Moving on the Flat
- Skill:
-
walk, glide and turn around on the flatpropel yourself forward on flat terrain using your legs and poles
This skill helps you move across flat sections of the mountain, like connecting trails or getting to the lift line, without taking your skis off. You'll use a combination of leg pushes and pole pushes to glide forward.
You should be comfortable wearing your skis and maintaining your balance on flat ground. It helps to have a feel for gliding a little on gentle slopes.
How to do it
Using your legs
- Stance: Stand in your athletic stance, knees slightly bent, weight centered.
- Push and Glide: Push one ski slightly out to the side and back, using the edge to propel yourself forward. As you push, shift your weight onto the other ski and glide.
- Alternate: Repeat with the other leg, alternating pushes to keep moving. Think of it like a subtle ice skate push.
Using your poles
- Plant: Plant both poles firmly in the snow beside you, slightly ahead of your body.
- Push: Lean into your poles and push down and back to propel yourself forward.
- Recover: Lift your poles and bring them forward to plant again, maintaining your momentum.
Common mistakes
- Feet parallel: If your skis are too parallel when pushing, you won't get enough grip to move forward effectively. Angle them slightly.
- Pizza (wedge): Don't put your skis in a wedge (pizza) shape. This will slow you down or even make you slide backward on flat ground.
- No weight transfer: Not shifting your weight from one ski to the other means you're just pushing snow around instead of gliding.
Learn more
Source: Ronchen's Studio · How to ski on flat base || Ronchen ski tutorial