Downhill skiing, also called alpine skiing, is a complex and challenging sport, which requires you to perform unfamiliar movements while maintaining balance, alignment, agility and coordination. Certified ski instructors accelerate the learning process by breaking down the essential skiing skills into smaller and manageable tasks. These drills familiarize you with the basic movement patterns of alpine skiing, and help your instructor identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Fall and Catch
If it's your first time on skis, your ski instructor might begin the ski drills in the base area or in the base lodge. These drills teach you to keep your weight forward, so that your shins remain in contact with your boot tongues. While in the lodge, stand about three to four feet from a wall. Flex your knees and fall forward, catching yourself with your hands. This drill helps you experience the forward alignment necessary for skiing.
The Jump
After you master the fall and catch, go outside and put on your skis. Flex your knees and transfer your weight so that your shins are against your boot tongues, then try to jump. You will only be able to get both skis off the ground if your body weight is sufficiently forward. If you can't jump, you probably have too much weight on your ski tails. The tails of your skis are less efficient at turn initiation than your ski tips, so keeping your weight on your heels leads to numerous technique problems.
Side Slip
The slip is not only a drill, but also it might get you out of trouble if you accidentally ski into terrain that's beyond your abilities. Go to the edge of the slope, and point your skis across the hill. Turn your upper body so that it faces directly downhill. Flatten your skis and allow your skis to slide down the hill. When you want to stop sliding, flex your knees and tip your skis onto their edges. Point both knees uphill, and you will come to a complete stop.
Pivot Slip
The pivot slip is a progression from the side slip. This drill, which incorporates rotary movements, prepares you for mogul skiing. Practice the rotary movements at home. Stand on a newly waxed floor, and place a towel under each foot. Keep your upper body facing straight ahead, and pivot your feet from side to side, as if they were a pair of windshield wipers. On the slopes, begin with the side slip, then pivot your feet so that they face the other direction. To progress the drill, tap your downhill ski pole into the fall line and pivot your skis around your pole.
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