How can you avoid falling while skiing?

       Today let’s talk about “recovery,” a term derived from the English word *recovery*. The dictionary defines it as *return to an original state*, which in Chinese means 恢复到原本的状态 (returning to the original state). In skiing techniques, “recovery” refers to non-intentional movements—that is, actions taken to readjust your body position to a reasonable state when something goes wrong during a run. Admittedly, it’s ideal to ski without making any mistakes and maintain optimal form throughout. But such perfection is just that—an ideal. Even World Cup champions make mistakes on the slopes, not to mention us amateur skiers. When something goes wrong during a run, how you correct it and recover into a proper skiing posture is the true mark of a skilled skier; improving your recovery ability can also elevate your skiing technique toward mastery.
       To be able to “recover,” a skilled skier must have the ability to constantly assess the condition of the slope and the response of the skis to the snow surface during a run, and based on these two factors, quickly determine what actions are needed to respond to the terrain. For example, when transitioning from a gentle slope to a steep one, the impact of the slope change increases. To adapt to this change, you need to firmly edge your skis, and being able to make this judgment in your mind allows your body to take corresponding action and minimize errors. With proactive preparation, even if the slope conditions change, you’re less likely to make mistakes—thus avoiding the need for actual “recovery.” If the above holds true: even if you anticipate a change in snow conditions but still make a mistake, having mentally prepared yourself enables you to recover to a proper stance as quickly as possible.
       “Recovery” is used to guard against unexpected incidents during a run, which is why practicing how to “recover” can be quite challenging. However, during skiing, we can enhance our “recovery” ability by maintaining as proper a stance as possible. So how do we maintain a proper stance? First, during turns, you need to be sensitive to the resistance of the snow and then shift your center of gravity to a position where this resistance can be harmonized. This shift in the center of gravity translates into changes in the height, left-right, and front-back positioning of your stance. These stance adjustments are achieved through the bending of three key joints: the ankles, knees, and hips. (Stances can be categorized as high, middle, low, or crouched.) The most suitable stance for “recovery” is the “middle stance,” which should be maintained both during edge transitions and in the transition zones. Of course, depending on the radius of the turn and the speed of the run, the degree of this middle stance may vary.
       Even if you’re aware of the middle stance mentally, in practice your legs might still extend too far, becoming completely straight, with your thighs not just parallel to the slope but pressed even lower. Such an extreme stance is not conducive to “recovery,” so it should be avoided as much as possible. Most of the skis we use today are carving skis, which have deep sidecuts. Typical slalom skis, such as those with waist widths of 66 or 67 mm, fall into this category, so it’s especially important to maintain balance between the front and back of your body. How do you properly maintain this front-back balance? It’s all about learning how to use the ball and heel of your feet. The process of applying pressure with your feet starts with the balls of your feet and then shifts to your heels—in other words, the pressure point is dynamic. At the same time, the range of the pressure point is limited to the area from your big toe to your heel.
       If your pressure point extends beyond your big toe or falls behind your heel, your center of gravity will inevitably shift too far forward or backward, which can easily lead to incorrect movements. In such cases, “recovery” becomes more difficult. When we first learn to ski, some instructors repeatedly tell us to dig the front of our boots, but this is an overcorrection method. Continuously putting too much pressure on the front of the boot is also wrong. Moreover, before learning to dig the front of the boot, most beginners tend to press the back of the boot with the calves. If, after a day of skiing, you find that either the front of your shins or your calves are extremely sore, it means you haven’t managed the front-back balance properly during your runs.
       The skill of “recovery” refers to the ability to return from an incorrect posture to a proper one. From a technical standpoint, you should aim to make as few mistakes as possible while skiing. We must always stay conscious of minimizing errors, combining speed and slope conditions to ski with a middle stance. Your brain needs to be prepared to make forward-looking judgments so you can maintain sufficient “recovery” ability.

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