Spring skiing: 5 tips to improve your technique

With bumps, blue skies and plenty of smiles, Killington is a hotspot for spring satisfaction. (Dave Young/Killington Resort)

Few things compare to the joy of being out on a snow-covered mountain when the sun is shining and the temperatures climb above freezing, often into the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Spring skiing expands the mountain experience simply by enticing people to spend more time outside, rather than making frequent stops in the lodge.

The best part of all is carving turns in the soft layers of moisture-dense snow known as corn and mashed potatoes. While this hero snow is a blast to play in, the variable conditions can be challenging and require more effort. 

Here are five things to focus on to help improve your approach and technique and make the most of your spring skiing days ahead. 

Be edgy

Yes, surfing and smearing turns are fun and often effective when dense, heavy snow piles up in big mounds, but don’t be so quick to discard the most useful tool in your navigational kit — your edges. Whether you are on fat or skinny skis, narrowing your stance a bit and applying equal weight on both your big-toe-side (downhill) and pinky-toe-side (uphill) edges is the most efficient away to slice through the corn and mashed potatoes.

A more equal weight distribution on both your uphill and downhill skis also will reduce the chances of a common fall caused when an unweighted uphill ski catches the heavy snow along its inside edge and pulls the legs apart, dragging a skier into a spinning collapse. To work on equal edging, key on your ankles. Begin your turns by rolling your ankles to initiate. This allows your knees, legs and hips to engage. 

Be in position

Maintaining an athletic stance that has you properly positioned over your skis is important all season long, but it is particularly critical when the snow gets heavy. One way Pats Peak ski school director John Pawlak helps guests understand this key concept is by having them feel the front of their shins pressing against the tongue of their boots while they are standing still. From this static position, he’ll direct skiers to start to head down the hill while maintaining shin contact. 

Beginner skiers should practice linking several turns together with shins in constant contact; more advanced skiers should maintain contact while incorporating functional tension throughout the legs and core while navigating steeper, undulating terrain.

Advanced skiers will absorb and push back against variable terrain with dynamic leg action, working with the changing snow surfaces rather than constantly fighting against them. This efficient technique keeps you from tiring out after a couple runs, allowing you to extend the day — which is everyone’s goal when the slopes are drenched in sunlight and warm temperatures.

Be slippery

As we get into late March and April, throw a stick of warm-weather wax in your pocket. Spring skiing frequently presents freeze-melt cycles that introduce an added challenge for skiers and riders as the snow temps change dramatically. Early morning snow tends to be set up from lower temperatures overnight, but as the sun warms the mountain, corn snow develops. This is when top layers soften while the base remains firm. As the days get even warmer, snow will begin grabbing at your skis, giving you a “stop and go” sensation that taxes the legs.

Professional wax jobs involve melting, spreading, scraping and brushing. But don’t worry about the application too much. Quickly rubbing a stick of warm-temp wax evenly along your bases will do wonders for helping your skis glide smoothly through water-dense snow. You can repeat the application as necessary.

Be in the bumps

Bump skiing reigns supreme in the spring. Whether you love the bumps or not, it is virtually impossible to avoid them when warm snow piles up into moguls on even the gentlest pitches. Take advantage of the slower snow conditions to work on your bump skiing. Some pros I’ve talked to over the years have offered great advice:

Keep your hands forward, a neutral stance with knees flexed and ready with your eyes forward. Look at that first mogul or two to pick a line and then focus on a few to stay balanced. Pole taps on mogul tops maintain your rhythm. Use the troughs and upslopes of the moguls to smear, change up your line, and focus on technique rather than speed. 

The goal is to maintain good snow-to-ski contact with absorption through pushing and pulling. Work your up-and-down together with your side-to-side turning. The weight transfer happens through absorption, where there is a lead change and a stepping on the new ski. The sooner you can get on edge on the backside of the bump the better. 

Upper- and lower-body separation is key to skiing moguls. Keep your shoulders back and your stomach tight while always looking down the hill. Your lower body remains loose, turning from side to side and absorbing the terrain rather than letting the terrain throw you.

Be protected

Dress in layers to stay comfortable throughout the day, but there are some pieces of equipment that should never be discarded. Even when temps climb above 50 and into the 60s, resist the urge to ski without mittens or gloves, as crystalized snow will slice you up if you’re forced to plunge your hand down into it while traveling at a high rate of speed. Instead, break out a thinner pair of gloves or liners that will both keep your hands from sweating and provide some protection. And while skiing in shorts might be hard to resist, wearing a thinner pair of pants is preferred in order to protect your knees from all the crystallized projectiles that will be flying around from aggressive turning.

Swap out your goggles for sunglasses if you desire, but you should continue to wear a helmet to protect against impact. Longer daylight hours means longer UV exposure, which is amplified by reflections off the snow surface. Apply sunscreen frequently to exposed skin, particularly your nose and lips.