Glossary

Balance

 

Balance

In common discussion “Balance” refers to the ability to remain standing.  In the sport of skiing, balance goes beyond that simple concept.  In skiing there exists what is called “States of Balance”.  How you stand on your skis affect how they perform, and how much muscular effort you need to employ to remain standing. 


We manage our state of balance across two planes: the fore/aft plane, and the lateral plane.  The fore/aft plane refers to how we’ve distributed our weight across the heels and balls of our feet, and the lateral planes refers to how much weight we have on each of our inside and outside skis.  


Here are just a few examples of the unique qualities of various balance states.  Weight on the balls of our feet makes our skis turn sharper, more weight on our heels makes them go straighter and faster.  More weight on our outside ski allows us to ski in a stronger stance, but adding a little to the inside ski gives us better float on soft snow. 


Learning to manage your state of balance provides performance options that will enhance your ability to ski any terrain on the mountain, and handle any challenge it throws at you along the way.