Garlands
Pub
Refining tipping and edging requires a great feel for rolling the ankles, for being on and off the edges, of releasing and engaging.
Garlands is an excellent way to refine these skills. Basically glide across a shallow slope (green or blue) and roll your ankles, engaging and releasing the skis while going in the same direction, i.e. don't let them turn all the way across the fall line.
It's best done on a wider, less crowded run, since you'll have to ski across it.
Start going diagonally across a green or blue slope. Look up!
Then do a series of quick small shallow turns across this diagonal, but do not let the skis cross the fall line - i.e. keep going on a diagonal. Tip up the hill and then flatten the ski and repeat at least 2-3 turns.
Roll your ankles, creating a quick series of edge engagements and releases.
At the side of the slope, turn the skis across and repeat going the other way.
You can progress from here by adding an element from The Phantom drill, i.e. lifting the heel of the inside (uphill) leg and tipping it strongly into the hill, for each garland turn.
Here's a quick example:
And here is a very good intro to garlands, from Mikaela:
This is an important ski drill that you should do often, to enhance your carving skills. It works to improve overall balance, edge feel, release and engage at all levels of skiing.
Learn more
Sessions and articles:
- Start tipping
- Tipping not hipping
- Tipping and keeping the feet underneath
- About ankle eversion and inversion
- We ski with the feet and ankles
Drills:
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