How To Carve On Skis: WSC Ski Series

One of the greatest feelings in skiing is carving down a perfectly groomed run first thing in the morning. You’ve seen the pictures of a skier seemingly defying gravity with their hip dragging on the snow. It’s a complex skill to master, but I will give you some pointers on how to dial it in.

How To Carve On Skis

• Speeeeed! Like riding a pedal bike too slowly, carving is really difficult if you don’t start with a little more speed. Extra speed increases turning forces, which allows you to move further inside and closer to the snow. This doesn’t mean going as fast as possible down the slope; anyone can go fast in a straight line. Try skiing a rounded line as fast as you can. With a little more speed, you should feel more pressure under the skis; use this pressure and move a little further to the inside of the turn.

• Big Edge Angles – When we carve, the goal is to utilise the ski design and leave clean pencil lines in the snow. There is no twisting of the skis when we carve. To eliminate twisting, create a higher edge angle by rolling the skis onto a new set of edges. The higher the edge angle, the harder it is for a ski to twist and the more capacity the ski has to bend. It is this bending of the ski that helps it turn.

• Outside Ski Balance – When dealing with higher speeds and greater turning forces, we need to ensure we’re positioned to stay balanced. If you can, maintain some length in your outside leg and feel that is the leg you’re balancing through. Your inside ski should feel light with very little pressure on it. The earlier you transfer the balance to your new outside ski, the better.

• Drag Your Inside Hand – To keep moving through an arc, you actually have to keep your body moving inside the turn. Think about a motorbike taking a corner; the rider can nearly drag their shoulder on the ground. This is because they must keep moving inside to keep the bike turning. When trying to carve, try putting your inside hand on the snow. It will initially seem scary, but once you get the hang of it, it will encourage your mass to travel inside, allowing you to maintain a high edge angle and keep turning across the hill. Plus, it looks good for Instagram.

Choosing The Right Skis

• Carving Skis – Sounds quite obvious, right? A carving ski is narrower at the waist and has a much more pronounced sidecut, meaning it rolls onto higher edge angles easier and faster and bends to produce a smaller radius turn. As the ski is fully cambered, it will also grip along its whole length, giving you more stability even on ice. If you want to carve like a pro, you’ll find it much easier on a carving ski. Check out An Instructors Guide To Skis

• Ski Tips Together – A common mistake intermediate and even advanced skiers make is leaving the outside foot behind. This results in balance falling to the inside ski, making it much harder to get close to the snow. Try keeping the tips of your skis close together. This will prevent your outside foot from falling behind you and keep you in a much better position to stay centred and balanced.

• Arch Heel– We all know about maintaining shin contact, but too much can put you too far forward and weaken your stance. If someone tried to push you over, you wouldn’t stand on the tips of your toes as this isn’t a strong stance. Instead, you’d stand through the middle of your foot, even towards your heel. This is true when skiing. Feel more balanced through the sole of your foot, and you’ll be in a stronger position to deal with greater forces.

Introduction To Carving For Beginners

Give it a try! Start on an easier green or blue run, and practice rolling your ankles and knees to tip the ski over. Your goal is to leave a tiny pencil mark in the snow with your skis. Once you’ve got the hang of rolling the skis, you can pick up the speed and play around with moving inside. I hope this helps! Most beginner terrain at a ski resort will have some amazing rolling terrain that you can use. This kind of terrain is perfect as you can’t get out of control.

Take A Lesson From The Pros

As one of the most requested lessons from students, instructors dial this one down. Visit the ski school at your resort and take a lesson from one of the pros. They will guide you on how to get started or can offer the missing piece to help refine your skills.

Get expert tuition on one of our Instructor training courses. Find out which course is right for you – Which is the Best Ski Instructor Course?

Need some new skis for your course with us? Take a look at our guide on skis and reach out if you need some additional advice – An Instructors Guide To Skis