Fresh tracks

Making fresh tracks in powder snow is the ultimate reward for years of ski experience. When you watch someone who rides well in powder, it looks effortless, athletic, graceful and 'at one' with the mountain!

But how do we turn these words into reality?

In truth, lots of practise and lots of falling over! But here's a few hints to help you on your way...

~ Maintain a strong core otherwise you'll end up 'nose diving' and doing a few forward rolls.
~ Keep a narrow stance and weight on both skis as you turn, to help spread the load.
~ Allow the legs to stretch and bend freely and 'softly'.
~ Keep a calm upper body and look ahead (not at your skis).
~ Remember that a bit of speed allows the skis to bend and turn more easily.

Start to train on a fairly gentle gradient but bear in mind that deep snow will hold your speed back. Take a direct line and enjoy the sensation of floating through the powder, then start to bend and stretch your legs to get a feel for the texture of the snow under your feet (remember to keep those core muscles strong).

When turning in deep snow if you use too much active 'pivot' movement (rotational turning of the feet and legs) your skis will get tripped up in the soft snow and you will probably end up on your head! Instead, feel the pressure build up under your skis as you smoothly extend the legs into the turn. Imagine your skis and feet moving away and to the outside of your centre of mass, creating a 'shelf' of more compacted snow under the ski bases. This shelf is what causes the skis to react and bend making you flow around the curve.

To move smoothly from one turn to the next, retract the legs by pulling the feet back in towards your centre of mass as you complete the curve. This movement should help to release the pressure from the skis and allow you to 'dive' down the hill towards the centre of the next turn. Precise timing is required so that you don't either slow down too much, or, pick up more and more speed.

With plenty of practise and lots of leg burn, you will start to float from turn to turn with the best of them!