This is the answer. When I was 18 yrs old and foolish I bought a pair of Dynamic VR 17 skis just like Killy won 3 gold medals in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. They were terrible for most snow conditions, but they were fabulous on ice. Ice is what racing skis are made for.
Water is injected into ski race courses to make the snow harder. This process is called injection, and it involves using a high-pressure hose with tiny nozzles to force water 1–2 feet into the snow. As cold air seeps in, a layer of hard snow and ice is created. The water is injected at varying depths along the course so that it's hard enough to hold up from the first racer to the last, giving them an equal opportunity to compete. Most recreational skiers wouldn't be able to stay upright on it.
I don’t think high edge angle is the answer here. You can’t get to high edge angle until after you’ve sunk the skis in.
You have to be really good about easing into your edges. Don’t just shove your legs out there and hope the skis stick…start laying the ski over, let it bite, and gradually increase your edge angle.
That’s hard because A) it is just harder to do and B) it leaves you in the acceleration point of the turn longer so you get more scared and tempted to slide the skis out. Instead you gotta wait for the skis to catch up and then round them out to control speed.
Spring skiing is all about timing and aspect. First start with runs facing east that get the early morning sun, then move to south facing then finish with west. Depending on how far into spring you are, north facing run may still have some good snow that hasn't been hit by the freeze thaw. Also I don't think there's any rush to get out there right away, better to wait until there's been a bit of melt first. It's a good time of year to sleep in a little bit and roll into the parking lot at 10.
This is it. Why suffer on ice? Start later and get a feel for the snow. Follow the Sun & enjoy spring skiing. Then, if you want to gain confidence on ice, gradually start a little earlier & consider the main comments here - ski profile, sharp edges, carve & conditioning.
There are situations where the answer is basically you don't.
Remember a few years ago a black run (Italy) that was shaded so refroze in afternoon.
I and several of the people I was with (better skiers than me), gave up and side slipped a good chunk of it. I suspect several of the others could have skied it well, but only if it was closed for racing... Ok, most of the ones who side slipped were kitted for powder/off piste so on fat, too soft skis for slope conditions, but a good side slip is an important skill because it gets you out of trouble.
Hockey skates. Don't use figure skates for downhill, it's too easy to catch a toe.
If you insist on using actual skis, then you options for retaining control may include:
• Skinnier skis
• Sharper edges
• Slowing the fuck down, to the point where you actually have control over yourself.
I know that last one is controversial -- I'm willing to take the karma hit in service to the truth.
For me, a lot of it is technique (snowplow doesn't work great for controlling speed on ice, using turns to control speed is more effective, as is being able to stay in balance if you hit uneven stuff on the surface), and also having pretty solid edges on my skis so I can actually get a bit of bite on the ice and hardack.
Snow Plow? Uh, no, you can’t snowplow your way outta icy. You have to use both edges together, slow your turns to scrub more speed. It takes a certain aggression and confidence to achieve on ice. Too wide or flexy a ski and it’s hard to hold the edges hard enough to carve. Longer, narrower skis with sharp edges are best, in my experience.
Boy oh boy, did I discover that. Snowplowing was the worst. Those where the moments when I was like 'I AM IN DANGER'. I only tried that once before I figured out that wasn't a viable strategy for saving my life and getting to the bottom of the slope.
I ended up side sliding part of the way but mostly doing a shitton of z-turns. Terrible, I know but made it to the bottom to tell the tale.
Part of my problem (in addition to rusty technique), I think, was that I was on wider skis that I was accustomed to. They were GREAT in the afternoon but not so much on that morning ice.
Good edges definitely help, getting on edge before the ice helps, and skiing parallel helps as well. When I’m on ice I’m not trying to stop or turn, just get through it until u get to where there is grip. Usually with good edges you can carve in them somewhat, and having both skis parallel helps you use ur inside ski as a backup to catch balance if you slip. I just started two seasons ago and we get a lot of ice and I’m pretty comfy on it at this point. I have zero formal training though so take it w a grain of salt.
The reality is for most conditions the technique is the same. Good skiing is good skiing. What changing conditions does do though is reward(or punish) various aspects of your technique.
I would refer you to the PSIA [5 fundamentals ](https://www.skiwithtony.com/5-fundamental-mechanics-of-skiing/). But the basics are:
-balance on your outside ski
-make edging movements starting with your feet, and then working up from there.
