How to Parallel Turn - Online Ski Lessons - Mechanics of Skiing Online Ski Lessons Parallel Turns Parallel turns are turns where the skis always stay parallel to each other throughout each turn. This is generally considered to be the point where proper skiing begins, as up until now all the turns have used the snowplough , which is rarely used as soon as you don't need it. On this page we are going to look at basic parallel turns. Parallel turns which use all the principles of parallel skiing , but to which extra techniques can be added to make the turns more advanced. These more advanced techniques are explained in further sections. Please read the parallel skiing page before following the explanation here, if the principles explained on the parallel skiing page are not understood properly, the explanation here might be harder to follow and understand. Parallel Turn vs Stem Turn Parallel turns have many similarities with stem turns . To start a parallel turn you still need to lean forwards and bring your weight across onto both skis, and to finish a turn you still need to push on the outside/downhill ski.

However parallel turns have an extra phase, the edge change , and because the snowplough is not used in the middle of the turn, as you turn through the fall line the skis do not brake at all and you can pick up a lot more speed. Therefore, to be ready for parallel turns, you have to be ready to go a bit faster. A parallel turn compared to a stem turn. In the parallel turn you pick up more speed around the turn as there is no snowplough to stop you accelerating so much. Parallel turns also have a lot more variables to be considered, with the speed and direction of your velocity and the steepness of the slope having a large affect on turns. Walk Through Explanation Below is a walk through explanation of how to make a basic parallel turn, assuming that we start from skiing across the slope, standing in the correct traversing stance with our skis parallel, weight in the middle of the downhill ski, our shoulders turned slightly down the slope, and the skis sliding slightly sideways as they travel forwards. Initiating the Turn To initiate the turn, we extend upwards and lean forwards in a smooth motion, letting our hips come across over the downhill ski.

As soon as we start this movement the ski tips should start to drop down the slope, and as they drop we begin to transfer our weight onto both skis. Ideally by the time you have reached the forward and extended position the skis should have dropped to the point that they are almost travelling straight along their length, and you should have transferred your weight so that it is almost evenly split between the skis. As you do this the direction of the skis should come to match the direction of your upper body. It is important this is done by letting the skis drop to match the body, rather than turning the body up the slope to match the skis. Once you are in this position you will need to stay there briefly until the skis are completely flat on the snow and travelling completely straight, at which point you are ready for the edge change. If the initiation movement is performed well, and you are travelling with at least a good jogging pace, the skis should drop quickly to travelling straight along their length, so that you are soon ready for the edge change, making this part of the turn where your balance decreases very swift.

But should you have not extended upward well enough to release the edges properly, or not leant far enough forward for the ski tips to drop properly, this phase of the turn can take a lot longer and you will need to stay in this extended forward position until the skis have turned enough to travel straight, with your speed continuing to increase the longer it takes. It is common for people to lack enough confidence to make this movement properly, but this only gives them more problems that they are unconfident about facing. They can start travelling faster than they are comfortable with before the turn has even properly begun, and they can start to run out of space to make the turn, as pistes are only so wide, or there might be other people in the way. The upward and forward movement required is not a large movement to look at, but it should feel as if you made a considerable movement, and it needs to be done properly to ski an efficient turn. You need to extend upwards and lean forwards to initiate the turn, bringing your hips over the downhill ski, and starting to transfer your weight onto both skis as soon as the skis start to drop.

Changing Edges and Turning Across the Fall Line Start to push on the outside ski, while continuing to lean forwards. Once the turn has been initiated and the skis are travelling straight, you are ready to change the edges . Unless the skis had no forward movement at the start of the turn, this point will always be before the skis point down the fall line , due to your initial momentum (as explained in using resistance ). To change the edges, start to put all your weight onto the outside ski, while letting the body continue to gently fall towards the inside of the turn. This will bring the outside ski onto its edge, enabling you to push sideways on it and regain your balance. Keep pushing on the outside ski and leaning forwards until you have turned into the fall line , with your body in the same direction as the skis. As soon as you have made the edge change you can start to bend you knees a bit more and begin taking away that extended position. Once you have reached the fall line all that's left to do is turn back across the slope. Start to push on the outside ski, while continuing to lean forwards.

Once the turn has been initiated and the skis are travelling straight and ready for the edge change, try not to spend too long in this position, as although you are pushing on both skis, your weight is actually over a point further down the slope, which will make you start to lose your balance, if you don't start to push on the outside ski soon enough. Some people get to this point and freeze a little as they are hesitant to start pushing on the outside ski, but it is important to do it and get on with the turn, as the longer you wait, the more speed you will pick up, and the more you will struggle to keep your balance. Finishing the Turn Once you have crossed the fall line , your weight continues to stay on the outside ski, but you start to bring your weight back along the ski lengthways and bend your knees more so that at the end of the turn you will be pushing on the middle of your foot, and your knee bend will be the same as at the start of the turn. Your shoulders also turn and point down the slope slightly more than your skis, to put our upper body in the correct position .

As the skis turn across the slope it is important to let them slide sideways so that you can control the shape of the turn, and lose the extra speed you have picked up. You control the sideways slide by how much you lean over the outside ski, making small changes to edge angle and enabling the skis to slide a little more or less. It is important to lose the extra speed you have picked up as we want to finish the turn at the same speed we started it. Otherwise we will pick up speed with every turn, and at some point end up skiing faster than we are either ready for, or have space for. If you finish turning across the slope, but are still travelling too fast, you can lose the extra speed by letting the skis slide sideways more, or by turning up the slope slightly by bringing your weight a little behind the middle of your foot on your downhill ski. Once your speed is back under control, traverse in your desired direction by keeping your weight on the downhill ski and adjusting your forward lean slightly to point the skis at the angle you want, while controlling how much the skis slide. Now simply continue traversing across the slope until you want make your next turn in the other direction.

