Wedge Turns with Balance on Outside Ski

What

During a round wedge turn pressure builds underneath the outside ski throughout the bottom half of the turn.

Why

Introducing outside ski balance in an advanced wedge turn gives skiers more speed control, edge engagement and allows skiers to go to steeper terrain.

How

At faster speeds focus on developing outside ski balance while managing angulation.

Skills

Situational Understanding

• The skier needs to understand the difference between the inside and outside ski
• Increase speed slightly, allowing for the COG to move inside the turn slightly further
• Use groomed green slopes
• The skis maintain a consistent gliding wedge size throughout the turn
• A steered brushed track will be left in the snow

Active Stance & Balance

• As the COG moves inside the turn slightly further than a basic wedge turn, the skier must maintain a stable upper body as the amount of angulation created by the legs moving inside will be greater than before

Outside Ski Balance

• Pressure will increase underneath the centre of the outside ski
• Feel the arch of the outside foot get heavier during the bottom half of the turn
• The COG will move slightly further to the inside of the turn due to the increased centripetal force; angulation of the upper body will help maintain outside ski balance

Edging

• Use a greater range of lateral movements of the legs than a basic wedge turn
• The outside ski’s edge will penetrate the snow more during the bottom half of the turn
• The inside ski will flatten slightly as COG moves inside during the bottom half of the turn

Steering

• Continued steering of the legs is required while pressure builds on the outside ski

Ski Snow Interaction

• In advanced wedge turns the edge angle of the outside ski will increase during the bottom half of the turn, while the edge angle of the inside ski will decrease during the bottom half of the turn. This is then reversed during the top half of the turn
• The steering angle of the skis will increase throughout the turn. However, they will need to remain as opposing angles to maintain the wedge shape
• The platform angle will need to be greater than 90 degrees to allow the skis to slide smoothly on the snow

Terrain

Ideally introduced on easy green terrain with the goal of progressing to steeper green terrain.

Class Handling

Lead your students to feel the forces on the outside ski by increasing the speed on easier terrain. When breaking activities down into J-turn or traverse activities be very mindful of safety considerations and how the group is moved around the beginner area.