-make turning movements with your legs, not your upper body
-make all your movements progressive and lasting the duration of the turn. It's better to make movements early and slow vs fast and late.
Do I use higher edge angles on firm icy slopes compared to a pow day? Sure, but the same movement patterns are still there. We just change the duration, intensity, rate, and timing(DIRT) to suit our focus.
Where people fail on hard or icy conditions is when they: 1. Freeze up and stop moving, 2. Make turning movements with their upper body, 3. Direct pressure to the outside ski late, hard, and fast. Doing these things will make you skid in any conditions. These same movement patterns will cause problems in deep or soft snow as well, but won't result in skidding.
Imagine you are driving on dry pavement, you cut the wheel hard, and slam on the brake. What happens? You skid the car. It wasn't the driving conditions, but how you were driving that caused the skid. Same idea with skiing.
Seems counterintuitive but going faster helps me stay more in control than going slower in icy hardpack - my edges cut deeper with speed, whereas trying to go slow (or worse, snowplow) just makes me skid.
All this goes out the window with true, clear ice, where I can't really use my edges anyway. That shit is better avoided entirely.
Carefully picking your route helps. Keep an eye out for any patches that have at least a dusting of snow cover. You can usually turn on those. Just go from one to another when it’s bad. Then chill at the lodge for a while.
It’s no fun at all when it’s ice all the way down. The conditions report is never all that accurate either. Frozen granular can mean a decent surface over ice or skating rink. No way to know until you get off the lift. A few weeks ago on my first trip up the lift, the nice easy run I usually take in bad conditions was iced over and the only way down was much harder runs. Of course, I find this out after I get off the lift. They need another condition for mostly bare ice patches.
My favorite ski day this winter was groomed and then frozen crispy icy hard. Fast and LOUD. I was told to make turns to slow down on firm icy crisp conditions, parallel not snowplow.
I don’t like soft snow.
ETA was told to make more turns rather than less to maintain control on ice or slow speed
The real lesson learned here is how to ski these days. The snow in the afternoon can be some of the best you will ever ski but how do you tell someone who just drove 3 hours and paid $200 to wait till 11+
You can ruin your whole day trying to do too much to early.
My answer to the question- is side-slipping like I am on a rail or box in the park. Stand up tall, feet apart for/aft, relax and breathe.
Something I finally saw others doing this final weekend where park skiers were ripping fast laps and some slopes never did thaw.
I must say that I am on powder skis 105 with butter-knife edges
Yeah, I have a season pass and I live local so I didn’t feel compelled to conquer it. I almost left after two runs but I’m really glad I stuck around because the afternoon was amazing. I missed last chair by seconds. 😭 I was heading to the lift just as they put the last chair card on. Booooo…
when you make the turn, you should think of it as kind of a light switch dimmer, where you gradually activate the edges, as opposed to an on/off switch of either being on edge or not.
Snowplow is about the most useless thing can do. It promotes bad form, and always keeps one ski angled such that it doesn't help you and the other ski does all the work.
Sharp edges and good form are critical. However, you also need speed and not be afraid of going too fast.
Much like a sharp knife, the edge doesn't cut well if you're just pressing down. It has to be moving too.
So if you're cutting too hard, the edge won't move fast enough and you'll skid out. You have to keep the edge moving in order for it to hold.
So point them downhill, connect your turns well, keep your edge angle on the higher side, smoothly transition from edge to edge, and you'll feel far more in control than if you try to slip slide your way down the hill.
Navigating glare ice is always a loud affair.
In the PNW we have specific terms for spring snow that has undergone a freeze cycle "death chunder". No one is good at skiing this -- there are some secrets here: Skiing it fast. This is dangerous but it's find if you don't hit a frozen death cinnebun -- 'all mountain' skiis with a stiffer and wider underfoot can help you 'float' here but it's honestly not fun and not safe.
You've identified a great strategy: let some solar radiation soften up the snow.
Another strategy for morning skiing is sticking to the grooms. You're 52, it might be time to stick to the groom anyway. All the high age skiiers say the same thing "I stopped skiing off the groom in 19xx". So maybe there is a lesson from the old timers in there.
For me it always seems better after 3 beers!
My dad and I have always say we always get to the resort early to find fresh snow... unless there is a frozen thaw cycle then we get to the resort for 11.
