Glossary of skiing and snowboarding terms
This glossary of skiing and snowboarding terms is a list of definitions of terms and jargon used in skiing, snowboarding, and related winter sports.
A
- aerial skiing
- alpine skiing
- A discipline of skiing that involves sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, as opposed to other types of skiing (such as cross-country) which use skis with free-heel bindings. Alpine skiing is popular as a recreational activity and competitive sport, both at ski resorts and off-piste.
- alpine touring
- après-ski
- avalament
- The way a skier bends and extends his legs by managing pressure such that the skier allows it to push their legs into their chest while maintaining good contact with the snow.
B
- backcountry
- Any area outside of the boundaries of a ski resort, or else not patrolled, groomed, or cleared of avalanche danger. Backcountry areas are usually remote from roads and services and only accessible by long tours, hiking, snowmobile, or helicopter.
- backcountry skiing
- Skiing in a backcountry area, generally over ungroomed, unmarked, and unpatrolled slopes.
- backcountry snowboarding
- Snowboarding in a backcountry area, generally over ungroomed, unmarked, and unpatrolled slopes.
- baseplate
- The bottom portion of a binding which acts as the point of direct contact between the boot and the ski or snowboard and therefore transfers all movement.
- basket
- A round or star-shaped piece of plastic located at the bottom of a ski pole and used to keep the pole from pushing too deeply into the snow.
- berm
- Another name for a snowbank.
- biathlon
- binding
- boot
- bowl
- A wide mountain basin with slopes on at least three sides that is generally free of trees and other obstacles and conducive to large, swooping turns or steep, speedy dives.
- bunny slope
- A flat or nearly flat, well-groomed area, usually located near the base of a slope, reserved for beginning skiers or snowboarders and those taking lessons.
C
- carve turn
- carving ski
- chairlift
- chatter
- Vibration of skis or snowboards caused by traveling at high speeds. Chatter can reduce contact between the ski and the snow and therefore the ability to stay in control.
- combined
- corduroy
- The parallel grooves visible on a trail or slope that has been recently groomed by a snowcat or other grooming machine.
- cross-country skiing
D
- DIN setting
- The tension-release setting which determines the amount of force required for a ski binding to release from the skier's boot during a fall or impact. DIN is an acronym for the German Deutsche Industrie Normen.
- downhill
- downhill skiing
- See alpine skiing.
- dry ski slope
E
- edge
- The sharpened metal strip on either side of a ski or snowboard, used for gaining control by "biting" into the snow. "Holding an edge" is a key technique to maintaining a smooth, stable turn.
- extreme skiing
F
- free heel
- freeriding
- A style of snowboarding and sometimes skiing performed on natural, off-piste, ungroomed terrain without a set course, goals, or rules, eschewing man-made features such as jumps, rails, and half-pipes and emphasizing the use of natural variation in terrain to perform tricks.
- freeskiing
- freestyle skiing
- A competitive skiing event primarily focused on the performance of tricks and typically comprising aerial, mogul, half-pipe, ski cross, and slopestyle disciplines.
- freestyle snowboarding
- frontcountry
G
- giant slalom
- glade skiing
- gondola
- grits
- Snow that is pushed down from the top of the hill or mountain due to skiing and snowboarding throughout the day. Similar to powder but comes from hardpack (see below) and therefore not smooth like fresh snow. Behaves and looks a bit like the food, grits.
- grooming
H
- half-pipe
- half-pipe skiing
- HangBoard
- hardpack
- Snow that has been densely compacted by repeated grooming or skiing and a lack of fresh snowfall, often found on the most popular trails and slopes within a ski resort's boundaries.
- heliskiing
- herringbone
- The act or technique of generating forward momentum on skis by spreading the tips apart widely (in a "V" shape) and striding the legs forward independently of each other, so named for the geometric pattern this motion leaves behind in the snow. The technique can be useful when climbing uphill or traversing flat ground on skis.
I
- indoor skiing
- itineraire
J
- jib
- Riding a snowboard or skis across a non-snow surface, such as a rail, funbox, or fallen log.
- jump turn
K
L
- lift
- See ski lift.
- lift ticket
- liftie
- A ski lift operator.
