Page 11 - Jan_14

Hands forward; (5) Lean down
the hill (to help put your skis on
edge) Photo by Jack Ballard.

(3) Get forward; (4) Hands forward; (6) Shorten your turn
Photo courtesy Vermont Ski Areas Association.
(3) Get forward; (4) Hands forward; (6) Shorten your turn Photo courtesy Vermont Ski Areas Association.

4. Keep your hands for- 5. Lean down the hill. ing your weight on the downhill
The
ward. What you do with your least intuitive part of ski technique (outside) ski.
hands affects what’s happening is leaning down the hill during the
6. Shorten your turns. Last-
down below. If your uphill hand second half of a turn, but it’s criti-
drops, you’ll lean into the hill, flat- cal for holding on hard-pack. If you ly, get off your edges! This might
tening your skis and losing your lean toward the base lodge, your sound peculiar, as the whole pur-
edge grip. If both hands drop, your body naturally compensates by an- pose of this article is to tell you
how to get on your edges. How-
weight will move back, flattening gling your hips, knees, and ankles
your skis and putting you off bal- into the hill thus putting your skis ever, after they bite, release them.
ance, a bad combination on ice. on edge. The more you lean down If you hang on, you’ll start sliding.
If you get off your edges quickly,
If your hands are level with your the hill, the higher the edge angle making shorter turns down the
belly button and they’re slightly and the better the edge-grip. Like-
wider than your hips, they’re in wise, the steeper the slope and the hill, you’ll have better edge-grip
the right spot.
firmer the snow, the more you need and more control.

to lean down the hill, concentrat-

ADAPTING TO OTHER ADVERSE SKI CONDITIONS

Powder is paradise to some skiers and hell to others. snow is to direct your uphill ski as purposefully as
Ditto spring corn snow. The older and deeper pow- your downhill ski so it doesn’t get snagged in the
der and corn become, the heavier they become, espe- snow. And if your skis are narrower than 80 mm in

cially if lots of skiers have made tracks ahead of you.
the middle, consider renting a pair of fatties, 90 mm
If you’re the type who can’t relate to the hype or wider. You won’t get as bogged down in the crud.
after a snowstorm, you may be trying to ski ung-
roomed snow like the corduroy. Rather than em-
phasizing the weight on your outside (downhill) ski,
A four-time world masters champion in Alpine skiing,
distribute it more evenly over your skis, about 60 Lisa Densmore is a USSCA-certified ski coach. She also
percent on the downhill ski, 40 percent on the uphill
ski. Don’t sit back! You’ll fry your thighs and likely hosts women’s ski clinics throughout the United States.
lose your balance. The key in powder or ungroomed
www.lisadensmore.com

JANUARY 2014
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