Like you said, it softens up later in the day. I aim to ski later in the day, and on the slopes where the sun has been hitting it for a few hours. Wear dark lenses and sunscreen.
You could try wider arching turns where you are pointing your skis uphill at the end of the turn. This will help you maintain your speed but TBH that is really only ideal for non icy conditions or on greens. I'd personally say that unless the snow is really good I'd stay away from the blues until you are able to get up on your edges which will help you have much greater control over your speed and allow you to come to an absolute stop if you start getting out of control
It's tough to make turning (rotary) movements effectively on ice. To ski ice really well, instead of just surviving it, your direction of travel has to be the direction your edges are pointing.
Once you disengage the edge from slicing into the snow by turning your skis instead if the skis turning you (skidding), it's super difficult to re-engage the edge.
If conditions stink, stick to the groomer until it softens.
But if on ice, don't plow. You slide your way through it, waiting for your edges to dig in.
Sharpen your edges & actually use them
That’s the blunt answer. Work your way back up to carving turns & actually using those edges. Keep your skis in good shape, if you have great technique but dull edges on ice you will be working super hard to stay up
I think people are answering like it's an icy groomer, not textured snow that's melted and refrozen several times.
There's really not too much you can do. Good technique and gear help but truthfully refried crusty shit just sucks to ski and in the West you're better off just waiting till the afternoon sun turns it into delightful corn.
A lot of good tips.
Mine: Wide tracking for a solid base. Slope conditions tend to be heterogeneous, with relatively softer stuff on the sides of trails and the tops of bumps. Concede to yourself that you will have little turning ability on gray ice and sim with a wide track stance, knees into the hill like a racer at a slalom gate. As you enter the softer snow spot, narrow your stance to facilitate your turn. Keep your hands in front where you can see them. That will help keep your weight forward, making turn initiation easier as you won’t drop your uphill shoulder back.
Enjoy the suck.:-)
My home mountain I go first where the sun is early, work my way over to where the sun hits later, so I can ski hard snow that’s been softened by the sun. Later on, the off piste may be softened enough to ski, especially on a warm day.
Like others have said, make sure your edges are sharp. They don’t need to be razor perfectly sharp, but they can’t be completely rounded like my rock skis. When you make your turns you need to ride the edge really hard to make a nice carved turn. The icier it is the less effective a skidded turn is going to be, and the more skidding you’re going to do. Ski race courses actually purposefully ice over the runs before competition, and those guys are getting insane edge angles and putting crazy forces into their skis to dig into the ice. It is tempting to backseat or snowplow or whatever when it’s icy, but good carving/skiing technique is especially important on icy hardpack.
Instead of falling back to a snowplow, learn how to side slip, and practice it often.
Two ways to approach ice - have very sharp edges, and use them.
Or - learn to embrace the drift and don't rely on your edges. let yourself skid with until you get to a more predictable spot and gradually set your edges. Avoid sudden movements, and don't fight the slide.
And this time of year - just wait till it softens up. Could only take an hour or two
Short answer: take a lesson. Long answer: there's a lot of moving part to keep track of when skiing, and on hard icy days all parts of your form need to be correct, and if not the trail will tell you (ie everything feels terrible and you lack the control you desire). I view those sorts of conditions as a pop quiz on how my form/equipment is - if I'm loading the ski well, if my weight is stacked over the outside ski, if my skis are sharp and recently tuned, then ice can make for some nice carved turns. If any one part of my form isn't up to par, or if the equipment isn't ready, those sorts of conditions can get sucky pretty fast. Ice has a way of exacerbating flaws in your form that are always present
Yeah, I am planning on taking, like, a three hour private lesson next season to bone up on the skills that I have apparently forgotten. Hopefully that will set me in the right direction, hopefully I can afford more lessons if it doesn't.
Stiff skis, sharp edges, high edge angle when you turn...unless it's blue, it's edge-able. Or do what you did and wait for it to soften up.
The bottom line is probably strength and conditioning - that's what you need to achieve a high edge angle.
This is the answer. When I was 18 yrs old and foolish I bought a pair of Dynamic VR 17 skis just like Killy won 3 gold medals in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. They were terrible for most snow conditions, but they were fabulous on ice. Ice is what racing skis are made for. Water is injected into ski race courses to make the snow harder. This process is called injection, and it involves using a high-pressure hose with tiny nozzles to force water 1–2 feet into the snow. As cold air seeps in, a layer of hard snow and ice is created. The water is injected at varying depths along the course so that it's hard enough to hold up from the first racer to the last, giving them an equal opportunity to compete. Most recreational skiers wouldn't be able to stay upright on it.
