Do you feel comfortable on blue runs, but find that everything speeds up when you move onto a steeper slope?
Perhaps your skis seem to slide away from you, or you struggle to finish one turn before starting the next.
Itâs a common concern among skiers I teach. One image I use to help is a swing or pendulum.
The idea is simple: instead of rushing the start of the turn or trying to force the skis sideways to slow down, think about letting them travel down, round and through.
Picture a swing
Think about how a swing moves. It gathers speed as it travels down towards its lowest point, then slows as it rises up the other side.
A ski turn isnât exactly the same movement, but that image can help you understand the rhythm weâre looking for. Let the skis come down into the turn, then continue around the curve. As you bring them further across the slopeâand, where appropriate, slightly back uphillâyou can reduce your speed.
The useful question becomes: how far do I need to finish this turn to control my speed?
Finish the turn a little further
Imagine a clock face on the slope, with 12 oâclock pointing uphill and 6 oâclock pointing downhill.
You might normally finish your turns with your ski tips pointing towards 9 oâclock or 3 oâclock, but in a pendulum or swing in a play-park, at the bottom of the arc, that’s when momentum still has you travelling at speed! If you continue the arc, past 9-3 and through to 10 or 2 you will have passed the point of acceleration and be slowing down naturally. You will not travel back up the slope but instead, by turning the tips of your skis further round the arc of the turn you will be able to control speed more easily.
Those positions are a guide, rather than exact targets. The point is to explore how continuing around the curve changes your speed.
Keep the skis travelling forwards along a rounded path, using the shape of the turn to help you slow down.
Try âdown, round and throughâ
Choose a wide, quiet slope where you feel comfortable practising, with enough space to finish your turns safely. Check uphill before setting off and leave plenty of room for other skiers.
Start with one turn:
- Down: let the skis move into the turn without rushing or forcing the beginning.
- Round: guide them along a smooth curve.
- Through: continue the curve until you have slowed to a comfortable speed.
In my demonstration, I continue the first turns far enough around to come to a stop. That helps show how much difference the finish of the turn can make.
You donât need to stop after every turn. As your confidence grows, finish each curve just far enough to manage your speed, then flow into the next one.
Find a calmer rhythm
The aim is a series of rounded turns with a rhythm you can repeat:
Down, round and through.
Down, round and through.
Avoid feeling that you must hurry straight into another turn. Give yourself time to complete the curve and notice how your speed changes.
Practise the movement on easier terrain first. When it feels comfortable, you can explore it on a slightly steeper slope that suits your ability.
Next time you feel your speed building, remember the swing. A more complete, rounded turn may help you find the control and confidence youâre looking for.
Watch the accompanying video to see me demonstrate the movement on a red run.
â John