If you’re new to skiing, you might be overwhelmed by all of the skiing “basics” you feel you need to learn before you can hit the slopes with confidence. From learning how to stop, learning how to turn, it can be a lot to take in! However, there are two important positions to learn before you’re starting anything else since many other moves use them. These are pizza and french fry. (And no, we’re not talking about food!)
Before you get started…
Make sure you head to our ski shop to be sure you have all the proper equipment! You’ll want to make sure you have a good pair of skis, bindings, and boots that fit comfortably. In addition, you’ll want ski poles and a helmet to keep your head safe.
You’ll also want to make sure you brush up on the proper postures for skiing, such as remembering to keep your knees bent and hips hinged, as well as ways that you should and shouldn’t fall. After that, it’s time to learn how to pizza and french fry while skiing!
What is “Pizza”?
In ski terms, pizza is when you move the tips of your skis in towards each other, forming a triangle or “pizza slice” shape. Another name for this position is “snowplow.” This is likely one of the first positions you will learn when you’re starting out, and it will come in very useful!
When and why would you use the pizza position?
The reason the pizza position is so important is because it allows you to slow down or stop as you’re going down the slopes. This will help you better control your speed and movements. Pizza is probably the easiest position to use when you want to stop as you’re first starting out. It can also be used for turning.
Turning is one of the main movements you will be doing while skiing, but it can be hard to get the hang of it. Practicing turns in a pizza position will provide you with more stability until you eventually get used to turning and can work up to other types of turns.
How to Pizza
To pizza, you will want to think about pushing the tails of your skis apart rather than trying to bring the tips together. The wider your stance and more angled your skis, the faster you are going to stop or slow down. Keep that in mind so that you don’t accidentally come to too abrupt of a stop before you’re prepared! You also don’t want to be facing directly downhill anytime you’re trying to slow down or stop because you’ll end up gaining speed instead. Be sure you’re turning to the side of the hill. When using the pizza position to turn, you will want to put more of your weight on your downhill foot.
What is “French Fry”?
Now that we’ve covered pizza, it’s time to move on to french fry! French fry is when your skis are positioned parallel to each other (like two french fries). This may be considered a more advanced position compared to pizza since it does not provide you with as much control, so be sure you have the pizza position down before moving on to this one.
When and why would you use the french fry position skiing?
Unlike pizza, which is used to slow down, the french fry position can be used to gain speed. French fry position is what you may want to use while you’re turning. It can help you get the speed you want to fully transition into your turn. It will also help you to learn parallel turns and hockey stops.
Remember as you’re starting out, though, that you only will want to be in the french fry position while you are sideways on the slope. Standing in french fry while facing downhill will result in you picking up a lot of speed very quickly as you cruise downhill!
How to French Fry
To french fry, you will want to move your skis into a parallel position. As stated above, this is usually done while turning to help you get the momentum you need to keep going. If you are turning from a pizza position, shift your uphill foot by turning it so that instead of it being angled inward toward your downhill foot, it is parallel with it. But keep in mind that french fry will make you gain speed, so you don’t want to be in this position for too long!
Hopefully this has been a helpful guide for learning a little more about some of these common ski positions! Remember, always practice on a bunny hill or somewhere where you can feel safe and comfortable. Lessons are never a bad idea either. And if you’re looking for more beginner resources, check out this post on 10 tips for new skiers!