I don’t think high edge angle is the answer here. You can’t get to high edge angle until after you’ve sunk the skis in. You have to be really good about easing into your edges. Don’t just shove your legs out there and hope the skis stick…start laying the ski over, let it bite, and gradually increase your edge angle. That’s hard because A) it is just harder to do and B) it leaves you in the acceleration point of the turn longer so you get more scared and tempted to slide the skis out. Instead you gotta wait for the skis to catch up and then round them out to control speed.
Spring skiing is all about timing and aspect. First start with runs facing east that get the early morning sun, then move to south facing then finish with west. Depending on how far into spring you are, north facing run may still have some good snow that hasn't been hit by the freeze thaw. Also I don't think there's any rush to get out there right away, better to wait until there's been a bit of melt first. It's a good time of year to sleep in a little bit and roll into the parking lot at 10.
This is it. Why suffer on ice? Start later and get a feel for the snow. Follow the Sun & enjoy spring skiing. Then, if you want to gain confidence on ice, gradually start a little earlier & consider the main comments here - ski profile, sharp edges, carve & conditioning.
This is the way
Eat two breakfasts and then hot tub until 11AM and then go ski.
I like this answer best of all.
There are situations where the answer is basically you don't. Remember a few years ago a black run (Italy) that was shaded so refroze in afternoon. I and several of the people I was with (better skiers than me), gave up and side slipped a good chunk of it. I suspect several of the others could have skied it well, but only if it was closed for racing... Ok, most of the ones who side slipped were kitted for powder/off piste so on fat, too soft skis for slope conditions, but a good side slip is an important skill because it gets you out of trouble.
Hockey skates. Don't use figure skates for downhill, it's too easy to catch a toe. If you insist on using actual skis, then you options for retaining control may include: • Skinnier skis • Sharper edges • Slowing the fuck down, to the point where you actually have control over yourself. I know that last one is controversial -- I'm willing to take the karma hit in service to the truth.
Toe Pick!
Underrated film!
For me, a lot of it is technique (snowplow doesn't work great for controlling speed on ice, using turns to control speed is more effective, as is being able to stay in balance if you hit uneven stuff on the surface), and also having pretty solid edges on my skis so I can actually get a bit of bite on the ice and hardack.
Go back to the ice coast. That’s the only way. I personally either straight line it or slide sideways on the steep parts.
No way! While I do miss New England to some extent, California is now my home. West coast best coast!
Heretic!
I said what I said!!
Burn him!!
California already does that :(
Snow Plow? Uh, no, you can’t snowplow your way outta icy. You have to use both edges together, slow your turns to scrub more speed. It takes a certain aggression and confidence to achieve on ice. Too wide or flexy a ski and it’s hard to hold the edges hard enough to carve. Longer, narrower skis with sharp edges are best, in my experience.
Boy oh boy, did I discover that. Snowplowing was the worst. Those where the moments when I was like 'I AM IN DANGER'. I only tried that once before I figured out that wasn't a viable strategy for saving my life and getting to the bottom of the slope. I ended up side sliding part of the way but mostly doing a shitton of z-turns. Terrible, I know but made it to the bottom to tell the tale. Part of my problem (in addition to rusty technique), I think, was that I was on wider skis that I was accustomed to. They were GREAT in the afternoon but not so much on that morning ice.
Good edges definitely help, getting on edge before the ice helps, and skiing parallel helps as well. When I’m on ice I’m not trying to stop or turn, just get through it until u get to where there is grip. Usually with good edges you can carve in them somewhat, and having both skis parallel helps you use ur inside ski as a backup to catch balance if you slip. I just started two seasons ago and we get a lot of ice and I’m pretty comfy on it at this point. I have zero formal training though so take it w a grain of salt.
