Learning to Ski: Using poles, Skiing lesson - bergfex.com

Using your pole gets you round bends more effectively. It helps you keep your balance when you're taking pressure off the ski and turning it. Remember, the skis always turn around the pole, so the pole has to be placed on the inside of the curve. In the first exercise, position yourself at a place with plenty of visibility beside the piste and poke your pole into the snow around 15 to 20 centimetres behind the tip of the ski. With parallel turning and carving, use the so-called forward and upward movement to take the weight off the ski and make it easier to turn and change edges. In the next step, you'll learn how to time the use of the pole with the forward and upward movement. For this, stand at an angle to the slope again. During the forward and upward movement, move your pole forward and place it in the snow at the highest point. And during the movement downwards, you bring the pole back behind you again. Now you can practice the first two exercises while moving along at an angle to the slope. First, only use the pole and then combine it with the movement upwards. Now you can try to integrate the use of the pole into the parallel turn. During the forward and upward movement, bring the pole forwards. That is, at exactly the same time as you change edges, place the pole into the snow between the tip of your ski and the binding. And during the movement downwards, you move the pole to the back again. Let's repeat that once again. Move the pole forwards, change edges and use the pole at the same time. Then, during the downward movement, move the pole back. The Bergfex Ski Academy wishes you lots of fun and success with your training and skiing.