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Proper turning when skiing

Excellence in turning quickly is essential to downhill skiing, especially for alpine skiing involving slaloms. The steps for a turn must be executed in precise sequence. Bend from the ankles and drop into a slightly crouched position. One has to put the weight on the uphill edge of a downhill ski. Plant the downhill pole. Spring gently forward and up, easing ones weight off the skis.

The leverage on the tips, if timed correctly, should take one down the fall line. Transferring the weight to the outside of the ski and putting weight on the inside edge helps in turning. Allowing the inside ski that is uphill to get a little ahead through the turn and pressing the knees forward and sideways into the slope. Keep the face downhill to maintain balance and keeping ones weight on the downhill ski are further steps to stop. Allow an increase in the bite of the uphill edges until one has finished the turn.

Proper balance is maintained throughout the turn. Much like a cyclist leaning to the inside of a turn to avoid being thrown off of his bicycle, a skier leans into the turn to maintain balance as well. Beginners to the sport are often hesitant to do this, as they feel that such an action will cause them to fall. They must be taught to overcome this hesitation. While it may not feel natural at first, this is something that becomes second nature to an experienced skier. Tuning is essential for skiers who are taking part in skiing competitions.

Hockey stop when skiing

Most people are familiar with how an ice hockey player makes a quick turn, sliding sideways to stop his skates. The same concept is applied to a hockey stop in skiing. A parallel turn is made to slide sideways until momentum is stopped. The hockey stop can be performed only at a suitable speed. If the skier is traveling downhill too fast, he or she must do a turn to create resistance and slow down before being able to execute the hockey stop.

Assuming a skier is going straight down a slope and only has room to turn right to make the stop, the downhill ski will be the left ski. From going straight down the slope, she puts all her weight on the left ski to initiate the turn into the hockey stop. Shifting all the weight to the left ski enables maximum resistance when braking. Once all the weight is on the downhill ski, let the skis turn, but keep the body pointing down the slope.

Once the skis have become sideways, keep the body pointing down the slope but lean up the slope slightly to dig the edges of the skis into the snow. Depending on how fast one is going and the conditions, one will adjust how much one leans up the slope. As speed is lost and the skier comes to a halt, one has to bring the weight back over the downhill ski so that the skier does not fall.

Ski Boots and Bindings

Boots are vitally important to the skiing experience and performance. Getting boots that fit your feet perfectly gives you better control of your skis and will feel comfortable, allowing you to ski longer and better. Boots that are too tight will feel uncomfortable after just a few runs. Boots that are too loose can mean less control of the skis as well as abrasions on your feet.

Bootfitting can also be done at an increased price to customize a boot to specifically fit your feet. Experienced skiers, especially those in competitive skiing, choose this option, finding that boots purchased off the shelf just don't provide a perfect fit.

Ski bindings absorb shock, and reduce the resulting fatigue. Bindings are made up of a toe and heel piece. In a crash, the toe releases sideways and sometimes upwards, while the heel releases upward.

Brakes are attached to bindings, under the boots. When boots are in the bindings, the prongs line up out of the way along the ski sides. When the binding is released in a fall, the prongs flip down and catch the snow to help stop the ski from traveling too far away.

As with skis, bindings vary by skill level as well. Competitive skiers will want a higher release setting. Lightweight bomber bindings made with performance metals such as titanium are designed to perform at high speeds and on steep terrain. Skis, boots and bindings work in unison, and a good pair of bindings can even help you ski better.

Ski poles

Ski poles need to be strong enough to assist in planting turns, yet light enough so that your arms don't tire. Additionally, they need to be flexible enough so that a fall doesn't mangle them and require a new purchase.

If you're a beginner, find a good ski pole that fits you. As skiers become more experienced, they want higher quality materials for a better strength-to-weight ratio.

Strap design has evolved over the years, but the classic is still the flexible nylon wrist strap. If you lose your grip during a turn, the strap keeps the pole planted. The straps keep your poles with your arms in case you fall. You don't have to trudge 30 meters upslope to retrieve your poles.

The basket is a disk, normally made out of plastic, at the bottom of a ski pole. This device keeps your pole from sinking into the snow. In powder conditions, use a bigger basket. On groomed slopes during a competition, a smaller basket makes more sense. Alternatively, some poles come with baskets to be changed according to the slope and conditions.

While not necessarily used during competitions, telescoping poles come in handy for ski mountaineers or in training because they can be lengthened for uphill cross-country climbs, then shortened for alpine descents. Some models can even be extended and vertically joined together to use as a probe in case of an avalanche. Skiers choosing these poles will want them to adjust from waist height for downhill skiing to just above the armpit for best striding.

Balanced stance when skiing

A balanced stance sounds easy to achieve, but can be challenging to keep consistent throughout a run. Arms should be a little bent at the elbows, in front and roughly 20-24 inches apart. Feet should remain 10 to 12 inches apart, with knees slightly bent. One feels the pressure, if positioned properly, on the tongues of ones boots. Weight is evenly distributed between the two feet. The ankles rest slightly against the tongues of the ski boots and are pointing forward.

This technique building block upon which is more advanced techniques are built. Having hands pressed to ones' sides, looking down at your skis, turning the upper body uphill, and "sitting" with legs that are too straight without contact between the ankle and tongue of boot are common rookie mistakes.

Legs that are too straight and absent of contact leads to loss of control over the front part of the skis. Hands that are pressed to the body only aggravate the "sitting on the back chair" position and create problems with lateral balance. Looking down makes the shoulders and back rigid and generally causes stress to the upper body. This limits the dynamics of movements necessary even for initial-level turns.

Keeping ones balance and being relaxed allows to make the moves to ski straight, turn, or stop. It will also keep one on their feet, which is where one wants to be throughout the run. The skis are easier to be kept parallel when balance is maintained.

Skis

There are different types of skis depending on the type of skiing. Touring skis are typically longer, narrower and lighter than metal-edge skis. This makes the skis faster and more efficient on tracks that are well maintained.

Metal-edge touring skis are shorter for better maneuverability and wider to provide more stability and flotation in deeper snow. The metal edges give the skier better grip in icy conditions. The greater sidecut also enhances turning ability on steeper slopes. However, these features make them more suitable for out-of-track terrain.

The old rule of thumb for finding the right ski length is to raise your right hand all the way and measure distance from the floor to the wrist. However, ski lengths have been getting shorter over the years due to improved technology and design. Body weight is also a determining factor, with heavier people being recommended longer skis.

Other factors in picking the right ski are skiing style - whether you are aggressive and will need to handle turns easily. Certain skis can be tailored to perform optimally on certain types of courses. Alpine skis typically come in two styles - slalom and giant slalom. A slalom ski is shorter and has a shorter turn radius. Giant slalom skis are longer and narrower to accommodate the longer turns on giant slalom courses.

Skis are made my compressing different kinds of materials together and laminating them. Earlier skis were only wood based. Today wood is still used in skis, but other new materials such as carbon fibers, titanium, Kevlar and boron fibers are becoming popular.