Aerials:
Acrobatic ski jumping while in mid-air
involving twist somersaults, etc.
Alpine
Skiing: The formal descriptive
term for downhill skiing, one of the
basic ski techniques.
Apres'
Skiing: After ski activities.
Artificial
Snow: Mechanically made snow,
produced by a machine that mixes water
and compressed air.
Basket:
The plastic or metal ring on the end
of the ski pole which prevents the tip
from sinking too far into the snow.
Big
Air: When the snowboarder rushes
along the side of a halfpipe,
flipping the board into the air
as high as it will go and coming down
for a smooth landing, only to
try again on the other side of the
pipe.
Bindings:
A set of ski fastenings for
holding the boot firmly on the ski.
Boarder
Cross Races: Boarder cross races
consist of six snowboarders racing
simultaneously over an obstacle
course. Speed, accuracy and style
determine the winners.
Boot
Fit: The extent to which a ski
boots is the right size or shape for a
foot.
Bowl:
A natural formation or
geographical region shaped like a
bowl.
Cable
Car: An aerial tramway consisting
of heavy pylon-supported cables
strung very far above the ground
from which is suspended a large cabin
capable of carrying over a hundred
skiers on a fast, steep ascent
to a high-altitude skiing area.
Camber:
The arch built into a ski which
means that it curves upwards in
the middle when lying flat. It is
designed to distribute the skier's
weight more evenly over the
whole length of the ski. A side-camber
or side-cut is a ski that is
widest at the front and
narrowest in the middle.
Chute
(shoot): An inclined plane,
sloping channels, or passage
down or through which things may pass.
Cross-country
Skiing: Traditional Scandinavian
all-terrain snow-traveling technique.
It isn't difficult to learn, nor
is it dangerous. It's good exercise,
but isn't overly strenuous, nor is it
likely to cause injuries.
Drag
Lift: A ski lift which pulls
slope-users uphill while still
in their bindings.
Edging:
Vital skiing skill that involves
using a rolling motion of the
knees and hips to tilt the ski edges
into the slope, making it possible to
stand still on the fall line.
Extreme
Skiing: A thrill seeking form of
expert skiing. Few ski areas
promote it because it entails skiing
the steepest slopes in unmarked
areas containing cliffs and a
variance of snow conditions such as
crusted ice to deep powder. Some
resorts have opened parts of
their areas for patrolled extreme
skiing.
Fall
Line: The steepest shortest and
fastest line down any slope, the
line of least resistance, which would
be taken by, say, an un-steered sled
down the slope.
Gondola
(gon'-dul-ah): An enclosed car
suspended by a cable and used
for transporting passengers. May
be used as a ski lift or a mode of
transportation.
Goofy
Footed: Riding with the right foot
forward on the snowboard.
Halfpipe:
A channel constructed in the snow,
which resembles a pipe
cutlongitudinally. Halfpipes, or pies,
have consistent walls on both
sides and are 75 to 350 feet long with
6 to 12 foot walls.
High-speed
Detachable Quad: A four person
(quad) chair-lift with chairs
that slow down for convenient
loading and unloading, but otherwise
travels twice as fast as
traditional lifts.
Hit
or Kickers: A raised area with an
abrupt lip from which
snowboarders jump to get airborne.
Kinderski:
Common, generic term for a special
children's ski school in a resort
area.
Lift
Lines: An area where skiers wait
to board a chair-lift or
gondola.
Lift
Ticket: A pass that allows access
to the mountain via a lift or
gondola. It is like cash and is
not interchangeable from one skier to
the next. Many ski areas provide
a photo ID lift ticket that is
bar coded to track the number of
skiers daily.
Lifts:
Cable operated vehicles used to
transport skiers from the base
area to the top. Usually found in the
form of chairs holding two, three or
four passengers. Some are high
tech with Plexiglas screens and
foot rests.
Lip:
The top edge of the halfpipe wall.
Mogul
(mow'-gull): Bumps in a ski run.
Nordic
Skiing: Another name for
cross-country skiing.
Norpine
Skiing: Downhill skiing using
cross-country ski equipment.
Nursery
Slope: A gentle prepared slope on
which beginners can learn away from
the main runs.
Powder:
A fine, dry, light snow. Referred
to as "Champagne
Powder" in Steamboat because it
is lighter and drier than the usual
powder.
Quarterpipe:
A channel with only one wall.
Regular
Foot: Riding with the left foot
forward on the snowboard.
Retaining
Strap: A strap connecting the
skier's leg to the binding so
that the ski remains attached to
the skier during a fall. Sometimes
referred to as a "safety
strap."
Running
Groove: A long, narrow channel
along the length of the ski's
running surface, which helps to
keep the ski stable.
Ski
Patrol: A group of trained,
experienced volunteers or
professionals who are responsible
for the maintenance of safety, the
elimination of dangerous
conditions, and the treatment of
injuries in ski areas.
Ski
Run: Marked ski trails and slopes
of the ski area. They are
color-coded based upon the
skier's ability. Green is beginner;
Blue is intermediate; and Black
is expert.
Ski-in/ski-out:
Skiers can ski to and from
the ski area right from the door of
the hotel. They do not have to
walk or get transportation.
Slalom:
A competitive event in alpine
skiing in which racers run a
course marked out with gates
that must be passed through during the
descent.
Snowplow:
A converging ski position also
known as the "wedge,"
which is formed by opening the
skis in a V-shaped (tips together,
tails apart) and rolling the
skis onto their inside edges.
Snowplowing is the simplest method of
controlling speed.
Stem
Turn: Somewhat more difficult move
than the snowplow that involves
pushing out the tail of the one
ski into a half snowplow, then
bringing the other ski alongside
of it. It is taught to the
intermediate skiers so that they
can gain enough confidence to ski
across and down a slope with skis
parallel and thus achieving the
second level of skill in skiing.
Tabletop:
A mound of snow with the top
sheared off to provide a flat, level
landing area for snowboarders.
Terrain
Jumping: Making a voluntary jump
into the air while skiing over a
bump or slope edge.
Tuck
Position: A low crouched stance
with the upper body bent and the
knees tucked up in the chest.
Whale,
Whale Tail, Whoop De Doo: A
grouping of elongated bumps, ranging
from two to five feet high and seven
to ten feet long, from which
snowboarders jump.
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