XTRM Sports Network:
A
· Alpine Skiing: Downhill skiing where the toe and heel of the boot are fixed to the ski.
· Après ski: The nightlife following a day of skiing, e.g. shopping, drinking, listening to live music or relaxing in a hot tub.
B
· Base: Average depth of snow on the mountain; also the bottom of the mountain where the lodge is located.
· Basket: A round, generally flat, disc located near a ski-pole tip to prevent the pole from sinking too far in the snow.
· Bowl Skiing: Skiing on wide bowl-shaped slopes with or without trees. See “Cirque” below.
· Brain bucket: A helmet.
· Bunny Slope: The area of the mountain with a gradual decline, perfect for beginner skiers to be taught basic ski techniques.
C
· Carve: The act of digging the ski/snowboard’s edge into packed snow in order to turn.
· Catching an Edge: When the edge of a ski or snowboard accidentally digs into the snow, usually resulting in a fall or a near fall.
· Cirque: A bowl shape or amphitheater usually sculpted out of the mountain terrain by a glacier.
· Cliff-Hucking: A move done by only experienced skiers and overly ambitious beginners in which the skier jumps off a cliff.
· Corn: Snow characterized by its large corn-kernel-sized granules found during the spring.
· Cross-Country Skiing: Skiing on flat terrain using self-produced power with no extra help from slopes. There are two recognized cross-country skiing techniques: “skating” and “classic” (or “striding”). Cross-country skiing is more aerobic than alpine skiing and uses lighter weight boots and lighter, narrower skis.
· Crud: A type of snow characterized by an uneven surface, usually encompassing some lumps of soft powder-like snow as well as icy or slippery patches.
D
· DIN Settings: Deutsche Industrie Normen (DIN) is a scale to ensure ski bindings release under the same force at all skiing destinations worldwide.
· Dump: An unusually large or heavy snowfall.
E
· Edge: A metal strip found on the bottom sides of skis and snowboards used for carving.
· Ego bumps: Small, well-spaced moguls on an intermediate slope that are generally easier to ski than those found on more difficult slopes.
· Epic: A day characterized by the large amount of powder or other conditions that make it unforgettable and out of the norm.
F
· Fall Line: The line a ball would follow if rolled down the slope; the quickest route down the mountain.
· Figure Eight: Tandem skiers whose tracks when viewed from above give the illusion of the numerical “eight.”
· Figure Eleven: The tracks left by a skier who makes no turns.
· First Tracks: When a skier is the first to ski an area of fresh snow before anyone else; also known as “freshies.”
· Freestyle Skiing: A skiing discipline that incorporates aerial acrobatic techniques into downhill skiing.
G
· Gaper: A skier who stops to enjoy the view from the mountain.
· Gondola: A gondola is an enclosed lift suspended from a cable to transport passengers up and down a mountain.
· Grass Skiing: An all-seasons skiing discipline done on grass with specialized equipment.
· Groomed Slope: Refers to the slope terrain that has been groomed and is now smooth.
H
· Hard-Packed: A euphemism to describe icy conditions; generally occurs with the lack of new snowfall.
· Headwall: A steep cliff, usually the uppermost part of a cirque.
· Heli-Skiing: A skiing discipline requiring helicopter transportation to the highest slopes and known for providing skiers/boarders with fresh tracks.
· Herringbone: A skiing technique named after the marks left by skis when a skier nudges upward through the snow.
I
· Indie Grab: An industry term for grabbing the skis or snowboard under the boot on the outside edge while executing a jump.
J
· Jib: Or jibbing, any single or combination of tricks on skis or a snowboard, generally done in terrain parks, but not limited to that.
· Jump Turning: A method of turning by jumping both skis into the air, thus allowing a quicker change of direction; generally used in extreme terrain.
K
· Kick Turn: An about-face turn while stationary, by lifting one ski and reversing its direction, followed by the other ski.
· Kicker: The sharply angled end of a jump, allowing a skier or boarder to gain significant height.
L
· Liftie: A lift operator.
M
· Mashed Potatoes: Wet, heavy snow.
· Milk Run: The first run of the day.
· Moguls: Mounds of snow, also known as bumps.
N
· NASTAR: Citizen racing program with courses at many mountains allowing anyone to participate and to handicap themselves against world-class racing times.
· Never-Ever: Someone who has never skied and signs up for a first-time ski lesson.
· Nordic Skiing: See cross-country skiing.
O
· Out-of-Bounds: Terrain outside the boundary of the ski area with no avalanche control or ski patrol; many times these areas are illegal to ski.
P
· Pillows: The soft tops of moguls after a fresh powder dump.
· Pizza: Performed by slowly snowplowing down a slope; generally used by ski instructors when teaching young children.
· Powder: The “ideal” ski condition that occurs after a fresh dump of snow.
· Prerelease: Denotes the situation when skis unhinge earlier than anticipated.
Q
· Quad: A chair lift carrying four people.
R
· Roller Skiing: An all-seasons skiing discipline generally performed by cross-country skiers as training in the off-season.
· Rope Tow: The lift more commonly found on bunny hills and some green-rated slopes, but also found reaching difficult terrain. Also known as a surface lift because the skier/snowboarder keeps their skis/snowboard on the snow and holds onto a rope which pulls them up the hill.
· Rail Slide: A technique performed by sliding skis or a board across a metal or wooden rail, generally done in terrain parks.
S
· Shaped Skis: Relatively new and improved skis characterized by some form of an hourglass shape, and designed for easier turning.
· Schuss: To ski down the slope without turning.
· Six-pack: Six seated chair lift.
· Ski In, Ski Out: Lodging on or near the slopes allowing skiers to ski in and out of their accommodations. *Definitions vary by resort and should be carefully checked by a Ski.com agent.
· Snowboarding: Skiing on one “ski” which is wider and shorter, with both feet fixed in a position similar to surfing or skateboarding.
· Snow Plough: A braking maneuver whereby skiers move their ski tips to form a triangular shape also referred to as a wedge or pizza.
· Snorkeling: When powder runs up the body and blurs a skier’s vision.
· Stem Christie: A basic turn begun with a wedge and completed by skidding on both uphill ski edges until your skis are parallel.
T
· Telemark Skiing: A skiing discipline where the heel of the ski is not fixed and requiring a different technique from alpine skiing.
· Terrain Park: A maintained area with a variety of jumps, half-pipes, rails and other obstacles.
· Traversing: Moving horizontally across a slope so as to lose or gain a minimal amount of elevation.
U
· Unweighting: Taking weight off the ski, usually prior to a turn.
V
· Vertical Drop: The vertical distance from the top to the bottom of the mountain or slope.
W
· Whiteout: Limited visibility due to snow, fog or flat light.
· World Cup: International races for all disciplines including alpine, cross-country, ski jumping, freestyle, snowboarding and more.
X
· X-C: An abbreviation of cross-country skiing.
Y
· Yard Sale: A major fall resulting in the skier/snowboarder’s clothes or equipment being strewn all over the hill – mimicking a yard sale.
Z
· Zig Zag: Traversing across a slope in a “z” formation.
