Better Skiing: Skiing on Ice

Welcome to this edition of Better Skiing, I’m Bruce Ruff.
You’ve had a great day skiing so far on good conditions; Then you break for lunch or try to get one more run in at the end of the day. You now have to ski that high traffic run where the snow is scraped and hard. Usually it’s a hard man-made base to hold up to the heavy traffic. Let’s face it – it’s icy.

Suddenly your edges feel dull. How do you ski it? Try to use the whole edge of your ski; Movements that are more balanced than brute force. Try to keep your skis running forward and less side to side. Make frequent turns and edge sets in a balanced stance. If there are bumps with large scraped patches between them, try to make turns on the bumps - that’s where all the soft snow is now. Stay loose with your hands out in front of your body. Be prepared for anything – especially for those who don’t know how to handle the ice. Stay out of the middle of the run. The sides of the run have always been skied less and hold the best snow.