Skiing Tips & Techniques

Skiing Tips & Techniques

We have teamed up with one of our top ski school instuctors to produce guides on ski technique. The articles featured here include learning how to carve and how to conquer moguls. To ensure you get the most out of your time on the piste, check out our Ski & Snowboard School Listings and perfect your skills!

Skiing: The Basics

Skiing is a very simple sport based upon the interaction of the skier, their equipment and the mountain. The skiers we admire and aspire to achieve harmony with these components, they are effortless, skilful, playful and in control. The skiers that do not achieve this harmony look wooden, forced and they struggle. Skilled skiers flow whilst others fight their way down the slope.

As we plan our trips to the snow and look forward to our skiing think how you can achieve this interaction and go onto the slopes considering these 3 components of your performance:

• The skier: The human body has evolved through thousands of years of hunting and gathering to be athletic and active. Regardless of whether you spend more time sitting behind a desk rather than fighting off wild animals your body still retains its natural ability to move and balance subconsciously – give it the freedom to work.
  Skiing is a sport not an armchair activity and does require a level of physical effort. You don’t need to be a fitness fanatic to enjoy skiing but do make sure you have a base level of fitness and agility to be active at altitude. Get fit to ski – usual disclaimers apply – see your doctor, join a gym and get moving!
   
• The equipment: Whether you own or rent and no matter what level you ski to, the boot / binding / ski combination is designed specifically to help you control your descent down a slippery, snow covered slope. Using the design features will make life easy; whilst fighting against them the ski / slope will always win!
  Taking the ski as the tool to control our descent (leaving the boot & binding as the connection between the skier and their skis) the important features to be aware of are:
  Mounting Point: the technicians take care over mounting your bindings correctly so your boots and feet are in the right place on the skis. Balance through your feet naturally and you will be in the sweet spot of the ski – fall away from this point and the ski will take you for a ride!
  Side Cut: the ski is designed to steer curves – use it! Either skid the ski by scraping its edges lightly over the snow or carve by following the natural design of the ski.
  The Edge: you can control how much you tilt the ski to make it grip – be aware that it will respond exactly to your input so be sure on what you are asking it to do. (see future articles)
  Running Surface: the base is waxed and slippery on the snow and is designed to help us slide down the mountain - allow the skis to do what they are designed to do and let them slide! This may be stating the obvious but many skiers try to stop their skis from sliding. This occurs when they are on too steep / difficult a slope.
   
• The Mountain: When you go skiing there are countless routes down. The gradient, snow texture, terrain (bumps etc) all contribute to make one slope easier or harder than another. These prepared slopes are bracketed into different coloured ‘pistes’ (green, blue, red and black) but you will still find some runs of the same colour easier or harder than others. You will also find that the same slope changes as evolving snow, terrain conspire to make it harder.
  So, choose which slopes you want to ski on depending on your confidence level and your ability. Don’t be led by more experience skiers saying “you’ll be fine, it’s easy down here”. Remember ski instructors are trained to make decisions on which are the most suitable slopes to consolidate, reinforce or challenge ability without over stretching – your friends are not. Only when you are comfortable and confident on the slope in front of you and when you have a positive frame of mind, will you be able to unlock the potential of your skis and body.
  When skiing as a group, appreciate the ability of the weakest, it is not possible to short-circuit their learning. A skier may be able to ‘survive’ getting down but it will be at the expense of their technical development, their confidence and often at the expense of their enjoyment.
  When skiing with a party of mixed ability arrange different routes to the same point. It is important for individuals to choose their challenge allowing them to achieve the flowing, effortless descent that comes from body, equipment and the mountain working together in harmony.

Enjoy your skiing.

Article courtesy of James (Jaz) Lamb, Director, British Alpine Ski & Snowboard School Morzine

Choosing Your Line

One of the most common tactical issues that hinder effective performance is the line we steer and how it affects our control. Having spent many years watching skiers perform on a variety of slopes it is not unfair to say that the vast majority could dramatically increase their performance just by changing the shape of their turn.

The first step is to change the ‘mind set’. I am sure all the skiers I have watched are doing what they want to do! The jagged, rushed turns being a result of not wanting to point down the hill (fall-line) and therefore gain too much speed, or, pushing their heels out as they may, incorrectly, have been told. The effects on their performance are many. The sharpness of the turn makes it harder to balance, the skis do not interact with the terrain and snow surface efficiently, either braking away if the texture is harder, or tripping the skier up if it is a little deeper, and speed control becomes fragile. None of these factors create problems when the skier is in their comfort zone, when the gradient is not too steep, when the terrain is not too challenging and when the snow is complimentary. However, once the going gets tougher and the snow get firmer or deeper, the terrain gets bumpy or the gradient gets steeper, their performance breaks down.

This can all be overcome by steering positively to shape all turns into curves. Steering positively gives you a smoother, more balanced ride, it gives your skis the opportunity to do their job, working with the snow conditions and providing grip and support, or drive through different snow textures. But mainly, it gives you options.

