Skis slide out on ice
On ice an edge holds only a small load before it slides. In the model the first cause is simply the grip limit of the ski on hard snow, and the second is leaning in with your whole body, which loads the edge more than angulating does.
glutes working · lower back working
Muscle load
Low, can hold all dayMidHighPeakTick: average through the turn
Tail at the finish
1%
The fix: 1%
Tip at the finish
5%
The fix: 5%
Showing: Your stance. leaning in with the whole body, on ice.
Shown for the default skier: 92 kg on the K2 Mindbender 89 Ti at the finish of the turn, 3 mm of boot play, groomed snow.
Ice gives an edge very little to bite. The grip is limited, so you have a smaller margin before the ski slides. Anything sudden, such as a quick edge change or a hard push down on the ski, can break it free.
The model sets the snow to ice and shows the edge zones along the ski. Some zones hold, some are marginal, and some slide. The stance and the edge angle change how many of them hold.
Most skiers who ask about this are told the same few things, and they are right. - Do not lean towards the hill. Leaning in, with your whole body tilted, puts more load on the edge for the same angle. Angulate instead: tip the knees and hips into the turn while your upper body stays over the outside ski. - Be smooth. A gradual build of edge angle and pressure holds better than a sudden one. - Balance on the outside ski. The inside ski can follow, but the outside edge does the work. - Make round turns. A sharp, skidded turn on ice is where you lose it.
The figure above is set to ice. One stance leans in with the whole body and one angulates. Look at the load numbers and at how many zones hold.
Pick a gentle, empty slope with a hard surface. Start with long, round turns on a shallow angle and build up. If you slide, ease off the angle, do not push harder. Pushing down on the ski and tipping it more is the instinct, and it makes it worse.
Speed adds load. If you are sliding on a steep icy pitch, it can be smarter to make shorter turns across the slope and control your speed than to try to carve.
The model’s first match for this symptom is the edge is at its grip limit (71% of the evidence). Here is what else it ranks, and how to tell each one apart.
Getting the edge by leaning in rather than angulating loads the ski harder and leaves less grip in reserve.
How to tell: You tilt your whole body into the turn and your hip is close to the snow. Angulating at the same edge angle loads the ski less.
Model check: Leaning in puts 1.31× body weight on the ski; angulating at the same edge angle drops it to 1.11×.
If your tune is fresh and you are angulating but still sliding, the ski may be the limit. Compare a narrower, more cambered ski with the one you have.
Compare skisFalls on ice are hard on wrists, shoulders and hips. If you hurt yourself in a fall, see a physio.
Pain or injury? This tool is for how skiing feels, not medical advice. See a physio.
Not medical advice. Edge Lab describes how skiing feels and why.
The model above uses a default skier. Add your weight, skis and boots and see your own numbers.
Check your own setup