Ski Glossary

Comprehensive ski glossary with 238 skiing and snowboarding terms defined. From piste and powder to bindings and bowls - learn the language of the mountain.

A

Above treeline - Alpine terrain above the altitude where trees can grow, typically open and wind-affected.
Absorption - Using the legs to soak up terrain features like moguls and compressions so the upper body stays smooth.
Aerials - A freestyle skiing event where athletes launch off a kicker and perform flips and twists, judged on execution.
AFD - Anti-Friction Device - the slippery pad under a binding toe piece that lets the boot slide sideways cleanly during a release.
Airbag pack - A backpack containing an inflatable airbag that, when triggered, helps keep a caught skier near the surface of an avalanche.
All-mountain - Skis or boards designed to cope with the full range of resort conditions, from groomers to light powder.
Altitude sickness - Headache, nausea and fatigue caused by the lower oxygen levels at high-altitude ski resorts.
Après-ski - The post-ski social scene of mountain bars, terraces, hot tubs and parties that runs from afternoon into the night.
Avalanche - A mass of snow, ice and debris sliding rapidly down a mountainside, triggered naturally or by a skier.

B

Backcountry - Unpatrolled terrain outside a resort, accessed under human power or by helicopter/cat/sled.
Base depth - The total depth of snow measured at a fixed point on a ski resort, usually at mid-mountain.
Base elevation - The altitude at the bottom of a ski resort, where the main lift base area sits.
Base station - The bottom station of a lift, where skiers first board.
BASI - British Association of Snowsport Instructors - the UK's national body for ski and snowboard instructor qualifications.
Bib - The numbered vest worn by ski racers identifying their start number in an event.
Big Air - A freestyle discipline where riders launch a single large jump and perform the most technical aerial trick they can.
Binding - The mechanism that attaches a boot to a ski or snowboard, releasing in a fall to reduce injury.
Black run - A difficult piste, typically the steepest graded runs at a resort.
Blood wagon - Slang for the toboggan used by ski patrol to evacuate injured skiers off the mountain.
Bluebird - A cloudless, sunny day immediately after a snowfall - the ideal combination of fresh snow and clear visibility.
Blue run - An intermediate-graded piste in both European and North American systems - gentler than red/black terrain.
Boarder cross - The snowboard equivalent of skier cross - four riders racing down a terrain-feature course.
Boilerplate - Extremely icy, rock-hard snow - a step up from hardpack that only sharp edges will hold on.
Booster strap - An elasticated power strap that improves shin contact and rebound compared with a standard velcro strap.
Boot fitting - The process of modifying a ski boot's shell, liner and footbed to suit an individual's foot shape.
Boot pack - Climbing on foot with skis strapped to the pack, used where a slope is too steep or narrow to skin.
Boot sole length (BSL) - The length in millimetres of a ski boot's sole, used to set up bindings correctly.
Bowl - A wide, open, concave basin high on a mountain that fills with snow and offers broad, unobstructed skiing.
Box - A wide, flat-topped terrain park feature - typically a metal-topped wooden box - used for sliding tricks.
Breakable crust - A crust just firm enough to support a skier's weight momentarily before breaking - notoriously difficult to ski.
Bubble lift - A chairlift with a pull-down plexiglass hood that shields riders from wind and snow.