- loipe
M
- magic carpet
- mogul
- A large round protrusion carved out of a snow surface, especially a slope, and typically occurring in "fields" of multiple moguls. Moguls are created both naturally by the repeated turns of skiers and artificially.
- mogul skiing
- monoski
N
- never-ever
- A first-time skier or snowboarder.
- new school skiing
- See freeskiing.
- night skiing
- Nordic combined
- Nordic skiing
O
- off-piste
- Off a designated piste or trail; outside of the boundaries of a ski resort or other marked area reserved for use by skiers and snowboarders.
- outrigger ski
P
- parallel turn
- piste
- pivot turn
- poaching
- pole planting
- powder
- Fresh, dry, loosely compacted, and lightweight snow, as opposed to densely compacted or repeatedly groomed snow such as hardpack.
- powder ski
- A type of ski with a very wide waist (generally between 105 and 130 mm), designed to "float" atop fresh powder by keeping the ski from sinking into the snow.
- powder surfing
R
- randonée
- See alpine touring.
- roller skiing
- runout
- 1. An expansive flat area at the base of a ski slope or the end of a run that allows skiers to slow down.
- 2. A relatively flat section of a ski route used to link tougher trails back to a ski lift.
S
- schussing
- Skiing straight downhill without turning, usually at high speed.
- shin-bang
- sidecountry
- sidecut
- The inward curvature of a ski or snowboard, measured by the difference between the width of the ski or snowboard at the narrowest point of the waist and the width at the widest point of the tip or tail. The curvature of the sidecut greatly influences the ski or snowboard's turning radius: drastic sidecuts allow users to make sharper turns.
- ski
- ski cross
- ski flying
- ski goggles
- ski helmet
- ski jumping
- ski lift
- Any mechanism for transporting skiers and snowboarders up a slope. Lifts are typically a paid service operated by ski resorts.
- ski lodge
- ski marathon
- ski mountaineering
- ski orienteering
- ski patrol
- ski pole
- A lightweight handheld pole, often made from aluminum or carbon fiber, used by skiers for balance and propulsion, typically in pairs. Ski poles are commonly used in alpine, freestyle, and cross-country disciplines, but seldom in other disciplines such as ski jumping.
- ski resort
- ski school
- ski season
- ski skins
- ski suit
- ski touring
- ski wax
- skier's left
- The general direction to the left of a skier headed downhill, or an area to the left of a skier facing downhill
- skier's right
- The general direction to the right of a skier headed downhill, or an area to the right of a skier facing downhill
- skiing
- A means of transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport in which the participant, known as a skier, glides across a snow-covered surface using skis attached to their feet.
- skijoring
- skwal
- slackcountry
- slalom
- slopestyle
- snow cannon
- snowbank
- snowboard
- snowboard cross
- snowboard racing
- snowboarding
- A recreational activity or competitive winter sport in which the participant, known as a snowboarder or rider, descends a snow-covered slope while standing on a snowboard attached to their feet.
- snowcat
- snowkiting
- See kite skiing.
- snowmaking
- snowpack
- snowplough turn
- snowskate
- speed skiing
- splitboard
- stem christie
- super giant slalom
- superpipe
- surface lift
T
- tail
- The back end of a ski or snowboard, situated behind the skier or snowboarder.
- Telemark skiing
- terrain park
- tindy
- A snowboarding trick in which the rider grabs the toe edge of the snowboard between the rear binding and the tail with his or her rear hand. It is a combination of an indy grab and a tail grab.
- tip
- The front end of a ski or snowboard, situated in front of the skier or snowboarder.
- tracked out
- The condition of a slope of once-fresh snow that has been ridden over repeatedly, discernible by the numerous visible tracks left by previous skiers or snowboarders.
- tree well
- vertical drop
- The difference in elevation between the base of a ski slope or mountain and its highest point.
- virgin snow
- waist
- yard sale
- A fall or crash in which the skier's or snowboarder's gear – skis, poles, hat, gloves, etc. – end up scattered across the slope.
V
W
Y
See also
References
External links
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| Nordic skiing |
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| Alpine skiing |
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| Other skiing | |||||||
| Freestyle skiing | |||||||
| Snowboarding | |||||||
| Technique / learning | |||||||
| Equipment | |||||||
| Resort amenities |
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