Snow flurries: Slip into something more comfortable

By BRIDGET RAYWARD

No matter how good you are at skiing or snowboarding, sometimes it is impossible to hold an edge on the glazed surfaces we get in New Zealand when it hasn't snowed for a while.

It is important to understand that the shape of the turn is what controls your speed.

The shape has to be directed on skis and snowboards just as you would tackle a corner in your car on icy roads. Steer the ski or snowboard progressively, in a smooth and well-balanced arc. This way you will be able to remain as balanced as a coffee cup would on the dashboard.

If you try to incline the body too much in the ice you will simply fall inside the arc of the turn as the ski or snowboard lets go on the glazed patches.

Try to remain balanced over the top of the edge of equipment when you see a slick patch coming up. If you slide you can simply stay balanced and move with the slide rather than getting caught out of balance.

The best thing about all of this is that when you do end up slipping on a glazed patch you friends won't be able to tell because you will look so comfortable and so balanced they won't even know that you are actually drifting sideways.Bridget Rayward

* Rayward is director of the ski school at Cardrona, and president of the New Zealand Ski Instructors Alliance.