Do you ride goofy?Air Jumping, putting some air under your snowboard.
Alpine Skiing Downhill skiing typically using chairlifts to get up to higher ground for descents.
Après-Ski After a long day on the slopes this is the social scene back at the resort, whether it be around the log fire at your chalet, out at a restaurant, bar or party or maybe in an outdoor Jacuzzi.
Base The average depth of snow on a mountain.
Betty A female snowboard rider.
Bindings The equipment that keeps the ski or boarding boots attached to the skis/snowboard.
Board Park Area set aside in a resort for practicing snowboard tricks.
Bomber A person who skis too fast or out of control.
Carving A tight turn made with the edge of the ski or snowboard.
Cross-country skiing Skiing on a flat, snowy surface using the body for momentum and resistance.
Downhill skiing Gravity-induced skiing down a mountain.
Edging Controlling turns with the edge of your skis.
Fakie Riding a snowboard backwards.
Fall line The most direct route down the mountain, often involuntarily taken.
Freestyle A type of riding that involves doing tricks and jumping – usually performed on a half pipe or in a board park.
Glade skiing The tricky art of skiing between trees.
Goggles Essential protective eye wear used to guard against ultraviolet rays, wind, and snow.
Goofy foot Riding with the right foot forward.
Grab A trick where the rider, while in mid-air reaches down and grabs the snowboard.
Grind To ride on an object like a ledge with the edges making contact.
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Half-pipe A U-shaped structure used to perform snowboard tricks by travelling back and forth from wall to wall.
Heelside The edge of the snowboard that your heels sit on.
High season Usually from February to early March. During this time, lift tickets and hotels are more expensive.
Hot dog A person who takes jumps off small cliffs and performs tricks on skis.
Jibbing A trick of momentarily riding on or hitting obstacles like fences, tree stumps etc.
Kick turn An easier option for beginners turning on steep slopes.
Lateral bullet A skier who is skiing out of control across the slopes.
Leash A cable used to connect the snowboard to the boot – stops the board sliding away.
Mashed potatoes Mushy, wet snow.
Milk run The first run of the day.
Moguls Mounds and lumps of snow generally on very steep slopes, some natural and others created by skiers.
Nordic skiing Cross-country skiing.
Nose-grab Grabbing the front of the snowboard during a jump.
Off-piste Designated off-trail areas that are ungroomed, unpatrolled, and usually unsafe.
P-Tex A type of plastic used to make the base of most snowboards.
Parallel turn A turn in which the skis are kept parallel to each other.
Piste French word for trail and a groomed area of the slope.
Powder Freshly fallen snow, ungroomed snow.
Poma A surface lift straddled by skiers, with a plastic disc to sit on. Also known as a button lift.
Parabolic skis Also called hourglass skis or shaped skis. They are designed to give speed and control, responding to the slightest pressure.
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Regular Riding with the left foot forward on the snowboard.
Rider A snowboarder.
Rope tow A moving rope that skiers grab to be towed up the mountain.
Ruts Tracks created by over-skiing that can make for treacherous skiing conditions.
Schuss To ski straight down the hill.
Slalom A race that combines downhill speed with technical ability. The course is marked with gates that are not in a straight line, so the skier has to make a whole series of quick turns while racing down the slope.
Snowpark An area of piste created for freestyle boarders and skiers, largely to do tricks
Snowplow A popular beginner technique for stopping and turning. The front tips of the skies almost touch, while the back tips are bowed outwards.
T-Bar A T-shaped rope tow on which two skiers balance in sitting positions and are pulled to the top. Also known as a drag lift.
Tail The rear edge or end of a snowboard.
Telemark Type of downhill turn and style of turning typically involving one ski slid forward and a distinctive forward bent knee position.
Tip The front edge or end of a snowboard.
Toeside The edge of the board that your toes sit on.
Traverse To ski across the mountain rather than down.
Two-Planker Another term for a skier
Wasted Bumpy or kinked terrain. Very unpleasant for snowboarders.
Warped Getting sprayed with snow when someone stops right near you.
White out Poor visibility due to a combination of fog and snow. Usually occurs at high altitudes.
Wish Bone When a boarder snaps their board
Yard sale A fall that leaves skis, snowboard, gloves, goggles etc in various places on the mountainside.
