Skiing can be quite difficult, and one of the most frightening parts of skiing can be learning how to stop at will during motion.
So are you planning to go skiing during the holiday or on tour, and you want to know some simple steps on how to stop yourself from hurtling down the mountain? Learning to stop is part of the required skill for a beginner.
Stopping is very easy! Since you are a beginner, start on a hill with less steep, or even on a bunny hill or something similar. Your weight will be on your downhill leg; this can be very scary for beginners but it’ll bring you to a halt.
After you make your final turn, try putting your weight on your downhill leg and make a turn with your leg; note it should be more than a normal turn (pointing your toes uphill).
It’s Just like you are stepping with the back of your heel swiftly, or you can turn both skis to the same side at the same time, and you will stop. You will be perfect if you try it about ten times.
How to Stop When Skiing
There are different methods for you to stop during skiing; one of the methods is the parallel stop. With these simple steps outlined, it will be very easy for a beginner to stop when skiing on the first try.
- When you are about to stop, stand up gently, this allows the ski to loosen contact with the snow.
- Try a parallel turn; place your weight on the outside or downhill ski of the turn.
- Turn your legs and feet parallel at the same time start to bend your knees and dig into the snow with the inner edge of the skis and push through your heel.
- If you want to stop quickly, dig more into the snow.
- Try Releasing the angle of your skis and then flatten the two towards the snow, so you don’t fall backward.
Some other methods to stop when skiing
1. The Pizza stop or Snowplough
This type of stop is mostly used by skiers and some call it the pizza stop. This type of technique used for stopping is a must-learn for beginners.
How to stop when skiing using a snowplow turn:
- Start to slide and they go into a snowplow.
- Push your weight into one ski and turn it to the side.
- Push into your left ski to go right or your right ski to go left.
- Gently turn your skii to the side, and try stopping your ski facing towards the side of the mountain.
- When you have finally stopped, put more weight on the inner edge of the skis, so you don’t go again, it allows you to stop in the stance.
Tips for Snowplough stop
- Try not to use the ski poles to stop.
- Relax your upper body and go into the plow gently so you can build enough confidence.
- Practice more on the baby slopes before taking a step forward to the steeper ground.
- One direction will be easier for you; it all depends on your stronger foot.
- Relax your torso and turn your foot gently.
- Keep practicing.
2. Wedged turn stop
This wedged turn stop is another method to stop your ski as a new skier. You just have to make a snowplow turn by turning to the side. It allows you to stop faster and avoid objects directly in front of you.
This method is just like the snowplow, but you have to put more pressure on one leg than the other.
Practice – the most important step
Practice more. Every step above will improve your balance, and grow your confidence on the slopes.
When you practice more, you will be able to execute emergency and gradual stops. It will be an important skill throughout your days on skis.
It is advised to learn these skills with either an experienced instructor or skier. Practice more turns and intermediate skills. In no time, you’ll be exploiting the slopes and be the envy of many.
How to safely fall on skis
The three methods on how to stop on your skis have been properly discussed, as a beginner, it’s important to know how to fall safely. Every professional skier can’t even count how many times they fall.
Knowing how to fall safely on skis is very important because you will fall as a beginner. The latter is always easier because you have fully understood every technique.
The professional freestyle skiers will fall whenever practicing. Despite this, they rise every time they fall and continue.
Most skiers, especially the beginners, will injure themselves after a little slide down the snow. They will get injured after a gentle fall, regardless of their safety gear.
The trick of falling on the snow is to minimize the impact on your body. Landing on one part of your body will always be painful, but knowing the trick of falling safely on skis will reduce injury.
Knowing how to spread out the surface area of impact can reduce injury caused by a bad fall.
Try not to use your Poles to stop
Beginners often try to use their poles to stop themselves, which is a big mistake. Using the pole to stop can make you fall badly and even bend the poles.
Poles are meant for pushing off on your skis and for stability, but if you’re moving with a speed over 1-2mph, then stopping with your pole is not a good idea.
snowplow first before you plant your poles for extra stability.
Warnings
Most beginners like to form a wedge without changing their weight distribution or putting weight on the inside of their feet.
This may result in the outside edge of your ski catching against the snow and making you fall.
Conclusion
There you have it; you now understand all the key ways to top the mountain. You’re prepared and ready to go. Safe skiing and enjoy the ride.
There is technology available that can help enhance your margin of safety. That holds for skiing as well as snowboarding.
A ski break is a good option for advanced ski safety, especially on the mountain or trail. This is a device that you attach to your ski binding to stop the ski if your binding releases.
