WarrenSmith

Thismonth:Powderskiing u FRONTCOVERSHOT

SeethatepicshotofWarrenwaist-deepinpowderonthefrontcover?

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For many skiers, it's usually a goal or an ambition to be able to ski a lovely blanket of powder snow. I know for our Academy skiers it's a huge reason why people come to train with us in the first place. However, it's not just something you can jump in and expect to work. There are a few things that must be spot on in your technique before you enter the deep stuff.

Unlike piste skiing, powder is a bit less forgiving. On-piste, if you find carving isn't working effectively or your weight goes back, you can normally escape an issue by skidding out a little, or recovering in a variety of ways. In powder, however, there is not much room for error.

It's not the end of the world ifit does go wrong-you can enjoy a tumble in the powder, brush yourself off and get back on with it. So definitely don't avoid it! But, when skiing powder, you can try a few things that will give you ffia betterchance of staying on your feet, keeping rhythm and linking more turns together.

V, 5 Captured on the cover of this month's Ski+board, I was lucky enough to be out skiing with a great bunch skiclub.co.uk in Verbier in January, including the magazine's co-editor Gabriella LeBreton. We had an awesome day and talked about some key technique elements that would help us stay afloat in the deep snow. Gaby, an expert skier herself, and I, and the rest of the group, had to constantly be thinking of these elements to ski the powder how we wanted:

1.CORESTABILITY

Most of the group skiing with us were experienced. For all of us, a constant reminder was needed to activate our core and use its strength to stabilise the upper body. The sensation people get when they make a turn in deep powder is very different to that they get when carving and gripping on-piste. As you turn across, or against, the powder to round off a turn, no matter what radius, you create a powder wall, or the feeling of a bank of snow that can sometimes give you the sensation that, if you're not careful, you could go over the handle bars, so to speak.

If your core is not activated, chances are that as the powder wall and pressure builds, you might find your shoulder and upper body lunging forward. This is bad and will over-pressure the front of the skis and hurl you forwards and possibly into the snow for a quick powder shower! I've certainly felt it, and am sure many reading this must have too at some point.

Ensure that you know how to ski with core activation before you go into the powder. When the pressure of the powder wall builds, if your core is active, you'll absorb the pressure in your legs and continue to link together awesome powder turns.

If you watch the sequence of my turn, you'll see the moment I start to really feel the powder wall and have to ensure my core is engaged. The faster and bigger the turn, the more you can feel the force of the wall (image 2).

2.POLEPLANT ANDPOLEBASKETS

Many skiers we coach think they can pole plant, but when actually tested, and when they actually need to -like when skiing moguls, steep narrow terrain, short radius turns or powder -what appears easy and basic quite often isn't fully learnt.

It's something that often lets down a skier in powder, and if not executed well can make them lose balance, lose rhythm or miss the chance of an extra bit of support and awareness at the entry of a new powder turn.

First, check your pole plant on-piste and make sure it's active and strong when needed. Also check that when making a pole plant, it isn't taking your concentration away from what you're doing with your legs. The last point to check is that your left and right pole plants are the same, or whether one is naturally weaker. Nearly every skier I've skied with has a weaker pole plant on one side, and it's usually always related to their weaker turn direction.

Ifany of these points show up, head back on-piste and do some pole plant training and get up to speed. Never underestimate the importance ofit, especially in powder, and how your hands linked together with your feet turn your skiing into four-wheel drive.

Last point here: make sure if you're having a powder or off-piste day that you check the baskets and the size of them on the end of your ski poles. If your baskets are too small your pole plants won't support you; they will just sink and put you off balance.

At the start of my turn in image 1,you can see what was the trail of my pole plant that set me up. Later, as

I finish in image 5, you can see my pole plant already moving to get me out of that turn and into the next.

3.PROGRESSIVESTEERING OFYOURSKIS

Steering your legs, and effectively your skis, progressively is important. However, on-piste, if you're making Z-shape turns instead of S-shape turns, you'll get away with it and just skid the end of the turn you were trying to carve. In powder, if you make sudden steering movements you hammer too much pressure into that powder wall and get chucked over the handle bars. So steer smooth and progressive turns, feel the powder and flow with it. Also make sure when you're steering progressively that you are finishing each turn. Keep the s-shape turn in your head throughout.

For all the frames, you can see the line in the snow, and the arc shape that the progressive steering is taking me through. Ifl'd have steered too suddenly during image 2, I would have gone over the handle bars, as it was a lot of snow to absorb.

4.SYMMETRYINYOURLEGS

As I talked about in Ski+board issue 218, it's extra important to have as close to an aligned and symmetrical stance as possible. A-frames here, when your skis are submerged under snow, will get caught out straight away, and if the skis are at slightly different angles they WILL travel in slightly different trajectories.

You want it all working in your favour, so recap and double check you are skiing in symmetry.

Throughout all of this turn, and at the speed I went in at, without symmetry right at the start, during image 1 I'd have been correcting the entry of the turn and trying to re-position the skis.

5.ENJOYTHERIDE!

No matter what your level, if you are lucky enough to experience powder this spring, try and do it with safety first, a good crew, hopefully an experienced instructor and enjoy every moment. It's one of the most amazing things about this incredible sport, so even if you take that unexpected powder shower, get back up and think about these pointers and it will help you enjoy the ride.