Turning is the focus, key, and essence of alpine skiing techniques, filled with endless charm. That’s why countless skiers continuously research and practice turning techniques. Today, I’ll introduce the principles behind alpine ski turns in the hope of helping everyone better master them~~
I. Classification of Turns:
(1) Based on the range of motion and the size of the turning arc, turns can be roughly divided into wide turns, medium turns, and narrow turns.
(2) Based on the number of turns, they can be classified as single turns or continuous turns (multiple turns linked together).
(3) Based on the ski stance and movement structure during turns, they include: snowplow turns and continuous snowplow turns; half-snowplow turns; continuous half-snowplow turns; step turns; stem christies; step-up turns; traverse turns; parallel turns; continuous parallel turns; parallel swing turns; step-across turns; jump turns; and carved turn techniques.
II. Why Can Skis Turn?
The main elements that enable skis to turn are the following five:
1. The angle of attack formed by the skis (the angle between the skis and the original direction of travel). Only the active ski’s angle of attack is effective, guiding the skis in a new direction.
2. The edge angle created by engaging the ski edges. Just like riding a bicycle, when turning, the bike leans inward and the body’s center of gravity also shifts inward.
3. Applying a certain force (imagine combining forces such as friction and resistance, action and reaction, centripetal and centrifugal forces into one unified force). Just as steering a bicycle requires arm strength and leaning the bike involves gravity, the forces in skiing mainly act to edge the skis, apply weight to them, create flex, and generate stress. The forces a skier experiences during a turn are multidimensional, making it difficult to quantify precisely—changing any movement will alter the direction and magnitude of the forces.
4. The ski’s own geometry, performance (the proportional width of the ski’s side at the front, middle, and back, elasticity, and edge angle conditions), and its deformability under pressure (the amount of stress generated). If you replaced the ski with a long, hard wooden board, it wouldn’t turn. Even if you created an angle of attack, engaged the edges, and applied great force, the board would only slide sideways with severe edge release, not turn.
5. The skier’s body posture and center of gravity position determine the accuracy and continuity of the turn. Just like on a bicycle, if the rider’s posture is incorrect, even with all other elements in place, they won’t be able to execute a smooth and stable turn.
III. Structure of Turning Techniques
1. Typically, we divide the arc-shaped track left on the snow (resembling a crescent) into four stages.
(1) Preparation Stage (Transition Stage)
The preparation stage is also the ending phase of the previous turn in a sequence of continuous turns. At this point, the skier is in a low stance during a diagonal descent, eyes focused on the direction and conditions of the next turn, concentrating and mentally preparing for it.
(2) Initiation Stage
During the initiation stage, the slope under the skis becomes less steep and speed decreases. The skier’s center of gravity should shift slightly forward. Then, the skier poles are planted and extended upward and forward, gradually raising the center of gravity. The skis change direction and edge, shifting the load and altering body posture.
(3) Gliding Stage
In the gliding stage, the slope under the skis becomes steeper and speed increases. The extension movement ends (the body posture almost stands upright); there is a brief moment where the skier moves straight down the fall line, causing speed to inevitably increase. Afterward, the center of gravity begins to lower and moves to a neutral position front-to-back. In this stage, the skis break away from the fall line, carve into the snow, engage the outside ski, and form a counter-stance, fully utilizing the skier’s weight.
(4) Completion Stage
Don’t mistake the completion stage for the end of the turn—it’s a critical phase. The center of gravity gradually lowers as the skier moves forward, ski pressure is at its highest, and the upward flex of the skis is greatest. Weight is pressed onto the outside ski, making full use of the inertia and speed built up during the gliding stage to overcome centrifugal force, maintain the turn, and then transition into the preparation stage for the next turn. If maintaining speed is a priority, the inside ski may also share the weight or both skis can be used together to continue gliding.
2. Interconnections Between the Four Stages
(1) The height of the center of gravity (body posture) gradually rises (from low, through pole planting and extension) to its peak (momentarily at the fall line) and then gradually lowers again.
(2) The position of the center of gravity front-to-back starts from (the initiation stage) shifting progressively forward, settling in the middle (during the gliding stage), and remains so until the completion stage (with slight backward shifts if necessary).
(3) The skis gradually reduce load from the initiation stage to the concentrated loading process, reaching maximum load in the latter part of the gliding stage and the early part of the completion stage.
(4) The latter half of the completion stage marks the beginning of the next turn, or continued forward and upward gliding, forming a stem christie, or coming to a stop.
IV. “Extension” in Turns
1. What is Extension?
In all continuous turning movements in alpine skiing, there is a symmetrical exchange of the body’s center of gravity from one side to the other. Between the end of one turn and the beginning of the next, there is a connecting and transitional phase where the projection of the body’s center of gravity can be understood to lie along the fall line. During the transition between two turns, the action of quickly lifting the body’s center of gravity is called extension. Extension can create a temporary “weightless” state for both skis.
2. Why Extend?
(1) To reduce the load on the skis, creating a “weightless” condition that makes it easier to change direction and achieve smooth turns.
(2) To facilitate clear and precise center of gravity transfer, enhancing the rhythm of the turn.
(3) To help increase pressure on the active (leading) ski during the turn.
3. How to Perform Extension
(1) General extension is primarily achieved by firmly planting both feet on the skis and extending the knees upward and forward. The hips and upper body should not actively participate in the movement, and certainly not by raising the arms.
(2) Do not lift the skis off the snow surface arbitrarily during extension.
(3) The extension mentioned here refers to active extension. Even when skiers do not intentionally perform an extension, extension still naturally occurs during carving turns with large skis.
(4) Skiers with higher skill levels tend to have smaller extension movements, often making the extension almost invisible to the naked eye.
4. Timing of Extension
The timing of extension is before the transition phase between two turns, while still on the arc of a single turn, and before the exchange of left-right center of gravity.
5. Direction of Extension
Upward and forward—when moving at high speed, forward direction should also be emphasized.
V. How to Pole Plant Correctly During Turns
In various advanced turning techniques in recreational skiing, correct “pole planting” is essential. Proper turning pole planting must meet the following conditions:
(1) Before or after pole planting, both hands holding the poles should be controlled in front and to the sides of the waist. It is normal for the pole shaft and tip to naturally swing back with inertia, but they should be quickly brought forward again to prepare for the next pole plant.
(2) The usual pole plant position is on the outer front side of the front part of the binding on the inside of the turn.
(3) The force for pole planting mainly comes from the wrist—it should not come from the upper arm. It should feel similar to hammering a nail.
(4) When preparing to pole plant, the pole tip may be angled slightly forward, but at the actual moment of planting, the pole shaft should be vertical to the snow surface to apply effective force and achieve the desired result.
(5) After pole planting, the hand should not swing backward and downward—the movement direction should be basically consistent with the outward lean of the upper body.
That concludes the introduction to parallel turn techniques. I hope it provides some help with your own turning practice.
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