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   "SKIING IS A SLIDING SPORT":
 Conventional Skiing Wisdoms (CSW's) 

by Bill Jones, Ski Instructor
Certified Professional Ski Instructor (Registration #
110478)

 CSW # 18: "Turn the outside ski first."

An eyeball survey of skiers reveals that most turn the outside ski first when turning. But some skiers--usually the ones appearing to have the most skill or the ones winning the races--turn the inside ski first. (For terminology, if you are turning to the right, the outside ski is the one on the left.) It seems this is the most natural movement for people to make, and indeed telemark skiers do just this.

However, initiating a turn in this way will likely result in two undesirables: 1) the strong impulse started this way cannot be finessed as the turn progresses potentially resulting in an overturn or complete spin to the uphill side, and 2) somewhere in the turn the position of the skis must be reversed so that at completion the tip of the outside ski which is now downhill will be behind the uphill ski, causing an unneeded motion.

Turn the inside ski first; it will avoid the above two problems and will allow both skis to engage their edges in the snow earlier in the turn, causing the ski to turn you as it was designed to.

main CSW contents
prior CSW #17: "Bend your knees while you ski"
next CSW #19: "Skiing is Dangerous"

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This "CSW#18: 'Turn the outside ski first'" page last modified 11/18/2009: \SkiMyBest\skiCSW18.htm. Copyright © 2010 William R Jones.