Your lesson will help you learn to engage your stance ski. An engaged stance ski grips and carves, rather than skidding sideways or twisting out from under you. Learning to engage the stance ski is the key to skiing successfully on hard snow and steeper hills.

The important feature of this lesson is how the free foot causes the stance ski to engage. Many skiers will attempt to create carving by forcefully edging the stance ski -- using effort to roll that ski further onto the big-toe edge. Unfortunately, the effort to "dig in" with the big-toe edge of the stance ski actually has the opposite effect -- the stance leg twists inward, and the tail of the stance ski washes out and slips away. Throughout this lesson, focus your efforts on tipping the free foot, and remain passive with the stance ski.

A mention of ski tuning is also in order. A poorly tuned ski will not grip on ice, no matter how accurate your technique. Lightly draw your finger along your skis’ edges. They should feel smooth, consistent, and sharp. If there are small burrs or nicks, remove them with a diamond stone. If there are significant nicks, burrs, or dull spots, have your skis stoneground and tuned at a reputable shop. Make sure the shop knows and will tune to the ski manufacturer’s recommended tuning angles.