10 Linking Turns and Turn Radius

Turn Radius and Arc Length

Linking turns together allows you to manage speed and adjust to terrain. The best route down the mountain is rarely cut and dried, so your skiing needs to be dynamic and adaptive.

Turn radius is determined by the imaginary circle that is created by the sidecut of the ski. A deeper sidecut leads to a smaller turn radius, while a shallower sidecut equates to a larger turn radius. The smaller the radius, the tighter the ski turns. Ski turn radius is generally categorized into three levels: short, medium, and long. Generally, a short turn radius is 10-15 meters, medium turn radius is 15-20 meters, and a long turn radius is greater than 20 meter.

Short Radius Turn

Short radius turns make for a high-tempo form of skiing. All parts of the turn happen quicker, and time between turns is minimized. When you are venturing into steep terrain, you often do not want to have your skis pointed down the fall line too long; short radius turns are a great way to keep your skis pointed across rather than down the hill. A stable upper body allows you to move your legs independently of your torso. Beginner and intermediate skiers tend to ski with their upper body first, then their lower body second. To be able to ski short turns, you need to be able to turn your lower body first against a stable upper body.

The video below shows sort radius turns from the front view.

The video below shows short radius turns from the back view and how they can be used to navigate steeper terrain or other skiers on the mountain.

Mid Radius Turns

A mid radius turn will be a little more relaxed than a short radius turn. This type of steered turns feels fairly stable as the skier is predicting/wanting the skis to partially skid.

The video below shows mid radius turns from the front view.

The video below shows mid radius turns from the back view.

Long Radius Turn

Long radius turns are slower and have a longer time at the fall line and in turning. A long radius turn will have a long arc length because spend a long time skiing across the hill where you are slowing down.

The video below shows long radius turns from the back view.