Sideslipping
You'll gain a crucial escape tool for any slope that feels too steep — sideslipping gives you total speed control without committing to a full turn.
Descending the slope sideways by releasing your edge angle and letting both skis slide downhill in a controlled flat-ski drift.
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below:
Key Moments
Flatten your skis slightly from the hill — they start to slide sideways
Tip the skis more uphill to slow the slide, flatten more to accelerate it
Shift weight toward your toe edge or heel edge to move diagonally
Increase edge angle sharply to dig in and arrest the slide completely
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like standing on an escalator moving sideways — you control the speed of the escalator with your ankle
- ✓A satisfying shushing sound and spray of snow when the slide is properly controlled
- ✓Your uphill edges are the brakes — engaging them more stops you, releasing them speeds you up
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Leaning into the hill which steepens the edge and stops the slide
Stand upright over the center of your skis — resist the urge to hug the slope
Looking down at your skis instead of across the slope
Eyes across the fall line — scan where you are sliding toward
Letting the tails wash out faster than the tips
Keep weight centered fore-aft — a back-seat position causes tail wash
Practice Drills
Edge roll drill: stand on the slope and slowly roll your ankles from full bite to flat and back — feel the direct connection between ankle and slide speed
Measured sideslip: pick two trees or poles across the slope and sideslip between them stopping exactly on the second marker — builds precision
Sideslip to stop: link five sideslips with five sharp edge-set stops — alternating between releasing and biting trains both extremes