Powder tips: Skiing in Whistler, Canada

It’s been a great week in Whistler with fresh snow greeting us each morning with about 30cm more forecasted for the morning.  If you’re used to skiing East Coast – or normally stick to the groomed runs, here are a few tips to ski powder like the pros:

1. Keep your skis together – a wider stance may be a more stable stance on the groomed runs,  in the race course, or in the park,  but you want a narrow stance for powder snow to keep you feet from going in seperate directions
2. You want to be centered on your skis – and maybe a hair backwards… or as Sasha says, make sure you feel the heels of your boots as you turn and not jut the toes. This will keep your tips up. Lean too far back and you’ll burn out your legs fast and speed control will become an issue. Lean too far forward and you are more likely to make a snow angel with your face
3. Ski with both feet. Unlike when you are ripping down the hill or mountain, you are floating in powder and should have fairly equal weight on each ski and should be turning with both feet all the way through the turn. Turn like you are carving on groomed and you are more likely to sink – and do a snow angel with your face
4. Ski in the fall line. The snow will slow you down – so point your skis down the fall line and trust yourself. Ski across the fall line and you are more likely to catch your skis, sink, and build a crator with your tumble
5. Be patient. Allow your skis to work for you. Rush the turn and you are likely to crash and burn.

Here’s a 22 second video of our friend Amanda who broke a rule or two above on our first day at Whistler.

Let me know if you can guess which ones.