As you get better at parallel turns, you will often start the next turn as soon as you have finished the turn before, with no traversing at a constant speed in between turns. It is important to put all your weight on the outside ski in this part of the turn, as having your weight there makes the outside ski want to be further down the slope than the uphill ski ( lateral weight distribution ). Which is exactly what we need to happen. People can find this a bit difficult, as putting your weight on the point that is/will be furthest down the slope, requires you to lean down the slope, which is not as easy if you are affraid of the slope at all. Although at the end of the turn you need to bring your weight back to the middle of your downhill foot lengthways ( longitudinal weight distribution ), turning across the slope changes the steepness angle of the ski, making your weight naturally come backwards without you needing to do anything. You have to watch out for this a bit, as this can make it easy to bring your weight a bit too far back along your foot, so that you start losing your balance, and control of the skis a bit.

This is even easier to do if you are a bit afraid of the slope as you turn through the fall line. Finishing the turn. Notice how the skier is leant over towards the end of the turn so that he can slow down, but he is back upright once the speed has been lost and is traversing at a constant speed. Overview The main points to remember when making parallel turns are: The initiation is important. You must lean forwards and release the ski edges, otherwise the turn will take much longer to start and you will spend a lot more time with your balance reduced and your speed increasing. Once you have changed the edges you must put all your weight on the outside ski to bring the skis around. It is important to rotate your shoulders slightly down the slope, as this gives you more balance and uses stronger muscles. You must remember to let the skis slide sideways, especially towards the end of the turn. This helps you to turn more easily and gets rid of any excess speed you picked up through the turn. You should finish your turn at the same speed you started it, otherwise you will speed up with every turn you make and end up travelling too fast. An overview of the steps in a parallel turn.

Ways Basic Turns Can Vary The walk through above relates to a basic parallel turn. However, there are many variables that affect even gentle parallel turns. Here we will have a quick look at some that you are likely to come across. Steepness of the Slope The steepness of the slope is one of the easiest variables to consider. It largely determines how much effect your weight changes will have, and how much you will speed up in your turns. The steeper the slope, the quicker the skis will be able to turn around and the quicker your speed will build up in the turn. Approach Speed Your approach speed works in a similar way to the steepness of the slope, the faster you are going the more reaction force you can get from your skis. More reaction forces to keep your balance with, and stronger reactions when you lean forward to make the ski tips drop more rapidly. So most of the time speed is your friend. The only times we generally start a turn with very little speed is on a steep slope where we know the reactions from weight changes will be stronger anyway, and you will pick up speed through the turn to keep your balance with.

It is also important to have some initial speed so that the skis are sliding freely, and will not get stuck in the snow, or be too affected by small bumps. Sliding Sideways on Approach The angles shown are the minimum amount the skis will need to turn before the edge change. The more you slide sideways, the further the skis will need to turn before the edges can be changed, although this is not always a bad thing. The amount you are sliding sideways as you start your turn determines how far the skis need to drop and turn before you are ready for the edge change. The more you are sliding sideways, the more your skis will be pointing across the slope relative to your actual direction of movement. This means that during the initiation phase you have to make the front of the skis drop further before they are travelling straight. Which in the wrong circumstances will make your turn initiation take longer. If the skis are travelling almost straight along their length already, you will not need to turn much before the edge change, which usually makes the initiation phase nice and short. However this doesn't mean that you should avoid sliding sideways as you start a turn, your ski orientation has to be matched to the steepness of the slope and your speed.

The angles show are the minimum amount the skis will need to turn before the edge change. The more you slide sideways, the further the skis will need to turn before the edges can be changed, although this is not always a bad thing. Flatter Slopes On a flatter slope you need to start turns with some initial speed, and only let the skis slide sideways a little bit. On flatter slopes the ski tips will not drop very quickly down the slope, and you will not pick up much speed in the turn to help keep your balance with. Because of this, parallel turning is actually more difficult at slower speeds on a flatter slope, which are exactly the conditions that beginners tend to prefer. On flatter slopes it is best to start off by travelling a bit faster across the slope, with the skis not sliding sideways so much. This gives you enough speed to help keep your balance and means that the skis don't need to turn so much before the edges can be changed, making the initiation phase quicker. On a flatter slope you need to start turns with some initial speed, and only let the skis slide sideways a little bit.

The worst thing you can do as you initiate a parallel turn on a flatter slope is ski slowly with plenty of sliding sideways. Not only would you have to turn the skis so far that they point almost straight down the slope before the edges can be changed, but the combination of flat slope and slow skiing will make the skis very slow to turn. The result is a very slow turn, feeling very unbalanced, yet requiring more precise edge pressure changes to accomplish it. Because speed is your friend, starting a turn by sliding sideways but faster can also work well on flatter slopes, but you will struggle to slide sideways fast enough on a flatter slope, unless you have taken speed onto the slope from somewhere steeper. On a gentle slope you may well also find that you cannot turn too far across the slope before or after your turn, as that would decrease your speed to much. When making turns like this you have to keep leaning a little extra forwards at the end of the turn to stop the skis from turning too far across the slope.

