Hop Turns
Steep pitches that felt uncontrollable will become navigable — you will have a reliable tool for any gradient that exceeds your carving limits.
Jumping both skis off the snow simultaneously to pivot direction on steep terrain — an active technique that resets your edge direction when carving is impossible.
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Watch & Learn
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Key Moments
Steep, variable, or icy terrain where carving edges will not grip long enough to arc
Load the skis by pushing down, then spring up — both skis leave the snow together
Rotate the skis with your feet while airborne — land with skis already across the fall line
Plant the downhill pole firmly before the hop — it anchors your upper body while legs jump
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓A brief moment of weightlessness followed by an immediate edge set — land and grip
- ✓Your upper body is totally calm while your legs jump and pivot below it
- ✓The pole plant and hop are one linked motion — plant triggers the jump
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Not using the pole plant before hopping
Always plant the downhill pole first — without it the jump rotates your whole body
Landing flat-footed and sliding
Dig the edges in immediately on contact — land with intent, not passively
Trying hop turns on moderate terrain first
Practice on a gentle groomed slope before taking the technique to steep pitches
Practice Drills
Flat-slope bunny hops: on a gentle groomed run, practice jumping both skis and landing — get the airborne feel before adding the pivot
Stationary pivot: standing on a steep slope, use poles to lift and pivot your skis 90 degrees without moving — isolates the rotation from the hop
One-at-a-time steep entry: ski the top of a steep run with normal turns, then switch to hop turns for the steepest section — progressive exposure