From the book: A Weekend Warrior's Guide to Expert Skiing

Skiing powder is just not that hard. Most skiers’ anxiety about skiing powder stems from not recognizing that they need to do just a few things differently. You cannot approach powder using the same techniques you use to ski groomed slopes. Because powder has a softer and more fluid consistency than packed snow, it is imperative that you use a specific set of techniques to account for this difference. Let’s start by making a list of what you need to do to ski powder effectively, and then we can talk about each one individually.

Tips and Techniques for Good Powder Skiing    

Use All-Mountain or Powder Skis. Start with the Half Turn to a Check. Ski With Your Knees Glued Together. (not literally), and never let those legs come apart. Use Speed and Pressure to Turn in Powder. You need to be a bit more aggressive in powder. Stay Centered Fore and Aft On Your Skis. Do not sit back! Distribute Your Weight (More) Evenly Over Both Skis. Place 55 - 60% of your weight on the outside ski. With your skis weighted more evenly you create a platform to ski on. Become an Advanced Powder Skier. Learn the Float and Sting technique.

Powder Skiing Video   Play   This is a large file, please be patient.

           Discussing these elements separately will allow you to see how each contributes to creating a great foundation for powder skiing. Doing these seven things correctly is all it takes for you to shred powder. It is total fun, but you must be like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: You have to believe you can do it (skiing powder that is; not getting back to Kansas).  Allow these seven tips to take you to the realm of the expert powder skier. Clicking your heels together; however, won’t be necessary. To help you become a successful powder skier, we will supply you with some magic of our own at the end of this chapter. It is a list of tips on how to safely ski powder, enabling you to learn without fear.  This is an excerpt from the book. For more information on powder skiing see Chapter 14.