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BOOKS/VIDEOS/APPS
by Bill Jones, Ski Instructor
Certified Professional Ski Instructor (Registration #110478), Level III)
How To Reserve Private Ski Lessons with Bill Jones

To show the worth of  books and videos in learning to ski/ski better but also their limitations, we repeat two items from elsewhere in this website:

• A remarkable student came to ski school one day. "Put me in level 3," he said. "Well, why?", the instructor thought, "Have you skied before?"  "Oh, no," was the reply, "But  I read the book and watched the video." So the instructor put the reader-watcher in level 3, ready to make a downward adjustment. However, the reader-watcher succeeded and stayed in level 3, ready to advance to level 4 at the end of the lesson. Knowing in advance what to expect and understanding the mechanics involved and the movements needed can obviously help, although not usually this much.

• There are too many variables of terrain, snow conditions, individual's characteristics, interpretations of language, etc. to rely solely or even dominantly on books and videos. An instructor can sort out what you need to learn at the moment under the conditions at hand; a written guide cannot. Books and videos are not intended to replace on-hill coaching and practice, but only to make such experiences more productive. And it is important that the advice given is on track.

As you may have found out, this "Learn to Ski/Ski Better/Ski My Best" website has a great deal of information to help you learn to ski./ski better/ski my best. Have you also perused its chapter with included "Skiing Manual: Skiing is a Sliding Sport"?  Still more resources are listed below. You are invited to suggest additions to this list. Sources for buying include Amazon.com: exits and this website for some. More listings will be found under New England Ski Museum: exits.

See Billl's recommendations for books he has found most helpful. Should you wish help locating an item, send e-mail to Bill Jones.

See Add to Your Winter Library for selected titles to buy

BOOKS

Conditioning
FIT SKIING: Your Guide for Peak Skiing Fitness, by Andrew Hooge.  (book.)

FIT TO SKI: Practical Tips to Optimize Dryland Training and Ski Performance, by Carl Petersen. City Sports and Physiotherapy Clinics. Vancouver, Canada. 2005. 332 pages. Order at http://www.citysportsphysio.com/fittoski.html: exits

Instructional
BREAKTHROUGH ON THE NEW SKIS: Say Goodbye to the Intermediate Blues, by Lito Tejada-Flores. Mountain Press: Missoula, MT. 2001.A must-read treatise from a master teacher about harmonizing with your new shaped skis.--Stu Campbell, former Instruction Editor, SKI Magazine. If you are a "terminal intermediate" skier who can handle moderate slopes, but come unglued on steeps, powder, and bumps, Breakthrough on the New Skis offers a simple innovative path to expert skiing based on a few key movements using modern shaped skis to full advantage. 316 pages, 84 b & w photos & illustrations, paper. ISBN: 0-87842-527-6.

WOMEN SKI: Everything You Need to Know to Really Enjoy Skiing, by Claudia Carbone. World Leisure Corporation: Boston, MA. 1994. 280 pages, paper.

SKIING: A Woman's Guide, by M. Loring. Ragged Mountain Press, McGraw-Hill: Camden, ME. 2000.

TERRAIN SKIING: How to Master Tough Skiing Like the Experts, by Seth Masia. Contemporary Books. Chicago, IL. 1996.

THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SKIING: the indispensable reference for instructors and all skiers,  by Bob Barnes. Snowline Press: Silverthorne, CO. 1999, 324 pages of extended definitions. ISBN 0-9669131-5-9. (1999 edition is out of print and being revised; 1 copy of a 1992 edition, used, is available at $30 from Bill Jones.)

SKI THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN, by Eric & Rob Deslauriers. A book from the technical slope skiers at Sugar Bowl Ski Area, California. The publisher says, "Learn how to ski any terrain and snow condition with expert advice from extreme skiers--for skiers who want to move beyond groomed runs. Offers simple, practical advice on handling moguls, steep slopes, and deep powder. ISBN: 0-9717748-3-8. Out-of-print and much sought.

CORE CONCEPTS FOR SNOWSPORTS INSTRUCTORS. Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO, 2001. 90 pages.

ALPINE TECHNICAL MANUAL: Skiing and Teaching Skills. Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO, 2002. 76 pages.

PSIA ALPINE HANDBOOK. Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO, 1996. 77 pages.

A SKI INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE TO THE PHYSICS AND BIOMECHANICS OF SKIING, by Juris Vagners. 1995. 126 pages. unbound pages.

VAIL-BEAVER CREEK ALPINE HANDBOOK. 2002. 181 pages.