Steeper Slopes When starting to ski on steeper slopes, letting the skis slide sideways more can help you keep control of your speed, and reduces the amount your direction changes, which can make turns quicker and easier. On steeper slopes you have the advantage that there is plenty of ski reaction force available, but you have to be more careful about your speed. When we start to ski on steeper slopes it is good to start turns with a medium pace, and quite a lot of sideways sliding. Having a medium pace means the skis are sliding freely over the snow, making them easier to turn, and giving them enough power that they shouldn't be too affected by small bumps in the snow. Sliding sideways increases the proportion of your speed down the slope and so decreases your speed and momentum across the slope. However fast you are travelling across the slope, you are going to have to stop going in that direction, and start going across the slope in the other direction. The faster you are travelling across the slope, the longer it will take to slow down and start travelling across in the other direction, and the longer it takes, the more speed you will pick up while doing it.

When starting to ski on steeper slopes, letting the skis slide sideways more can help you keep control of your speed, and reduces the amount your direction changes, which can make turns quicker and easier. So, sliding sideways can decrease the change of direction needed in a turn. It therefore make the turn quicker, picking up less speed. We don't need to worry about the skis having to turn more before the edges can be changed because, with the initial speed and the steep slope, the skis will drop and turn very quickly as long as the initiation is done properly. Making turns like this also gives you lots of practice at sliding the skis sideways, which is a key skill to have for controlling speed and recovering from mistakes. As you get better at skiing steeper slopes, and incorporate more advanced techniques into your skiing, the goal will be to minimise the amount the skis slide sideways, as you will be able to control your turn shape and speed without the need for so much sliding. Summary Although it may not seem this way for a lot of people, gravity and speed are your friends in a parallel turn, provided you are not going to extremes that is.

To make a parallel turn with balance you need a bit of speed, just like when riding a bike. And just like riding a bike, the more you practise, the better your balance will become at both faster and slower speeds. Please note as soon as we get to this stage in skiing, the learning process slows down and we need a lot more practice to improve and move on to trying other skiing techniques. Also from here on all skiing techniques use parallel turns, although they are tailored to different conditions, or goals. The information here is for basic parallel turns, there are many more advanced techniques that can be added to the basics described here. More information on these can be found in the next sections. Common Mistakes: Leaning back - When you lean back it makes the back of the skis want to overtake the front of the skis, making them unstable. In parallel turns your weight needs to be brought forwards and backwards, but it always stays over the middle of the skis , or further forwards. Your centre of gravity should never come further back than the middle of your feet. Hesitating for too long while changing edges - The longer it takes for you to change edges and finish off the turn, the faster you will go in the meantime.

You need to commit to the edge change before your speed frightens you from making the decision. Not leaning forwards enough to start the turn - The more you lean forward to initiate the turn the quicker the first stage of the turn will be. Although it can be scary to lean down the slope, if you do not lean forwards enough you can pick up more speed than you wanted, which can frighten you from actually making the turn. Having the skis too far apart - If the skis are too far apart you have to make a larger movement, which can make turning more difficult and take longer, and if the skis are really far apart the uphill ski will catch in the snow causing you problems. Not pushing on the outside ski enough at the end of the turn - The more you push on the outside ski at the end of the turn, the quicker you will come back to sideways. Therefore it is important to really push on the outside ski if you want to come around the turn quickly. Not letting the skis slide sideways - It may be scary to lean down the slope, but if we don't do it the skis won't be able to slide around properly, making them unable to turn as easily, and it hard to control your speed.

The skis need to slide sideways for turns to be quicker and smaller, with more control over your speed. Not looking where you are going - Looking ahead at the snow you are aiming to ski over enables you to spot any bumps or obstacles with time to prepare for them, and encourages the body to move in the direction it needs to for making the turn. More general common mistakes can be found in the Common Mistakes page of the Learning to Ski section. Tips: Make a gradual change from the stem turn to the parallel turn on a gentle slope until you are more confident, then slowly progress onto steeper and steeper slopes. If you try and go too steep too soon, often fear brings the snowplough from the stem turn back, and you will be left not actually making parallel turns. Taking ski lessons will introduce you to skiing exercises based on how people learn to ski in real life, so that you learn to parallel turn with the correct technique. Sliding the skis around turns is key to skiing smooth parallel turns. If your turns are a bit wobbly, it is most likely because you are not letting the skis slide sideways enough through the turn (or you are going too slow to keep your balance properly).

So it is key to practise letting the skis slide as much as possible, and get as much control as possible over sliding the skis. Beginner to Intermediate Beginner to Intermediate Getting Down to Basics By emphasizing wedge turns when teaching beginners, mass-production ski schools risk crippling their students with a knock-kneed, back-seated stance, in which the body's weight is carried by both skis and turns are forced by twisting the entire body. Too many beginning skiers remain stuck with this stance and style, which is terribly inefficient and certainly no way to ski. Wedge turns cause an excessive amount of fatigue, and can become dangerous in situations where the skier is at risk of losing control. Students who receive instruction beyond the wedge-turn phase will next be taught how to make skidded parallel turns (christies) using a stem (half-wedge) to initiate the turn. Once they have learned to rely upon the stem christie, it becomes extremely difficult for them to keep a stem from sneaking into the start of their skidded turns. To avoid these problems, some forward-thinking instructors have begun teaching older children and athletic adults to make parallel turns during their very first day on skis.

They accomplish this by starting the students out on very short, super-sidecut skis. With shorter skis and more sophisticated teaching methods, many more people are learning to ski better at a much faster pace. STANCE AND BALANCE The best thing a new skier can do is to start with a relaxed and balanced body position similar to a martial arts stance. Generally speaking, the feet are at hip width for men, shoulder width for women. The hands need to be kept forward, always visible in one's peripheral vision. The knees are slightly bent, enough so that there is an awareness of one's shins pressing against the boot tongues. Weight is usually carried on the balls of the feet, and one's awareness needs to include the feet and toes. In this stance, the body's center of mass is carried well forward on the skis, which makes it easier to turn. It is important to have your instructor frequently evaluate your stance and make the necessary corrections before a bad stance becomes habitual. EDGE CONTROL The key to making a skidded parallel turn is the controlled side-slip. Practice involves releasing the edge of the downhill ski by relaxing the foot, and setting the edge by tightening the foot. Beginning students must next learn how to make a good hockey stop.

