New to the sport of skiing? Here's a handy guide on the very basics-
Moving your skis - Your skis are clamped to your
boots which should be on your feet. So if you turn your foot to the
right then your ski will also turn to the right. Simple! Try picking one
foot up at time, with your skis on, and turning them to the right and
then the left, to get familiar with the feeling and which muscles to
use. This principle doesn't change - you point your skis where you want
to go primarily by turning your feet!
Stance - The way you stand on skis has a massive
impact on the likelihood of you falling over when you start sliding. If
your feet are shoulder width apart you have a better base of support
than if your feet are next to each other. The most stable position when
skiing is to have your feet shoulder width apart, with your toes
pointing inwards and heels apart, so your skis make a triangle/V-shape
(like the shape of a slice of pizza!). This position (snow plough) gives
you a solid base, even on the move! Bend your ankles, knees and waist
slightly, keeping your arms out wide (as if about to hug someone!) and
feel your weight evenly on the balls of your feet and heels. Try this at
a standstill before you start moving...
Speed control/Stopping - If you can't control your
speed and stop then there is a good chance you will hurt yourself and
other people. The snow plough position (described above) is perfect for
both controlling speed and stopping on gentle slopes! To slow down to a
stop, simply turn your toes towards each other slightly more and push
your heels further apart - making the snow plough wider at the back but
keeping a small gap between the tips (front) of your skis.
Useful Exercise - On a gentle slope, going straight
down the hill, try making your plough/pizza slice wider at the back
until you slow down, then narrower at the back to speed up and then
bigger again until you stop. Your ski tips should stay the same width
apart (5-10cm) throughout.
Turning - On steeper slopes the above exercise will
slow you down but won't stop you! You have to defy gravity by turning
your skis so they face across the hill and not down it! To turn your
skis, all you have to do is turn your feet so they point in the
direction you wish to travel! This is easiest if you stay in the snow
plough position, as it is very stable and keeps your speed under
control. So, whilst keeping your skis in the snow plough/V-shape, gently
turn your feet until your skis point across the hill and come to a
stop.
Top Tip - Look where you want to go! If you look at the snow in front of your skis, that's where you'll end up!
Useful Exercise - On a gentle slope, pick a marker such
as a pylon or some poles and, when you get to it/them, slowly begin to
turn your feet to the left or right, and keep turning them until you are
facing across the hill and you come to a stop. Then try doing the same
in the other direction. Remember to look ahead at where you want to go!
Once you get the hang of turning left and right, set yourself a
slalom course with poles to test your control!
To turn more sharply and on steeper slopes you need to move your weight
from foot to foot as well as turning them! To turn to the right, put
more weight on your left foot and to turn to the left, put more weight
on your right foot.
Useful Exercise - Abandon your poles somewhere safe
and put both your hands on the knee that is furthest down the hill...
So, when you turn to the right, put both hands on your left knee and
push it forwards slightly. Once your speed is under control and you are
ready to turn left, stand up tall pushing on both feet, put your hands
on your head and then slowly bring both hands down to your right knee
and push it forwards. Continue doing this for every turn until you can
feel the skis turning quickly.
If you ever end up on a steep slope that intimidates you, then this is
an excellent exercise to help get you down!
If you use the above exercises and get some good mileage then you
should really start to enjoy yourself and be able to venture on to steep
blues!
(Article taken from http://www.e4s.co.uk/docs/top-skiing-tips.htm)
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