Receiving Pressure: A Lesson in Understanding, Not Effort
By Andrew Elsdon | SkiChatter.com
The other day, a student asked about “grip” and how to apply more pressure to get it. I paused. Wait—why do they think pushing harder creates grip? Too many skiers assume pressure comes from effort, from leaning or forcing the outside ski. I realized I needed to flip that idea completely—give them a new way to understand grip and how it actually happens. If they saw it differently, progress wouldn’t just be faster—it would stick. But, of course, the proof is in the pudding.
A Dialogue on the snow
Andrew: “Before we start—quick question. When someone tells you to ‘put more pressure on the outside ski,’ what do you actually do?”
The student pauses.
Student: “I… try harder? I push? Honestly, I’m not totally sure.”
I smiled. “This is exactly the point.“
Andrew: “Good. Because today we’re not going to try to create pressure at all.”
That usually raises an eyebrow.
Andrew: “Instead, we’re going to figure out why pressure shows up—and how to let the ski create it for you.”
This lesson isn’t about collecting drills.
It’s about understanding how skis work—so you don’t need someone standing beside you every run.
The Big Idea (Said Early, On Purpose)
Andrew: “Here’s something important.
Movement without understanding doesn’t transfer very well.
But when you understand why a movement works, you can do some of the coaching yourself later.”
That’s the goal of this session.
Not “Do this because I said so.”
But: When you do this, here’s why the ski responds.
A Simple Task — With No Explanation (Yet)
Andrew: “Let’s start easy. Traverse across the hill.
Quiet upper body.
Just gently rotate your legs. Don’t worry about edging or pressure.”
No lecture. Just skiing.
They slide across the slope once… then again.
Andrew: “Okay—stop there. Let me ask you something.”
Feeling First, Explanation Second
Andrew: “Which ski felt heavier?”
Student: “The downhill one… the outside ski.”
Andrew: “Did you try to make that happen?”
Student: “No. It just kind of… showed up.”
That moment matters.
Andrew: “Exactly. You didn’t apply pressure.
You received it.”
Now the explanation ….
The WHY (Short, Clear, Memorable)
Andrew: “When you rotate your legs, the skis begin to change direction.
As they turn, they also start to edge—just a little.
Edges grip the snow.
Grip creates pressure.”
No pushing required.
Andrew: “Pressure wasn’t the goal.
It was the result.”
This is where most skiers have an “Ohhh…” moment.
Because it can reframe years of instruction.
Repeating the Task — With Understanding
They traverse again. Same movement.
This time the student skis differently—not because they’re trying harder, but because they know what they’re looking for.
Student: “I can feel it building sooner now.”
Andrew: “Right. Understanding sharpens sensation.”
Taking It Into a Turn
Andrew: “Let’s bring this into a turn.
As you start turning, gently steer and tip the skis before they point downhill.
Upper body stays quiet.”
They ski a few turns.
Andrew: “What did you notice under your outside foot?”
Student: “There was resistance… like the ski was holding me.”
Andrew: “Did you push for it?”
Student: “No. It just lined up.”
That’s the lesson.
Edge First. Direction Second.
Andrew: “Here’s the key idea:
Your turns work best when the edges are engaged early.
Once the ski grips, your balance naturally lines up against it.”
This is why our Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance Demo Team looks so effortless.
They’re not standing on the outside ski.
They’re turning in a way that makes the ski inevitable receive pressure .
Andrew: “We don’t tell great skiers to ‘use more pressure.’
We help them make movements that earn it.”
A Familiar Analogy (Because Understanding Needs Anchors)
Andrew: “Think about steering a car.
You don’t push the tire into the pavement to get grip.”
Student: “You turn the wheel.”
Andrew: “Exactly.
The suspension loads because you steered.”
Skiing works the same way.
Turn first.
The ski loads itself.
Making the Student Part of the Process
Shifting my approach and method…
Andrew: “Let me ask you something.
What do you think you changed when the ski started to grip sooner?”
The student thinks.
Student: “I started the turning earlier… and I wasn’t rushing the direction change.”
That answer matters more than any cue that Andrew could give.
Andrew: “That’s self-coaching.
And that’s what we’re after.”
Applying It Beyond This Run
Andrew: “So—if the snow gets firmer, or the slope gets steeper…
what do you change?”
Student: “Not my pushing.
My turning. Earlier edge engagement.”
The Andrew nods.
Andrew: “Now you’re thinking like a skier who can adapt.”
This is where understanding becomes freedom.
Why This Sticks When Drills Don’t
At the end of the session, then Andrew makes the philosophy explicit.
Andrew: “If you only know what to do, you’ll always need someone to tell you.
But if you understand why the ski responds, you can begin to figure things out and do some self discovery.”
That’s the difference between copying a movement and owning it.
The Truth About Pressure (Say This Out Loud)
Andrew:
“We don’t teach pressure.
We teach movements that create grip.
Grip creates pressure.
And balance responds.”
Pressure is not a command.
It’s feedback.
Take This With You
Next time you ski, ask yourself:
- “Am I creating pressure—or receiving it?”
- “Did the ski grip because I pushed… or because I turned?”
- “Did I turn my legs or tilt my skis first”? Remember, edge change before direction change.
- “What movement would change the outcome?”
Those questions matter more than any drill list.
Because when you understand WHY,
the ski starts teaching you.
And that’s when real progression begins.
