Plan an Exit Strategy through Technical Terrain
by Elianne Furtney

Have you ever stood at the top of a chute or cornice, wondering how other skiers have the confidence to ski quickly through a technical line or go boldly off of drops? Having watched many skiers over the years as they ski the challenging terrain at Squaw Valley, it is speed and fluidity that draw the eye, not halting, hesitant progress down the hill. Fast, fluid skiers look ahead throughout the run.
When skiing a tight line through a steep chute, do you ever look too long at the rocky wall next to you and end up awkwardly stopping to avoid smashing your tips into the rocks? If you’re jumping off of a cornice or rock, do you tend to concentrate so hard on the landing that little or no thought is given to what happens after? The results are predictably inconsistent.
Downhill mountain biking coach Blair Lombardi coaches some of the top downhill racers in the world. She tells her clients to always keep their chins level with the ground. When you do this, it forces your vision ahead without necessarily focusing it on any one thing in particular. I have found this applies equally well to skiing. If you concentrate on keeping your chin up as you ski it may suddenly seem as if you are going slower. It’s the same principle as if you are riding a bike down the road at 15 mph and look down at the pavement. The ground seems to fly by! Look up and you realize how slowly you are actually moving. Doing this while skiing allows you to relax and ski with confidence and grace.
Many people practice looking forward by focusing on a tree or sign far down the hill. While this does keep the eyes from their usual position of 6 inches ahead of the tips, looking forward is an active process, not a “set it and forget it” eye focus. If you continue to look at the next bump or rock or tree in your line until you get there, you may be surprised and unprepared for what comes after. Try to look for the turn after next. You should be constantly scanning ahead and never fixating on any one spot. Next time you catch air, think before you go: “look through the landing.” Instead of focusing on the landing spot, keep your chin up and your eyes moving past the landing zone. That way you can be planning your next turn even as your feet touch down.
When you look ahead constantly rather than periodically, it gives your body much more time to react. Suddenly scary, technical lines seem easier, and instead of skiing one turn at a time, you can smoothly link turns.