These tips come from a group of skiers that are masters in their
chosen area. They are instructors, competitors, coaches, and
champions. Believe them, and you will shorten your learning curve.


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1. When skiing the glades, focus your attention on the gaps between
the trees, not the trees you're skiing around and between. By
concentrating on the open areas, you look ahead and find the clean
line through the maze. Eyes lead our bodies, and where they go, we
follow.

Stuart Andrews, coach and freestyle competitor


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2. Mogul fields are a series of large troughs and bumps. Too often
the skier looks for a path or line that consists of going from one
trough or "hole" to the next. Next time, think of looking for the
surface area of the mogul that gives you the smoothest place to
complete a quick short turn. It can be on the front side, or back of
the bump; and is often the opposite of the trough. Each turn is
different so it will take a lot of practice applying the correct
amount of pressure to the skis for each turn on each surface. By
doing this you can direct your skis and control where you turn. So
next time look down the hill and stay out of the holes!

Bill Campbell, American Pro Skiing Grand Prix Champion


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3. Believe it: Everyone has bad days, and to break out of a bad day
go back to the basics. Tell yourself to reach for the tip of your ski
or the top of the mogul by flicking your pole plant to start or
initiate your turn, and apply more pressure to the downhill ski.

Joey Cordeau, world mogul champion


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4. If Robert Frost were alive today, he might advise skiers to choose
the line less traveled, especially on powder days. Even at Steamboat
Springs, one of the premier powder/tree skiing areas in the world
with an abundance of expert skiers and riders, I'm amazed how much
untracked snow can be found by being a little creative. For example,
if you choose a line that is at a somewhat different angle to the
obvious one that most people take, instead of constantly turning
through the tracks of other skiers and riders, you barely notice
their tracks as you cross them once and forget them. I've always
chosen the line less skied, and it has made all the
difference.

Todd Kelly, ski instructor


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5. Don't be lazy with your hands. Although it may seem unnatural to
continuously hold your hands high and in front of you (roughly chest
level), it will allow you to keep a quiet upper body while
maintaining a forward and balanced position during the turn. If your
hands are in this position and your arms are relaxed with a slight
bend; you are now in the driver's seat. Grab the steering wheel with
elbows out and your palms facing each other, and ski great!

Mark Kraley, ski instructor


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6. Most people are locked up below the fall line; never learning to
ski both above and below it in a single turn. Whether you are
accelerating or decelerating, you need to learn to do it above the
fall line. To do this, you make the first half of your turn skiing
into the fall line and the second half of your turn skiing away from
the fall line. You must learn to put pressure on the new carving edge
above the fall line, and carry it all the way through the complete
turn. When you do this correctly it will result in a round carved
turn, with you dictating your speed and rhythm. (Authors' note: This
is probably the single most important point made about carving turns,
but because it is a difficult concept to grasp please see "A Weekend
Warrior's Guide to Expert Skiing", chapter 12 pages 88-90, for a
complete explanation of skiing above and below the fall line.)

Dan Kurdy, racer, mogul competitor, film star


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7. When asked by the author to contribute a skiing tip for this book,
different ideas came to mind. Should I talk about keeping your hands
up, ankle and knee flex, angulation, or staying centered on your
skis? Then it came to me. None of it is going to help you if you're
not physically strong enough to execute the drills or skiing
techniques taught in these pages. I'm not trying to say you need to
become a gym rat, but you need to be in decent shape. Skiing is a
power sport and runs don't last that long.

You need to be explosive in order to hit the moguls hard
and not be knocked down, throw your skis out to the side and make a
turn, or to set a hard edge to get over a patch of ice. You must be
enough of an athlete to control your body as well as your equipment.
So, by all means read and learn from this book. Just get off the
couch and get yourself in skiing condition before you hit the
mountain. It will make your skiing experience more rewarding and more
importantly help prevent injury.

John Zuck, freestyle team director, mogul competitor

"Tips from the Experts" is a reprint from:
A Weekend Warrior's Guide to Expert Skiing