Teaching Progression Alpine

Lesson Progressions

Skiing

1ST TIME – NEVER Been Skiing
Stepping, climbing, sliding

Terrain: Flat
Outcome: Basic balance, awareness of equipment, some mobility, understanding of physical requirements for controlling speed.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex, vision up, foot turning, foot to foot balance.
Before you go on:

  1. Can they demonstrate flexing into the boot?
  2. Can they maintain lateral balance while stepping to either side?
  3. Can they turn/brush the skis across the snow while maintaining a balanced stance?

Possible activities:
In Boots

  • Talk about the equipment and how it works.
  • In their boots rock fore/aft, move feet in arc in the snow, turn toes in/out, side-step up/down hill.

1 Ski

  • Lift it and twist, touch the tip/tail, scooter straight/ figure 8, scooter and glide as long as possible.
  • Repeat with ski on other foot.

2 Skis

  • Repeat stepping movements, daisy turns, walk in figure 8’s, push and glide with poles, and paddle turns. Brush one ski and then the other into a wedge, brush both into a wedge with a slight hop/unweighting move.

Gliding
Terrain: Gentle slope with flat or uphill to stop the skier.
Outcome: Some mobility, some directional control and stopping control.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex/stance, vision up, foot turning, foot to foot balance.
Before you go on:

  1. Do they maintain contact with the front of the boot while gliding?
  2. Can they control edge movements enough to side-step without slipping?
  3. Does the leg turn in the hip socket?
  4. Can they maintain lateral balance while stepping to either side?

Possible activities: Side stepping, herringbone, skating, paddle turn, getting up after a fall. Use props (cones, hula hoops, balls, etc.) as teaching tools. Keep them Moving! Work them toward the Magic Carpet.

LEARNING TO TURN – Learning to turn both directions to a stop

Heading down the hill
Terrain:  Gentle slope on the Carpet.
Outcome:  Control speed and direction, stop at will.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex/stance, rotating feet/legs under a stable upper body, tipping ski enough so it creates friction and control.
Before you go on:

  1. Do they maintain contact with the front of the boot while turning?
  2. Do the turning movements start from the lower body?
  3. Are they keeping slightly more weight toward the outside ski than the inside?

Possible activities:  Garlands, thousand steps, follow the leader. Send them toward animals on the side of the runs.

  1. Start by going across the hill and turning further out of the fall line to stop.
  2. Revert to the paddle turn if necessary.
  3. After stopping, step the skis around to head the other direction.
  4. Gradually increase the steepness of the traverse.
  5. Direct the skis toward the fall line to move into the next turn.
  6. Always stop by turning across the hill, NOT A BREAKING WEDGE.

Beginning to link turns
Terrain:  Magic Carpet to Creekside Express, on easiest green terrain.
Outcome:  Turn at will, linking different sizes at different speeds.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex for balanced stance, turning feet combined with a slight weight shift, tipping ski more so it helps direction change, diagonal movements to create flow.
Before you go on:

  1. Does their balance stay centered (fore/aft) while turning?
  2. Do the turning movements start from the lower body?
  3. Are they keeping slightly more weight toward the outside ski than the inside?
  4. Are the skis released down the hill rather than stepped or hopped to start the new turn?

Possible activities:  Garlands, high/low contrasts, forward sideslips, sideslips, using sidehill terrain, follow my leader. Have them ski around brushes or cones.

  1. Ask for a very short traverse between turns.
  2. Turn the leg/foot to start the next turn, allowing weight towards the outside foot so the ski responds better.
  3. Demonstrate flexion and extension in the legs to move you forward and across the skis into the new turn.

