Sidesliding in skiing is a fundamental technique that allows you to move sideways down a slope while keeping your skis primarily perpendicular to the fall line.
Understanding Sidesliding
Sidesliding is essentially a controlled skid. Instead of moving directly forwards or backwards down the slope, you allow your skis to slip sideways. This technique is useful for controlling speed on steeper sections, navigating narrow trails, or recovering balance. While the provided reference mentions learning to sideslip in cross-country skiing, the core principle of allowing sideways movement applies across different skiing disciplines, though the specific body mechanics and equipment interactions may vary slightly.
Steps to Sideslide
Performing a basic sideslide involves positioning your body and skis correctly and then adjusting your edges to control the slide.
Here are the general steps:
- Start Across the Slope: Begin by facing across the slope, perpendicular to the direction you want to slide down. Your skis should be parallel and also perpendicular to the fall line. Ensure your weight is balanced over both skis.
- Initiate the Slide: To begin sliding, slightly flatten your ski edges against the snow. Imagine lifting the uphill edge just a tiny bit, allowing the ski base to become less angled relative to the snow surface. Apply a gentle, even pressure through your boots.
- Control Speed: Your speed is controlled by how much you edge your skis.
- To speed up the slide, flatten your edges more.
- To slow down or stop the slide, press your shins forward into your boots and roll your knees and ankles towards the slope to increase the angle of your ski edges into the snow.
- Maintain Balance: Keep your body relaxed and centered over your skis. Use your poles for balance if needed, placing them lightly on the uphill side.
Practicing Sidesliding
As demonstrated in the provided reference regarding sideslipping in cross-country skiing, practicing the movement is key to mastering it.
- Practice the technique by moving both forward or backwards as you slide sideways down the slope. This helps you gain comfort and control while the skis are slipping.
- After practicing basic forward and backwards sidesliding, try putting this skill into practice in a skidded turn. This involves starting a turn and then deliberately allowing the skis to skid sideways to control the arc and speed of the turn, integrating the controlled slide you practiced.
Mastering sidesliding provides a valuable tool for speed management and control on various types of terrain.
