• Last updated 5/8/13 by nolo

Compiled by Tricia Pugliese  Introduction Are you thinking about taking up ski racing or looking to improve? Here are some basic tips from the EpicSki community that will get your budding career started.    1.  How to choose an optimal line? To choose an optimal line you must first understand the concept of the rise line.  Just as there is a natural fall line going away from the gate, there is a natural rise line straight up hill from the gate.   No matter if you ski a high, middle or low line, the key is to start the turn at the rise line and finish the turn... read more

• Last updated 3/6/13 by Bob Barnes

Loosely based on The Complete Encyclopedia of Skiing, Third Edition, by Bob Barnes, this project presents a brief and concise glossary of many common skiing and ski teaching concepts, including both contemporary and historical terms. It is by no means a complete list. For more in-depth coverage of these terms and many more, see the original Complete Encyclopedia, currently available in PDF e-book format through EpicSki.com. In addition to brief definitions, this glossary includes a few explanatory images, as well as specific links to the ever-growing collection of video... read more

• Last updated 10/24/12 by nolo

by Blake Saunders     It's obvious to most people that balance is very important in skiing and that an increase in balance may translate to an improvement in skiing ability.  What is less obvious however is the importance of foot coordination in skiing.  I believe that it is at least as important as balance.    When I was a teenager, I had a copy of RAP films “Carving the White.”  Kirk Jensen was one of the skiers in that film and is to this day possibly the best skier I have ever seen.  There is a section in the film where Kirk is shown hacky sacking.  I... read more

• Last updated 9/20/12 by Blake Saunders

From Moguls World Champion Patrick Deneen (light tan hoodie and, later, all black) and other competitors skiing the zipper line to top instructors skiing very large and irregular natural bumps and variable terrain, the principles of absorption remain the same.     Mogul Absorption (whether in a line or out of a line or whatever) by Blake Saunders   I’ll start with a basic explanation and then add my own conclusions about absorption after the first paragraph/part.   The way to absorb moguls is to bring your knees up towards your chest as your feet... read more

• Last updated 6/20/12 by nolo

Hallux Rigidus, Plate/Screw Fusion, and Osteotomy     Hallux not labeled but visible at upper left.     Table of Contents Introduction Hallux Rigidus History Pre-Op The Surgery Recovery Five Weeks Post-Op     Introduction I don't know whether old injuries, bad genes, ambient radiation, invisible trolls, 40+ years in ski boots, or a failed astrological chart are to blame, but I have really, really bad arthritis in the main joint of both big toes. The only reason I'm sharing all this personal... read more

• Last updated 5/1/12 by nolo

by Bob Barnes   The only difference between wedge turns and wedge christies--the next natural milestone involving the exact same intent and fundamental movement patterns--is that the skis match (move to parallel) in the shaping phase of the turn. The turn thus ends parallel and, of course, the next turn therefore begins parallel. So why does the wedge happen, if the turn begins and ends with the skis parallel?   The key elements (items in bold are primary): Offensive intent--the GO! Factor--intent to control direction, not speed (with speed control... read more

• Last updated 11/22/11 by TheRusty

Should PSIA develop a certification program for ski schools? This article is intended to be a working document to flesh out details to be used in a program proposal.   Introduction Is the quality of a ski school important? How do you measure the quality of a ski school? This document is a proposal for development of a ski school certification process. The intent of the process is to provide a road map for ski schools to use to measure and improve the quality of the school with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of a ski school in delivering instruction and... read more

• Last updated 7/20/11 by nolo

    by Bud Heishman   Bud's footwork in action.        Our feet are the beginning of the kinetic chain and our most sensitive proprioceptors for balancing.  The foot/ankle can move in three planes of motion, each relating directly to one of the PSIA skiing skills.  We can dorsiflex and plantar flex (pressure), we can evert and invert (edging), and we can abduct and adduct (rotary).  (note: pronation is a combination of dorsiflexion, eversion, and abduction and supination the opposite)  Though our ski boots fit snugly around our... read more

• Last updated 4/25/12 by nolo

This video clip shows a variety of crud skiing, mostly on steep to very steep terrain (includes the Hanging Valley Wall and Cirque at Snowmass, Highland Bowl at Aspen Highlands, the Headwaters Chutes at Moonlight Basin, the First Notch and other North Pole Chutes above Arapahoe Basin's East Wall, and Spaulding, Tucker, Copper, Jupiter, and Union Bowls at Copper Mountain, among others).   Not much explicit instruction in it, beyond just a spectrum of good images, although I may add more at some point. Variable, inconsistent conditions (ie. "Crud") demand the full... read more

• Last updated 7/13/11 by nolo

  The following threads are recommended reading for teaching children to ski: Teaching young kids to ski  Stance and Alignment of little kids When should kids start using poles? Children's Instruction/Parent interference/Maslov Teaching children > 3 How Young is too young to start skiing Question on Teaching Kids    read more