Skidding to a hockey stop enables students to make parallel turns without going through the stem christie phase. The hockey stop requires a fair amount of practice in order to become comfortable with this skill. An instructor will need to demonstrate exactly how to make a precise hockey stop. After hockey stops, edge control can be refined with the falling-leaf exercise. Because a skidded parallel turn involves moving one's center of mass toward the skis' tips and skidding their tails around, good edge control is required before going on to the next skills. TERMINOLOGY It may be confusing to new skier to think in terms of the inside and outside of a turn. What this simply means is that, in any path that describes an arc on the snow, the ski that is closest to the center of that arc is called the inside ski, and the ski that is farthest from the center of the arc is called the outside ski. When one turn is linked to another, the outside ski of the previous turn becomes the inside ski of the next turn. Descriptions which relate to uphill and downhill edges or skis are relevant only when both skis are pointed across the fall line, that is, the path a ball will take when rolling down the hill.

Referring to a ski's edge as being on its big-toe side or little-toe side is more useful when the skis are turning. TRANSFERRING WEIGHT TO ONE SKI Intermediate skiers will need to learn to balance on one ski. As an exercise, they can practice transferring their weight from the downhill ski to the uphill ski while traversing. This will result in a parallel turn without stemming. Begin a traverse across a slope, with all the skier's weight carried by the big-toe edge of their downhill ski. Weight is then transferred from the downhill ski to the uphill ski by flexing the downhill leg while extending the uphill leg, and the uphill ski is tilted onto its big-toe edge. As part of this exercise, one may lift the tail of the downhill ski slightly. The skill of weight transfer can be refined with exercises such as thumper turns and the thousand steps. Weight transfer can also be assisted with a correctly timed pole touch, as demonstrated by your instructor. Swing the downhill pole tip forward and slightly downhill using only wrist action, lightly touching the snow at the initiation of the turn. With modern skis, transferring weight to the uphill ski while tiltling it onto its big-toe edge will make it start turning.

Picture in your mind how the uphill ski will become the outside ski of the new turn. If a novice skier allows their center of mass to drift back toward the tails of their skis as commonly happens, it will be impossible to lift the tail of the downhill ski and make a decisive weight transfer to the uphill ski. It is important for your instructor to dramatically demonstrate the weight transfer maneuver a number of times, as it is an essential skill for making parallel turns correctly. Exercises such as doing pedal turns, skating on flat terrain, skiing on one ski on a gentle slope, and doing garlands (pre-turns) on easy runs, will help to establish the ability to transfer weight to the outside ski at the start of a turn. AN OBSTACLE TO PROGRESS The biggest obstacle that can hold back a skier's progress from novice to intermediate is a habitual, automatic stem that comes from being taught the stem christie. Despite a skier's good intentions, stemming will happen when the uphill ski doesn't take over its responsibility for supporting the skier's weight, causing the downhill ski to remain weighted and on its uphill edge.

The skier will either fall when attempting to turn from the downhill ski, or will try to regain balance by pushing the uphill ski's tail out into a half-wedge. This terrible, insidious habit is called "stemming." Although the stem puts the uphill ski onto its inside edge so it can then begin to turn, the skier will need to lift the inside ski to quickly get it parallel with the outside ski. While this crude, clumsy maneuver does result in changing direction, it is a far cry from the graceful, flowing turns to which we should aspire. Beginning and intermediate skiers will need to have a clear mental picture of what good skiing looks like, and then visualize themselves doing it. Watching slow-motion videos of expert skiers will help with the visualizations. TRUST THE SKI TO TURN With sufficient momentum in the traverse, after the skier's weight is transferred to the uphill ski and its big-toe edge bites into the snow, it will want to start turning all by itself because of the shape of its sidecut. It is very important to be patient and allow the turn to develop naturally, instead of rushing it with twisting movements of the body or feet or forcing the turn around with the outside hand and shoulder.

Focus on keeping both skis parallel, without changing their direction, and let the turn happen of its own accord. As soon as weight has been transferred to the uphill ski and it has been tilted onto its big-toe edge, extend the outside leg to put pressure on the outside ski. Tilting the weighted ski onto its big-toe edge is facilitated by tilting the light ski onto its little-toe edge. This is an extremely important maneuver. Think in terms of the light ski tilting onto its little-toe edge to initiate the turn. To turn left, the left ski is made light and tilted onto its left little-toe edge. To turn right, the right ski is made light and tilted onto its right little-toe edge. The combination of transferring weight and pressuring the outside ski's big-toe edge by extending the outside leg while maintaining strong contact between shin and boot tongue, is what makes the ski carve a turn, rather than skid, provided one has tilted the ski onto a high enough edge angle.

PRESSURE AND EDGE CHANGES The amount of pressure on the weighted ski's big-toe edge and its edge angle will need to be adjusted continuously throughout the turn, to whatever degree is necessary to counteract the changing centrifugal and gravitational forces, which are typically greatest throughout the middle part of the arc. As the turn begins, sink down and pressure the shin more and more, and as the turn finishes, progressively rise up by extending the legs, while still keeping the body's center of mass forward and toward the outside of the arc. Remember to be aware of your hands, and keep them out front. The light inside ski is actively kept in a close parallel relationship with the outside ski through deliberate movements of the inside foot. EARLY TURN INITIATION Begin your turn early with a weight transfer and edge change, before your skis cross the fall line. As previously mentioned, a pole swing and touch with the inside hand helps to initiate the turn. It takes practice to get the timing and positioning of the pole touch dialed-in. The inside hand should move forward following the pole touch, so that the inside hand, shoulder and hip leads throughout the turn. Proper use of the poles can be approached as a playful experiment, rather than as an exacting exercise.

