BASS Top Tips Part 1:2 Skiing on Ice
Balance and Control on Ice
Ice has a way of making skiers tense up. The sound changes, the skis start to chatter, and the natural reaction is to grip harder, edge harder, and try to force the turn. For many skiers, that is exactly when things get worse.
This is the second question in our BASS Top Tips series, answered by three instructors from the British Alpine Ski School in Val d’Isère and Tignes in the French Alps: Joe Cain, Andrew Lockerbie, and Dave Hudson.
The question was simple:
What one thing do you consider most important when skiing an icy slope?
Their answers use slightly different words, but they point towards the same outcome: stay balanced, stay patient, and do not fight the ice.
Different instructors may explain the same goal in different ways
One of Joe Cain’s key points is that instructors often use different explanations to help skiers reach the same result. That is especially true on ice.
One instructor might talk about edge angle. Another might focus on balance over the outside ski. Another may use a walking-on-ice analogy. The language changes, but the aim stays the same: reduce panic, improve balance, and let the skis behave naturally under your feet.
That matters because icy skiing often feels counter-intuitive. On soft snow, it can feel safe to steer more firmly and build edge pressure. On hard, polished snow, forcing the edge too suddenly can make the skis skid faster or shoot away from you.
Joe’s advice is clear:
Don’t fight too hard and stay balanced. Don’t try to dig those edges in, just let them skid and relax, making sure you are well balanced on the outside or downhill ski.
That is a useful starting point for anyone who freezes up on icy pistes. The goal is not to pretend the ice is not there. The goal is to ski in a way that accepts it.
Do not try to win a fight with the ice
The instinct to fight ice is strong. When the skis start sliding, many skiers react by stamping harder on the edges. They lean in, twist the upper body, or try to force the skis across the slope.
The problem is that ice gives very little back. If the ski has already lost grip, adding edge too quickly may not help. It can make the ski chatter, slip, or break away even more.
Andrew Lockerbie explains it like this:
Don’t try and fight the ice by increasing the edges too quickly once the skis are skidding. Allow the skis to skid until you reach some soft snow that you can turn on.
That advice is especially useful on mixed pistes, where icy patches sit between areas of softer snow. Rather than forcing a perfect carved turn on the hardest section, Andrew suggests patience. If the skis are already skidding, keep balanced and let them skid in a controlled way until there is better snow to work with.
This does not mean giving up control. It means choosing the control you can actually use. On ice, a controlled skid is often safer and more realistic than a forced edge set.
Balance over the outside ski matters most
Joe’s answer also highlights one of the most important parts of skiing on hard snow: staying balanced on the outside ski, which is often the downhill ski during the shaping phase of the turn.
When the outside ski carries your weight well, it has the best chance of gripping. When your weight drifts inside, back, or uphill, the ski becomes harder to manage. On ice, that small mistake feels bigger because there is less friction to save you.
A balanced skier can stay calm even when the skis slide a little. An unbalanced skier often reacts late, then over-corrects.
A good aim is to feel:
Your weight centred over your feet
Your outside ski supporting you through the turn
Your ankles, knees, and hips soft rather than locked
Your upper body quiet and facing generally down the slope
Your hands visible and active, not dropped behind you
The key word is centred. If you sit back, your skis can run away. If you lean too far inside, the edges may not hold. If you stand too stiffly, every bump and scrape travels straight through your body.
Soft joints give you options.
Ski on ice like you would walk on ice
Dave Hudson gives a simple image that almost every skier can understand:
Ski down ice the same way you would walk on or down ice. Keep your weight over your feet and get your hands out wide to aid balance.
This is a brilliant comparison because nobody walks on ice by leaning dramatically, rushing, or throwing their weight around. People naturally shorten their steps, stay centred, and keep their movements careful.
The same idea works on skis.
On an icy pitch, try to avoid sudden movements. Make your turns smoother and more progressive. Keep your hands out where you can see them, not because it looks tidy, but because it helps your balance. Dropped hands often pull the upper body back or inside, which makes the skis harder to control.
Think of your hands as part of your balance system. Wide, steady hands help keep the upper body calm. A calmer upper body gives the legs a better chance to manage the sliding.
Letting the skis skid is not failure
Many skiers think skidding means poor technique. On ice, that belief can cause trouble.
A skid is not automatically wrong. An uncontrolled skid, where the skier is back, tense, and accelerating, is the problem. A managed skid, where the skier stays centred and balanced, can be exactly the right tactic.
On very hard snow, trying to carve every turn may be unrealistic. Even strong skiers adjust their expectations when the surface changes. They may shape the turn more gently, reduce edge angle, or wait for a patch with more grip before asking more from the ski.
Good skiing on ice often looks less dramatic than people expect. It is not about throwing the skis sideways or clinging to the hill. It is quieter than that.
The best skiers tend to:
Move progressively rather than suddenly
Accept some sliding without panic
Keep the ski underneath the body
Use the outside ski without stamping on it
Choose a line that gives them room to finish the turn
That last point matters. If a slope is icy, avoid rushing into a narrow corridor or leaving the turn too late. Give yourself space. Speed control starts with line choice, not last-second braking.
A practical focus for your next icy run
If you want one thing to think about next time you meet an icy patch, make it this:
Stay balanced over your feet and do less than your fear tells you to do.
That single thought links all three instructors’ answers.
Joe reminds us not to fight too hard and to stay balanced on the outside ski. Andrew reminds us not to increase the edge too quickly once the skis are already skidding. Dave reminds us to treat ice like walking on ice, with weight over the feet and hands out wide.
Those are not three separate tricks. They are three ways of describing the same foundation.
Ice will always feel different from soft snow. It is louder, faster, and less forgiving. But it becomes far more manageable when you stop trying to overpower it. Stay centred, keep your movements smooth, let the skis skid when they need to, and wait for grip rather than snatching at it.
That is the heart of BASS Top Tips Skiing on Ice with Balance and Control: balance first, edges second, patience all the way down.
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