Dynamic Parallel Turns and Upper–Lower Body Coordination in Skiing
The dynamic parallel turn is the last of PSIA's four milestone turns (wedge, wedge christie, basic parallel, dynamic parallel). What sets it apart from the basic parallel is that the turn happens with the legs turning beneath a quiet upper body, and that the edge angle comes not from tipping the whole body but from angulation that starts in the lower leg. In PSIA's description of a good dynamic turn, both skis stay on the snow, both lower legs have a similar forward angle, a slight counter relationship between the body and the skis is visible in the transition, and the legs flex and extend independently. The two most common mistakes are tipping the whole body (banking) and turning with the whole body.
PSIA, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, defines a skier's development through four milestone turns: wedge, wedge christie, basic parallel and dynamic parallel. In a basic parallel the skis are parallel; in a dynamic parallel the movements separate: the upper body is quiet and the legs are active, and edge angle and pressure build up gradually through the turn. We explain the move to the basic parallel turn in our guide From Snowplough to Parallel Skiing: The Technique Step by Step.
The fourth of PSIA's five fundamentals is the essence of this article: control the turning of the skis with leg rotation, separate from the upper body. The skier development programme of the Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance (CSIA) describes the first step of the advanced level in the same terms: changing direction with the legs, without using the upper body.
Six signs of a good dynamic parallel
PSIA's “indicators of integration” from its standards:
Both skis are in contact with the snow.
Both lower legs have a similar forward angle.
Both skis are guided into the turn together.
A counter relationship is visible in the transition between turns.
The legs flex and extend independently.
The body stays stable while the legs move freely beneath it.
Upper–lower body separation
According to PSIA's assessment guide, in good performance the legs turn beneath a stable upper body. In practice, this means that towards the end of the turn your torso and hips face a little further down the hill, towards the fall line than the direction your skis are travelling. As the skis turn back up towards the hill, the body does not follow them.
The counter relationship: This difference in angle between the body and the skis is called counter. PSIA asks for “a visible counter relationship” in the transition; but too much is also a problem. An article by PSIA-NW describes two kinds of excessive counter: the shoulders facing downhill while the hips stay across the slope, or the whole upper body facing downhill while the weight piles up on the heels. In both cases you have to rebalance before the next turn.
Edge angle: angulation or tipping the whole body?
PSIA's third fundamental is controlling the edge angle through a blend of inclination and angulation:
Inclination
Angulation
What is it?
The whole body leaning into the turn
Creating angles at the ankle, knee and hip to tip the skis further than the body
When is it enough?
Part of balance in wide turns at high speed
In every turn, especially for edge grip in short turns and on hard snow
Too much of it
Banking: the skis tip suddenly and grip hard
The body bending too far, loss of balance
The description in PSIA's assessment guide is clear: in good performance, the tipping movement starts from the lower leg and is independent of the upper body. Banking, on the other hand, is controlling the edge angle by tipping the whole body; the result is that the skis tip suddenly and the edge grips harshly.
In a laboratory simulation with 12 skiers (Yoon et al., 2017), hip angulation, centre-of-mass inclination and edge angle were significantly greater in the counter position. The study was carried out on a simulator rather than on snow, but it supports the idea that separation and angulation work together.
The two most common mistakes
Mistake
PSIA's description
Fix
Banking
The edge angle is controlled by tipping the whole body; the skis tip suddenly and grip hard
Start the tipping from your ankle and knee; keep your body more upright
Whole-body rotation
The skis are turned with the whole body; the rate of turning becomes uneven
Point your body towards the fall line and turn your legs beneath it
Some of the assessment drills in PSIA's level exams directly train separation and outside ski balance:
Outside ski turn: Lift your inside ski slightly throughout the turn and turn on the outside ski alone. This teaches you to move your balance onto the outside ski.
Javelin turn: Lift your inside ski and hold it crossed in front of the outside ski; while the outside ski is steered underneath, the skis form an X. According to the New Zealand instructors' manual, the aim is outside ski balance and rotational separation.
Pivot slip: While sideslipping down the fall line, turn your skis with your legs one way, then the other; your body keeps facing downhill the whole time.
Falling leaf with edge change: Slides forwards and backwards from a sideslip, changing edges; this trains you to keep your body quiet in the transition. We cover the basics in our guide Sideslipping and Edge Control in Skiing.
Short turn leapers: In short turns, lift your skis slightly off the snow and change their direction with your legs; your upper body stays in the fall line.
Instructors often use other cues too: keeping your hands forward, within your field of vision; holding your poles horizontally in front of you and watching that your body faces downhill. These cues are not official definitions but lesson practice.
Someone whose upper body is quiet and whose legs do the work gets less tired and skis more comfortably on every part of the slope; that is the moment on an activity holiday when you really feel your progress. All Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment; lessons with an instructor belong to the basic course packages. Watching each other's turns from the side of the slope and saying “look how much quieter your upper body has got” is one of the small but lovely moments of a social adventure holiday. For programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
It is the last of PSIA's four milestone turns. What sets it apart from the basic parallel is that the legs turn beneath a quiet upper body, the edge angle comes not from tipping the whole body but from angulation starting in the lower leg, and edge and pressure build up gradually through the turn.
What is banking in skiing?
It means creating the edge angle not with your ankles, knees and hips but by leaning your whole body into the turn. According to PSIA, the skis then tip suddenly and the edge grips harshly. To fix it, start the tipping movement from the lower leg and keep your body more upright.
How do you practise upper–lower body separation in skiing?
With drills such as the outside ski turn, the javelin turn, the pivot slip and the falling leaf with edge change. In all of them, the aim is to turn the skis with your legs while your body faces the fall line. Try them first on a wide, gentle slope at low speed.
Edge change is tilting the skis from one edge to the other as you move from the end of one turn to the start of the next. In this transition, your centre of mass and your skis swap places: as your body moves towards the inside of the new turn, the skis flatten and tip onto their new edges. Pressure management means directing pressure to the outside ski during this time, adjusting it fore and aft along the ski and regulating its size with flexion and extension. According to PSIA's fundamentals, the edge angle is controlled with inclination and angulation, and the turning of the skis with leg movements independent of the upper body.
Carving is a turn in which the ski travels along its own edge without skidding sideways. According to the International Ski Federation's definition, in a pure carved turn the ski's tail follows exactly the track cut by its tip and there is no sideways skidding; two thin lines are left in the snow. The radius of the turn is determined by the ski's edge angle, its sidecut radius and the way the ski bends: the more the ski is tipped, the tighter the turn. In a skidded turn, by contrast, the ski pivots on the turning path and slides sideways. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, in a good turn the edges are changed before the skis turn into the fall line, and the edge angle increases and decreases gradually throughout the turn.
There is no official definition of turn size in metres; instructor associations usually describe it in relation to the width of the slope. According to PSIA-NW, short turns are about one piste basher width or narrower, and medium turns are between one and a half and three piste basher widths. In short turns, leg rotation, the pole plant and upper–lower body separation come to the fore; in long turns, a stable upper body, edging and pressure are decisive, and the turn shape comes largely from the ski's sidecut. Speed is controlled not by braking but by the shape and completion of the turn.
