Ski Technique: How to Ski Better on Pistes

There are few better places to boost your ski technique than on the groomed pistes of Peak 7 in Breckenridge. Wide, gentle and flattering, the slopes are more or less deserted from Monday to Friday. If you can’t finesse your on-piste skiing here, you might as well throw your ski boots away and take up ballroom dancing.

So when I was in the resort, it made sense to ask one of the stars of the local ski school, Teague Holmes of Breckenridge Ski & Ride School, to give me some tips on how to ski these slopes more smoothly. Eventually, we whittled the list down to four key points to think about while you’re carving:

1. Stay Centred Over Your Skis

Your weight needs to be evenly distributed right along the length of your feet, which means you’ll be able to maintain downward pressure right along the full length of your skis. Don’t lean back.

2. Even Up the Weight Distribution Between Your Feet

Both skis need to be in contact with the snow throughout the turn, so don’t put all your weight on your outside leg. It’ll be much harder to make the transition between turns if you do.

3. Your Legs Need to be Parallel, Not Forming an A-frame

Keeping your knees and ankles an equal distance apart will allow you to maintain the same edge angles on your skis – thus allowing them both to carve in the same way. It also helps keep your weight more evenly distributed through both feet. Read more about that in our feature “how to lose your A-Frame”.

4. Don’t Lean Into the Slope With Your Whole Body

When you turn, you roll your ankles and your knees over into the slope, but not your upper body. Your spine should stay vertical. Your hips are the point where the angulation changes.