ski (angulation).
Supporting moves
Three moves make it easier to keep moving over the turning skis with progressive ankle flex and tipping. Together the 5 moves are -
​
1- Stance- Athletic flexed over feet, move forward as skis are loaded and back when released
2- Weight transfer- as soon as the skis are released
​
3- Inside lead
​
4- Flex ankles progressively and /or turn the feet
​
5- Tipping to the outside of the turn (angulation) progressively while edging
To remember them think ski SWIFT
This is a formula of how to apply the moves that includes timing so the momentum keeps moving toward the next turn.
​
Move quicker for smaller turns. Turn more across the hill to ski slower in big or small turns. Keep clear the difference between rate and duration. Skidding can also be used to ski slower.
A list of skills or fundamentals without a recipe of what to do with them is not enough. It is hard to make a cake with just ingredients and no recipe.
Ending a turn
Skis are loaded with pressure when turning, and it is released at the end of the turn. Pressure increases a lot after the fall line when the turn forces and gravity start to align.
​
Flexing the legs while still edging starts to unload the pressure and keeps the body over the skis. It is an option to start ending the turn sooner. It would occur before either retraction or extension.
The end of a turn is usually thought of as when the edges go flat at crossover. But viewing the end of the turn as when the edging ends, is when the body stops turning. It makes just two parts to a turn, loading and unloading the skis.
​
When starting a run, the bottom or top of a turn can be made first. Then when linking a good finish makes a good start. And a hard and early weight transfer can help move a skier into the new turn.
Using the back of the ski​
​
Many skiers flex their knees early, quickly, and a lot relative to their ankles. Some can maintain momentum into the next turn with enough flex, so they do impressive skiing, but it is more on the back of their skis. Others just get stuck in a park and ride situation.
This can be very hard to change, so it is often best to move beyond this in the limited time of a lesson. But adding pressure to the front of the skis tightens the radius of turns and provides a greater sense of control for students. It also improves their small turns.
World Cup skiers can't always make the turn they want, recoveries can be on the tails and inside ski, or the tails may be used to achieve the best tactics in a given turn.
