What's the Language? Have you ever been in a foreign speaking country and felt out of place because you didn't speak the language? Have we ever experienced trying to order food at a foreign restaurant (pre & post COVID) and stumbled to get the order correct? Not speaking the language can be a little intimidating. Not knowing the language while you're skiing is no big deal because you can still enjoy the slope without having to speak the language. What's the Lingo? Is there a benefit to speaking the lingo? Whether you are new to skiing or perhaps a seasoned pro, the lingo is fun to figure out and share with your comrades. How many times have we been on the slopes or in a bar testing our Apres-skiing technique and heard a word or phrase that baffled us? Skiing is a shared sport and meant to be enjoyed with good friends and family. It's not an "in-crowd" thing, it's just fun to be part of a group of people that speak the same lingo to share their joy of skiing from the day's adventure. A Reference Guide for Ski Lingo of Terms Here are some terms and phrases that have been collected over the years. # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 180 – An aerial maneuver in which a skier or snowboarder rotates 180 degrees, or a halfturn.360 – An aerial maneuver in which a skier or snowboarder rotates 360 degrees, or a halfturn420 – ("Four-Twenty") Code that signifies acceptance of cannabis or signals it’s time to consume. 720 – An aerial maneuver in which a skier or snowboarder rotates two full turns or 720 degrees.1080 – An aerial maneuver in which a skier or snowboarder rotates three full turns or 1080 degrees. "I remember attempting a 360 and accomplishing a 270... Wow that hurt!" Aerial tramway – A 'tram' is a large version of a gondola. Typically holds approximately 30 people where as a gondola usually holds 4-8 people.Aerial—In the olympics, aerials are gymnastic maneuvers performed by skiers jumping off jumps. Inverts, twists, etc.AFD (AntiFriction Device)—Teflon® pad or mechanical slider attached to the top of the ski just behind the binding toe unit. The pad reduces friction between the top of the ski and the boot sole so that the boot releases smoothly during a fall.All mountain ski – A versatile ski that performs well in a variety of conditions, including groomers, powder, bumps, and trees. AlpenGlow - The rose coloured hue of mountains glowing at sunrise or sunset.Alpine Combined. The combination of both a downhill and Slalom race where times are added together to produce the Combined-time.Alpine Skiing—Commonly known as downhill skiing. Uses stiff cambered skis, hardshell boots and fixed heel, releasable bindings. Duh?Alpine touring – Alpine touring is a form of skiing in which skiers are able to travel uphill using skins attached to the bottom of their skis. Bindings that allow their heels to lift. Angulation: The angles between torso, hips, and lower joints. The opposite is banking or leaning where the body has No angulation. The result is skis are tilted on more of an edge. Angulation can now be achieved with the lower leg and emphasized with the hip, independent of upper body position.Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The knee ligament that connects the femur (thigh bone) with the tibia (shin bone) and prevents the forward movement of the tibia on the femur. Anticipation. The skier’s upper body anticipated the direction of the coming turn, acting as an anchor for the lower body to turn against. As the tension was released (muscles relax) and the skier “let go” of the old turn, the legs realigned with the upper body and started the turn.Aprés ski – French for “after ski,” this phrase describes the food, drink, and other social activities that occur after a day of skiing. Arête – Thin, knife-like ridge that is typically formed when glaciers erode parallel valleys.Arlberg Strap. An old method preventing the skis from running down the hill after a fall. A leather strap that was wrapped around the boot and attached to the ski.Artificial Snow: Manmade snow. Not as fine as real snow.Audio helmet – A protective helmet that includes speakers in the earpieces and a connection, either wired or wireless, to a music source.Avalanche – A large mass of snow, ice, and other materials that suddenly slides down a mountain. Also referred to as avi or avy. Avalanche airbag – Backpack that incorporates an airbag that can be deployed during an avalanche, increasing the odds the victim will float at or near the surface of the slide.Avalanche Beacon - An electronic transceiver to help locate someone lost in an avalanche.Avalanche control – Activities designed to monitor and reduce the risk of avalanches through active measures (e.g., explosives), permanent structures (e.g., snow fence), and social interventions (e.g., educational efforts).Avalanche dog – Specially trained canines that assist human rescuers in locating and digging out