Before Skiing

Practice Ski Moves before your first time skiing and between ski trips, especially if you are part of the 73 percent of skiers who ski fewer than 6 times a season.

Videos

Athletic stance

1 2 3

Turning

1 2

Moving over the turn

1 2 3

Athletic stance

Do on a flat surface without ski boots on, a mirror for a side view helps. Top score is 3

1- Stand tall with hands in front like holding a lunch tray

2- Weight on the balls of the feet (toes for kids), with your chest above the balls of your feet

3- Flex up and down, go from slow to fast, and stop. Kids can hop then stop. Make sure the ankles are flexing. This is the athletic stance.

Kids can imagine the position they use to play other sports like soccer, tennis, or basketball.

Feel this position as the foundation of skiing because when you go on a slope your body will move back and you need to be able to get forward into this athletic stance. Most people can not do this, if you can't do these 13 tasks below.

Making it happen your athletic stance

You must lean back to keep from falling forward on a slope without ski.

You will move back at the ankles, knees, hips, back, or a combination. These next moves help you become aware and feel those joints so you can control them and are less likely to move back.

Starting in an athletic stance-

1- Push on the ball of the right foot then the left. Flex your ankles like kneeling down and your heel stays on the floor to push on the ball of your right foot then the left. Go from a slow pace to a quick one.

Notice how the stepping gets harder in each of the next four moves back that you will naturally make on a slope. Return to an athletic stance between each-

2- Flex the ankles back so your weight is on your heels

3- Flex the knees like sitting in a chair

4- Move the chest back behind the heels by bending back at the hips

5- Repeat 2 and 3 bent way forward at the hips, this is how many try to stay forward but unconsciously move back at the ankles or knees

One or a combination of these are the ways people move back when on a slope that takes them out of their athletic stance so they end up skiing on the back of their skis. This is the biggest problem for skiers so work on it before skiing.

Focus on feeling the athletic stance with weight on the balls of the feet and chest above so you can do it on a slope with skis. Your stance changes through the turn, so it is important to know how to get back to an athletic stance.

It is easy to get impatient or frustrated or at this point, it takes focus to build this important foundation.

Games for younger or athletic people

1- Skipping rope or do it virtually without a rope

2- One foot- stand on one foot and move down and up. Repeat with knee up to chest, then foot bent behind hip.

3- Fast feet- In an athletic stance make very quick steps and turn hips right and left

4- Ice skate, rollerblade, or skateboard one point for each

5- In a gym or outdoors use cones or any objects to make a short slalom course to run through. It can be on a flat or gentle slope. A dual course can be made so kids can race each other. Make a course that combines 3 smaller and 3 larger turns

6- Make a hopping course for kids with chalk or a rope. Switch from hopping on both feet to one one foot. Dual courses can be set.

Ankle flex

This is a key part of a good stance part of moving over the turn.

Most skiers do not have good ankle flex. Instead they flex the knee too soon, too fast or too much.

Do on a flat surface without ski boots on - Top score is 6 video

1- In an athletic stance on a flat surface in front of a wall or chair for support, a partner can also be used. Flex just the ankles forward and back to starting position. Move from a slow pace to a fast one. Feel the weight move from the balls of the feet to the toes and back. Move from a big range to a small amount of flex. Knees or hips should not be flexing.

The ankles can only be flexed a small amount without falling forward because feet are so short. But they can flex more with skis on.

It is even harder to flex in ski boots, especially for a short light child with stiff boots. This can be done with with ski boots on, but boots will be stiffer when they are cold.

2- In an athletic stance like above flex the knees and no ankles. This is how many skiers move and end up on the back of their skis. Feel the difference so you can control both joints.

3- In an athletic stance like above start to flex the ankles then a small amount of the knees. Skiers will flex the knees too soon, too fast, and too much which puts them on the back of their skis.

Ankle flex in motion

4- In an athletic stance with feet parallel take small slow steps to the side. Lead with the knees moving in that direction. This is side stepping and is used to climb up a hill. It is harder to do with skis, so it is good to practice without skis. Do in both directions.