Focus upon early turn initiation by shifting weight to what will become the outside ski before your skis cross the fall line. Remember that the light foot plays an active role in keeping the inside ski parallel with the weighted outside ski. If the skier's center of mass remains balanced or slightly forward throughout the turn, it will not be necessary to lift the tail of the light, inside ski to unweight it. The inside ski can be slightly weighted and remain in contact with the snow. CONTROL SPEED WITH TURN SHAPE Once a skier feels comfortable making parallel turns on easy intermediate terrain, it is time to practice making very rounded turns and linking them together, without any traverse between the end of one turn and the beginning of the next. Students will discover that rounding the completion of their turn, so that the skis turn slightly uphill, is an excellent way to keep their speed under control. It is also helpful to experiment by varying the turn radius, going from large, to medium, to small radius turns, while maintaining a rounded turn shape. Skis have their own, built-in turn radius, which is determined by their sidecut and length. Bending the ski by putting more pressure on it can shorten up a turn's radius.

There is, however, a practical limit on how tight a turn can be made without the edge breaking loose and skidding sideways. Now you have a general idea of what is involved in moving from the beginning skier to the intermediate level. Of course, reading about it is never a substitute for competent, hands-on instruction. One of the wonderful things about the sport of skiing is that there is always more to learn, with more skills to acquire and refine. Here, we have just skimmed the surface. Beyond intermediate skiing lies the magical world of the pure, carved turn. With modern ski equipment, proper instruction, sufficient motivation and many hours of practicing the basic movement patterns with correct form, carved turns can be achieved in most snow conditions. Welcome to your very own skiing adventure! The Basic Wedge Christie - EpicSki Community The Basic Wedge Christie Posted 4/26/12 • Last updated 5/1/12 • 3,024 views • 3 comments by Bob Barnes The only difference between wedge turns and wedge christies--the next natural milestone involving the exact same intent and fundamental movement patterns--is that the skis match (move to parallel) in the shaping phase of the turn.

The turn thus ends parallel and, of course, the next turn therefore begins parallel. So why does the wedge happen, if the turn begins and ends with the skis parallel? The key elements (items in bold are primary): Offensive intent--the GO! Factor--intent to control direction, not speed (with speed control indirectly, as a result of tactics and line, not directly from intentional braking); desire to gain, not lose, speed when turn starts; "go that way," not "stop going this way." Other intents (purposes) dictate different techniques, not wedge christies. Positive Movements--in a right turn, all intentional movements go right; skis tip right, both skis and legs turn right simultaneously (but at different rates); body (cm) moves right. Edge releases and both tips turn downhill, into turn at initiation and throughout the turn; NOT edge set and tails twisted/pushed out of turn into intentional skid (which is a Stem Christie). Wedge results spontaneously from both legs rotating into the turn, as the outside leg rotates more quickly. Matching results from continued rotation of both legs into the turn, as the inside leg rotates more quickly.

Unequal rates of rotation are unintentional, but result from low skill development, and the unequal resistance on the two skis in different parts of the turn (due to the mechanics of the turn itself). Since intent is to control direction, not speed, skidding is unintentional. But some skidding or brushing is likely due to low skill level, and inevitable when turns are smaller than the skis can carve. Fundamental intent and movements are the same as for parallel turns, and wedge christies will naturally evolve to basic and then high-performance parallel turns as skill, confidence, speed, and terrain steepness increase (and offensive intent remains). Here are some animations to clarify my meaning. Let's look first at the movements of each ski separately, to see if they concur with the bullet points above. First, the left ski: Movements and path of the left ski in wedge christies Clearly, this ski turns continuously in the direction of the turns--it's tip moves continuously to the right in a right turn, and vice-versa, It pivots about a point somewhat aft of ski-center, and at no point is its tail twisted toward the outside of the turn. In other words, all positive movements.

Now for the right ski: Movements and path of the right ski in wedge christies Same thing, of course! So let's put them together: Movements and paths of both skis in wedge christies Now we can see that, even though both skis and legs turn continuously and simultaneously right in a right turn (and left in a left turn), because they turn at different rates, they open into a wedge as the turn starts, and match to parallel later in the turn. The uphill (new outside) tail is NOT stemmed out at the start, as the downhill (new inside) ski releases and slips downhill into the turn. And at no point is the inside tail pulled out toward the outside tail to bring them parallel; on the contrary, the matching occurs not by pulling the tails together, but literally by pulling the tips apart--continuing the active movement of the inside tip in the direction of the turn, but more quickly now than the outside ski. No negative movements! And at no point do the skis or legs turn (rotate) in opposite directions. That's the seeming paradox that seems to confuse many people.

Clearly, one way to create a wedge position is just that--to rotate both legs internally, turning the toes or tips toward each other, in opposite directions. But that is absolutely not what happens in a wedge christie, as these animations show. Here are still montages based on the animations above: Since some people like to see the fall line pointing down, and others prefer to see it pointing up, I've done it both ways. The frame numbers are the same for each one. The little white arrows indicate the skier's intended rotary input--both tips into the turn, from start to finish. The Evolutionary Link Between Wedge and Parallel Turns Note that in the wedge turn video, the downhill edge releases and both skis and legs turn simultaneously into the new turn--just exactly as they do in a parallel turn. But due to the low speed, combined with the embryonic skill level (all three skills--rotary, edging, and pressure control), it is difficult to turn the downhill leg as quickly as the uphill leg, so the wedge develops as the turn begins, naturally, spontaneously, and unintentionally.

