Top 3 Skiing Tips from 6 British Alpine Experts
Good skiing rarely comes from one big change. More often, it comes from a few small cues repeated well: where you look, where you stand, how you move, and how patiently you shape each turn.
To bring those cues together, here are the top three tips from six BASS instructors: Dave Hudson, Joe Cain, Andrew Lockerbie, Gabri Sama, Eddy Kirk, and Steve Ricketts. Their advice overlaps in useful ways, which is a good sign. Better skiing is not about collecting hundreds of technical thoughts. It is about returning to the fundamentals until they feel simple.
The shared themes behind all six sets of tips
Across all six instructors, the same messages keep coming through. Look ahead. Stay balanced. Move from the feet up. Finish the turn. Let the skis travel in a round arc rather than a sharp zigzag.
That matters because skiing gives instant feedback. If you look down, your body folds and reacts late. If you lean back, the skis run away from you. If you rush the top of the turn, you lose the chance to steer, grip, and control speed.
Here is the common thread in simple terms.
Focus area | What the instructors keep coming back to | What it helps with |
Vision | Look where you want to go, not at your skis | Anticipation, balance, cleaner line choice |
Pressure | Feel the outside ski and build pressure from the feet | Grip, edge control, confidence |
Movement | Flex, extend, and move the body downhill | Flow, timing, smoother turns |
Turn shape | Make round C-shaped turns and finish them | Speed control, rhythm, safety |
Mindset | Relax, trust your body, and think ahead | Less tension, better reactions |
These are not separate tricks. They work together. A skier who looks ahead usually moves better. A skier who moves better finds pressure more naturally. A skier who finds pressure can shape the turn instead of fighting it.
Dave Hudson says feel the pressure and trust the body
Dave Hudson’s tips focus on awareness, turn shape, and letting good movement happen without overthinking every moment.
Feel the pressure under your feet
Dave’s first cue is to pay attention to where the pressure sits on your feet throughout the turn.
At the start of the turn, he suggests rolling the pressure forward towards the big toe of the outside ski. As the turn develops, aim to feel most of the pressure under the arch of that foot.
This is a simple but powerful way to tune into balance. The outside ski does most of the work in a turn. If you can feel pressure building through that ski, you are more likely to stay centred and connected to the snow.
A useful drill is to ski a gentle blue run and ask yourself one question on every turn: where is the pressure now? Do not try to fix everything at once. Just notice. Awareness often improves the movement by itself.
Make C-shaped turns, not Z-shaped turns
Dave also recommends imagining the turn as the letter C, not a Z.
A Z-shaped turn usually means the skis are being twisted quickly across the hill, then released and twisted again. It can feel snappy, but it often leads to skidding, braking, and tension.
A C-shaped turn gives the skis time to travel through the arc. The turn starts smoothly, builds through the middle, then finishes across the hill. That shape helps control speed without harsh braking.
On steeper slopes, this matters even more. A rounder turn gives you more space to manage pressure and direction.
Relax and trust your body
Dave’s third tip is refreshingly human: relax and trust your body. It is often better at finding a solution than the brain is at issuing constant instructions.
That does not mean switching off. It means avoiding overload. If your head is full of ten technical commands, your body stiffens. Pick one focus, such as pressure under the outside foot, then ski a few turns and let the feedback come.
Joe Cain says look ahead, finish the turn, and keep moving
Joe Cain’s advice is direct and practical. His three tips deal with some of the most common habits that hold skiers back: looking down, leaving turns unfinished, and getting stuck in the old turn.
Look where you want to go
Joe’s first tip is to look where you want to go. Try not to look down at your skis, and definitely avoid looking back uphill.
The body follows the eyes. When you stare at your ski tips, your posture often drops and your reactions become late. When you look back uphill, your shoulders and hips can rotate against the direction you actually need to travel.
A better target is the space two or three turns ahead. On busy pistes, this also helps you read the slope and notice other skiers earlier.
Finish your turns
Joe’s second tip is to complete the turn by getting the skis across the hill. This is one of the clearest ways to control speed.
Many skiers start turns well, then hurry into the next one before the current turn has done its job. The result is a growing sense of speed and a feeling that the skis are pulling away.
Finishing the turn does not mean stopping after every arc. It means allowing the skis to come far enough across the slope that they manage speed before you release into the next turn.
Move your centre of mass downhill
Joe’s third tip is to move more. Get your centre of mass moving downhill and avoid getting stuck in the last turn.
At the end of a turn, it can feel safe to cling to the uphill side. The problem is that the next turn needs commitment. If the body stays behind, the skis start the new turn without you.
Think of the body moving smoothly into the new arc while the legs do the steering and edging underneath. This helps turns link together rather than feeling like a series of separate recoveries.
Andrew Lockerbie says carving starts with edge change and balance
Andrew Lockerbie’s tips focus on carving, leg movement, and changing edges at the right time. His advice is especially useful for skiers who want cleaner arcs and stronger grip.
Show the bases to the side of the slope
Andrew’s first carving cue is to show as much of the base of both skis towards the sides of the slope as you can.
In plain terms, this means tipping the skis onto their edges. When the skis are edged and balanced well, their shape helps them cut through the snow rather than slide sideways.
This should happen progressively. Throwing the skis onto edge too quickly can make the body brace. Instead, build the edge angle as the turn develops.
Flex the legs and move them inwards from the fall line
Andrew’s second tip is to flex the legs and move them inwards from the fall line. This helps create edge angle while the upper body stays balanced and calm.
The legs are built to adjust. Let them absorb, tip, and guide the skis. If the whole body leans in as one solid block, balance becomes fragile.
A good image is to keep the upper body moving steadily down the slope while the legs work underneath you.
