Dive Into the Turn

Today’s new ski technology has made turning about as complicated as buckling your boots. By putting pressure on the downhill edge, the shape of the ski will bite into the snow, taking some of the effort out of carving the turn. But that doesn’t mean the skis will do all the work.

With modern ski sidecuts, there’s also a chance the skis will keep turning and leave you behind, hanging over the tails of your skis.

The solution is to anticipate the turn by moving your body down the hill and into the turn, keeping your hands out in front of you at all times.

Remember to extend your legs as you plunge into the turn (Fig. 1). Otherwise, you’ll be in the backseat from the get-go. Then, imagine yourself diving into a pool at the initiation of each turn. Look down the hill, rise up on your toes, and dive down the fall line, leading with your hands and moving your weight down the slope and into the turn (Figs. 2 and 3).

The faster you go and the steeper the slope, the more aggressive you have to be about this movement.