High Country Fishing Charters is an equal opportunity employer and service provider operating under special use permit
on the San Juan National forest.
U.S. Coast Guard licensed & insured.
Colorado Outfitters Lic. # 2352
Float Trips, Wade Trips, Learn to Fly Fish Scott Taylor 970-946-5229 bass@highcountrycharters.com
Ski School Progressions and Exercises
BAG OF TRICKS
CLOCK FACE: Emphasize the amount of twisting of the legs. Imagine standing on the
face of a clock. 12 o'clock is straight downhill. Slightly twist the feet and legs to either 10
o'clock or 2 o'clock on gentle terrain, and twist the feet and legs further to 3 and 9 o'clock
for a complete turn on steeper terrain or more speed control. Focus on tipping the ankles
from 3 and 9 o'clock creating more edge angle for railroad tracks.
COWBOY TURN: Make turns with an exaggerated wide stance, wider than shoulder
width. Exaggerate the flattening and tipping movement of the inside, initiating ski, which
gives a bowlegged appearance at the turn initiation. The object is to maintain the same
width throughout the turn.
DOUBLE POLE PLANT: Simultaneously swing both arms through the Transition into the
Initiation of turns. Poles touch generally at edge change, but the swinging action is more
important than actually touching the snow.
EARS OVER KNEES: For a centered stance focus on having the ears over the knees, and
the hands in front of the knees.
HOURGLASS: Perform linked sequences of long turns, then short, then long again,
maintaining imaginary corridors (e.g., 6 long - 6 short - 6 long).
LEAPERS: Ski Medium and long radius turns. Leap off one set of edges and land on the
other set of edges. Edge change movements occur in the air. The new turn continues to
develop as the skis re-engage with the snow.
LIGHT SWITCH TURNS: When skiing make turns as if switching on a light. The key is
which type of light switch you imagine. Turning like a toggle switch on or off will lead to
Z-shaped turns. Imagine you turns coming from a dimmer switch, which turns on the light
gradually.
MAGIC TURNS: Also called Patience Turns. From a slow speed traverse with no forceful
movements, flatten the skis and allow gravity to pull them down the hill. Control the
descent by steering the skis across the gravity line to a stop. Add leg extension to flatten the
skis.
POINT THE ARROW: In an open wedge (the shape of an arrow) steer both skis either to
the right or left.
POLE PULL: From a secure, stationary position with skis across the gravity line hold on
to the poles of a skier standing just below. As tension increases resist the pull from the poles
using inclination and angulation. Feel the strength of having functional alignment of the
body and strong edge engagement.
REBOUND TURN: Utilize a Fishhook turn or linked Hockey stops to create pressure at
the end of the turn. Manage the energy by slightly tensing the legs to move the skis from
side to side as the rebound effect pushes them off the snow.
RETRACTION TURN: Pull the legs and feet up under the body to absorb the energy at
the end of a turn or over a bump. Practice this by traversing across a series of bumps
actively absorbing the terrain and maintaining ski to snow contact. Utilize Fishhook turns
and linked Hockey Stops to feel the dynamics of a turn and managing them through
retracting the legs.
STOMACH CRUNCHES: Prior to pushing off down the slope establish a functional
tension in the mid - section by pretending to do a stomach crunch. Maintain this tension
while skiing (REMEMBER TO BREATH!).
SYNCHRONIZED SKIING: This exercise involves two or more skiers synchronizing
their movements. The skiers can ski in a line or different formations
TARGET SKIING: The skier picks a target down the hill. Ski toward the target keeping
the torso facing squarely at the target. The skis turn underneath a stable torso and pelvis.
Stop well away from the target.
TGIF: Tips Go In First. Aim your ski tips where you want your feet to go. Putting your ski
tips in the turn first requires active extension (reaching with the skis). Guiding your way
through the bumps with your ski tips will give you rounder and smoother turns.
THROW YOUR BODY DOWN THE HILL: In a standing position across the hill, both
feet tipped up the hill, and the body supported on the poles above you. Throw your body
down the hill by rotating the poles from an uphill position to the fall line below the skis.
Have a sensation of throwing the body down the hill to initiate the turn and to flatten the
skis by cross over. The skis start the turn by themselves.
High Country Fishing Charters
Fly Fishing Pagosa Springs, CO
Fly Fishing Pagosa Springs, CO