THE ATHLETIC SKIER, by Warren Witherell & David Evrard. The Athletic Skier: Salt Lake City, UT. 1994

TECHNICAL SKILLS FOR ALPINE SKIING, by Ellen Post Foster. Turning Point Ski Foundation: South Hero, VT. 1995.

SKIING AND THE ART OF CARVING, by Ellen Post Foster. Turning Point Ski Foundation: South Hero, VT. 1996. (also see video below, same title.)

UNIVERSAL SKI TECHNIQUES: Principles and Practices, by George Twardokens. Surprisingly Well: Reno, NV. 1992.

SKIING RIGHT, by Horst Abraham. Johnson Books: Boulder, CO . 1983. Explores right-brain factors in skiing.

THE SKIER'S EDGE: Breakthrough Techniques for Intermediate and Advanced Skiers, by R. LeMaster. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. 1999. Clear analysis of how good skiers ski good--and how you can, too. Excellent photo montages show the moves to make. See also author's website www.ronlemaster.com.

SKIING: The Nuts and Bolts, by R. LeMaster. PSIA: Lakewood, CO. 1995.

HIGH PERFORMANCE SKIING, by J. Yacenda. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. 1987

SKI POWDER 9 WAYS, by Boot Gordon. Gordonstown Press: Dillon, CO. 1975.

THE ANATOMY OF SKIING: How to Improve Your Downhill, Powder, and Cross-country skiing, by Richard Sanders. Vintage Books, Random House: New York, NY. 1979.

TEACH YOURSELF TO SKI, by G. Joubert. Aspen Ski Masters: Aspen, CO. 1970.

SKIING--An Art, A Technique, by G. Joubert. Poudre Publishing: La Porte, CO. 1978.

THE NEW OFFICIAL AUSTRIAN SKI SYSTEM: From Walking to Wedeln, by Roland Palmedo. A.S. Barnes & Co.: New York. 1958.

BRILLIANT SKIING, EVERY DAY, by Weems Westfeldt. See www.edgechange.com.

Children and Skiing.
CHILDREN'S INSTRUCTION HANDBOOK, by Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO, 2000.

GLEE, by Alan Bertrand. Atelier Esope Chamonix. 2005. The Panda method of teaching at Chamonix, France.

KIDS ON SKIS: A Guide to Family Skiing and Children's Instruction, Equipment, and Clothing, by I. William Berry. Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1980. 

Ski Maintenance.
THE SKI MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR HANDBOOK, by Seth Masia. Contemporary Books: Chicago, IL. 1982.

BASIC SKI MAINTENANCE VIDEO, by Seth Masia. Available from Tognar Toolworks: exits.

SKI TUNING VIDEO & BOOK. Available from Tognar Toolworks: exits.

WORLD CLASS SKI TUNING, by M. Howden. World Class Ski Tuning Publishing. 1985.

Racing.
RACE SKILLS FOR ALPINE SKIING, by Ellen Post Foster. Turning Point Ski Foundation: South Hero, VT. 1994.

COURSE SETTING MANUAL, Alpine Ski Racing, by Nancy Jo-O'Neill. Canadian Coaches Federation. 1994.

ALPINE ATHLETE COMPETENCIES, by Lester Keller, et. al. United States Ski and Snowboard Association.1997.

ROOKIE COACHES SKI RACING GUIDE: American Coaching Effectiveness Program. Human Kinetics Publishers: Champaign, IL. 1994.

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL COACHING: Alpine Ski Racing, by Canadian Ski Coaches Federation.1997.

TAKE YOUR BRAIN TO THE MOUNTAIN: Mental Skills in Alpine Ski Racing--A Guidebook for Athletes and Coaches in the Psychosocial Domain, edited by Tim Ross. United States Ski & Snowboard Association. 1999.

ENTRY LEVEL COACHING: Alpine Ski Racing, by Canadian Ski Coaches Federation. circa 1992.

Ski Mountaineering.
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING: The Sierra Club Guide to Skiing off the Beaten Track, by Lito Tejada-Flores. Sierra Club Books: San Francisco, CA. 1981.

MOUNTAIN SKIING, by Vic Bein. The Mountaineers: Seattle, WA. 1982.

TACTICS FOR ALL-MOUNTAIN SKIING, by Chris Fellows. Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO. 2006. ISBN: 1-882409-30-2.

*SKI THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN, by Eric Deslauriers book from Sugar Bowl. All-Mountain Ski Pros. Mountain Press. Out-of-print and much sought. We can provide a used copy in good condition for $95.