Change edges as the skis come across the slope
Andrew’s third tip is about timing. Change edges as the skis are travelling across the slope. Stay centred on the ski, then make the turn while bringing pressure towards the front of the skis.
This helps avoid a late, rushed edge change. If you wait too long, the skis may accelerate before you are ready. If you change edges while still balanced and moving, the new turn starts with more control.
Gabri Sama says stance, vision, and flow create better turns
Gabri Sama’s advice brings together technique and feel. The aim is clean, athletic skiing that flows from one turn to the next.
Keep working on your base stance
Gabri’s first tip is to keep working on your base stance. A great turn depends on how you set it up, and the foundation is a stance that is clean, elegant, and athletic.
A good stance should feel ready, not rigid. Ankles, knees, and hips are flexed. The hands are forward and useful. The body is centred enough to move in any direction.
If your stance collapses, everything else gets harder. Edge change, pressure control, and speed management all rely on that base.
Keep your eyes down the hill
Gabri’s second tip echoes Joe’s advice: do not look down at your feet. Like driving, where you look is where you go.
Keeping your vision down the fall line helps with anticipation, balance, and space. It also makes skiing more enjoyable. There is little point travelling through the mountains while staring at your boots.
A simple cue is chin up, eyes down the hill. Let the eyes lead the body into the next movement.
Chase the flow
Gabri’s third tip is to avoid rushing into and out of the turn. Look for a round C-shaped turn so you can manage speed on different slopes and keep constant, gradual movement between turns.
Flow does not mean skiing fast. It means moving without abrupt stops and starts. The skis, legs, and body all work in rhythm.
When the turn shape is round and the movement is gradual, skiing feels calmer. You have more time to choose your line and more space to adapt.
Eddy Kirk keeps it simple with strong fundamentals
Eddy Kirk’s tips are short, clear, and easy to carry onto the piste. They cover outside ski pressure, body position, joint flex, turn shape, and tactical awareness.
Stand against the outside ski
Eddy’s first key idea is to stand against the outside ski when turning. This is one of the strongest patterns in good piste skiing.
The outside ski gives support. It grips, bends, and guides the turn. If too much weight stays on the inside ski, the outside ski cannot do its job.
A helpful feeling is to let the outside leg become strong through the middle of the turn while the inside leg stays lighter and more flexible.
Avoid leaning back and flex the joints
Eddy’s second theme is body position. Avoid leaning back, and flex the ankles, knees, and hips.
Leaning back reduces control over the front of the skis. It can make turns feel delayed, especially when the slope gets steeper or the snow becomes chopped up.
Flexing the joints gives you options. The legs can absorb pressure, adjust to terrain, and guide the skis. Stiff legs make every bump and mistake bigger.
Make round turns, finish them, and think ahead
Eddy also highlights round turns, finishing the turn, and thinking ahead.
That combination is at the heart of safe, confident skiing. Round turns manage speed. Finished turns stop that speed from building too quickly. Thinking ahead gives you time to choose your line instead of reacting at the last moment.
These simple skiing tips are easy to understand, but they reward steady practice.
Steve Ricketts says be the pilot, not the passenger
Steve Ricketts’ advice is about intent. He wants skiers to look ahead, use their full range of movement, and build movements from the feet up.
Spot the end of the turn
Steve’s first tip is to look ahead and spot the end of your turn, not just where you plan to start it. This helps move you through the arc rather than simply around it.
That is a subtle but valuable difference. If you only think about starting the turn, you may rush the entry and then deal with the consequences. If you already know where the turn should finish, your body has a clearer path to follow.
Use your full range of movement
Steve’s second tip is to use the full range of movement to get the most out of the skis. Be the pilot, not the passenger.
Skis are designed to turn, grip, bend, and release. They work best when the skier gives them clear input. That means using flexion and extension, moving the centre of mass, and staying active rather than being carried along.
This does not mean making huge movements all the time. It means having movement available when the turn needs it.
Build from the feet up
Steve’s third tip is to build your movements from the feet up.
The feet are your closest connection to the skis and the snow. Small changes at foot level affect edging, pressure, balance, and timing. If you only think about shoulders or upper body position, you may miss the source of the movement.
Try starting a gentle turn by feeling the feet roll, the ankles respond, and the legs guide the skis. Let the rest of the body support that action.
How to put all 18 tips into one simple practice plan
With six experts and 18 tips, it would be easy to overthink. The better approach is to group the advice into three practice themes.
Run one focuses on vision
Pick an easy piste and focus only on looking ahead.
Keep your eyes down the hill
Spot the end of each turn
Avoid looking at your skis
Notice how earlier vision changes your balance
Run two focuses on pressure
On the next run, bring attention to the feet.
Feel the outside ski build pressure
Notice the big toe side of the outside foot at the start
Feel pressure under the arch through the middle
Stay centred enough to change edges smoothly
Run three focuses on shape and flow
For the third run, think about the line.
Make C-shaped turns
Finish each turn
Move into the next arc without rushing
Keep the legs active and the body relaxed
Then repeat. Skiing improves when good cues become familiar, not when every run has a new technical checklist.
The takeaway from these British Alpine experts
The best advice here is reassuringly consistent. Look ahead. Stand on the outside ski. Stay centred. Move from the feet. Flex the joints. Finish the turn. Keep the arc round. Relax enough to let the body learn.
If there is one point to take onto the mountain, make it this: choose one cue at a time and ski it well. A single clear focus, repeated over a few runs, will do far more than a crowded list of instructions fighting for attention.
Better turns come from better basics. These six BASS instructors all point back to the same truth: when the foundations improve, the whole mountain starts to feel more manageable.
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