Anticipate Acceleration Of Your Skis For Better Balance
To maintain good balance when you ski it is essential that you keep your center of mass balanced over your base of support (your feet) which requires that you retain a perpendicular relationship to your skis throughout each turn.
To keep this perpendicular relationship it is essential that you move your body forward at turn initiation in order to anticipate the acceleration which occurs when your skis point down the hill and move toward and through the fall line. If you do not anticipate this acceleration then your skis will run out in front of you and your center of mass will likely be behind your feet in the “back seat”. At this point, you end up either exerting energy trying to get back in balance or falling. Neither option is desirable.
There are four primary actions that you can take at turn initiation to anticipate the acceleration of your skis as they enter the fall line:
- Lengthening your uphill leg in a forward direction
- Keep your hands forward and quiet
- Tip your sternum forward
- Use a pole touch which will also aid in moving you forward