5- This is another way to get uphill, called herringbone, monster steps or duck walk. In an athletic stance with big toes pointing out the opposite of a wedge or looking like a backward pizza. Start stepping forward in that position.

6- In the same starting position as above skate as if on ice skates. You need to wear socks and be on a hard floor. Powder on the floor may be helpful. This skating is hard for many people to do so work on it before putting on skis.

Turning

Do on a flat smooth surface in socks, powder may be needed on the floor to reduce friction. Put a paper or plastic grocery bag under each foot if all you have is carpet. Top score is 7

1- In an athletic stance, point your big toes toward each other called a wedge or slice of pizza for kids, point both big toes slightly right then back straight, then slightly left. Make some slower which would be for larger turns, then make some faster for smaller turns. Increase how far the feet turn. Make sure the hips are not turning.

2- In an athletic stance stand on one leg, and make the other leg straight and turn the foot. Notice the upper leg turn. Then flex the long leg at the knee to a right angle and turn the foot again, notice the upper leg not turning. Stand on the other leg and repeat. Notice any differences in range from side to side or any pain.

3- Stand on both feet and point both toes as far as you can in each direction. Flex lower for more direction.

4- In an athletic stance in a small wedge, compare turning just the shoulder, then the shoulders and hips. Notice any restrictions or pain. This is how people naturally move rather than turning their feet first, so their turning does not happen from the ground up.

5- In an athletic stance and a small wedge, push on one big toe then stop. Next push on the other big toe. Your ankle should be flexing toward your big toe like you are kneeling down. Make sure the knee is not flexing and your heel stays on the ground. This is another way to turn. Push on the right toe to go left, and the left toe to go right. The body moves over the toe that you push on. When skiing downhill, your momentum helps make the ski turn and then moves you over the turn and down the hill. Be sure the knee does not move to the inside or the hip to the outside.

6- To make the turning stronger, start in an athletic stance and small wedge, combine pushing on one big toe and pointing it, then point straight ahead before switching to the other toe. Finally change the order by pointing the big toe first then pushing on it. This works better for some.

7- For kids and athletic adults, stand in an athletic stance and make quick hops from side to side. Then start pointing your toes right and left. Hop and turn

Moving over the turn

For intermediate level and above. This simulates the progressive tipping of the upper body to the outside of the turn, it is the most basic move in skiing.

Use a wall, chair, or partner for support. Wear shoes - Top score is 6 video

This is a part of edging the skis, and keeps the upper body moving over the feet as they turn. The timing of the upper body tipping is continuous until the end. It is called angulation.

1- Stand in an athletic stance two feet from a wall. Move the side of the body that is next to the wall forward, that includes the foot, knee, hip, shoulder and hand. The arch of the inside foot is as far forward as the big toe of the other foot. This is called inside lead, counter, strong inside half, anticipation and other names. It allows your upper body to move more to the side.

2- Lean your forearm on the wall parallel to the floor. Put the other hand on your hip and slowly push your hip in toward the wall. This is the same move you make in a turn. Face the other direction and do it on the other side.

3- In the same starting position with your arm against the wall, just slowly flex just your ankles forward. Then move just your hip inside with no ankle flex. Finally combine the two moves. Make them smooth and progressive. When you stop the move you should fall away from the wall. If you fall toward the wall you turned your hip toward the wall, flexed your knee too much, not flexed your ankle, or your timing was not progressive.

4- In the same starting position with your arm against the wall, turn your shoulders and hips to face the wall. Now compare and notice how you have less ability to move your upper body to the side. This show how rotation restricts edging and reduces your movement over your feet.

5- Stand in an athletic stance further from the wall. Make sure the side of the body next to the wall is forward. Put your hand on the wall and slowly lean your whole body toward the wall and lean on your elbow. This starts to put the skis on edge and is called inclination. Then finish up with creating the angles or angulation. Do on both sides.

6- More athletic and advanced skiers can try moving further from the wall to simulate bigger faster carved turns. Everyone can try doing this by putting the outside hand like it is the a pocket and progressively slide it down toward the knee while tipping. This helps the timing.