THE LOG OF A SNOW SURVEY: Skiing and Working in the Winter World of the Sierra Nevada, by Patrick Armstrong. Abbott Press, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-4582-1798-1. Describes High Sierra snow measurements in national parks and forests for predicting streamflows to downstream reservoirs, farmlands, and cities for anticipating potential droughts, floods, irrigation supplies. Includes oriign and history of surveys, methods developed that are now used in many mountain regions, avalanches and other hazards, building of simple cabins in the wilderness for use by surveyors--and the process of stocking them during summer. There are notes about equipmentr and ski gear as well as the high mountain scenery, the animals and trees and rocks of the region, and the sky and clouds and winds and storms of winter. Illustrated, 293 pages.

Avalanche.
POWDERGUIDE: managing avalanche risk. Kurzeder & Feist. 160 pages. ISBN: 0-9717748-7. (Available at $18.95 plus $3.50 shipping per order plus tax if Colorado from Bill Jones--Order # MOPR8961 paper$18.95)

SNOW SENSE: A Guide to Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard, by The Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Inc. 1998. 48 pages.

STAYING ALIVE IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN, by Bruce Temper. 2001.

KID-SKI: How to Teach Your Child to Ski--A Methodology Ages 1-8. Apple Rise Sports. For adults who are intermediate or better skiers.

AVALANCHE VIDEO. 30 minutes. Available from Tognar Toolworks: exits.

SNOW STRUCTURE AND SKI FIELDS: Being an Account of Snow and Ice Forms Met with in Nature and a Study of Avalanches and Snowcraft, by G. Seligman. Macmillan: London. 1936..

THE AVALANCHE HUNTERS, by Montgomery M. Atwater. Macrae Smith: Philadelphia, PA.

THE AVALANCHE BOOK, by Betsy Armstrong and Knox Williams. Fulcrum: Golden, CO. 1986. ISBN 1-55591-001-7.

AVALANCHE HANDBOOK, by Ronald Perla and M. Martinelli, Jr. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; Superintendent of Documents; Washington, D.C. Agriculture Handbook 489.

FIELD GUIDE TO SNOW CRYSTALS, by Edward LaChapelle. University of Washington Press: Seattle, WA. 1969.

Historical.
MOUNTAIN DREAMERS: Visionaries of Sierra Nevada Skiing, by Robert Frohlich. Coldstream Press: Truckee, CA. 1997. 152 pages, 88  photos. Your website author is honored to have known several of the featured dreamers. $14.95 paper. Available from Amazon.com: exits.

SKIING WITH STYLE--Sugar Bowl: 60 Years, by Robert Frohlich & J.E. Humphries. 1999. 110 pages, 133 b&w photos.

MAGIC YOSEMITE WINTERS: A Century of Winter Sports, by Gene Rose. 1999. 144 pages, 203 photos.

IT'S DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY

*A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF DOWNHILL SKIING, by Stan Cohen. Pictorial Histories Publishing Co.: Missoula, MT 1985. 246 large-format pages, filled with historic photographs from all over the U.S. Broad-ranging history covers competition, equipment, ski lifts, resorts, films, fashion, more. ISBN 0-933126-55-7. $14.95

FROM SKISPORT TO SKIING: One Hundred Years of an American Sport, 1840-1940, by John Allen. University of Massachusetts Press: Amherst, MA. 1993.

LOST SIERRA: Gold, Ghosts, & Skis, by William B. Berry. Western America Skisport Museum: Soda Springs, CA. 1991.

"The History of Skiing": exits for Warren Miller website

JOHN JAY'S 1952 OLYMPIC VICTORY: The Story of the Winter Games in Oslo, Norway, by John Jay. 60 minutes, VHS. Available from New England Ski Museum: exits.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN: The Story of the Men of the 10th Mountain Division, by Beth and George Gage. First Run Features: New York, NY. 1995. 72 minutes, color VHS. Available from New England Ski Museum: exits.

WHITE ECSTASY: The Ski Chase, with Hannes Schneider and Leni Riefenstahl in the the 1931 foxchase classic by Dr. Arnold Fanck. Available from New England Ski Museum:

SUN VALLEY SERENADE, with Sonja Henie and John Payne, featuring the Glenn Miller Band. Fox Video. 1941 VHS b&w. 1941. Available from New England Ski Museum: exits.

SKIING HERITAGE: Journal of the International Skiing History Association. New Hartford, CT. Website: www.skiinghistory.org: exits.

