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 leverag...

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 do...

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 res...