Flex, Roll, Stack and Press
Overview: Movement 2: To start a turn, flex your outside ankle towards your big toe, feel pressure under the ball of your foot, roll your stacked outside leg inward, firmly press your foot against the outside ski.
This description is the second of seven modules included in the Ski Technique module, describing how elite skiers and racers carve turns.
Ankle Flexion
Flexing the ankles forward, directly affects balance, helps sense and adjust to changes in terrain and snow conditions, and is key to turning.
Both ankles should be lightly flexed forward at all times so the shins are leaning against the tongues or cuffs of both boots. The outside ankle will flex more when starting a new turn.
How to flex the ankles along with some helpful drills is demonstrated by Warren Smith in his video.
Flexing towards the Big Toe and Stacking the Outside Leg
To start a new turn, Flex the outside ankle towards the big toe, feel pressure under the ball of the foot, roll the stacked outside leg inward, and press your foot against the outside ski.
The outside leg needs to be “stacked” at all times which means the bones are aligned on top of each other.
This action will tip the new outside ski on edge and apply pressure to the front of the ski causing the ski to start carving.
Foot pressure will move to the arch of the foot when the outside stacked leg rolls inwards.
If the ankle flexes further towards the inside of the turn, the knee will tip inwards reducing the power against the outside ski and increasing the risk of injury as explained in the Learning Module Reduce the Risk of Injury.
Many skiers of all ages who experienced knee pain are now skiing pain-free by flexing towards their big toe and keeping their outside leg stacked.
The importance of Ankle Flexion is demonstrated by the following video. Watch the outside leg and see how the thigh and shin are stacked on top of each other with no inward tipping of the knee.
Video Analysis
Tom Gellie’s video below compares the ski technique of two skiers; Warren and Casey. Warren in the upper frame starts his turns with a stacked outside leg. Casey in the lower frame tips his outside knee inwards to start the turn. Tom Gellie demonstrates how Warren is able to start the turn with more power stacking the outside leg. You may want to watch this video more than once as it focuses on subtle but very important differences between these two very accomplished skiers.
Feel Your Feet to Improve
Being aware of the pressure under your feet will significantly improve your performance on the slopes and in a race course.
Key Takeaways
1. Ankle flexion plays a crucial role in skiing and involves flexing the ankles forward so that the shins lean against the tongues or cuffs of both boots.
2. To start a new turn effectively, focus on flexing the outside ankle toward the big toe, feeling pressure under the ball of the foot, rolling the stacked outside leg inward, and pressing the foot against the outside ski. This action tips the outside ski onto its edge, applies pressure to the front of the ski, and initiates carving.
3. Keeping the outside leg stacked and avoiding inward tipping of the knee is essential for efficient skiing technique and reducing the risk of knee pain or injury.
4. A heightened awareness of your feet provides a range of benefits that contribute to better skiing technique and control including improved balance, edge control and confidence.
Suggested Learning Modules
Go to Ski Technique 3. Forward Movement
Return to Ski Technique or Learn to Race
Important Note: Skiing and ski racing come with inherent risks. As such, it is imperative to ski responsibly and remain within the boundaries of your skill level and personal comfort zone.