MILITARY SKI MANUAL; A Handbook for Ski and Mountain Troops, by Frank Harper. The Military Services Publishing Co.: Harrisburg, PA. 1943. This was a how-to guide used in World War II by soldiers of the Tenth Army.

THE STORY OF SKI-ING, by Arnold Lunn. Eyre & Spottiswoode: London. 1952.

VIDEOS

SKIING AND THE ART OF CARVING: The Ultimate Guide to Learning the Perfect Carve, by Ellen Post Foster. Turning Point Ski Foundation: Edwards, CO. 1998. 60 minutes VHS, color. Available from Turning Point Ski Foundation: exits.

BREAKTHROUGH ON SKIS, by Lito Tejada-Flores. $29.95 each. See www.BreakthroughOnSkis.com: exits.
    Video I: EXPERT SKIING SIMPLIFIED. Demonstrates the concepts of advanced skiing. 58 minutes, VHS, with booklet. Also available in DVD @$29.95.
    Video II: BUMPS  & POWDER SIMPLIFIED. 63 minutes, VHS, with booklet. Also available in DVD @$29.95.
    Video III: THE NEW SKIS: How To Get The Best Performance From Your New Shaped Skis. carving on shaped skis. 53 minutes VHS, with booklet. Also available in DVD @$29.95.

 ALPINE TECHNICAL VIDEO. Professional Ski Instructors of America: Lakewood, CO, 2002. 20 minutes, VHS.

KID-SKI: How to Teach Your Child to Ski--A Methodology Ages 1-8. Apple Rise Sports. For adults who are high intermediate or better skiers. Available from Reliable Racing Supply: exits.

CARVING TURNS MADE EASY, by Al Hobart. 45 minutes, with 27 page book. Available from Reliable Racing Supply: exits.

WORLD CUP TRAINING with FINN & KJETIL AAMODT. Available from Reliable Racing Supply: exits.

Mahre tapes

SHAPE IT UP! Aspen Ski Masters

FAST THINKING

MAGAZINES

SKI. Website: www.magazineplace.com: exits.

SKIING MAGAZINE. Website: www.skiingmag.com: exits.

SKIING HISTORY (formerly SKIING HERITAGE): Journal of the International Skiing History Association. New Hartford, CT. Website: www.skiinghistory.org: exits.

THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER. Professional Skiers of America Educational Foundation: Lakewood, CO.

POWDER MAGAZINE. Website: www.magazineplace.com: exits.

A summary of ideas on some skiing books, shared with an interested skier:

I have been asked whether there are ski authors or books on ski instruction whom and/or which I would recommend.

Yes!

I recommend several authors:

[A parenthetical note is that my bias is toward ski authors who analyze rather than tell how they do it, for often for all of us an existing habit may work well but still not be the best. The ones I list below best meet my bias.]

One is Lito Tejada Flores. I once lived in the same triplex as Lito when he was training director at what was then Squaw Valley (now Palisades). Breakthrough on Skis or Breakthrough on the New Skis are very helpful, coming with the thesis that once we have reached a certain level in skiing with techniques that most of us have learned, to advance requires not making our current technique better but learning a new technique,  which he calls “how to break out of the intermediate rut.” Lito also has some you-tube videos. Lito explains his suggestions well and in an encouraging way. Some of Lito’s videos were made with Jerry Berg, an outstanding skier and ski teacher/analyst. I have also skied in clinics with Jerry (he failed me in an exam once) and had the opportunity to ask whether he endorsed Lito’s approach. He did. Jerry died a few years ago in a bicycling accident and left no books; his contributions were recognized when 400 fellow instructors came to a memorial that was not hosted by a ski resort. A criticism of Leo’s approach has been his emphasis on early weighting of the uphill ski as a turn begins. For years this was not endorsed by the Professional Ski Instructors of America, yet in the last few years they began suggesting it (and such weighting is fine to do so long as the ski has been turned off its uphill edge before such weighting, a point overlooked by many instructors. Early weighting gets the ski to bend earlier in the turn so its stronger arc can help with the turn.)

Another is Ron LeMaster. His Ultimate Skiing is my go-to bible of ski technique. Ron’s approach is to start from basic mechanics of skis, physics of motion and of snow, and aspects of kinesthetics and anatomy, and then add observation of effective skiers in motion to see what they do in body positions and movements at certain times and under varying conditions. I have been fortunate to ski with Ron in several of his clinic sessions over the years. Ron was not only involved in training at Vail but also consulted to international ski teams. He took many photos of top skiers and racers in analyzing what they do and presented them in montages that show in a single picture their various positions during a ski turn. These are in his book: his website is still up for now: ronlemaster.com but it is no longer working well. Ron died in a ski accident a few years ago.

