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.