Coaching session 1: Getting to grips with it all...

Once you've cracked those first 'skiddy' parallel turns on blue slopes, what's next?

As many of you will be aware, it's not just a question of 'ski technique' that will take you to the next level - 'confidence' can also play a large part. Lots of practise on familiar slopes is a great way to help gain confidence whilst honing your technical skills. To make practise sessions more varied, try turning up the tempo of your turns, or increase your speed - but make sure you stay in control!

It's important that you start to relax and ski these familiar runs without thinking too much about your technique. Once you've achieved this sort of 'auto pilot' state of mind, its maybe the right time to face the new challenge of a steeper blue or red.

You must develop a feel for WHEN and HOW MUCH you tilt your skis onto their edges:

• Too much tilt too early in the turn and you risk the skis tracking straight out of the curve.


• Not enough tilt in the 2nd half of the turn and you'll end up sliding sideways out of the curve - a bit like Bambi on ice!

As you make each turn, try to feel the edge angle against the snow build up progressively. The maximum amount of tilt should occur towards the end of the turn when the skis start to point across the slope.

To flow from one turn into the next, try to anticipate the best time to release the edges and flatten both skis. Allow your body to 'topple' over your feet and down the hill, to make the skis change on to the opposite edges. It's really important that you are patient during this 'crossover' phase and don't try to rush or force the movements - just go with the flow!

Trying to perfect the optimum timing for releasing the edges at the end of a turn will take hours of practise and the correct moment will vary depending on the steepness of the slope, your speed, the turn size and the snow conditions. Remember, if you:

• Release too soon, you will pick up more and more speed as you travel down the hill.


• Release too late, you may end up pointing up the hill with insufficient momentum to help initiate the next turn.

If you have any questions about this article please contact me: tim@skischool.co.uk. Look out for my next coaching blog, coming soon!

Snowy Hintertux

Just back from a BASI training course on the Hintertux glacier in Austria where there is plenty of early season snow. The glacier boasts skiing for 365 days a year, with 21 state of the art lifts up to an altitude of 3250m. It snowed each day of the course and was fairly windy at times but it didn't stop us enjoying some cracking piste conditions.

After a long spell since becoming a fully qualified ISTD (International Ski Teacher Diploma) - in fact nearly 14 years - I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone and partake in a 'professional development course', which is also aimed at instructors wanting to become 'instructor trainers'.

An eight hour drive from Les Gets to Hintertux on Thursday followed by a warm up day on Friday before starting the three day training programme on Saturday morning. Much of the course was spent delivering mini coaching sessions to one another, followed by critique from the rest of the group and the observing BASI trainers. Our remit during the sessions was to improve the skiing performance of our peers, whilst demonstrating a varied approach to our teaching skills.

Mentally exhausting, but all-in-all a great way of keeping you up-to-date on developments, improving your delivery skills and of course, sharpening your personal skiing and making sure you can still ski as well as those 'new kids on the block'!