by James Streater @maverixsnow
As we’ve moved more off-piste in our winter camps over the last few years it has been interesting to work with riders to improve their powder riding. A number of factors come into play when you’re in powder and your success can come down as much to tactics as your riding ability. Here are a few tips to help you unleash some god like powder skills.
1 — Open vs closed turns
A lot of first time powder riders will treat the experience very similar to piste riding, in that they will complete a turn and then end it with a sideslip to control speed. This is commonly referred to as a closed turn that’s skidded. Its very ‘C’ shaped. This will kill your speed and flow and generally result in a toe or heel edge catch and you sink into the snow, unless you’re on steep terrain or you’re planning to come to a stop on a patch of suitable terrain. You really want your turn shape to look a little more like the picture on the left.
This is called an open turn. It will allow you to maintain speed and flow. If you feel you’re carrying too much speed, plan to use your turn shape to…
