Foot Pressure Application
This time, let’s talk about”Foot Pressure Application”. Usually, when we mention applying pressure to the board with our feet,,we instinctively think of both feet exerting the same amount of force on the board. This kind of pressure is limited to when we’re standing on flat ground—that is, when we’re vertically upright on a horizontal plane. When we’re actually gliding down the slopes, the way our feet apply pressure to the skis differs significantly from standing on flat ground. Generally speaking, during turns, the downhill foot tends to exert more pressure than the uphill foot. It’s almost never the case that the uphill foot exerts more pressure than the downhill foot—unless, perhaps, during specific training exercises. So if the pressure applied by our feet differs when making turns, why do we still use terms like “applying foot pressure” or “pressuring the feet”? The purpose of using such terminology is to clarify that the pressure applied by both feet to the skis isn’t an isolated action, but rather a coordinated, unified movement. That is, although the amount of pressure applied by the downhill and uphill feet may differ, the actions of both feet are not independent but work together in harmony. This coordination serves the overall movement of the body. In other words, to maintain overall bodily balance and achieve the goal of steering the skis through turns, the two feet must work in tandem—with the downhill foot taking the lead and the uphill foot providing support—adjusting reasonably according to speed and centrifugal force to keep the body balanced.
Below, based on personal experience with parallel skiing, I’ll explain in detail the roles of the outer foot (downhill foot) and the inner foot (uphill foot) during skiing. Simply put, the role of the outer foot is to maintain the turning force and keep the body balanced and upright, while the inner foot guides the direction of the turn. In other words, the downhill foot is like the accelerator of a car, and the uphill foot is like the steering wheel. Of course, when the uphill foot acts as the steering wheel to control direction, it doesn’t mean no pressure is applied at all—depending on the need, the uphill foot also exerts pressure on the ski. So how can you effectively use the uphill foot? It requires leveraging a proper skiing stance to transfer pressure to the skis while fully absorbing the resistance of the snow against the skis. During a turn, if your stance is unstable and you sway side to side, the skis won’t be able to accurately bear the pressure from the snow. For example, when your center of gravity shifts backward—i.e., when you sit back—your feet lose their fine-tuning ability. In such a case, if you try to adjust the edge angle by tilting your entire body, you’re very likely to lose your balance. I’m sure many of you have had this kind of fall, especially during the beginner stage.
Summing up the above, based on a proper skiing stance, you apply pressure with the downhill foot to the ski and allow the uphill foot to effectively guide the direction of the turn. In other words, applying pressure with the downhill foot helps create a proper skiing stance, which then allows the uphill foot to control the direction of the turn. Although modern shaped skis can carve turns automatically when pressured, that doesn’t mean they’re entirely self-steering. Advanced skiers, after initiating a turn, use a proper stance to drive and control the edge angle of the skis, thereby actively managing the direction of the turn. Whether or not you can establish this proper skiing stance depends on your ability to apply pressure and control the uphill foot (inner foot)!
DuringCthe latter half of a turn, as the ski slides diagonally downhill, imagine: the outer side of the downhill foot’s big toe and the inner side of the heel form a straight line, with all the pressure focused along this line—and the direction of this line should align with the ski edge. On the other hand, the outer side of the uphill foot’s little toe and the outer side of the heel form another line, with the pressure concentrated along this line, and the direction of this line should be slightly inward relative to the ski edge (meaning the uphill ski’s tip should rotate slightly toward the hill). If the inside ski doesn’t make this kind of movement and only passively follows the pressure of the outside ski, what can happen? (Intermediate skiers, pay attention to the following): the inside ski’s tip may slice directly into the snow, causing the tips of both skis to separate and form a “V” shape. Alternatively, if the inside ski’s tip doesn’t rotate uphill, the tips of the skis may clash, while the tails separate into an “inverted V.”VThe former scenario often occurs among intermediate skiersVbecause you’ve already learned how to edge and apply pressure. The latter tends to happen with beginners, because you haven’t yet learned to actively drive the skis—especially the uphill ski. Either situation can cause the skis to chatter during turns. Watching truly skilled skiers execute parallel turns—especially medium and large-radius turns—,If you can’t see them on the slopes, you can check out the translated videos on my Tudou page
: at the start of the turn, the inside ski pulls in slightly. The purpose of this is to align the direction of both skis, ensuring a smooth turn. To successfully execute this move, the cooperation of the inner foot’s pressure is essential.(Especially when carving wide turns, it’s crucial that the body’s orientation and the ski tips are aligned. If the ski tips are misaligned, it can also cause the outside shoulder to lag behind—and vice versa. If your stance is off and your outside shoulder lags, the outside ski tip will definitely lag behind the inside ski tip. When carving, it’s essential to minimize this gap between the ski tips, so being adept at using the inside foot is a key step toward achieving graceful carved turns. To develop the skill to skillfully use the inside foot, you must start with your skiing stance.)Honghualiang’s Weibo
Especially when carving a carve turn, it’s essential to align your body’s orientation with that of the tips of your skis. If the tips of both skis are misaligned, your outside shoulder will tend to lag behind — and vice versa. If your stance is off and your outside shoulder lags, the tip of your outside ski will definitely lag behind the inside ski as well. When carving turns, you must minimize this distance between the tips of the two skis. Therefore, being able to skillfully use your inside foot is a crucial step toward carving beautiful, smooth turns. To develop the ability to use your inside foot effectively, you need to start with your skiing stance!
The Weibo account of Honghualiang