Tips for Steep Slope Skiing

Get tips and techniques for skiing steep slopes.

Tips for Steep Slope Skiing Here, fear can short circuit all those neat tricks you’ve learned. But we’re going to show you some new skills for the steeps that will help you manage and overcome that fear, and maybe even turn the steeps into your favorite place. First, assess the run and make a plan. On the steeper slopes, every instinct cause you to back off. But instead of moving away from the danger, you can actually move toward the steep to gain control. Move toward the fall line, not away. Reach down the hill will your pole plant, use all four edges, and maintain a rhythm. Here’s another secret. All our steeps gears had fear, just like you do. What makes them special is their ability to replace the fear with the task at hand. First, analyze the snow. How hard is it? Does it have the consistency of a refrigerator door? Or is it soft? Do your ski sponge through as soon as you drive an edge? Is it loaded up and will it slough as you ski it? Here PSI 18’s head coach Dave Merriam shows us. Move toward the fall line, not away. Reach down the hill with your pole plant, use all four edges, and maintain a rhythm. Let’s check that out again. Watch as Dave, he fully commits by reaching far down the hill with his pole plant. As he makes his turn, he uses both his downhill ski and his uphill ski. His downhill ski is doing the bulk of the work but he keeps that uphill ski engaged in case the downhill one slips out. Here’s another look. Now watch this 1960’s footage, same technique, right? Pole plant made down the hill to commit. Now back to the present. He uses both his downhill ski and his uphill ski. His downhill edge is still doing in the bulk of the work, but he keeps that uphill edge engaged in case the downhill one slips out. Now, as soon as he begins to make that turn, he drives his uphill hand down the hill for the next pole plant. As he plants his pole, he pumps off that downhill edge and pivots around the pole plant, driving his uphill ski as it swings to become the downhill ski. Watch as he plants, pumps off his downhill edge, pivots, then pedals his uphill ski into the downhill position. It’s as if he’s paddling a bike. He’s feet is stopping for a millisecond at the 12 o’clock and six o’clock positions. But what about those times when the first turn is off the edge of the corners or some other drop up? This changes everything, right? Well, not really. When dropping into any run, whether it’s off at corner or a small cliff, anywhere that the landing is steep you have to be in control. The same steep skiing principles still work. Watch as this guy show us as they perform the same drill, replacing fear with the task at hand. They check out the snow, spot the landing, and make a plant, visualizing the whole run, not just the jump in. As they approach the edge, plants their pole and making a hat turn around it. This has the effect of pre jumping the edge of the corners. They do this to get back to the ground quicker. As they float through the air, watch as they drive that uphill hand down the hill. They reach out with their legs, getting ready to absorb the impact. At the precise moment they hit, they plant both poles and drive both edges. The idea is to get all four points of contacts, both poles and both edges on the ground at the same time. After the four-point landing, they’re solid and ripen.