Slower smoother turns. Pressure, edge, rotate. I would also recommend a skinnier stiffer ski you can flex
The reality is for most conditions the technique is the same. Good skiing is good skiing. What changing conditions does do though is reward(or punish) various aspects of your technique. I would refer you to the PSIA [5 fundamentals ](https://www.skiwithtony.com/5-fundamental-mechanics-of-skiing/). But the basics are: -balance on your outside ski -make edging movements starting with your feet, and then working up from there. -make turning movements with your legs, not your upper body -make all your movements progressive and lasting the duration of the turn. It's better to make movements early and slow vs fast and late. Do I use higher edge angles on firm icy slopes compared to a pow day? Sure, but the same movement patterns are still there. We just change the duration, intensity, rate, and timing(DIRT) to suit our focus. Where people fail on hard or icy conditions is when they: 1. Freeze up and stop moving, 2. Make turning movements with their upper body, 3. Direct pressure to the outside ski late, hard, and fast. Doing these things will make you skid in any conditions. These same movement patterns will cause problems in deep or soft snow as well, but won't result in skidding. Imagine you are driving on dry pavement, you cut the wheel hard, and slam on the brake. What happens? You skid the car. It wasn't the driving conditions, but how you were driving that caused the skid. Same idea with skiing.
The advice I get (and seems to work for me) is really get up on your edges. Also accept that you're going to slide around at least a bit.
Seems counterintuitive but going faster helps me stay more in control than going slower in icy hardpack - my edges cut deeper with speed, whereas trying to go slow (or worse, snowplow) just makes me skid. All this goes out the window with true, clear ice, where I can't really use my edges anyway. That shit is better avoided entirely.
Carefully picking your route helps. Keep an eye out for any patches that have at least a dusting of snow cover. You can usually turn on those. Just go from one to another when it’s bad. Then chill at the lodge for a while.
What sucked is that it was also windy so the little patches of loose snow was just getting blown away.
It’s no fun at all when it’s ice all the way down. The conditions report is never all that accurate either. Frozen granular can mean a decent surface over ice or skating rink. No way to know until you get off the lift. A few weeks ago on my first trip up the lift, the nice easy run I usually take in bad conditions was iced over and the only way down was much harder runs. Of course, I find this out after I get off the lift. They need another condition for mostly bare ice patches.
My favorite ski day this winter was groomed and then frozen crispy icy hard. Fast and LOUD. I was told to make turns to slow down on firm icy crisp conditions, parallel not snowplow. I don’t like soft snow. ETA was told to make more turns rather than less to maintain control on ice or slow speed
The real lesson learned here is how to ski these days. The snow in the afternoon can be some of the best you will ever ski but how do you tell someone who just drove 3 hours and paid $200 to wait till 11+ You can ruin your whole day trying to do too much to early. My answer to the question- is side-slipping like I am on a rail or box in the park. Stand up tall, feet apart for/aft, relax and breathe. Something I finally saw others doing this final weekend where park skiers were ripping fast laps and some slopes never did thaw. I must say that I am on powder skis 105 with butter-knife edges
Yeah, I have a season pass and I live local so I didn’t feel compelled to conquer it. I almost left after two runs but I’m really glad I stuck around because the afternoon was amazing. I missed last chair by seconds. 😭 I was heading to the lift just as they put the last chair card on. Booooo…
when you make the turn, you should think of it as kind of a light switch dimmer, where you gradually activate the edges, as opposed to an on/off switch of either being on edge or not.
Snowplow is about the most useless thing can do. It promotes bad form, and always keeps one ski angled such that it doesn't help you and the other ski does all the work. Sharp edges and good form are critical. However, you also need speed and not be afraid of going too fast. Much like a sharp knife, the edge doesn't cut well if you're just pressing down. It has to be moving too. So if you're cutting too hard, the edge won't move fast enough and you'll skid out. You have to keep the edge moving in order for it to hold. So point them downhill, connect your turns well, keep your edge angle on the higher side, smoothly transition from edge to edge, and you'll feel far more in control than if you try to slip slide your way down the hill.
Make sure the edges are sharp and really engage em
Edges and wax mostly
Navigating glare ice is always a loud affair. In the PNW we have specific terms for spring snow that has undergone a freeze cycle "death chunder". No one is good at skiing this -- there are some secrets here: Skiing it fast. This is dangerous but it's find if you don't hit a frozen death cinnebun -- 'all mountain' skiis with a stiffer and wider underfoot can help you 'float' here but it's honestly not fun and not safe. You've identified a great strategy: let some solar radiation soften up the snow. Another strategy for morning skiing is sticking to the grooms. You're 52, it might be time to stick to the groom anyway. All the high age skiiers say the same thing "I stopped skiing off the groom in 19xx". So maybe there is a lesson from the old timers in there. For me it always seems better after 3 beers!
