Tip #1: The Magic Carpet

Back---way back---in 1968 Magic Carpet Ride meant a catchy beat with image-evoking lyrics thanks to Steppenwolf. Nowadays, at least in snow sports, Magic Carpet often means a long belt-like platform that beginners ride up bunny hills on. I prefer to use Magic Carpet to mean what expert skiers ride downhill on, particularly in powder, crud, and moguls.

When skiing, we create our own magic carpet by managing the relative location of our feet. I picture a small carpet that is just big enough to encircle my boots and ski bindings, then hold my feet parallel and within the area of that carpet at all times. Doing so creates a platform that eases my efforts to balance, particularly while sliding across ripples and bumps or through powder and crud.

The rules are simple:  hold your feet under you with each ankle seemingly 'under' its respective hip joint. The feet may turn while the skis change direction under you, but they must always remain parallel with roughly one boot width between them when viewed downwards along the legs. Success with this tip should ease your efforts to balance and experience a 'magic carpet ride' --- Enjoy!!

Hold your feet parallel and under you for a magic carpet ride!