Ski Terms
There are thousands of ski terms associated with alpine skiing. However, at the risk of getting into information overload, here are some of the most basic terms that you should know as a novice alpine skier.
Alpine Skiing: Downhill skiing.
Alpine Skis: Alpine skis are designed with bindings that fix at the toe and the heel.
Après Ski: Social activity that happens at the end of a ski day.
Base: The average amount of snow that has accumulated on a ski trail.
Base: The bottom of your skis.
Bindings: Device that attaches your ski boots to your skis.
Black Diamond: Denotes an advanced ski trail. A double black diamond is an expert ski trail.
Blue Square: Denotes an intermediate trail.
Breakable crust: A light layer of frozen snow covering soft snow. These conditions are challenging for new skiers.
Bunny Slope: Bunny slopes are learning slopes for new skiers.
Carve: Placing the edge of the ski into the snow in order to initiate a turn.
Compression: Flexing the legs to absorb the impact of bumps.
Corn Snow: Large, corn-shaped snow granules that are usually characteristic of spring skiing.
Crud: Snow that is icy and crusty on top but soft underneath.
Cruising: Making long runs at moderate speeds.
DIN Settings: DIN is an acronym for Deutsche Industrie Normen, which is a scale that was devised to ensure that ski bindings release under the same force at all skiing destinations worldwide.
Edge: The metal strip along the side of a ski. When used as a verb, edging refers to the act of bringing the skis on to their edges in order to carve a turn.
Fall Line: The straightest and steepest line down a ski slope.
Granular Surface: A snow surface that resembles millions of icy snow pallets.
Hardpack: Densely packed snow that is created as a result of constant grooming or high skier traffic.
Mashed potatoes: Wet, heavy snow.
Moguls: Mounds of snow created by skiers. Moguls are also known as bumps.
NASTAR: An acronym for National Standard Race: This is a race where skiers of all levels can compare their abilities against a national average. Copper Mountain and Deer valley are two resorts that have NASTAR courses.
Off-Piste: Skiing away from marked trails. Off-piste skiing is sometimes referred to as "cutting the ropes."
Poma: A surface lift straddled by skiers,
Powder: Deep, light, ungroomed snow.
Sideslip: A technique for getting down a ski slope by sliding down sideways on ski edges. Side slips are helpful when you accidentally end up on a slope that is beyond your abilities.
Traverse: To ski across the mountain rather than down the slope.
White out: Poor visibility that arises from a combination of fog and snow. In general, white out conditions occur at high altitudes.
Wipeout: A ski fall
Yard Sale: A ski fall that involves ski equipment being strewn throughout the slope.