avalanche victims. Avalanche Probe - A collaspable rod that’s used to poke through avalanche debris in order to find a buried victim. "There are places in the world that are close to cities, but just don't get the high volume of snow like the mountains. These resorts have figured out the Science of making snow." (Snowmax, DewBulb) Alpine Ski Club - Ontario, Canada Backcountry – Areas beyond the boundaries of ski resorts. More dangerous due to lack of avalanche control or rescue. Also called off-piste or out-of-bounds. Experience, avalanche knowledge and proper equipment is imperative when backcountry skiing.Backscratcher – An aerial trick in which a skier drops the tips and lifts the backs of their skis, sometimes to the point of touching their back. Old School.Backside – Portion of a ski resort that lies on the other side of a ridge or mountain from the main base area.Balaclava - A snug face-mask worn over the head and neck, often with holes cut out for the eyes, nose, and mouth. "Bank Robber"Balance: A relationship between our base of support (feet) and our centre of mass (core). A harmonious use of both.Banking: Leaning into a turn but not bending any joints.Base – Two definitions: A) Snow depth; B) Underside of a ski C) The bottom of the hill.Base of Support (BOS): Refers to our feet on the skis.Baseplate – The bottom portion of a binding that attaches to a ski.Basket –The piece of circular plastic attached to the bottom of ski poles that prevents them from sinking too deeply into the snow.Bear trap. A binding that did not allow release. It had fixed toe irons, and the heel was often lashed to the skis with a leather strap, long thong or laniere.Beginner trail - A green circle trail that is typically wide, groomed, and not too steep. A very easy beginning trail where novices learn is also called a bunny slope or bunny hill.Berm – A mound of snow, either natural or manmade, than can be used for turns or tricks.Beaver Balls: Clumpy chunks of snow that feels like you’re skiing on ball bearingsBevel. Modifying the edge of a ski so that it forms something other than a perfect 90 degree angle. The ski edge has two surfaces: the base edge connected to the ski's sole, and the side edge as part of the ski's sidewall. A beveled base edge is modified by about one degree. The edge angle comparing the bottom and the side edge. Normally, we think of the edge as 90 degrees, but beveled edge is slightly less than 90 degrees. (ie: Base=1degree, Side=2degrees) Base Edge Bevels Side Edge Bevel Biff – A skier nearly falls but recovers without going down.Big air – An aerial in which the skier or snowboarder is airborne for a considerable length of time. Binding: The thing that connects your boot to your ski. The bindings on skis are designed to release the boot in the case of a fall. Snowboard bindings don't auto release.Black Diamond—An expert level ski slope designated by a sign with a black diamond on a white background.Black ice - A hard to see thin transparent layer of ice that forms on a road. Black Run: An advanced level ski slope designated by a sign with a black diamond on a white background.Blind side: This is the invisible area or spot that skier cannot see immediately. Usually occurs during a mid-air spin or rotation.Blue Run: A gentle slope suitable for beginner and intermediate skiers.Blue square – Symbol for slopes of intermediate ability.Bluebird – Sunny, cloudless conditions. Also called a bluebird day.Boarder – Nickname for a snowboarder.Boards—Another term for skis.Boilerplate – Frozen conditions that are very hard and dense snow requiring good edge control.Bomber – A skier who is traveling quickly down the slopes, usually in a straight line or a little out of control.Bombing – Travelling fast and straight down a slope, somewhat out of control.Boogying. A 70's form of skiing in the bumps - "Hot Dog"Bowl – A large open basin that is frequently above tree line and no obstacles.Brain bucket – Nickname for a helmet worn by a skier.Bracquage: a pivoting drill to improve the skill of turning the feet back and forth underneath you.Bro – Short for brother, an affectionate term for a fellow male skier.Bulletproof – Hard, compacted snow and ice that requires serious edging and is often caused by thaw freeze cycle or rain falling on slopes. Bumps – Synonym for moguls, the mounds of snow formed by repeated turns of skiers.Bunny slope: The area of the mountain with a gradual decline, perfect for beginner skiers to be taught basic ski techniques. Butt dragger – A novice snowboarder who has fallen and is sliding down the slope on their behind, scraping powder away to the chagrin of skiers.Butter - A skier or snowboarder rocks onto their tips or tails and holding their position while they descend.Button Lift: A ski lift with a round plastic disc at the end of a long pole. The disc is placed between the legs and gently pulls skiers up the slopes. (See Poma Lift) Butter
