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Effective skiing in powder and crud

From Ski Magazine

Effective skiing in powder and crud
• Make less finished turns to compensate for greater snow resistance
• Edging movements increase the capacity of the ski to bend and turn
• Steering movements are progressive

Intermediate – Keep your skis parallel
• If your skis are close together, you’re standing on one wide platform instead of two narrow ones. This way you don’t sink as far into the snow.
• Turning in soft snow is easy—as long as you have enough speed. Stay close to the fall line, and keep your turns round and smooth: no sharp corners.
• Be sure to distribute your weight more evenly between your inside and outside skis. If you suddenly shift too much weight to your outside ski, for example, that ski might "dive," burying itself in the snow. If that happens, you’re bound to fall.

Advanced – Flick your wrist, don’t throw your arm
• Flick your Wrists to keep poles ready
• Both hands must be ready—in a position where you can see them both in your peripheral vision.
• Hands remain in the same position relative to his eyes, yet his pole’s tip and basket have swung forward— in front of him.
• Hands move a bit, but his arms stay quiet. Too much arm movement can rotate your torso and hips—the kiss of death in soft snow.
• Pole action establishes rhythm and balance. But pole movement must be disciplined and continuous. Note that Mike starts to swing his right pole even as he plants his left. This keeps the flow going.

Expert – Press you skis into the snow, don’t twist them
Experts with excellent balance needn’t focus quite so much on keeping their feet close to one another, though their skis must stay parallel. If you can get your feet and legs out to the side, your edges will engage and pressure will build, flexing the middle of your ski deeper into the snow. The more your skis flex, the tighter your turn will be. Be patient and let your turn develop.
• Solution - Get Your Skis Out From Under You
• Absorb drifts and rolls gingerly. Blast into a drift with your tips and they may stop, sending you over the handlebars. Mike crosses this cornice at a right angle, sucking it up with his knees.
• Mike drops several feet into soft snow. In this situation, you must be prepared for a sudden deceleration. Anticipate it so you’re not pitched forward.
• Once into his direction change, Mike works delicately. He allows his skis’ sidecut to do the work.
• To go back the other way, stay balanced and let your feet drift under you and out to the other side. With gentle pressure they’ll start to turn in the opposite direction.

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