To perform ski hop turns, you use a powerful upward movement to lift your skis off the snow, pivot them in the air, and land ready for the next turn.
Hop turns are a useful technique for navigating steep, bumpy, or narrow terrain where traditional carved or skidded turns are difficult. They involve lifting your skis completely off the snow during the transition between turns.
Understanding the Hop Turn
A hop turn allows you to rapidly change direction by momentarily getting your skis airborne. This technique is demanding but provides significant control in challenging conditions. It relies on coordination, balance, and explosive power.
Step-by-Step Guide to Ski Hop Turns
Based on technique descriptions, here are the key steps involved in executing a hop turn:
- Preparation & Pole Plant: As you finish your previous turn, set your ski edges as you plant your pole. This sets the stage for the explosive movement and provides a point of leverage.
- The Take-off (Explosion): Explode and extend all at once to get your skis off the snow. This means straightening your legs powerfully from a flexed position, lifting your entire body and skis clear of the surface.
- The Pivot (Mid-Air Rotation): While airborne, pivot your skis around your ski pole (conceptually using it as an axis, though the actual rotation comes from your core and lower body). Rotate your skis to face the direction of your next turn.
- The Landing & Absorption: As you land, you'll plant your other pole. Simultaneously, flex your knees to suck up all of that force to be able to use in your next hop turn. Absorbing the landing impact smoothly is vital for stability and conserving energy for the subsequent turn.
- Linking Turns: Immediately after absorbing the landing, begin the process again for the next hop turn, planting your pole and exploding upwards.
By following these steps – setting edges and planting, exploding off the snow, pivoting in the air, and absorbing the landing while planting the next pole – you can execute effective hop turns.
Practicing Hop Turns
Mastering hop turns requires practice. Start on flatter terrain to get comfortable with the hopping and pivoting motion before attempting steeper slopes. Focus on synchronizing your pole plant, explosion, rotation, and landing absorption.
