Skidding or carving? The honest self-test

What's the actual difference?

• Skidding (drifted): you twist the ski across your direction of travel. The edge only partly grips, the ski pushes snow aside. You slow down in every turn.
• Carving (cut): you tip the ski onto its edge. Thanks to its sidecut it carves an arc by itself. Hardly any spray, hardly any loss of speed.

Four tests for your next day on the slopes

1. The track test. make a few turns on a freshly groomed, empty slope and look back. Two thin, clear lines mean carving. A wide, smeared track means skidding.
2. The sound test. carving is quiet. Loud scratching or scraping gives skidding away.
3. The speed test. do you slow down in the turn? Then you're braking by skidding. When carving you keep the same speed or get faster.
4. The video test. have yourself filmed. Does your ski twist sideways at the start of the turn? Then you're steering instead of edging. Video never lies – which is why we use it in our camps.

Why do most people skid?

• Habit: many people learned to steer from day one.
• Fear of speed: skidding brakes, carving doesn't. If you feel unsure, you skid automatically.
• Leaning back: your centre of gravity is too far back, so the ski tip can't grip.
• Wrong terrain: on slopes that are too steep, carving is impossible for almost anyone. Learn on gentle, wide slopes.

Is skidding bad?

No. Every skier needs to be able to skid well: on narrow slopes, on steep terrain, on ice and in moguls. The goal is to master both and choose deliberately.

How do I learn to carve?

We explain the basics in the article Learn to carve in 3 steps. The fastest way is with video analysis and an instructor who finds your personal mistake. That's exactly what our Carving Camp “Turn by Turn” on the Turracher Höhe is for – two mornings on freshly groomed slopes with Paul Pöcher.