C

Cable car - A large cabin - often carrying 50+ people - suspended from fixed track cables that shuttles between two stations.
Camber - The classic ski profile where the middle of the ski arches off the snow at rest, providing edge pressure for carving.
Carpathians - A major mountain range across central and eastern Europe, home to budget-friendly ski resorts in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Carving - Turning a ski by tilting it on edge so it bends and runs along its sidecut, leaving a clean arc instead of a skid.
Cat skiing - Off-piste skiing accessed by riding a snowcat to the top of the run rather than a lift.
Cat track - A gently-graded snowcat road connecting parts of a resort, often skied as a beginner traverse between lifts.
Caucasus - The mountain range between the Black and Caspian Seas, home to growing freeride destinations like Gudauri, Krasnaya Polyana and Elbrus.
Chairlift - An aerial cable-driven lift with open or enclosed chairs suspended from a moving wire rope.
Champagne powder - Exceptionally light, dry powder snow with very low moisture content, typically 4-7% water.
Chinook - A warm, dry wind descending the lee side of the Rockies that can rapidly warm the snowpack and destabilise it.
Cliff drop - Launching off a rock band or cliff and landing on the snow below, a staple of freeride skiing.
Combined - An alpine racing format combining a slalom and a speed run, with the fastest aggregate time winning.
Cornice - A wind-formed overhang of snow that builds up on the lee side of ridges and can collapse without warning.
Cornice collapse - The sudden failure of a snow cornice, which can knock skiers off a ridge and trigger avalanches on the slope below.
Corn snow - Coarse, granular spring snow that forms when repeated melt-freeze cycles turn the surface into loose, rounded crystals.
Couloir - A steep, narrow gully or gorge carved into a mountain face, often flanked by cliffs and offering committing off-piste descents.
Crud - Tracked, wind-affected or partially consolidated snow that's lost its powder feel - variable and heavy to ski.
Crust - A hard layer on the surface of the snowpack caused by sun, wind or rain followed by refreezing.
Custom footbed - A moulded insole that supports the arch and heel inside the boot for better control and comfort.

D

Day pass - A single-day lift pass, usually the most expensive per-day option.
Death cookie - A chunk of hardened ice or snow on a piste that can catch an edge and cause a fall.
Detachable chairlift - A high-speed chairlift whose chairs detach from the haul rope in stations for slow loading and unloading.
De-tune - Dulling the very tip and tail of a ski's edges so it doesn't catch while initiating or finishing a turn.
DIN setting - The release-force value of a ski binding, set according to weight, height, boot length and ability so the binding releases in a fall.
Dolomites - A dramatic limestone range in northern Italy, home to Dolomiti Superski - the largest linked ski area in the world by number of lifts.
Dolomiti Superski - A lift-linked ski pass covering 12 resorts across the Italian Dolomites with over 1,200 km of pistes.
Double black diamond - A North American rating for the most difficult inbounds terrain, often ungroomed, steep and narrow.
Downhill - The fastest alpine ski-racing discipline, a single timed run down a dedicated course at speeds above 130 km/h.
Drag lift - Any surface lift that tows skiers along the snow rather than lifting them into the air.
Dual moguls - A freestyle discipline with two skiers racing side by side down parallel mogul courses with jumps.
Dust on crust - A thin layer of new snow over a hard crust - it looks like powder but skis like the crust beneath.

E

Edge angle - The angle ground into a ski's base and side edges - lower angles are forgiving, higher angles grip harder on ice.
Edging - The act of tilting a ski or board onto its metal edge to grip the snow.
Effective edge - The length of a ski or snowboard edge actually in contact with the snow during a carved turn.
Epic Pass - Vail Resorts' multi-resort season pass covering dozens of ski areas worldwide.
ESF - École du Ski Français - France's national ski school system, identifiable by red jackets.
Exposure - The degree to which a line carries consequences if a skier falls - cliffs, crevasses or other hazards below.
Extruded base - A ski base made by extruding molten polyethylene - cheaper and easier to repair, but slower than sintered bases.

