The fall line is the most direct, steepest downhill path on a slope — the line a ball would follow if it rolled freely down. It's a fundamental reference in skiing and snowboarding: turns are made across and around the fall line to control speed, and 'skiing the fall line' means descending straight down the steepest path. Understanding the fall line is key to controlling speed, linking turns, and reading terrain.
Switch means riding or skiing backwards — that is, leading with the opposite foot or direction from your normal stance. For a snowboarder, riding switch means leading with the foot that's usually at the back; for a skier, it means skiing backwards (aided by twin-tip skis). A fundamental freestyle skill, riding switch is essential for landing and taking off from tricks in both directions, and demonstrates well-rounded board or ski control.
Climbing skins are strips of fabric that attach to the bases of touring skis or a splitboard to provide grip for climbing uphill on snow. Their directional nap (plush) glides forward but grips backward, preventing the ski from sliding back as you stride up; an adhesive or attachment system holds them on, and they're removed for the descent. Skins are essential for ski touring, ski mountaineering, and splitboarding.
Skinning is the technique of traveling uphill on skis using climbing skins attached to the ski bases for grip, with the binding's heel released so you can stride. The fundamental skill of ski touring and backcountry skiing, skinning lets you ascend slopes efficiently by sliding the skis forward rather than lifting them, using the skins' grip to prevent sliding back. Good technique — including kick turns for switchbacks — makes it far less tiring.
A kick turn is a technique for reversing direction by 180 degrees while skinning uphill, performed in place without removing the skis. The skier pivots one ski to point the opposite way, then brings the other ski around to match, changing direction on a steep skin track. Kick turns let ski tourers zigzag (switchback) up slopes too steep to climb straight, and executing them smoothly on steep, exposed terrain is an essential backcountry skiing skill.
A pole plant is the act of briefly touching the snow with the tip of a ski pole to help time and initiate a turn while skiing. The pole plant provides a rhythmic trigger and a momentary point of reference that aids timing, balance, and coordination, especially in linked turns, bumps (moguls), and steep terrain. Though subtle, a well-timed pole plant smooths a skier's rhythm and is a hallmark of polished technique.
The snowplow (also called the wedge or pizza) is the fundamental beginner skiing technique in which the skier pushes the tips of the skis together and the tails apart to form a 'V' or wedge shape, using the inside edges to control speed and stop. The first technique most new skiers learn, the snowplow makes controlling speed and stopping intuitive on gentle terrain, forming the foundation before progressing to parallel turns.
A parallel turn is a skiing technique in which both skis stay parallel to each other throughout the turn, tipping onto their edges together rather than being pushed into a wedge. It produces smooth, efficient, controlled turns and is faster and more versatile than the beginner snowplow (wedge) turn. Learning to link parallel turns is a major milestone in a skier's progression, marking the transition from beginner to intermediate.
Carving is a skiing and snowboarding technique in which turns are made by tipping the ski or board onto its edges and letting the edge's sidecut shape arc through the turn — so the edge slices a clean, narrow line in the snow rather than skidding sideways. Carving is efficient, fast, and controlled, leaving thin pencil-like tracks, and is widely considered the hallmark of advanced, refined edge technique.
Sidecountry refers to ungroomed, uncontrolled backcountry terrain that is accessed easily from a ski resort's lifts, typically by passing through a boundary gate. Although it's reached from the resort, sidecountry is true backcountry — not patrolled, not avalanche-controlled — so it carries the same avalanche and hazard risks. Many safety experts dislike the term 'sidecountry' precisely because its easy lift access can mislead people into underestimating those backcountry dangers.
