Glossary of Skiing Terms

From snowheads

Glossary of Skiing related Terms and phrases

Alpine skiing

also known as downhill skiing, uses skis with bindings that fix the whole of the ski boot to the ski.

ANGULATION

When there is an angle (laterally) between your legs and your upper body. This is achieved by bending your body so that your centre of mass is inside the turn and your edges are at and angle to the snow while remaining in balance. Angulation allows you to remain balanced while setting an edge (putting the ski on edge) - if you didn't angulate you'd topple over.

Illustration

A skier in an angulated postion

APEX

The point during a turn at which 1/2 of the entire direction change that turn will produce has been completed.

ARCING

An American term for perfectly carved turns

ARC to ARC turns

carving turns that are perfectly linked with a smooth transition.

AT - Alpine Touring

AT ski equipment is specifically designed for ski touring in steep terrain. A special Alpine touring binding is used that allows the heel to be clipped down for more support when skiing downhill, and allows it to be released to swing resistance-free from the toe when climbing.

Most AT bindings have DIN safety release as in an alpine binding. Special ski boots with rigid soles are also used, something of a cross between a downhill ski boot and a hiking boot, which are light and flexible enough to be comfortable to walk up in while still being stiff enough to provide good control when skiing down.

AVALEMENT

A French term (avaler, to swallow) In skiing the art of absorbing bumps using the legs so the that the body remains still and quiet. "Avalement" turns where you use the swallowing of the bumps to assist pivoting.

"BACK SEAT"

The position a skier is in when sitting back with too much bend in the knees and not enough forward ankle flex

BANKING

Poor use of inclination to make turns , typified when the skis do not hold an edge during the turn and the skier is not balanced.

BASI

British Association of Snowsport Instructors - A British members organisation that provides training for and licenses ski instructors.

BRAQUAGE

a turning excercise whose objective is to maintain a descent directly down the fall line whilst turning the skis back and forth across the fall line using little or no edging. Also known as a "pivot slip" in North America. (illustration of a skier performing braquage as seen overhead)

BoS - Base of Support

The area of the skier in contact with the snow surface which supports the skiers body and transmists forces from the CoM down through to the surface of the slope

CAMBER

the curvature of the ski's base that helps distribute the skier's weight over the length of the ski. Camber is the internal arc that is built into the ski.

CARVING

a turn on a completely engaged ski edge, where the tail of the ski follows the tip throughout the turn radius. In general terms, it is the fastest and most efficient turn possible

Centripetal force

Combined force

The various combinations of forces (gravity, centripedal, inertial, friction) acting on a skier.

CoM - Centre of Mass

The CoM represents the balance point of a three dimensional object, it is usually, but not always, inside an object. Gravity and other forces act on the CoM. The CoM on a skier is not a fixed point and moves as the skier changes position.

COUNTER - aka "Counter Rotation", "Counter-Acting".

When you master separation, and are in the position where your skis are pointed across the hill, whilst your upper body is facing down the hill, you are then in a position known as “countered”.
Note that countering, or counter-rotation, is not a deliberate move. It happens as a RESULT of you turning your skis under your body, with separation.

CROSSOVER

A transition from one turn to the next when the CoM generally rises and crosses over the BoS (joints are extended as the skis go flat), frequently seen on the flatter sections of a GS course

CROSSUNDER

A transition from one turn to the next where the BoS moves under the CoM, the CoM generally stays low (joints are flexed as the skis go flat), frequently seen in tight slalom gates.

CSIA

Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance

CSCF

Canadian Ski Coaches Federation

DOWNHILL

when skiing refers to the side of the body which is facing the downhill or lower side of the slope.

EDGING

tipping the skis into the hill to obtain grip on the snow.

ENSA

Ecole Nationale de Ski d’Alpinisme - French official governing body that trains and certifies ski instructors, mountain guides, piste patrollers and other alpine related professionals.

ESF

Ecole du Ski Français - The largest ski school in France with over 250 local schools in their association and over 15,000 ski instructors.

EUROtest - aka Speed Test

A timed Giant Slalom race that must be passed as part of the highest instructor certification levels in the Eurozone countries. A pacesetter runs the course and his time is adjusted down using a handicap reflecting his skill level. The adjusted time is meant to be equivalent to the time the current fastest skier in the world rankings would have run the course. Males must get within 18% (females 24%) of the adjusted time to pass.

Eurozone

A group of European countries that recognise each others highest level of instructors, granting equivalent status in each country. Currently Great Britain, France, Italy and Austria.

FALL LINE

the hypothetical path an object would take if allowed to roll freely down a given slope

FIS

Fédération Internationale de Ski - The world govening body for all disciplines of ski racing.

FREE HEELERS

Telemark skiers

GS - Giant Slalom

An alpine ski racethat involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.

ILE - Inner Leg Extenstion

A transition which is initiated by pushing down on the old inside (uphill) foot, and slightly extending the old inside leg. This extension disrupts the skiers state of balance, and causes the CoM to begin moving across the skis.

INCLINATION

The leaning movement of tipping your body into a turn to create an angle between the edges of your skis and the snow, whilst keeping the joints in a straight line.

Inertial force

INSIDE EDGE

In the EU is the ski edge that is innermost in your turn. In the USA is the bit toe side of your ski

inside ski

ISIA- International Ski Instructors Association

A global organisation of National level ski instructor associations. Sets internationall recognised standard levels for ski instructors and organises international conferences. For instance a BASI Ski Teacher is recognised as an ISIA level instructor.

JET TURN

a peculiar turn made famous by Martin Heckleman in the 80's where the ski tips "jetted" forward with the body weight going back and was meant as a technique for skiing moguls. Fortunately forgotten by most skiers and only mentioned here for completeness.