F

Face shot - A wave of powder snow thrown into the skier's face during a deep powder turn.
Fall line - The most direct line of descent down a slope - the path a ball would roll if released.
First tracks - The first lines skied down a slope after a snowfall, before anyone has tracked it out.
FIS - Fédération Internationale de Ski et Snowboard - the world governing body for competitive skiing.
FIS points - A handicap-style scoring system that ranks ski racers globally, lower points indicating faster skiers.
Flat light - Overcast conditions that remove shadows from the snow surface, making it hard to read terrain features.
Flex index - A number from roughly 60 to 140 describing how stiff a ski boot is - higher numbers are stiffer and suit stronger, more expert skiers.
Flush - A sequence of three or more consecutive slalom gates set directly in the fall line.
Föhn - A warm, dry downslope wind in the Alps with the same mechanism as the Chinook, often triggering rapid thaws.
Fondue - A communal pot of melted cheese (or hot oil or chocolate) into which diners dip bread and other morsels.
Footrest - A bar under a chairlift's safety bar on which riders can rest their ski tips for comfort on long rides.
Freeride - A style and category of skiing focused on off-piste descents, cliff drops and big-mountain lines.
Freestyle - The style and discipline centred on tricks in terrain parks and half-pipes.
Frostbite - Freezing of skin tissue caused by prolonged exposure to cold, most common on cheeks, nose and fingers.
Funitel - A gondola with cabins suspended from two parallel cables, more stable in high winds than a single-cable gondola.

G

Gate - The paired flagged poles that mark a ski-racing course, which the racer must pass between.
Giant slalom - An alpine ski-racing discipline with widely-spaced gates and long carved turns, faster than slalom.
Glade - An area of spaced trees that can be skied, offering sheltered powder skiing and visibility in flat light.
Glühwein - German-style hot mulled wine spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange, a staple of après-ski bars in the Alps.
Gnar - Steep, dangerous, aesthetic terrain - as in 'sending the gnar'.
Goggles - Close-fitting eye protection with anti-fog lenses, rated from S0 (very low) to S4 (very sunny) for light transmission.
Gondola - An enclosed cabin lift suspended from a cable, carrying 6-15 passengers between stations.
Goofy stance - Riding a snowboard with the right foot forward.
Green run - The easiest grade of ski run, usually wide and gently sloped, suitable for beginners.
Groomed - A piste that has been tilled and smoothed by a snowcat overnight, leaving a corduroy finish.
GS ski - A stiff ski with a long turn radius designed for high-speed giant slalom carving.
Gully - A narrow, sunken drainage channel on a slope, usually steeper than the surrounding terrain.

H

Hairpin - A pair of slalom gates set straight down the fall line requiring two quick turns in close succession.
Half-pipe - A U-shaped snow channel with vertical walls used for freestyle skiing and snowboarding tricks.
Hardpack - Firm, compacted snow found on groomed runs late in the day or after a freeze, skiable but unforgiving.
Heat-mouldable liner - A boot liner designed to be heated and moulded to the skier's foot for a precise personalised fit.
Heel piece - The rear half of an alpine ski binding that holds the heel of the boot and releases vertically in a forward fall.
Heelside - The edge of a snowboard under the rider's heels, used for a toe-off-snow carving turn.
Heli-skiing - Accessing off-piste terrain by helicopter, typically in remote ranges like BC's Bugaboos or Alaska.
Helmet - A hard-shell head protector now worn by the majority of skiers and snowboarders, purpose-designed for impact and cold.
Herringbone - A beginner technique for climbing a gentle slope on skis by pointing the tips outward in a V shape.
Hourly pass - A lift pass valid for a few hours, typically offered at smaller resorts for short sessions.
Hybrid profile - A ski profile that combines camber underfoot with rocker at the tip and/or tail for versatility.
Hypothermia - A dangerous drop in core body temperature from cold, wet and wind exposure.

I

Ikon Pass - A multi-resort season pass covering 50+ destinations in North America, Europe, Japan and beyond.
Indy Pass - A budget multi-resort pass focused on small independent ski areas across North America and beyond.
Inversion - A weather phenomenon where warmer air sits above colder air, often leaving valleys foggy and upper slopes sunny.
ISIA - International Ski Instructors Association - the international federation that sets standards for ski instructor qualifications.

J

Jackson Hole - A Wyoming ski resort famed for steep, demanding terrain and the aerial tram to Rendezvous Mountain.
J-bar - A single-rider surface drag lift with a J-shaped bar that hooks behind one thigh.

K

Kicker - A purpose-built jump in a terrain park or backcountry, shaped to launch the rider into the air.

