This article is reprinted from The Professional Skier.
All copyrights apply.
Please see our copyright and disclaimer notice page. To answer this question, it helps to identify why the skier is making a Z-shaped turn in the first place. I believe Z-turn skiers either have a fear of skiing the fall line or lack the skills to progressively blend edging and rotary movements to achieve the rounder tam shape. Characterized by a skier's harsh, jerky movements with overrotation of the body and skis, Z turns blend the beginning and completion of the turn into one movement. As skiers attempt steeper and more challenging terrain, they spend more time skiing across the fall line and skidding throughout the turn to decrease their speed.