When zig zagging down a slope you come out of the fall line at one angle and in one direction, whereas shaping ‘S’ curves you can ‘release’ the curve at any stage allowing you to go faster or slower as you decide. An effective analogy is to compare steering your skis to steering your car. The car driver is very definitely steering into the curve and then steering out of the curve. At any stage they are placing the car exactly where they want it to be. It would be an ‘out of control’ driver who ‘threw’ the car around a corner and waited for the wheels to grip and take them off in the new direction, yet, this is what many skiers are doing in every turn they make.

Here are some drills that will contribute to more accurate steering and also increase the effectiveness of your skis. All to be performed on gentle slopes. (Note - Develop your performance where you can focus on what you are doing and not be distracted or intimidated by the gradient, terrain or snow texture.)

• Prevent rushing the turns and ‘check’ there is a part of the curve when the skis are pointing down the fall line by saying “Now” as your skis point down the slope.


• Count around the curve. Count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 through the CURVE. 1 as you start the curve, 2 as you accelerate, 3 as you point down the fall line, 4, as you steer out of the fall line and 5 as you slow down by ‘closing’ the curve.


• Breathe in by pulling in your abdomen as you build speed into the fall line, and breath out slowly as you close the curve and slow down.


• Link curves together to create continuous movement over your skis.

Enjoy your skiing!

Article courtesy of James (Jaz) Lamb, Director, British Alpine Ski & Snowboard School Morzine

How to do Carving Turns on your Skis

If you want to feel the power of the curve this season you need to develop and hone your carving skills. So... what is carving? 

Carving is when the path of the ski tip and tail are the same. A carving ski will leave a clear, clean, thin track in the snow and when both skis are carving you will leave two lines in the snow rather like "railway tracks" . Modern skis are designed to help you carve because they are shorter and have a lot of side cut. This simply means that the ski is narrower under your foot and wider at the tip and tail. Skis with a greater the side cut will be able to make a tighter turn radius. However, no matter what the dimensions of your skis they will need the right input from you!

To learn to carve you need very gentle terrain where you are comfortable allowing your skis to run at speed. Practice carving from a straight run position with your skis flat. Then roll your ankles so that the skis are very slightly tilted onto their edges. Allow the skis to respond to this movement and then roll your ankles in the opposite direction. By using very minimal tilt of your skis you can link carved turns close to the fall line.

As you develop a feel for this you can start to tilt your skis a little more, becoming aware of your knees as well as your ankles. This will result in the skis turning more, further round the curve.

When you turn this much you will need to be very gradual with your movements to avoid any skidding. Again try to link your turns together, developing your feel for the lateral movements of both ankles and knees. To aid stability throughout, try to ensure that you tilt both skis, (ankles & knees), the same amount.

To progress further you should head for the blue runs of the Savoleyres ski area which provides a variety of very easy and slightly steeper terrain. Your main goal is to keep your skis carving and reduce skidding to a minimum. Your control of speed is coming from the shape of your turn rather than skidding to brush off speed. Develop your ability to ski faster and notice that with increased speed you will begin to feel your hips moving more to the inside of the curve. Always edge your skis using your ankles, knees and hips in that order!

And finally, above all, ski safely! If the run is too busy, make some regular turns (using some skidding). Only carve where you have a clear slope ahead of you. Happy carving!

Further information on carving is available in the book "Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing" by Derek Tate and is available online at www.paralleldreams.co.uk

Article courtesy of Derek Tate, Director, British Alpine Ski & Snowboard School Chamonix. Demonstrators: Derek and Shona Tate. Carving lessons are also available in Chamonix, Courchevel, Meribel, Morzine, Val d'Isere & Tignes through BASS website. Check out the website and find out how they can help you achieve your skiing goals!

Derek Tate is a director of British Alpine Ski School Chamonix (BASS Chamonix) a small client focused ski school in the Chamonix Valley. Derek began skiing quite late in life, at the age of seventeen but was always a very keen sports person. Growing up in Dublin back in the eighties skiing was not a big thing! Football, Karate and Athletics were very much his sports. However after being introduced to skiing through his school and enjoying a couple of trips to Bulgaria, Derek joined the Ski Club of Ireland, started skiing regularly at the dry ski slope and has never looked back... Some 20 years on he is still totally in love with the sport and "life in the mountains". During that time he has been involved in racing, race coaching, ski school, instructor training and has taught just about everything from 4 year olds to top level instructors. He has worked in many countries around the world including the USA, France and of course Scotland to name but a few. More recently he has worked in Courchevel with New Generation Snowsports School. One of his passions, over the years, has been in training and assessing ski instructors. He is currently Director of Training for the Irish Association of Snowsport Instructors, a tutor for Snowsport Scotland and a trainer for the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.

How to Ski Moguls

Skiing bumps (moguls) is one of the most demanding aspects of all mountain skiing yet it is one of the most exciting and satisfying when done well. Skiing bumps is almost a lost art (very popular in the 80s) as the modern day focus on carving has taken away the emphasis of bashing the bumps. Indeed some National Instructor Training organisations such as the French (ENSA) do not even include bump skiing as part of their syllabus.

