Ski Television:

Snowploughing

You know some people would have you believe that skiing parallel is the only way you ever want to do it, and if you snowplough or stem your skis, it's like you've got some kind of disease. Well I want to show you a way that we use the snowplough or the stem to really improve our skiing.

Now if there is anything like a disease or a chronic condition that I try to avoid, it's turning with the upper body and not the legs. I use that little stemming action, just to practice. I use that to try and train myself to turn the foot independently of the body.

As I start to push the ski out into a stem or a snowplough, that's what creates the steering. And that turning of the foot independently of the body,that's the same whether we snowplough, or whether we ski parallel. It's the snowploughing action that actually creates the steering. It's the pushing of the ski on the snow, pushing the ski over the snow with that snowploughing action that creates steering.

So look, I’ve got weight on this ski right here. The moment I try to push it out, that’s when steering starts. It's the pushing of the ski over the snow, with a little bit of edging that actually creates the steering.

Now, whether you snow plough or use a parallel movement, it's the same thing. So I guess my point is, don't be hung up on skiing parallel every turn of your life. It might be a good thing, every now and then, to practice little bit of stemming or snowploughing like that. It will help you get the feeling of turning your legs independently of your upper body, and that's a good thing. Hope that works for you.