Stopping safely on skis is a fundamental skill. A primary method involves using your skis to create resistance against the snow.
Stopping on skis is achieved by twisting your skis against your direction of travel and tipping them onto their edges to create friction.
Based on common techniques, this typically involves angling your skis across the slope or into a "pizza" or "snow plow" shape, combined with applying pressure to the edges.
The Core Stopping Technique
The process described in the reference emphasizes twisting the skis and using edges:
- Twist Your Skis: As you are moving, deliberately twist your skis so they turn and face against your original direction of travel. Imagine turning your body and skis across the slope instead of straight down.
- Tip Onto Edges: While twisting, simultaneously tip your skis up onto their inside edges (if twisting into a snow plow shape) or the appropriate uphill edges (if stopping by turning across the slope).
- Apply Pressure: Apply pressure to these edges. This edge pressure digging into the snow, combined with the skis being turned against your motion, creates the friction needed to slow you down and eventually stop.
The reference specifically states: "...as I go down here I twist my skis. Against my direction of travel. And I tip them up onto their edges. That's going to slow me down or the more abruptly I do it it's going to stop me..."
How Abruptness Affects Stopping
The speed at which you twist your skis and tip them onto their edges directly impacts how quickly you stop.
- Gradual Action: A slight twist and gentle edge pressure will cause you to slow down gradually.
- Abrupt Action: A quick, sharp twist and firm pressure on the edges will result in a more abrupt and faster stop.
Key Actions for Stopping
| Action | Purpose | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Twist skis against direction | Creates resistance/changes direction | Slows motion |
| Tip skis onto edges | Allows edges to dig into snow | Creates friction |
| Abrupt twist & edge pressure | Maximizes resistance and friction | Fast stop |
| Gradual twist & edge pressure | Applies less resistance and friction | Gradual stop |
Practical Tips for Stopping
- Look Where You Want to Go: While twisting to stop, your body naturally wants to turn in the direction you look. Look across the slope or slightly uphill towards where you want to end up stopped.
- Maintain Balance: Keep a balanced stance with knees and ankles flexed. Avoid leaning back too much, which can make it harder to control your edges.
- Practice Gradually: Start on gentle slopes to practice the motion of twisting your skis and using your edges before attempting it at higher speeds or on steeper terrain.
- Feel the Edges: Pay attention to the feeling of your ski edges engaging with the snow. This is where the stopping power comes from.
By combining the twisting motion with effective use of your ski edges, you can reliably control your speed and stop whenever needed.
