Better Skiing Technique - Ski the Bumps 3 - Linking Turns

Now we're going to try a few bumps linked together,down with a bump. It's quite another for them to
so instead of side slipping to a halt in the dip, keep upstop dead on the upside of a bump catapulting you
some forward momentum by pointing the skis morehead first out of both bindings. Even after a hundred
down the hill. You should almost come to a stop oncatapults I still find it embarrassing.
the bump before dropping over it. Remember theYou may find to start with that the uphill ski crosses
pole plant. Gauge your speed, and use the dip withover the top of the downhill as you come round,
the snow in it to brake you before the next polethereby putting you in a somewhat tricky position.
plant. You will have to keep a very close look at theQuite often there appears to be a lot of weight on
ground; anticipate the braking trough, and thethe uphill ski as it crosses over, and you stop dead
accelerating downside, and move your weight slightlyand fly out of the front. As long as you project your
backwards for the dip and slightly forwards for theweight forward as you put the pole in, and keep it
downside.forward until the skis have come round, you should
This weight shift backwards and forwards needsavoid this problem as your weight will remain over
some explanation. You will recall that as a general rulethe downhill ski.
the weight should remain over the middle of yourThis tentative exercise of linking some bumps
foot. Well it actually should stay over the middle oftogether should be done at the start of every
your foot, but as the gradient is continually changing,session for twenty turns or so to get you into a
there will be an apparent shift of weight all the time.good rhythm. If you do it slowly and methodically,
Well something like that. The main thing is tothere is a good chance that you will complete at
anticipate the change in gradient. It's one thing forleast one run without mishap, and at this stage you
the skis to slide out from underneath you as you sitneed all the confidence you can get!