Are your skis really parallel?

The goal for almost every skier starting out is to get their skis parallel. To a beginner skier this means eliminating the wedge they use to initiate a turn. However, there are at least three other ways skis can be less than parallel with advanced skiers. The next time you are out skiing have your instructor or a friend watch or video you skiing past them so you are seen from the front, side, and back. Here's what to get them to look for:

1. A wedge to initiate turns. This is caused by pushing out the outside ski to initiate turns. While most common with beginner skiers, intermediate and advanced skiers will sometimes revert to using a wedge to initiate turns on steeper or more intimidating terrain. Similarly they may "step out" to initiate short radius turns or ski moguls. Tactics to eliminate the wedge include moving to easier terrain to build confidence, exercising patience when initiating the turn, and braquage style drills.
2. A reverse wedge where the tails of the skis come together at the middle to end of the turn. This can be seen even with advanced skiers and is best diagnosed by watching a skier from the back. It can be caused by having the weight on the inside ski instead of the outside ski, by solely pivoting instead of using a blend of pivoting and edging to steer, or by poor body alignment. Depending on the cause some tactics that can be used to address the deficiency are outside ski turns, rollerblade turns, or feeling the feet flat in the boots and legs stacked in a natural standing position.
3. An exaggerated lead change where the inside ski is far out in front of the outside ski. This is usually caused by having too much weight on the inside ski but also can be caused by alignment issues (i.e., dropping the butt into the turn). Tactics to have skis more parallel fore/aft are to consciously pull the outside leg forward so the tips match when in the fall line and "kick start turns" where the inside ski tail is lifted as the turn is initiated.
4. Skis are not equally on edge (i.e., one is flatter than the other). This can be caused by sitting too far back or by A-framing (not having the outside and inside knees move equally into the turn). Tactics include feeling pressure on the front-inside of the outside ski boot and front-outside of the inside ski boot rather than full on the front or on the rear of the ski boot and uphill Christies.

Have fun checking each other out and getting parallel on all four fronts!