Snow flurries

By BRIDGET RAYWARD

Notice how the Olympic weightlifters are careful to position their feet before a lift?

Turning skis also depends on having the right platform, or point of contact with the snow, from which to initiate turns.

Modern ski design helps skiers to stand more biomechanically correctly than in the past - but to achieve the most effective alignment, remember the word "same." The skis need to remain the same distance apart throughout the turn. This will mean that the skis are turned simultaneously and that you remain balanced over the outside ski.

The skis need to travel at the same speed. This means that the tips are relatively level with each other all the time - the lower body has to move with the ski to achieve this and you will ski much squarer to the ski than in the past.

And lastly the legs need to remain at the same angle as you move through the turn and especially as you move up and down. This means that you stack the lower body to achieve the most biomechanically effective stance and alignment.Bridget Rayward

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