Foot steering

The steering skill is a given, because you should know that if you want to turn you must guide and twist your feet in the direction of the turn as a first step. All turning movements are initiated by the feet. Turning your feet and countering the forces built up in the turn is the whole key to skiing. Expert skiers are often referred to as having hot or educated feet. You must learn how to control your feet. They are the secret to great skiing. The subtle changes in the foot position dictate how much the skis turn, dig the edge into the snow and control speed.

The foot is the means by which the ski is directed across the falline. It is a twisting of the foot while moving that allows the ski to be steered. Instructors demonstrate foot steering by scribing an arc in the snow with the ski boot. The movement simulates exactly the foot steering needed in all levels of skiing. Another trick is to set the poles on each side of the skis stuck in the ground. Try to twist the foot against the poles. The force you use to twist is the turning force used to start a turn.

Alpine Skiing School section in english version of WWW.SKI.BG is based on
"A Guide To Becoming An Expert: From First Time To A Lifetime"
by John Mukavitz Copyright © 1998