We look at how to use skis in this installment of our learn to ski guide.
You must learn three things in order to be able to ski; (1) standing up, (2) turning, and (3) stopping.
Start by standing, placing your feet even with the width of your shoulders and making your feet “pigeon-toed” with the tips of your skis pointing inward and forming a “V” – this is called a ‘snow plough.’ Slightly bend your knees to create a more stable stance, spread your arms out wide to give yourself more balance and lean slightly forward instead of leaning slightly back (doing so makes it easier to turn and stop).
Moving forward / down is no problem as your skis will automatically do so on even the slightest slope. By moving your heels closer together you will cause your triangle or V-shape to get smaller and this will cause you to go faster. To slow down or stop, move your heels farther apart, forcing your toes to point more sharply inward. While this will work on smaller slopes, you will need to know another technique in order to stop on a steep slope – turn gradually until your skis are horizontal with the slope.
To turn on skis, just point them in the direction you want to go – if that’s left, point them left, and if that’s right, well, you know. Remember, however that mastering the art of turning on skis will take some getting used to and the right combination of timing and balance.
For sharper turns, it will take a little more than just pointing your skis in the right direction; you will also need to shift your weight to the foot opposite of the direction you want to turn (for example, if you want to make a sharp right turn, you would shift your weight to your left foot). You will master sharp turns more quickly if you will remember to move nothing but your feet while turning, as moving body parts like your arms and shoulders is not necessary and can decrease your focus on the body part that’s actually effecting the turn.