The following article looks at three aspects for skiing the bumps well as follows;

Technique – using the right input

Using the right input focuses on three important skills to help you ski the bumps effectively;

Narrow Stance

Skiing bumps is easier with a narrow stance. With the development of skis over the last 10-15 years a more open stance has been widely promoted. This is certainly effective for piste skiing where high edge angles are used to gain maximum performance from your skis. However when skiing bumps a narrow stance is more effective because it allows you to negotiate the terrain more easily and is certainly more preferable than having one ski on a bump while the other is in a trough. It is also a choice between stability & agility. A wide stance certainly promotes stability while a narrow stance allows for quicker and more responsive movements which are a key aspect of skiing through a mogul field. To ski a fall line run down the bumps requires fast reactions and movements and a narrow stance is definitely helpful in achieving this.

Leg Absorption

One of the key movements involved in skiing bumps is the ability to absorb with your legs. You need to involve all the key joints; ankles, knees and hips but the major movements come from the knees and the hips. Your legs must in effect fold in front of you with your feet slightly ahead as you approach or ski into the bump. If your feet get behind you at this point you are likely to break forward from the waist and this will block your ability to use your legs properly and compromise your balance.

Leg Stretching

Absorption is crucially important but so is your ability to then stretch your legs as you come over the bump or ski into the rut. The goal here is to maintain snow contact. Therefore you need to push the tips of the skis down and engage the front of the skis as the terrain changes and falls away.

How to approach the bumps – getting the line right

How should you approach the bumps? Well there is no absolute right or wrong way but different approaches can be used depending on the speed you wish to go (or are capable of going). And depending on how steep the terrain is or how big / small the bumps are. The following are all approaches you can use to suit these variables;

Skiing the ruts
Skiing the ruts is probably the fastest way down the bumps giving you the most direct line. This is where quick reactions and fast feet are required.

Using the bumps to control speed
This approach is ideal for steeper terrain and bigger bumps but requires a big range of movement in the legs both for absorbing and stretching. It also requires great discipline with the upper body so that you avoid breaking forward from the waist.

Playing with terrain – varying the route

As your skill level improves you can start to vary your line within the same run mixing up your speed, your line and even taking a little air!

Mental Toughness – hang in there and attack!

Skiing bumps tests every aspect of your skiing. They test you mentally, physically, technically and tactically. But there is a strong link between your mental toughness and your physical endurance. To help with this consider the following aspects; 

Stay focused – use imagery
It’s a good idea to pause before the start of each run and look at the route you want to take. Work out where your first 3 to 4 turns are going to be by seeing where you are going to place your feet. Then close your eyes and see the run as you ski it trying to feel the sensations associated with the run. This is know as mental rehearsal and helps set you up for success.

Hang in there – endurance
Skiing bumps is physically demanding and takes practice. Start with short sections ensuring that there is “quality” about your performance. Then gradually try to increase the length of the runs you ski, accepting that there may be some mistakes, but push yourself to keep going.

Attack – ski with flair! 
And finally imagine that you are performing for an audience (or indeed ski some bumps near a ski lift) so that you can show them what you can do. There is nothing more satisfying that really “nailing” a run when others are watching.

Further information on skiing bumps is available in the new book “Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing” by Derek Tate and is available online at www.paralleldreams.co.uk

Article courtesy of Derek Tate, Director, British Alpine Ski & Snowboard School Chamonix. Demonstrators: Derek and Shona Tate. Bumps lessons are available in Chamonix, Courchevel, Meribel, Morzine, Val d'Isere & Tignes, through the BASS website

Derek Tate is a director of British Alpine Ski School Chamonix (BASS Chamonix) a small client focused ski school in the Chamonix Valley. Derek began skiing quite late in life, at the age of seventeen but was always a very keen sports person. Growing up in Dublin back in the eighties skiing was not a big thing! Football, Karate and Athletics were very much his sports. However after being introduced to skiing through his school and enjoying a couple of trips to Bulgaria, Derek joined the Ski Club of Ireland, started skiing regularly at the dry ski slope and has never looked back….. Some 20 years on he is still totally in love with the sport and “life in the mountains”. During that time he has been involved in racing, race coaching, ski school, instructor training and has taught just about everything from 4 year olds to top level instructors. He has worked in many countries around the world including the USA, France and of course Scotland to name but a few. More recently he has worked in Courchevel with New Generation Snowsports School. One of his passions, over the years, has been in training and assessing ski instructors. He is currently Director of Training for the Irish Association of Snowsport Instructors, a Tutor for Snowsport Scotland and a Trainer for the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.

Derek and his wife Shona set up the Chamonix branch of BASS two seasons ago and have enjoyed great success already. If you would like to share their passion for skiing and the mountains visit the website and find out how we can help you achieve your skiing goals!