The Basics of Powder Skiing and Snowboarding Technique
The basic rule in powder is to change your piste habits a little. On skis, you spread your weight more evenly across both feet and steer both skis into the new turn together, actively and gradually; PSIA's study guide states that the resistance of deep snow requires this. On a snowboard, to keep the nose on the surface you shift your hips towards your back foot instead of leaning back with your shoulders, and keep your front knee bent; turns are kept slightly open to maintain speed. A few centimetres of fresh snow is ideal to start with. Powder also has a hidden danger: falling head first into the hollows at the base of trees or into deep snow can lead to snow immersion suffocation; that is why in powder you always ride with a partner who stays within sight.
On a groomed piste, your skis or board travel on their edges over a hard surface. In powder, they float in the snow: there is snow both underneath and in front of them, and every movement meets the resistance of the snow. We explain the general differences between snow types in our guide to snow types.
Powder is usually sought off-piste, but the morning after heavy snowfall you can also find it along the edges of runs that have not yet been groomed. Going off-piste calls for separate training and equipment; see our guide to making the move to freeride.
Where should you start?
The instructor study guide of PSIA, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, considers around 8–15 centimetres of fresh snow ideal for people trying powder for the first time. Before you move into deep snow:
Be able to make comfortable, linked parallel turns on a groomed piste (or linked turns on a snowboard).
Choose a gently sloping, even and open area; stay away from wooded and steep sections.
The strips of soft snow along the edges of the piste are a good place to start.
Powder technique on skis
Standing equally on both feet. According to PSIA's study guide, intermediate skiers may start opening their skis back into a snowplough when they meet powder. Its advice is to stand a little more equally on both feet and to turn both skis together, actively, into the new turn.
Gradual, consistent steering. The resistance of deep snow requires steering movements to be applied consistently and gradually. Sudden movements stop the skis in the snow.
Rhythm. Keep your turns rhythmic and flowing; avoid sudden, abrupt movements.
Equipment. In general, wide skis and boards with an upturned tip (rocker) make it easier to float in powder; we cover waist widths in our guide to riding styles.
According to the manual of NZSIA, the New Zealand snowsports instructors' association:
Shift your hips to your back foot. Move your centre of mass back not by leaning back with your shoulders, but by shifting your hips towards your back foot and keeping your front knee bent. The most common mistake NZSIA lists is leaning back with the shoulders and straightening the front leg.
Small backward movements. Small backward movements throughout the turn keep the board floating.
Change edges by retracting. Time your edge change by gradually drawing your legs up; the nose comes up to the surface.
Keep your turns slightly open. Speed drops quickly in powder; open turns maintain it.
Watch out for flats. Spot flat sections in advance and use other people's tracks so you don't lose speed; stopping on a flat means walking on one foot.
The least known danger of powder is snow immersion suffocation: falling head first into the loose hollows that form at the base of trees because the branches stop the snow from compacting (tree wells), or into very deep snow.
According to Van Tilburg's 2010 review, there were more than 70 documented deaths over the past twenty years, and death probably occurs within 15–30 minutes.
According to Baugher's 2012 conference paper examining cases at US ski areas, 64 cases were recorded between 1990 and 2012; within ski area boundaries, this risk was about 6 times the in-bounds avalanche risk. Around 70% of cases involved a tree well; 40% of cases occurred in December and January.
According to the same paper, most victims had a friend nearby who had not seen the fall; in the experiments carried out, no subject was able to get out on their own.
Prevention: The rule of the US National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) is clear: always ride with a partner who stays within sight. Give the base of trees a wide berth; do not go into wooded areas.
If you fall (Van Tilburg):
Curl up and try to roll.
Hold on to the tree trunk or the branches.
Shout or blow a whistle.
If you are head down, try to create and protect an air pocket in front of your face.
A morning of fresh snow
Making the first turns along the edges of the runs after a night of snowfall is one of the most memorable moments of an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment; lessons with an instructor are part of the basic course packages. Riding in fresh snow while keeping each other in sight, then meeting at the bottom to talk through the run, is also a social adventure holiday at its safest and most enjoyable. 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.
You spread your weight more evenly across both feet and steer both skis into the new turn together, actively and gradually; PSIA's study guide states that the resistance of deep snow requires this. Keep your turns rhythmic and flowing, and avoid going too slowly.
Should you lean back when snowboarding in powder?
Not with your shoulders. NZSIA recommends shifting your hips towards your back foot and keeping your front knee bent; you change edges by gradually drawing your legs up and keep your turns slightly open to maintain speed.
What is a tree well and why is it dangerous?
It is a hollow of loose snow that forms under the branches at the base of a tree. Someone who falls in head first can suffocate in the snow; according to one review, death probably occurs within 15–30 minutes, and in experiments nobody was able to get out on their own. In powder, always ride with a partner who stays within sight and keep away from the base of trees.
On a steep slope, speed is managed through the shape of your turn: according to NZSIA, on steep or hard snow small, closed turns reduce forward momentum, and the edge change is made early but progressively. On ice there is a counter-intuitive rule: a lower, centred stance and less edge angle put more of the base in contact with the snow. In crud and slush, your ankles and knees absorb the impacts and you keep your edging limited. In powder, instead of leaning back with your shoulders, you shift your hips towards your back foot, and you can move your bindings back slightly towards the tail. If the terrain is too much for you, sideslipping or traversing down is always a valid option.
As the snow changes, so does the technique. According to PSIA, the American ski instructors' association, skis offer very little resistance to turning on icy pistes, so over-rotating makes them skid; the answer is to increase the edge angle progressively and pressure the new outside ski early and decisively. In powder, the skis are kept more in the fall line, turns are made with strong, continuous and patient steering, and the skis stay relatively flat. In wet, sticky snow, as the New Zealand instructors' alliance (NZSIA) points out, the same turn takes more power; flowing, wide turns make it easier. In every condition the basic rule is the same: a centred stance and controlled speed.
Moving into freeride rests on three pillars: technique, knowledge and equipment. Technically, you should be able to ski under control in any snow and terrain, including steep sections. In terms of knowledge, you need an avalanche training course (for example the three-day AIARE 1 in the US, or the AST 1 of at least two days in Canada) and companion rescue practice. As for equipment, every member of the group should carry an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel and be able to use them. The reason is time: in Swiss data, the chance of survival for someone completely buried drops from 91% at 18 minutes to 34% at 35 minutes; in other words, rescue is usually in the hands of the friends with you. An avalanche airbag lowers the death rate but is no guarantee. The safest way is to have your first off-piste experiences with a certified mountain guide.
