You always remember the first time you tackle the steeper slopes. While skiing downhill on steep slopes is an adrenaline rush, it’s essential to know how to do it effectively. If you don’t, this might dampen your performance and kill your buzz.
Here at The Snow Centre, we’re always keen to share our ski knowledge to help improve your ski technique, even for the more experienced skiers out there, which is why we’ve put together a helpful guide on how to ski on steep slopes. Follow these steps and you’ll soon be skiing our Main Slopes at The Snow Centre Manchester and Hemel Hempstead with improved confidence!
How to ski down a steep slope
When looking at how best to ski on steep slopes, there are four essential skills which you need to consider. These are edge control, foot rotation, the separation of your lower and upper body and finally, the pole plant. Perfect these and you’ll know how to control your speed or slow down with ease when skiing down steep slopes.
How to improve edge control when skiing on steep slopes
Let’s begin by taking a look at your edge control. Nowadays, skiers can often obsess over how much edge they can get on the skis. The best skiers can edge a lot, but they’ll also have the ability to flatten and feel when the skis are flat. When you go down steep slopes, you’ll want to flatten the skis, begin to slide and then gently edge to control your descent properly. Out of the four skills, this will be the hardest to master. However, practice makes perfect! The key to flattening is to master your edge control.
How to improve foot rotation when skiing on steep slopes
Once you feel comfortable with your flattening technique, start looking at your foot rotation as both go hand in hand. It’s a real skill for skiers to feel comfortable flattening their ski and rotating their foot at the same time. For example, if you were to put a lot of edge into your ski and attempted to turn your foot, it would be difficult to make your foot rotate. Whereas if your ski were flat on the snow, rotating your foot would be much easier to do.
How to separate your lower and upper body when skiing on steep slopes
When you’re able to combine both movements effectively, the next thing to consider is body position. When skiing down a steep slope, it is crucial to understand how to separate your lower and upper body. Doing so allows you to control your descent better, in case you need to slow down when skiing downhill. As you descend, position yourself with your chest facing down the slope and your feet turned below.
To master this position, hold the poles in front of you (imagine a letterbox between them), look down, and keep both your hands and chest facing downwards throughout the descent. All the while, keep control through the turns and skids and be mindful of your speed as you descend.
How to effectively pole plant when skiing on steep slopes
The last thing you will want to consider is the pole plant. While there isn’t one set position where poles should go in, you’ll like them to be slightly parallel to your skies, opposed to in front of them. Doing this encourages the separation of the lower and upper body, as stated above. Additionally, it will help drive and pull you toward the next turn with confidence as you make your descent.
To summarise, when skiing down a steep slope, release the edges, rotate your feet, keep your upper body positioned correctly and ensure a good rhythmical pole plant to bring all these movements together effectively.
Learn to Ski at The Snow Centre
Apply all of these tips and you’ll surely master our ski lessons at The Snow Centre Manchester and Hemel Hempstead. Experience the thrills of The Snow Centre by learning to ski from one of our expert instructors. If you have any questions about our ski lessons or any of the lessons available at The Snow Centre, be sure to contact us, and a member of our team will be happy to help.
