If you have taken a ski lesson, you’ve likely heard your instructor say: “Let your upper body fall down the hill.” Or, “pretend your floating through the snow.” Do these metaphors really help you ski better? No. These remarks make perfect sense to the ski instructor, but mean little to the average skier. There are no secret ski techniques to better skiing – there are only the basics – and this is a good thing…
If you really want to learn how to ski, ignore the metaphors (unless they’re working) and stick to the concrete basics. Ask your teacher to show you one of the basic, fundamental exercises of better skiing.
- Skiing on 1 ski
- Skating
- Side Slipping
- Stepping
- Shuffling
- Railroad Tracks
- Pivoting Flat Skis
Don’t try to learn them all at once. Ask your instructor to select the “one” that you need most. If he doesn’t know which of the 7 you need most, find another instructor. Practice that 1 fundamental exercise until you own it. Find a nice quiet area on the beginner’s slope and work it. It won’t take long and the exercises can be fun. They are the building blocks to learn how to Ski Great!
If you think “skiing more often” will make the difference – it won’t. You may ”maintain” your current abilities, but will very likely increase bad habits and inefficiencies. Few like to hear this lesson, but it is fundamental. So stick to the basics until you own them – your skiing will improve exponentially.