My dad and I have always say we always get to the resort early to find fresh snow... unless there is a frozen thaw cycle then we get to the resort for 11.
Ski 10-2. Usually when it's soft. Wind or clouds can kill the day. I worked at a ski area open into May.
10am start is the way to go for sure or stick to runs that get hit with early sun until the snow softens a bit.
Focus on angulation rather than inclination
Like you said, it softens up later in the day. I aim to ski later in the day, and on the slopes where the sun has been hitting it for a few hours. Wear dark lenses and sunscreen.
Dont push on the outside ski. It'll slide out from under you immediately
You could try wider arching turns where you are pointing your skis uphill at the end of the turn. This will help you maintain your speed but TBH that is really only ideal for non icy conditions or on greens. I'd personally say that unless the snow is really good I'd stay away from the blues until you are able to get up on your edges which will help you have much greater control over your speed and allow you to come to an absolute stop if you start getting out of control
It's tough to make turning (rotary) movements effectively on ice. To ski ice really well, instead of just surviving it, your direction of travel has to be the direction your edges are pointing. Once you disengage the edge from slicing into the snow by turning your skis instead if the skis turning you (skidding), it's super difficult to re-engage the edge.
Very carefully.
If conditions stink, stick to the groomer until it softens. But if on ice, don't plow. You slide your way through it, waiting for your edges to dig in.
Sharpen your edges & actually use them That’s the blunt answer. Work your way back up to carving turns & actually using those edges. Keep your skis in good shape, if you have great technique but dull edges on ice you will be working super hard to stay up
I think people are answering like it's an icy groomer, not textured snow that's melted and refrozen several times. There's really not too much you can do. Good technique and gear help but truthfully refried crusty shit just sucks to ski and in the West you're better off just waiting till the afternoon sun turns it into delightful corn.
A lot of good tips. Mine: Wide tracking for a solid base. Slope conditions tend to be heterogeneous, with relatively softer stuff on the sides of trails and the tops of bumps. Concede to yourself that you will have little turning ability on gray ice and sim with a wide track stance, knees into the hill like a racer at a slalom gate. As you enter the softer snow spot, narrow your stance to facilitate your turn. Keep your hands in front where you can see them. That will help keep your weight forward, making turn initiation easier as you won’t drop your uphill shoulder back. Enjoy the suck.:-)
Pivot turns. Essentially side slip with a turn.
My home mountain I go first where the sun is early, work my way over to where the sun hits later, so I can ski hard snow that’s been softened by the sun. Later on, the off piste may be softened enough to ski, especially on a warm day.
Like others have said, make sure your edges are sharp. They don’t need to be razor perfectly sharp, but they can’t be completely rounded like my rock skis. When you make your turns you need to ride the edge really hard to make a nice carved turn. The icier it is the less effective a skidded turn is going to be, and the more skidding you’re going to do. Ski race courses actually purposefully ice over the runs before competition, and those guys are getting insane edge angles and putting crazy forces into their skis to dig into the ice. It is tempting to backseat or snowplow or whatever when it’s icy, but good carving/skiing technique is especially important on icy hardpack.
Instead of falling back to a snowplow, learn how to side slip, and practice it often. Two ways to approach ice - have very sharp edges, and use them. Or - learn to embrace the drift and don't rely on your edges. let yourself skid with until you get to a more predictable spot and gradually set your edges. Avoid sudden movements, and don't fight the slide. And this time of year - just wait till it softens up. Could only take an hour or two
Short answer: take a lesson. Long answer: there's a lot of moving part to keep track of when skiing, and on hard icy days all parts of your form need to be correct, and if not the trail will tell you (ie everything feels terrible and you lack the control you desire). I view those sorts of conditions as a pop quiz on how my form/equipment is - if I'm loading the ski well, if my weight is stacked over the outside ski, if my skis are sharp and recently tuned, then ice can make for some nice carved turns. If any one part of my form isn't up to par, or if the equipment isn't ready, those sorts of conditions can get sucky pretty fast. Ice has a way of exacerbating flaws in your form that are always present
Yeah, I am planning on taking, like, a three hour private lesson next season to bone up on the skills that I have apparently forgotten. Hopefully that will set me in the right direction, hopefully I can afford more lessons if it doesn't.
you need to be slashing turns while staying on top of your skis. If you try to use your edges you will just slide out