{"id":9004,"date":"2022-08-24T07:52:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T12:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/?p=9004"},"modified":"2022-08-24T07:52:40","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T12:52:40","slug":"how-to-ski-with-feet-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/how-to-ski-with-feet-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Step-By-Step Technique: How To Ski With Feet Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Only a skier can appreciate the thrill you feel when you sit on the ski lift at the start of a day’s skiing and see the tiny people below crisscrossing the slope. You know that in just a few minutes, you will step off the lift and \u2013 unless a beginner skier has wiped out when getting off the seat \u2013 move to the slope and start skiing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you begin your day of skiing, you might be worried about your technique, or you might not. One technique that is up for endless debate is how wide apart your skis should be. Modern teaching methods favor a wider stance, but skiing with your feet together is back in vogue<\/strong>, at least for the puritans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To ski with feet together, keep your knees together and skis parallel. Your weight stays on the uphill edge of both skis except in a turn and your shoulders face the valley. Check ski tips often to confirm parallel. Don’t lean back or squat too low. Keep your shoulders directly above knees and feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
My friend who learned to ski in Austria was told a million times: “Bend the knees<\/strong>” and “Face the valley<\/strong>.“<\/strong> I will be sharing his story and experience throughout this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bending the knees was easy enough, but facing the valley was terrifying at first because it was so counter-intuitive. However, facing your shoulders downhill will give you control<\/strong>, whereas turning your back will take you back uphill, and (if you carry enough momentum,) you can expect a wipe-out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n
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An Exercise To Help Feet To Stay Together While Skiing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Stand with your skis slightly across the slope and edged towards the mountain to prevent sliding<\/strong> downhill. <\/li>
Remember to have your knees bent<\/li>
Face your shoulders to the valley<\/strong><\/li>
Plant your downhill pole directly below your feet and have the uphill pole facing directly up the hill, with your uphill hand over your skis’ tips.<\/li>
Flatten your skis more and more<\/strong> until you can feel the point where the edges will no longer grip, and you would slide if you flattened them any further.<\/li>
Flatten your skis to the snow by tipping your skis off the edges and into a flat position. You will start sliding downhill<\/strong>. Instead of continuing downhill, allow the turn to become a full arc so that you complete the turn<\/strong> and are once again facing across the slope in the opposite direction.<\/li>
Don’t lift your skis, but pull the uphill foot back slightly<\/strong> as you make the turn, keeping both feet close, or the uphill ski will tend to push forward. Edge your skis once more when you have completed the turn, and you will now be facing the opposite direction. This means that if you just did a left turn, you will do a right turn next.<\/li>
Always plant your downhill pole correctly<\/strong> before setting off and make the next turn when ready.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Once this is done a few times, and you are confident, make the next turn, and instead of coming to a halt<\/strong>, move smoothly into the next turn. See how many turns you can do without edging to a stop once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep the turns small and slow at first. Once you gain confidence and skill<\/strong>, widen the arcs, which will increase your speed<\/strong> automatically. You have just conquered the single, two-footed release. This will lead to connected two-footed releases, slow brush carves, and more. Without the basics, the advanced moves are impossible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Ski with Feet Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The purpose of parallel skiing<\/strong> with your skis together is control<\/strong>. Speed, carving, stopping, and turning are all determined by how well you control your skis. To keep your skis together, your body must be balanced<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too far forward, back, right, or left; having your knees too bent or your legs too straight will cause you to naturally widen your stance in an attempt to keep your balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your ability to hold and maintain your weight above the appropriate edges will determine your level of control, or in other words, your ability to control the angle of the inside edge of your downhill ski and the outside edge of your uphill ski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maintain a good relationship between your head, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet. Keep your shoulders directly above your knees and knees above your feet, in a straight line that runs at 90 degrees to your skis.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Arms and Shoulders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Regardless of the amount that you bend or straighten your legs, always hold a straight line from shoulders, through hips, and onward to your feet. Keep your hands \u2013 and thus ski pole handles – out in front of you, with your elbows bent less than 90 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this way, your shoulders should never drift back to a point behind your knees. Keep your hips from moving laterally (left to right or the reverse) and centered on an imaginary line that runs from your spine to your downhill foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Maintain your knees bent somewhere between 40 degrees and 90 degrees, preventing the spontaneous spreading of your skis that may occur if you squat too low or not enough. As you increase the bend angle, lean your shoulders forward and maintain centering over the knees.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As your legs straighten, return your shoulders to a point back over your knees.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Concentrate on keeping your knees together, perhaps even clamping a colorful handkerchief or similar between them. When your knees are close to one another, your feet remain close, as do your skis.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Eye Gaze<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Without staring directly at your ski tips, glance at them every 20 or 30 seconds at first. This check will reassure you that you are still skiing on a parallel path, and this skill must be mastered before going off-piste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you are skiing in powder, you will rarely see your ski tips unless you have a wipe-out, and a strong, narrow stance will prevent many accidents. Try not to panic when you first lose sight of your ski tips in powder and ensure that you can ski with your feet together before you get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ski Edges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Scuffing up the insides of your skis and boots is an indication that you’re parallel skiing correctly, but you don’t have to go to that extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use your skis’ edges, always keeping your weight on the uphill edge of your skis, unless you are making a turn, in which case you need to allow your skis to flatten and drift around the curve. As you exit the turn, your weight returns to the uphill edges once again.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Keep your chest facing down the fall line (towards the valley) even when you’re skiing across the slope, as this will prevent the tendency to spread your legs as you lose your balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Even with all this said, nothing beats taking several lessons if you plan ever to be able to ski correctly. Regardless of your level of proficiency \u2013 unless you are an Instructor \u2013 if you have not already learned to ski with your feet together, lessons are vital.<\/strong> You can read more detail on whether ski lessons are worth it in our article, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
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