Low speed is a factor because without significant "G-forces" pulling the skier toward the new outside ski, there is still substantial pressure (weight) on the downhill ski as the turn starts, and that ski also remains somewhat on its uphill edge, even as it releases. The pressure and slight edge engagement combine to create more friction resisting the turning of the downhill ski, while the light uphill ski turns very easily. Of course, the skier could "solve" the problem by making an "active, early weight transfer"--either shifting his balance to the uphill ski, or suddenly flexing his downhill leg. But both of these options would cause a sudden redirection of the center of mass--the first moving the body uphill (ie., in the wrong direction!), and the second causing an abrupt redirection down the hill. Although there are certainly real situations where these outcomes could be desirable, one of the attributes of the pure basic turn demonstration is the very smooth, continuous uninterrupted "flow" of the center of mass. Any sudden redirection does not belong in these demonstrations. So active weight transfers, while important situational technical options, are errors when demonstrating the "default" movement patterns that wedge turns, wedge christies, basic parallel, and dynamic parallel turns are meant to show.

You could also "solve" the "problem" by making a longer-radius turn, which would not require any active, muscular rotary input. "Patience turns" (initiated entirely by gravity, like a bowling ball rolling across and down the hill) and "pure-carved" or "railroad tracks" on the flats are two examples of such no-rotary-input turns and they can both be fun and good learning opportunities. But again, by definition, basic turns involve the intent to control direction--not just get taken for a ride by gravity or the sidecut of your skis. Because of this requirement, demonstrating these turns (wedge, wedge christie, basic parallel, etc.) demands that we choose to ski a turn radius smaller than our skis will carve by themselves without rotary input. Once you involve active rotary movements, the wedge, and the wedge christie, "happen"! OK, so why does the matching occur in wedge christies, if it does not occur in wedge turns? Well, wedge christies again demonstrate the milestone in between the first (wedge) turns and basic parallel turns, in both skill development and speed.

While the speed may not be high enough and the leg-steering ("fulcrum" mechanism that Bud refers to) skill not sufficiently advanced to turn both skis at equal rates to start the turn, somewhere later in the turn the speed increases and the balance shifts spontaneously toward the outside ski (due to the forces of the turn). As the inside ski lightens--AND the skier leans more into the turn for balance, helping to flatten the inside ski--it becomes easier then to turn the inside ski. So the same steering effort to turn BOTH skis into and through the turn now turns the inside ski more quickly, bringing the skis parallel. Note that "matching" occurs NOT by twisting the inside tail out toward the outside ski, but by pulling its tip into the turn--as the outside ski follows. The result: parallel skis, with still no intentional twisting or pushing of the tails into a skid. The key point to all this is that the fundamental technical intent of all basic turns--wedge, wedge christie, basic parallel--is the same: turn both skis and legs simultaneously, and at the same rate, into the turn.

The intent is the same--basically, a parallel turn--but the challenges due to low skill development and low speed cause the wedge to happen at first, and then to spontaneously vanish as skill, speed, steepness, and confidence increase. The wedge happens! It is not intentional (for students), and it is certainly not an essential part of the beginner's turn. Strong skiers, like instructors, trying to demonstrate them accurately cannot, of course, become less skillful. But they can certainly use tactics that will tend to cause the wedge to happen without an intentional effort. Very small radius and very complete turns will both keep speed to a minimum and require very active leg rotation to create the turn shape. Then all you have to do is make your very best "parallel turn movements," and a wedge christie (or even wedge turn, if you go slow enough on flat enough terrain) will happen spontaneously. Any other way of doing is cheating. Try to make a wedge christie at too high speed, and you'll have to fake the wedge--you'll have to do something intentionally different from how you'd make a parallel turn. And that, by definition, is NOT a wedge christie!

Offensive Intent As I mentioned earlier, all of these basic turns are fundamentally offensive. That is, they are made to control direction directly, and speed only as a side-effect of direction (ie., if you go uphill, you'll slow down). They all involve, in a very real sense, going as fast as you possibly can on whatever line you choose. If you want to go slowly, you go as fast as possible on a very slow line--completing each turn perhaps even back uphill a bit. (Again, this is not to suggest that we are always, or should always be, "offensive," but simply that these demonstrations are meant to show the technique involved when we are. Other intents would involve different demos.) This is the concept that I've long referred to as "skiing the slow line fast," and good instructors instill a deep awareness of it from the start. So, in summary, wedge christies are turns made at a very low speed, that begin with opening to a wedge and continue with matching to parallel. To make them accurately, ski as fast as you possibly can and don't wedge, and don't match!

Just do it on a slow enough line, with small enough turns, that you can't help but make a wedge christie. The Difference Between "Matching" and "Closing" Here's the difference between "matching," which involves continuously turning the ski tips into and through the turn as in a wedge christie, and "closing," which involves twisting the inside tail out toward the outside tail, typically as the outside skids without continuous steering into the turn. Notice that the outside ski is never quite parallel to the direction of travel (the red line shows the direction of travel of the center of mass). If it were a "pure-carved turn," the outside ski, at least, would exactly parallel the red line, and wherever the pressure is 100% balanced on the outside ski, the edge of that foot will also be exactly on the line. So with these things in mind, the illustration shows a small amount of brushing (skidding), and the pressure center always somewhere between the feet--albeit much closer to the outside foot near the end of the shaping/control phase (frames 9-10 and 17-18).