LUM

Looking Up Mountain

LDM

Looking Down Mountain

Moguls

small hills of snow.

MOUNTAIN GUIDE

The only professional that can take clients on unpisted glacial terrain or where the use of ropes and harnesses may be necessary.

NASTAR - NAtional STAndard Race

A ski racing programme in the USA that allows skiers through a handicap system, a way to compare themselves with one another and with the national champion, regardless of when and where they race.

Nordic Skiing

OLR - Outside Leg Relaxation

A transition which is initiated by relaxing the old outside (downhill) leg. This relaxation disrupts the skiers state of balance, and causes the Center of Mass to begin moving across the skis.

outside edge

In the EU is the ski edge that is outermost in your turn. In the USA is the little toe side of your ski

outside ski

"PARK and RIDING"

Term used when skiers are making carved turns but lack continuous dynamic movement during the turns.

PIVOTING

twisting of the skis/feet in between turns while the skis are unweighted.

PIVOT SLIP

See BRAQUAUGE

PLOUGH TURN

See Snowplough turn

PMTS

Primary Movements Teaching System (also known as DirectParallel TM)
A ski teaching system founded by Harald Harb in the USA founded on the premise of a new way of teaching to go along with the new shaped skis, as well as continually referencing high end skiing (eg: racing) as a model to aspire to. One of the characteristics of this system is that a snowplough turn is not utilised.

PRESSURED SKI - (aka WEIGHTED SKI)

when the ski is in contact with the snow and is taking some or all of your weight. To illustrate if you are standing still on a flat section and you pick up one foot slightly and twist it back and forth making snow angels you are pivoting that ski. The ski you are standing on which is supporting you is weighted or pressured.

PSIA

Professional Ski Instructors of America - A membership group that provides training to ski instructors in the USA.

RANDONEE

See AT , a French term for Alpine ski touring.

RETRACTION

A transition in which both legs are relaxed, and the skis are allowed to pass unrestricted under the body.

rotation

railing

SCHMEAR TURN

A turn which involves dropping your hip into the snow to use it like a (hand)brake, invented by Scott Schmidt, star of the 80's ski film Blizzard of Aahs.

SIDECUT

the "hourglass" shape a ski has as a result of a wide tip and tail and a narrow waist.

SIDECUT RADIUS

The measurement (in Metres) of circular sidecut a ski has. The lower this figure is will mean the ski is designed to make tight short turns.

SEPARATION

Utilising the skiing joints (lower joints comprised of ankles, knees, hip sockets) independently of the upper body

Skid

SKURFING

A turn utilising deliberate tail pushing which would ordinarily be BAD but in powder or slushed up snow bank generates a surf-like feel. etymology - Skidding + surfing + Fatbob

SLOW DOG NOODLE

The slow-dog noodle turn was invented by Robert "Boogie" Mann in the early 70's and popularised by Wayne Wong, and is also known as a Wong turn. The term combines hot dogging, with slow speed, with the dynamics of a floppy noodle.
It is a retraction/extension turn in the bumps done at an incredibly slow tempo. The real slow/noodle part is where the skier's legs seem to collapse as the skis ride up the back of the bump, and the knees come right up to chest level with the torso first folding forward, then because of the leverage on the pole, being left quite far behind. The skis almost come to a stop, then pivot over the crest and start down the hill while the torso extends forward to prepare for the next absorption. If done well the pole is forward at the plant, but stays in the snow for so long (holding the skier up and acting as a fulcrum point) that the hand and pole really end up quite far back.

Snowplough turn -

SPEED TEST

See EUROTest

STACKING

aligning the joints in ones body so that they are in the best position to resist forces the skier is subject to. Stacking is accomplished by utilising the skeletal frame to maintain a position which minimises the use of the muscles. Example : Imagine a weightlifter trying to lift a bar, he tries to position his body so that the load is transmitted to the ground directly through his skeleton, rather than using his muscles.

STEERING

twisting of the skis/feet while the skis are pressured/weighted.

steering

Foot

Leg

Waist

Stem Turn

Stem Christy

Telemark skiing

TEST TECHNIQUE

A timed slalom race that must be passed by anyone wishing to enter the French ENSA instructor training programme or to teach in France with an ISIA level instructor certificate from another country. A pacesetting Instructor runs the course and his time is adjusted using a handicap reflecting his skill level. The adjusted time is meant to be equivalent to the current fastest French Ski Instructor as determined an annual national challenge race. Males must get within 20% of the adjusted time and females 25%. This test is waived if you have passed the EUROtest

TRANSITION

The period of time, and the manner in which, one turn is brought to an end and a new turn is begun.

TRANSCEIVER

An electronic beacon which emits and detects a signal. When skiing it is worn on the body and switched to emit a signal. All transcievers can be switched into a detect mode and used to locate avalanche victims wearing a transceiver in emit mode.

UPHILL

when skiing refers to the side of the body which is facing the uphill side of the slope.

unweighting

Up

Down

Terrain

WEDELING

An old fashioned way of sking from the 50's in which a skier rhythmically swings the rear of the skis from side to side while following the fall line with the skis very close together.

Wedge turn

WEIGHTED RELEASE

Formerly called "The White Pass Lean". A transition made famous by American ski racer Steve Mahre in the early 1980's. The old outside (downhill) leg carries all the skiers weight through the entire transition, and the new turn is initiated by simply rolling that ski over onto it's downhill edge and starting the new turn on that same ski. Weight is transferred to the other (new outside) ski somewhere around the apex of the new turn.

WORM TURN

A turn where one drops onto the snow surface and rolls their body in a wormlike fashion (or a barrel roll) and then gets up going in the opposite direction. For example, you start by traversing across the slope left to right, lay down on the snow with your uphill hip, roll your right shoulder over, stop rolling when you're on your back and get up going in a right to left traverse.