How to Ski Downhill with Style

There are many ways for skiers to go down. You can do it the professional way by executing fancy turns as you navigate your way down the slope. You can do it cautiously by taking things very slowly and virtually making what’s intended to be a ten-minute trip downhill into an hour-long journey. Or, you can do it in an extremely embarrassing way by neglecting to learn the basic downhill skiing techniques and resorting to screaming and dodging all the way to the edge.

If, however you wish to learn how to ski downhill properly, there are several methods that you can choose from:

Basic Downhill Technique – Let’s start with something simple. Assume the basic stance by keeping your skis approximately twelve inches apart from each other. Remember to keep your knees and ankles slightly bent. Keep your head up and back straight. Make sure to remove any snow clinging at the back of your skis because this could make you lose your grip and balance.

Now it’s time to move. With your hands slightly ahead of you and the poles back but slightly off ground, allow yourself to let go. As you go down the slopes, use your poles to give you a push only when necessary, and make sure that one of your skis is slightly in front the other. If you need to make a left turn, bend towards that direction while putting your right foot forward and vice versa.

This basic technique is best used for gentle slopes and easy terrains. As you find yourself getting nearer to the end, you’ll automatically find your body going lower. That’s normal, however remember to keep your arms outstretched in front you.

Snow Plow or the Wedge – If you’ve mastered the previous downhill technique, it’s time to move to something slightly more challenging: the snow plow technique. This technique will not only help you go downhill safely but also allow you to adjust your speed accordingly.

This technique is also called the wedge because your skis have to adapt a wedge-like position. Keep the edges of your skis just half a foot apart from each other. Besides the notable difference in your feet’s positioning, everything else remains the same. You still need to keep your head up, look straight ahead, and so forth.

To go downhill, you’ll have to turn your ankles inwards so that your skis will be able to dig down. This action is what allows you to control your speed.

Step Turn – If the snow plow allows you to control your speed, the next downhill skiing technique we’re about to discuss is what will allow you to make crucial turns or direction changes as you go downhill. To facilitate learning the step turn technique, find a slope that’s well-packed, even, and with no steep curves. The starting position is still the same.

To make a right turn, put your left ski slightly in front. Then, lift up your other leg and afterwards push your left pole slightly nearer to the right. This will make your whole body turn to the right. As it does, make sure that your left ankle turns inward while your right leg pushes off. Only after this and when your right leg has gained enough distance should you put it down. Push your arms in front once more together with your left leg. Lastly, move until both your left and right skis are parallel with each other once more and both of your poles are ahead you.

Sideslipping – Thankfully, this technique is easier to achieve than sidestepping, although it will require you to execute a small trick. To sidestep, you’ll first need to place your feet sideways. While going down, you’ll have to make sure that your skis are still partly facing sideways. At the same time, they also have to be positioned in such a way that you can exert the necessary force to help you slow down.

Skiing downhill - albeit easier than skiing uphill - is definitely scarier because we have to contend with our fear of heights first. Still, as long as you make a conscious effort to trust in yourself and keep your control of your poles and skis relaxed but firm, there’s no way for you to fall flat on your face when you reach the end of your slope. Good luck on your way down!

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