The Turning Point in Every Skier's Journey
The transition from snowplough (pizza) turns to parallel turns is the single biggest leap in recreational skiing. It's the moment skiing transforms from "getting down the mountain" to truly flowing with the terrain. Here's how to get there — and how to refine your parallels once you do.
What Makes a Turn "Parallel"?
In a parallel turn, both skis remain parallel throughout the entire turn — no wedge or stem at any point. The skis turn together as a unit, initiated by a combination of edge change, weight transfer, and rotary movements. This is more efficient, faster, and far less tiring than snowplough turning.
Common Mistakes (and Fixes)
- Stemming the uphill ski: The most common intermediate plateau. Fix: practice garlands (linked half-turns) on a gentle blue, focusing on keeping the uphill ski glued to the downhill ski.
- Sitting back: Weight on the tails kills turn initiation. Fix: feel the front of your shins pressing into the boot tongues throughout the turn.
- Upper body rotation: Twisting the whole body to turn. Fix: keep your hands forward and visible in your peripheral vision. Your upper body should face downhill while your legs do the turning.
- Lack of pole plant: The pole plant triggers the turn. Fix: plant your downhill pole at the moment you want to start the new turn — it acts as a timing mechanism.
Three Drills That Work
- Hockey stops: Traverse across a gentle slope and stop by sliding both skis sideways. This builds edge awareness and the feeling of simultaneous ski movement.
- Javelin turns: Lift the inside ski completely off the snow during each turn. This forces you to balance on the outside ski — the key to clean parallel technique.
- Short-radius turns on a blue: Make quick, rhythmic turns on an easy slope. Focus on the rhythm, not the speed. Counting "one-two, one-two" helps establish consistent timing.
When to Get an Instructor
The transition to parallel turns is where many skiers get stuck for years — what instructors call the "intermediate plateau." A private lesson with a certified instructor can break through this plateau in one or two sessions. They'll identify your specific technical issues (everyone has different ones) and give you the right drills and feedback to fix them.
Book with FindSkiCoach — our instructors specialise in technique development for intermediate to advanced skiers.