All angles Less effort
Going too fast on skis? Use your angles.
The anglePoint across the hill, not down it
Your speed on skis or a snowboard comes mostly from the angle you take to the fall line. Point down the hill and you speed up. Point across it and you slow down. Beginners control speed by traversing across the slope and turning, never by going straight down.
The video for this angle is on its way.
Follow #useyourangles
How to do it
- Look for the fall line, the straight-down direction.
- Set off across the slope at a shallow angle, more across than down.
- On icy or fast snow, make the angle shallower still. In slow, soft snow you can point a little more downhill.
- Turn at the edge of the run and cross back the other way.
- If you're gaining speed, keep turning until you're pointing a bit uphill. You'll stop.
Why it works
Gravity pulls you straight down the fall line. The more your skis point across it, the less of that pull drives you forward, and the more your edges can grip.
Questions
How do I get up a hill on skis?
Use your angles there too: walk up in a herringbone, with ski tips out in a V, or sidestep with skis across the slope.
Is this the same as a pizza or wedge?
A wedge also slows you down, but the angle across the hill is what controls speed on steeper runs.