Now that you're feeling more confident with your skiing and you're getting around the
whole mountain on the pistes, we're going to get a bit more adventurous with your skiing.
We're going to look at four things: Carving, Off Piste, Powder and Bumps.
The technique that you've learnt on the piste is exactly the same, but there are some tactics
and a few things to focus on that's really going to help you pick your skiing up to that next level.
Let's take a look.
Something we haven't really looked at yet is the Pole Plant. It's going to be really
useful on bumps, steeper slopes, powder, all over the mountain. It's going to give your
skiing another dimension and it's really going to help link those turns together.
Lets take a look at two main things that are going to help you with the pole plant. Firstly,
the arm position. It isn't any different to what you are doing when you're skiing without
pole planting. Keeping those hands away from the body out in front, the pole plant isn't
any kind of reaching movement or any elaborate arm waving strange thing. So I'm going to
keep those hands in front and it is just that wrist action.
Secondly, the timing, this is key. The pole is going to be coming through nice and slowly,
through the turn, and then you are going to release the end of the turn, place the pole,
and then turn round it. Remember, it's always the downhill pole, you're always going to
feel you're going to turn around it.
Get the timing right, my pole is coming forward,
I release the edge, I plant the pole, and start the turn.
So the pole is coming forward, nice and smooth, pole, turn. Forward, pole, forward, pole.
My hands are staying nicely in front.
Theres no hesitation between the pole plant and the start of the turn.
I'm keeping my hands forward, and using the pole plant to
help link the turns.