Getting Up After a Fall
Falls will stop being frustrating ordeals and start being minor interruptions — you will be back on your feet in seconds.
The practical techniques for safely and efficiently standing back up after falling on any type of slope with skis still attached.
Watch & Learn
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Key Moments
Get your skis below you and across the slope before attempting to stand
Get your weight over your skis — standing from directly flat is nearly impossible
Plant both poles uphill of you and push down with your hands to lever yourself up
Dig your uphill edges in before standing — stops you sliding while getting up
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like doing a seated crunch and push at the same time — core and arms working together
- ✓The skis naturally want to slide — positioning them across the slope first removes that resistance
- ✓A quick, confident motion once you have the technique — no more helpless flopping
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Trying to stand with skis pointing downhill
Always position skis across the slope first — they will slide out from under you otherwise
Not using poles to help
Plant poles firmly uphill and push — they provide crucial upward leverage
Panicking and making jerky movements
Pause, reposition calmly, then stand in one smooth motion
Practice Drills
Deliberate fall practice: on a gentle flat slope, fall sideways intentionally and practice getting up five times in a row until it feels automatic
Speed challenge: time yourself getting up and try to beat your record — makes the technique feel game-like and builds speed through repetition
No-pole get-up: practice getting up without using your poles — builds core strength for situations where poles are lost in a fall