Sideslipping means sliding sideways down the slope under control with your skis parallel and at right angles to the fall line, releasing the edges little by little. To flatten your skis, you extend slightly from your ankles, knees and hips; to slow down or stop, you flex slightly and turn your knees towards the slope, increasing the edge angle. According to PSIA, sideslipping is an effective way to lose height safely on a slope you find a little too steep, and because it teaches you to release your edges, it is also the foundation of parallel turns and the hockey stop.
CSIA, the Canadian ski instructors' alliance, defines sideslipping as the lateral movement of the ski while its tip and tail move by the same amount. In other words, the skis slide sideways down the slope without turning, at right angles to the fall line.
The only thing that governs this is the edge angle. According to CSIA, as the edge angle increases, friction increases and sideways slipping decreases; the ski slips if it is tilted less than the skier's inclination. CSIA also stresses that edge release, that is, reducing the edge angle in a predictable and controlled way, is often overlooked in teaching.
Why does it matter?
Getting out of a steep section: According to PSIA, sideslipping lets students lose height safely on slopes they find "a little too steep". We explain what to do when you find yourself on a run above your level in our guide Skiing steep slopes.
Speed control at the end of a turn: At the end of the turn, you slide your skis to cut speed instead of gaining it.
The foundation of parallel skiing: According to PSIA, sideslipping teaches you to release your edges and to let your skis glide both forwards and sideways. CSIA's lesson plan also recommends "open-close" sideslips that focus on releasing the lower ski, to counter the problem of the skis opening into a snowplough (stem) at the start of the turn; for the transition, see our guide From snowplough to parallel skiing.
Sideslipping step by step
Starting position: On a gentle slope, stand with your skis parallel and at right angles to the fall line. Flex slightly; your skis are on their uphill edges, in a traverse stance.
Release the edge:Extend slightly from your ankles, knees and hips. The skis flatten and start to slip sideways.
Manage your speed:Flex slightly and turn your knees towards the slope; the edge angle increases and the slipping slows down.
Stop: Flex a little more and increase the edge angle; the skis grip.
Repeat: Slip, slow down, stop. Then turn to face the other way and do the same.
These are also PSIA-NW's assessment criteria: the edges are released with an extending movement, the skis stay parallel and the upper body is calm and balanced.
The forward sideslip
Once you have learnt to slip straight down, you let your skis glide both downwards and forwards. PSIA's description: from your stance, extend with your ankles, knees and hips to flatten the skis, then roll your ankles and knees a little further downhill. The skis slip forwards and sideways together, on a diagonal line. According to PSIA, once your knees and ankles point slightly downhill, you do not even need to push with your poles.
The falling leaf
In PSIA-NW's list of exercises, the falling leaf consists of sideslips to one side of the fall line and then the other, made by changing the pressure between front and back:
If you put your weight slightly forward, the skis slide forwards,
If you put it slightly back, they slide backwards.
The result is the track of a leaf swaying from side to side down the slope. This exercise develops your fore-aft balance and your edge sensitivity together.
The garland: linking the sideslip to a turn
The garland exercise in PSIA's beginner guide links the sideslip to a turn:
Start with a shallow traverse.
Roll your knees towards the slope to turn your skis uphill and slow down.
Roll your ankles and knees slightly downhill and move into a forward sideslip.
Repeat across the slope.
The track of the ski undulates like a garland. Starting a little closer to the fall line with each repetition gradually brings you closer to a full turn, like a fan opening out.
The hockey stop
The fast, sharp version of the sideslip is the hockey stop. PSIA's description:
Start from a shallow traverse.
Flex quickly and at the same time turn your feet and skis uphill.
Keep the pressure at the front of the boot.
Over time, start closer to the fall line; adding a little more edge angle gives a very fast stop.
PSIA notes that this skill is especially useful when approaching a lift queue and when merging with another run. When skiing in a group, warn the people behind you in advance; a sudden stop is a surprise for whoever is coming from behind. The FIS rules for conduct also require the place where you stop to be visible from above.
Common mistakes
Mistake
Result
Correction
Leaning into the slope
Weight shifts to the upper ski, the skis do not grip or slip suddenly
Keep your balance on the lower ski, release the edge by extending
Turning the tips or tails of the skis
The skis turn downhill, speed suddenly increases
Slide tip and tail equally, keep your fore-aft balance
Releasing only the upper ski
The skis open up and you go back into a snowplough
Release both edges together; focus especially on the lower ski
Seeking balance with your arms
The upper body swings around
Upper body calm, hands forward
First attempt on very steep ground
Loss of control
First on a gentle slope, then gradually steeper
The freedom of controlled sliding
Someone who knows how to sideslip comes down with a plan rather than in a panic when they find themselves on a section that is too steep. That confidence turns an activity holiday from tension into enjoyment. On Doğadayız basic course packages, this skill is practised with an instructor; all winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment. Waiting at the bottom for a friend who has made it through a difficult section and celebrating together is what sets a social adventure holiday apart from an ordinary 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.
With your skis parallel and at right angles to the fall line, you release the edges by extending slightly from your ankles, knees and hips, and the skis slip sideways. To slow down or stop, you flex slightly and turn your knees towards the slope, which increases the edge angle.
What is sideslipping good for?
According to PSIA, it lets you lose height safely on a slope you find a little too steep and cut speed at the end of a turn, and because it teaches you to release your edges, it is the foundation of parallel turns and the hockey stop.
How do you do a hockey stop?
From a shallow traverse, flex quickly and turn your feet and skis uphill, keeping the pressure at the front of the boot. Over time, start closer to the fall line. It is useful at lift queues and where runs merge; warn the people behind you in advance.
On a steep slope, speed is controlled not by braking but by the shape of the turn. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, steep slopes call for more completed, rounder turns so you do not exceed your speed: after crossing the fall line, the skis keep turning back up towards the hill and the speed drops. PSIA recommends shorter turns on steep and icy slopes, because the skier spends less time in the fall line; a quick, decisive edge set at the end of the turn creates a solid platform. The skis turn with the legs while the upper body stays quiet; the pole plant gives you rhythm. When things get difficult, getting down safely by sideslipping and traversing is always an option.
The move to parallel skiing does not happen in one step but with an intermediate stage: snowplough → wedge christie → basic parallel turn. In a wedge christie you start the turn in a snowplough and, during the turn, finish parallel by bringing the inside ski alongside the outside ski. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, what makes matching easier is relaxing the inside leg and pressing on the outside ski; as you gain experience, the matching moves closer to the start of the turn. In a true parallel turn, your weight is transferred to the new outside ski before the turn begins, and this movement comes from the legs, beneath a calm 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.