The third is Ski the Whole Mountain: how to ski any condition at any time. by Eric and Rob Delaurier. These brothers are masters of the topic and have led clinics on the topic. I have never skied with either but know people who have taken their clinics. They, like Lito and the Professional Ski Instructors of America, at least now, endorse early weighting of the uphill skill. And on this point you will see racers do this as they extend Into a turn to increase their speed, almost jumping forward.

Fourth, there is The Anatomy of Skiing by Richard Sanders.  “Synopsis:

Written by a doctor and expert skier, this book enables the reader to improve his down-hill, powder, or cross-country ski technique by providing a detailed explanation of exactly how the muscles of the body work.” With this knowledge, one can understand better the biological reasons why certain skiing positions/movements will provide different outcomes than others. It also helps understand that while some positions/movements provide better results for certain purposes, that those positions/movements are not always better for other purposes. There is a compromise among them and a need to apply the best position/movement for the purpose. A criticism of the book is that it reflects a technique of 1979 when a stronger up-movement was needed to initiate a turn on the stiffer skis of those days than is usually desirable today.

While all of the above books are instructional, a few more are suggested as being more in the ski instruction class:

There is Skiing Right, by Horst Abrams. Horst is in the American Ski Hall of Fame. He takes an approach to teaching skiing by emphasizing the nature of the learner more than the instructor. And so skiing right had to do with applying the rhythmic characteristics of the brain (at the time it was thought the right side of the brain was more involved in this; now we know the brain has other regions devoted to various tasks) to skiing and not just the techniques of skiing. He includes the topic of fear in skiing and gives methods of dealing with it. I have never skied with Horst but have attended talks he has given.

Skiing and the Art of Carving by Ellen Post Foster presents analysis and many drills that assist in learning how to make a ski carve a turn and feel the delightful sensations that result. She is a major writer of manuals put out by the Professional Ski Instructors of America as well as exam standards developed for instructor certification. I have skied with her several times in her clinics. She also has a video.

Skiing: an art…a technique. By Georges Joubert. Lots of ideas, discussions, diagrams, and drills for skiing in a variety of situations. Joubert is known for describing bracquage, or leg rotation, as a means of turning the lower body to turn the skis, requiring a stance that is not too narrow as had been practiced in much skiing for many years. This skill is fundamental In the history of developing ski technique and essential for many modern maneuvers.

A few other master authors are Geoge Twardokens and Juris Vagners; their material is more in the form of manuals with limited production and academic use.

None of these books are currently being produced, so far as I know. But most are available in used book sites. I can help in the search for same, and even have a few available on a site I am developing: www.vistabooksencore.com.

I cannot close without mentioning this book by Nic Fiore, So you Want to Ski. Nic was the long-time ski school director at Badger Pass at Yosemite National Park. While the book itself might deal more with an older style of skiing and with older equipment, having skied many times with Nic I remember two adages from him. One is “You ski with the feet!” (or at least the feet and lower legs for all forces are transmitted through them to the boots and then the skis.) And the other is, that in doing a ski turn, it is “Down/Up/Forward” (so long as these movements are directed with respect to the forces involved and/or needed) .

There is also Bob Barnes and his Encyclopedia of Ski Terms.  Bob is another skier I have known well and an outstanding ski instructor and trainer and examiner of skiers for certification. Bob’s work was to standardize our use of terms so we could communicate more precisely, but in the process it becomes a bit of an instructional work as well .

And now that I have recommended some ski books and their authors as well as some good ski teachers, let me say they are not all of those I have come to learn from, but also let me say that there are some that I do not recommend or would even recommend against. Just because their words are in print or uttered, does not mean they understand their topic—even though they may be great skiers--or that it will work for you. To understand ways to ski one must question, analyze, and even experiment (the latter being the fun part).

I have always had a wish to write a book on learning ski technique and have made several starts that did not go anywhere. Even now I have another started. There are so many variables with importance that it is hard to write without citing too many of these and maintain a thread and reader interest.

Bill Jones

This "Books and Videos" page was last modified April 4, 2026 . Did you come here from a link on another website? For latest version of this page, copy to your browser:" http://www.SkimyBest.com/skibmv.htm" or click http://www.SkiMyBest.com/skibmv.htm. Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026. William R Jones.