WEDGE TURNING – Linking wedge turns both ways to a stop without assistance

Linking turns
Terrain:  Creekside Express, or moderate green terrain.
Outcome:  Linking different sizes at different speeds, beginning to match skis (parallel).
Emphasis:  Ankle flex for balanced stance, turning feet/ weight shift combined, tipping ski more to help direction change, diagonal movements to create flow, active and independent use of the inside ski.
Before you go on:

  1. Does their balance stay centered (fore/aft) while turning?
  2. Do the turning movements start from the lower body?
  3. Are they keeping more weight toward the outside ski than the inside? Are the skis released down the hill rather than stepped or hopped to start the new turn?
  4. Can they steer the inside foot and change the inside skis edge without losing balance?

Possible activities:   Garlands, sideslips, using sidehill terrain. Brush and cone course a must!

  1. Bring the skis parallel during a very short traverse.
  2. Do thumper turns either with or without a traverse.
  3. Have them move the inside ski statically.
  4. Encourage a bit higher speed to help the skis skid slightly.

Improving basic turns
Terrain:  Midway, hard green terrain, or easy blue.
Outcome:  Linking different sizes at different speeds with more edge control, matching skis earlier.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex for balanced stance, weight shift directed toward the outside ski, turning from feet not upper body, improved edge awareness, diagonal movements to create flow, active and independent movement of the inside ski.
Before you go on:

  1. Does their balance stay centered (fore/aft) while turning and as terrain changes?
  2. Do the turning movements start from the lower body?
  3. Are they keeping more weight toward the outside ski than the inside?
  4. Are the skis released down the hill rather than stepped or hopped to start the new turn?
  5. Can they steer the inside foot and change the inside skis edge without losing balance?

Possible activities:  Garlands, forward sideslips, hockey stop moves, carved traverses, falling leaf, lifting inside ski, thumpers

  1. Do thumper turns without a traverse and have them move the inside ski statically.
  2. Encourage a bit higher speed to help the skis skid slightly. Weight directed towards the outside ski will provide more stability since the ski will respond better. Patience turns to insure decent turn shape.  Keep or get people anchored in the basics, don’t add new terrain if they don’t have a strong foundation.

PARALLEL TURNING – Linking parallel turns on most terrain

Anchoring turns and improving control
Terrain:  Midway, Zip Down, easy to moderate blue
Outcome:  Linking different sizes at different speeds with good edge control and turn shape, skis are parallel.
Emphasis:  Ankle flex for balanced stance, weight directed toward the outside ski, turning from feet not upper body, good edge awareness to be able to carve, diagonal movements to create flow.
Before you go on:

  1. Does their balance stay centered (fore/aft) while turning and as terrain changes?
  2. Do the turning movements start from the lower body?
  3. Are they keeping more weight toward the outside ski than the inside?
  4. Are the skis released down the hill rather than stepped or hopped to start the new turn?
  5. Are balancing movements directed into the new turn to maintain fluidity?

Possible activities:  Garlands, forward sideslips, carved traverses, falling leaf, 360’s, railroad track turns, 1000 steps, skating/skate turns, pivot slips.

  1. Weight directed towards the outside ski will provide more stability and better response.
  2. Patience turns to insure decent turn shape.
  3. Get them to release the skis down the hill, not push them to an edge.
  4. Moving forward and across into the turn will put them in the right position.
  5. At this level there must be constant movement, never static.
  6. Strengthen the basics, do not add new terrain if they do not have a strong foundation.

Pole touch
Terrain: Could be Creekside Express to South Bowl.
Outcome: A pole swing that enhances the desired turn result and assists with dynamic balance.
Emphasis:  Hand and lower arm, not shoulder/body, could be used for either braking or gliding turns.
Before you go on:

  1. Is only their hand and arm moving?
  2. Is the touch timed with either the edge release or edge set as desired?
  3. Is the swing consistent throughout the turn, not all at once?

Possible activities:  Turn signal, synchro ski, sideways edge sets, hockey stops, hop turns.

  1. Pole use should assist with rhythm, flow, and timing.
  2. Correct pole movements are important so that they do not interfere with the other balancing movements of good skiing.