Compare the Wedge Christie illustration with the other end of the performance spectrum (still with the same intent and fundamental movement patterns)--the highly carved Dynamic Parallel Turn: On the other hand, my definition of the Wedge Christie includes that they are "as carved as possible." That's the same intent, of course, as each of the other "milestones" along the same path (wedge, basic parallel, dynamic parallel). That's not to say that they are necessarily pure-carved turns by any means--merely that there is no intentional skidding and braking. It follows clearly and logically from the intent to control purely direction, not speed, to ski "a slow enough line as fast as possible." For real skiers at that skill level, there is likely to be a fair amount of skidding in most turns, even though it is not their intent, largely due to their undeveloped fine edging skills, as you suggest. On the other hand, with today's soft deep-sidecut skis, it doesn't take much edge angle or edging skill to get the skis to carve, or to help shape the turn with minimal skidding.

For instructors demonstrating wedge christies, that's why I insist that we must ski turns that are smaller than we can "pure carve," to ensure that they show someunintentional but very obvious skidding. And again, in "real" skiing situations, we will often see skiers at this level who are not entirely offensive, and who therefore use the wedge to brake, or increase the skidding intentionally to brake. No problem there--it's just no longer a pure, offensive wedge christie! As to the traditional definition of "christie" being "skidding on corresponding edges," technically you are correct, of course. But since that term arose at a time when virtually all turns involved skidding, I have a slightly different take on it. I could be wrong about the intent of whoever coined the term "christie," but my suspicion is that the operative and important words were "on corresponding edges," and the "skidding" part was just a nod to the "fact" at the time that all turns involved skidding.

So the intended distinction was between being "on opposing edges" (that is, wedges and stems), and being "on corresponding edges." I just don't think that the term was meant to distinguish skidded turns from carved turns--especially since a nearly-equally-old expression was "carved christie." In any case, I agree that an instructor's demonstration of wedge christie should show some gentle brushing or skidding. But that is only so that it demonstrates the active leg rotation (fulcrum mechanism) we want to show, and so that--like the wedge itself--it presents an image of skiing that is accessible to students at that level. Make it small enough, and "as carved as possible" will show all the skidding required! The Difference Between Wedge Christie and Stem Christie Bud Heishman notes, "There is a clear mechanical divide between stem christies and wedge christies that I am not convinced the majority of our members understand and this sends many students unnecessarily, down a one way dead end street." I agree. That's the bottom line, and it is a critical distinction.

The two--wedge christie and stem christie--look superficially similar (both begin with converging skis and finish parallel), but a bit of understanding reveals them to be polar opposites, in almost every respect. The intents they serve are opposite--one (wedge christie) is offensive--"go that way," and the other is defensive--"stop going this way," or "don't go that way." One (wedge christie) involves exclusively what I call "positive movements"--movements in the direction of the intended turn. The other involves the opposite--"negative movements" in the opposite direction. For a wedge christie, the simple thought, "right tip right to go right," pretty much tells it all. In simplest terms, it describes the movement that initiates a right turn and that continues throughout the right turn. As that right ski releases and turns right, everything else, including the left ski, follows. No, it hardly explains all the technical details of a right turn, but it literally gets things off with the right foot, and moving in the right direction, based on the key intent of all offensive turns: GO!

By contrast, "left tail left to not go right" describes the initiation of a stem christie to the right. Right ski vs. left ski, tip vs. tail, movement to the right vs. movement to the left, "GO" vs. "not go". . . you really can't get much more opposite than that! One is "release the edge and guide the tips into the turn," and the other is "set the edge and twist the tails away from the turn. Sounds simple, but I share your belief that many instructors fail to recognize--or at least, to acknowledge--the fundamental difference. I also like Bud's insight that it's more about finding a description and a demonstration that ultimately makes sense in the grand scheme of good skiing, and not about blind belief in dogma. You don't get understanding by memorizing the words of a trainer or a description from a manual.

You begin to comprehend when you question and challenge these things, put them to the test to develop your own understanding of "what makes sense." Benjamin Bloom's well-known "taxonomy of the cognitive domain" suggests that "knowledge" is but the first step, the bottom rung on the ladder to understanding, awareness, expertise, and creativity ("knowledge--comprehension--application--analysis--synthesis--evaluation"). "Knowledge" on its own--although it may impress some people--isn't worth very much. For all the merely "knowledgeable" person knows, it could all be bunk! Answers give knowledge. Questions begin understanding. Caveat About Flexion-Extension For me, "flexion-extension" is among the last things I focus on in my wedge christies, and when teaching students at that level. First of all, when I hear the simple word "extend" (or "flex"), it does not trigger an image of "long leg-short leg" lateral movement (or of fore-aft movement, for that matter)--it suggests getting taller or shorter. And I think that there is wide-spread confusion of why, and when, we need to get taller and shorter in turns at all levels.

Primarily, we do it to manage the amount of pressure on our skis--to absorb bumps, to regain contact with the snow after flying over a roll, to reduce the pressure at the bottom of turns so that soft snow doesn't disintegrate beneath us, and so on. Expressions like "extend to release" and "flex to release" imply a cause-effect relationship that simply is not there. Releasing is a tipping movement. (Yes, it involves lateral movement of the center of mass over the feet, which we can "force" with long leg-short leg movements, but I've already discussed that, and it is not the same as "getting taller or shorter").

