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Skiing on ice

Skiing / Popular

Hold an edge and stay in control on hard, icy snow.

What coaches agree on

  • Keep your edges sharp — that is what lets the ski bite into hard, icy snow instead of skidding, and it matters on ice more than in almost any other condition.
  • Commit your weight to the outside ski all the way through the turn — that pressure is what lets the edge grip instead of chattering or sliding out from under you.
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  • When the ice has you sliding, look for the softer snow at the edges of the trail and use it to start your turn or control your speed.

Common mistakes

  • Tensing up and gripping hard, or panicking and chopping the edges in abruptly, is the instinctive reaction the moment things feel slippery — but it throws you off balance instead of helping.
Skiing ice patches
Intermediate

Skiing ice patches

Coach's take: Concrete, well-explained checklist for the exact moment you hit ice.

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