Ski level descriptions
Ski level descriptions
Level 1 - sliding
- Activities on the flat
- Walking forwards and backwards, sliding, sidestepping and changing direction
- Side stepping
- Up and down
- Both sides of the slope
- Get up from a fall
- Turn to face fall line unassisted
- Showing ability to star turn in both directions
- Straight run
- No higher than Green Station
- Showing consistent good posture and remaining in balance
- Showing consistent use of flexing ankles, knees and hips
Level 2 - ploughing and introduction to plough turning
- Plough glide controlling speed and line
- From the middle station of the slope
- Showing active turning of both feet/skis, and stretching both legs
- Varying plough size
- Through foot and leg rotation of both feet/legs
- Showing consistent good posture and remaining in balance
- The ability to stop if required
- Use of ski tow
- To halfway point of the slope
- Showing consistent and safe use of the tow at all times
- Get up from a fall
- Without assistance on the slope - including putting skis on on the slope
- Snowplough turns - from middle station
- Showing consistent rotation of both feet and legs to steer the skis
- Turning with or without markers up to 3 mats wide
- Controlling speed and line through turn shape
- The ability to stop if required
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from Level 1
Level 3 - plough turning
- Linked snowplough turns
- From the top of the slope
- Showing consistent flexion and extension for pressure control
- Accurate control of speed through turn shape - c-shaped turns
- Showing consistent good posture and balance throughout the turn
- Use of ski tow
- To the top of the slope
- Showing consistent and safe use of the tow at all times
- Varied size snowplough turns
- Steering the skis along the arc
- Over 4 mats, 3 mats and 2 mats
- Target turning
- Around markers showing various turn sizes
- Change direction
- On the slope turn round on the spot to face the other way
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels
Level 3+ - wedge turning
- Linked wedge turns
- From the top of the slope
- Varied size turns, including turns over 3 mats from the top of the slope
- Linked wedge turns over 2 mats from the middle station
- Showing consistent active pressure of skis at turn initiation
- Maintaining the wedge shape throughout the turn
- Consistent and effective use of flexion and extension of ankles, knees and hips, and turn shape for speed control
- Steering the skis without a traverse phase
- Control of speed and line
- From the top of the slope
- Linked wedge turns at jogging pace
- Show the skis being steered throughout the arc
- Turning
- Wedge turns round markers - showing various turn sizes
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels
Level 4 - plough parallel
- Linked carved turns over a 1 mat corridor (minimum)
- From 1/3 of way up the slope - short red line
- Skis parallel with a low edge angle
- Showing consistent simultaneous rolling of both feet/skis/ankles/knees
- Linked plough parallel turns
- From the top of the slope using a minimum of 5 mats wide to full width of the slope
- Showing inside leg rotation to match skis parallel
- Showing consistent flexion and extension for pressure control throughout the turn
- Accurate control of speed through turn shape - c-shaped turns
- Showing consistent inside foot and leg rotation to match skis parallel through the turn
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels - including the ability to straight run accurately
Level 5 - basic parallel
- Linked basic parallel turns
- Open stance
- Turn both feet simultaneously
- Maintaining consistent good posture and balance throughout
- Showing consistent and accurate flexion and extension for pressure control
- Using arc length and turn shape for speed control
- Varied size basic parallel turns
- Steer skis along the arc - c-shaped turns
- Including a minimum of turns over 5 mats with and without markers
- Linked carved turns
- Over 2 mats minimum from the middle of the slope showing simultaneous edge change (edge, flat, edge)
- Target turning
- Round mini-gates or markers
- Various sizes of turns - 5, 6 and 7 mats
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels
Level 6 - parallel
- Linked parallel turns
- Pole touching to aid simultaneous edge change
- Maintaining strong posture and balance throughout
- Showing consistent flexion and extension for pressure control and accurate movements in ankles, knees and hips
- Maintaining speed control through turn shape and arc length - c-shaped turns
- Varied size parallel turns
- With pole touch and steering the skis along the arc - 5, 4 and 3 mats
- Showing good adaptation of timing of movements depending on turn size
- Linked carved turns from three quarters way up the slope
- In a minimum of a 2 mat wide corridor
- Show an awareness of wider radii carving turns
- Target turning
- Round mini-gates or markers
- Various sizes of turns
- Linked parallel short radius turns over 2 mats
- From the top of the slope
- Showing consistent upper and lower body separation and co-ordination of pole plant
- Achieve 14 - 16 two mat wide turns
- Showing good adaptation of movements for short radius turns
- An awareness of freestyle skiing
- Including skiing backwards, falling leaf, 360 and switch 180
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels
Level 7 - advanced
- Linked parallel turns
- Accurate timing of Pole touching to aid simultaneous edge change
- Maintaining strong posture and balance throughout
- Showing consistent flexion and extension for pressure control and accurate movements in ankles, knees and hips
- Showing accurate range, rate and timing of movements
- Maintaining speed control through turn shape and arc length - c-shaped turns
- Short linked parallel turns
- Over 1 - 2 mats wide (16 - 20 turns)
- Accurate timing of Pole touch to aid simultaneous edge change
- Showing consistent upper and lower body separation
- Ability to explain what is happening in their own performance
- Free run of the whole slope
- Showing varied size turns within the run
- Blending the steering elements - edge, pressure and rotation
- Funnelling
- 7 mats to 1, 1 mat to 7
- Showing various funnels on different turn sizes
- Linked carved turns from minimum of three quarters of the way up the slope
- Over various sized mats as directed by the Instructor - without foot rotation
- Technical knowledge and understanding
- Be able to explain what is required technically to develop ski-ing performance
- Be able to analyse their own all round ski-ing performance
- Must also still be able to show the skills learned from previous levels