In short, I've long been critical of the common advice to "extend to release" or "flex to release." "Well, I mean, 'extend down the hill, or extend into the turn,'" is the common retort, to which I reply, "why not just 'move down the hill?' Why do I need to 'extend' (or 'flex)' as I do it?" To which I am usually faced with a confused, dazed look, accompanied by "well, that's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?"--which betrays a lack of understanding, "knowledge" without "comprehension." There MUST be a better answer to "why?" than "because that's what it says in the manual"! Now...another reason to "flex" (get shorter) is to allow angulation movements in the feet/ankles, knees, hips, and spine (you can't tip your skis with all of your joints rigidly extended, beyond how much your entire body tips). So it is normal that we flex some joints somewhat as we increase edge angle in turns (note that I did not say "to" increase edge angle).

And as we decrease edge angles to exit the turn and release the edges to begin the new turn, there is no particular need to stay "short" (which requires muscular effort), so unless there is some other need to "flex" (eg. to absorb a bump or a "virtual bump" in high-speed turns), we might as well stand a little taller and relax through that transition and edge release. So it is not uncommon, and not inappropriate, to "rise" through the transition in low-speed wedge christies. It is a luxury we can afford in such low-speed turns. But it certainly is not necessary or required to cause the edge release. We may well extend (rise) as we release, but we certainly do not need to "extend to release." Furthermore--IF we think we must rise in the transition for whatever reason, timing is critical--and commonly missed. We'll rise as we reduce the edge angle, and the edge release will occur at the top of the rise. In other words, we will rise OUT of the previous turn, NOT into the new turn.

If you start extending (rising) as you start the new turn, you'll be way too late--and guaranteed to start your turn with a stem of the uphill ski (since the downhill ski won't release until the top of the extension). Consequently I find it rarely necessary--or helpful--to even mention flexion-extension in wedge turns or wedge christies. Yes, if a student tends to get bent over and "stuck" on his edges, a simple reminder to "stand up" can help let go and stimulate the release. But it's still not a necessary move, and I'd prefer to keep the focus on "flatten to release," which describes the true cause-effect relationship. Indeed, since high edge angles are not yet involved at this level, there is little need to flex low, beyond just the gentle flexion of a basic athletic stance. Furthermore, if I don't bring it up, I won't have to "unteach" "extend to release" later, when we're skiing bumps or high-performance turns that may well require flexion/retraction through the transition.

In my own skiing, and in my teaching, I want to keep extension/flexion ("tall/short") movements entirely separate from tipping, lateral, fore-aft, and rotary movements. I want to be able to do each of these things independently, as needed, without necessarily affecting the others. "Extend to release" ties two of these movement pools together in a way that is unnecessary, and that will become detrimental at some point in the skier's development. Summary If you understand what a wedge christie really is, you will realize that it is anything but a contrived turn. It is not any different, fundamentally, from a basic parallel turn, but merely the natural, all-but-inevitable, spontaneous result of skiers trying not to make a wedge christie at all, but with generally low skill development (that is, beginners), and low speed. It is the most natural and uncontrived turn you could make--which is why beginners do it (or its opposite cousin the stem christie, when they are defensive). What is challenging is for highly skilled skiers to demonstrate the same movements without making it contrived.

For that, the tactics I've suggested work: ski very complete turns much shorter in radius than your skis will carve by themselves. Indeed, even the most ardent "direct-to-parallel" instructors will make wedge christies if you prescribe the task sufficiently clearly. And even the most ardent "direct-to-parallel" instructors even admit that it is a natural, inevitable (that is, uncontrived) outcome of sound movements in certain scenarios (that is, the short, complete, low-speed turns I just mentioned). Here is a direct quote from one of them: "The proponents of [a well-known 'direct-parallel' learning progression] unequivocally understand and acknowledge that a wedge stance may result, even when skiers are taught "Direct Parallel." (PM me if you'd like the link.) Understand that we do not teach wedge turns, wedge christies, or even parallel turns. We teach movements and movement patterns. As skiers become somewhat adept at those movement patterns, they inevitably tend to ski parallel most of the time. Prior to that, the same movement patterns at a more rudimentary level tend to result in turns that begin with a wedge. That is a wedge christie.

It is simply representative of a certain level of skill development. It is NOT a unique, specific, "beginner's turn." We do, in fact, teach "direct to parallel." But directly en route to parallel, for almost all new skiers, they will encounter a few wedges and wedge christies. Spontaneously. On the other hand, it is worth repeating that we often do need to teach students how to handle situations in which they are defensive, where they actually do need brakes (or at least think they do, which amounts to the same thing). So we do, in fact, teach things other than the purely offensive turns that wedge christies and wedge turns and basic parallel turns represent. Stems, snowplows, hockey stops, and so on are just as much part of skiing as turns are, just as skill with the brake pedal is as critical for drivers as skill with the steering wheel and accelerator. The critical thing is just to make sure we keep these two opposite intents (go and stop, control direction and control speed, go that way and stop going this way) separate in our minds--and in our techniques.

Of course, that's not easy to do in a sport where we historically call everything we do "turning." We even call the very sport "making turns" sometimes! To me, this sad fact contributes to much of the confusion. No wonder people get confused when we call polar opposite things--and everything in between--by the same name! I use the word "turn" religiously, but I take great pains to make sure I restrict its use to what I consider actually to be turns--the things we do when our intent is to control direction and line precisely. When I mean "brake," I do not use the word "turn." And I do make sure that my students are clear on the distinction as well, so my carefully restricted use of the word "turn" becomes part of the lesson itself. Since "turn" creates less confusion in almost anything else--no one thinks you mean "stop" when you say "turn the car"--I often try to rely on people's understanding of the word in non-skiing contexts. This article consists of posts by Bob Barnes in The Basic Wedge Christie thread.

Question: In which sport can you hear the terms ‘edging’, ‘christies’ and ‘traversing’?
Answer: SKIING