SKI GLOSSARY

Aerials: Acrobatic ski jumping while in mid-air involving twist somersaults, etc.

Alpine Skiing: The formal descriptive term for downhill skiing, one of the basic ski techniques.

Apres' Skiing: After ski activities.

Artificial Snow: Mechanically made snow, produced by a machine that mixes water and compressed air.

Basket: The plastic or metal ring on the end of the ski pole which prevents the tip from sinking too far into the snow.

Big Air: When the snowboarder rushes along the  side of a halfpipe, flipping the board into the air  as high as it will go and coming down for a smooth  landing, only to try again on the other side of the pipe.

Bindings: A set of ski fastenings for holding the boot firmly on the ski.

Boarder Cross Races: Boarder cross races consist of six snowboarders racing simultaneously over an obstacle  course. Speed, accuracy and style determine the winners.

Boot Fit: The extent to which a ski boots is the right size or shape for a foot.

Bowl: A natural formation or geographical region shaped like a bowl.

Cable Car: An aerial tramway consisting of heavy  pylon-supported cables strung very far above the  ground from which is suspended a large cabin  capable of carrying over a hundred skiers on a  fast, steep ascent to a high-altitude skiing area.

Camber: The arch built into a ski which means that  it curves upwards in the middle when lying flat. It is  designed to distribute the skier's weight more evenly  over the whole length of the ski. A side-camber or  side-cut is a ski that is widest at the front and  narrowest in the middle.

Chute (shoot): An inclined plane, sloping  channels, or passage down or through which things may pass.

Cross-country Skiing: Traditional Scandinavian  all-terrain snow-traveling technique. It isn't difficult  to learn, nor is it dangerous. It's good exercise,  but isn't overly strenuous, nor is it likely to cause injuries.

Drag Lift: A ski lift which pulls slope-users  uphill while still in their bindings.

Edging: Vital skiing skill that involves using a rolling  motion of the knees and hips to tilt the ski edges  into the slope, making it possible to stand still on the fall line.

Extreme Skiing: A thrill seeking form of expert skiing.  Few ski areas promote it because it entails skiing the  steepest slopes in unmarked areas containing cliffs  and a variance of snow conditions such as crusted  ice to deep powder. Some resorts have opened parts  of their areas for patrolled extreme skiing.

Fall Line: The steepest shortest and fastest line down  any slope, the line of least resistance, which would  be taken by, say, an un-steered sled down the slope.

Gondola (gon'-dul-ah): An enclosed car suspended  by a cable and used for transporting passengers.  May be used as a ski lift or a mode of transportation.

Goofy Footed: Riding with the right foot  forward on the snowboard.

Halfpipe: A channel constructed in the snow,  which resembles a pipe cutlongitudinally. Halfpipes, or pies, have consistent walls on  both sides and are 75 to 350 feet long with 6 to 12 foot walls.

High-speed Detachable Quad: A four person (quad)  chair-lift with chairs that slow down for convenient  loading and unloading, but otherwise travels twice  as fast as traditional lifts.

Hit or Kickers: A raised area with an abrupt lip  from which snowboarders jump to get airborne.

Kinderski: Common, generic term for a special  children's ski school in a resort area.

Lift Lines: An area where skiers wait to board a  chair-lift or gondola.

Lift Ticket: A pass that allows access to the  mountain via a lift or gondola. It is like cash and  is not interchangeable from one skier to the next.  Many ski areas provide a photo ID lift ticket that is  bar coded to track the number of skiers daily.

Lifts: Cable operated vehicles used to transport  skiers from the base area to the top. Usually found in the form of chairs holding two, three or four  passengers. Some are high tech with  Plexiglas screens and foot rests.

Lip: The top edge of the halfpipe wall.

Mogul (mow'-gull): Bumps in a ski run.

Nordic Skiing: Another name for cross-country skiing.

Norpine Skiing: Downhill skiing using  cross-country ski equipment.

Nursery Slope: A gentle prepared slope on  which beginners can learn away from the main runs.

Powder: A fine, dry, light snow. Referred to as  "Champagne Powder" in Steamboat because it  is lighter and drier than the usual powder.

Quarterpipe: A channel with only one wall.

Regular Foot: Riding with the left foot forward  on the snowboard.

Retaining Strap: A strap connecting the skier's  leg to the binding so that the ski remains attached  to the skier during a fall. Sometimes referred to  as a "safety strap."

Running Groove: A long, narrow channel along the  length of the ski's running surface, which helps  to keep the ski stable.

Ski Patrol: A group of trained, experienced  volunteers or professionals who are responsible  for the maintenance of safety, the elimination of  dangerous conditions, and the treatment of  injuries in ski areas.

Ski Run: Marked ski trails and slopes of the  ski area. They are color-coded based upon the  skier's ability. Green is beginner; Blue is  intermediate; and Black is expert.

Ski-in/ski-out: Skiers can ski to and from  the ski area right from the door of the hotel.  They do not have to walk or get transportation.

Slalom: A competitive event in alpine skiing in  which racers run a course marked out with  gates that must be passed through during the descent.

Snowplow: A converging ski position also known  as the "wedge," which is formed by opening the  skis in a V-shaped (tips together, tails apart)  and rolling the skis onto their inside edges.  Snowplowing is the simplest method of controlling speed.

Stem Turn: Somewhat more difficult move than  the snowplow that involves pushing out the tail of  the one ski into a half snowplow, then bringing the  other ski alongside of it. It is taught to the intermediate  skiers so that they can gain enough confidence to ski  across and down a slope with skis parallel and thus  achieving the second level of skill in skiing.

Tabletop: A mound of snow with the top  sheared off to provide a flat, level landing  area for snowboarders.

Terrain Jumping: Making a voluntary jump into the  air while skiing over a bump or slope edge.

Tuck Position: A low crouched stance with the  upper body bent and the knees tucked up in the chest.

Whale, Whale Tail, Whoop De Doo: A  grouping of elongated bumps, ranging  from two to five feet high and seven to ten  feet long, from which snowboarders jump.

XC: An abbreviation for cross-country skiing.

Updated On: 03.12.01