L

Last width - The width of a ski boot at the forefoot in millimetres, typically 97-104mm, dictating how narrow or roomy the fit is.
Lift maze - The snaking queue corral at the base of a lift that marshals skiers into rows for loading.
Lift pass - A ticket or card that gives a skier access to a resort's lifts for a set period, typically scanned at lift gates.
Liner - The removable padded inner of a ski boot, often heat-mouldable for a custom fit.

M

Magic carpet - A moving conveyor belt set into the snow, used on beginner slopes so novices can ride uphill standing upright.
Mandatory air - A section of a ski line where a jump is unavoidable because the terrain below is impassable on the ground.
Mid-station - An intermediate boarding and alighting point on a long gondola or chairlift.
Mogul - A bump of compacted snow formed when many skiers carve turns in the same place on a steep slope, leaving mounds and troughs.
Mogul field - A slope covered in moguls, typically found on ungroomed black runs where skier traffic has built up bumps.
Mondopoint - The ski boot sizing system based on foot length in centimetres, giving a more consistent fit than shoe sizes.
Mountain Collective - A multi-resort pass offering two days at each of 25+ independent mountains worldwide.
Multi-day pass - A lift pass valid for several consecutive days at a discount compared with day passes.

N

New snow (24hr) - The depth of fresh snow that has fallen at a resort in the last 24 hours, a key input for powder-seekers.
New snow (72hr) - The depth of fresh snow that has fallen at a resort in the last 72 hours.
Night skiing - Skiing on pistes illuminated by floodlights after sunset, common in the Alps, Japan and North America.
No-fall zone - Terrain where a fall would have serious or fatal consequences due to steepness, cliffs or obstacles.
Nursery slope - A very gentle beginner slope, usually at the base of a resort, where new skiers learn the basics.

O

Off-piste - Any skiable terrain that lies outside marked, patrolled runs - including side-country, untracked bowls and backcountry.
Ollie - A snowboard or ski trick where the rider pops into the air from the tail without a ramp.
Orange run - In some European resorts, an extreme or itinerary run that is marked but not patrolled or groomed.

P

Parallel turn - A ski turn in which both skis stay parallel throughout the arc - the goal of beginner ski progression.
Pillow line - A run down a series of snow-covered boulders or stumps that form soft, cushion-like features.
Piste - A marked, patrolled and usually groomed ski run at a resort, graded by difficulty and maintained for skiing and snowboarding.
Piste basher - A tracked grooming vehicle that tills and levels snow overnight to prepare pistes for the next day.
Piste map - A resort-issued map showing lifts, pistes, restaurants and key landmarks, with runs colour-coded by difficulty.
Piste poacher - Someone who ducks ropes and skis closed or uncontrolled terrain inside a resort boundary.
Pole plant - The rhythmic tap of the downhill pole used to time and trigger a turn.
Poma - A surface drag lift with a round disc - aka 'button' - that the skier places between the legs to be pulled uphill.
Portes du Soleil - A huge linked ski area straddling the French-Swiss border with 12 resorts including Avoriaz, Morzine and Champéry.
Pow day - A day with a significant fresh snowfall - the skiing holy grail.
Powder - Fresh, dry, light and uncompacted snow - the most sought-after condition in skiing.
Powder ski - A wide ski (typically 110mm+ at the waist) with rocker designed to float in deep snow.
Power strap - The velcro strap at the top of a ski boot cuff that closes around the shin for a snug fit.
Probe - A collapsible pole used to pinpoint a buried victim's precise location after a transceiver search.
Progression park - A beginner-friendly park area with small, low-consequence features to help skiers learn freestyle skills.
P-Tex - A brand-name polyethylene stick melted into ski base gouges to repair damage before waxing.
Pyrenees - The mountain range separating France and Spain, with major ski resorts on both sides including Baqueira Beret and Grandvalira.

Q

Quad - A four-person chairlift - one of the most common modern resort lifts.
Quarter-pipe - A single vertical wall of snow used as a launching ramp for aerial tricks, essentially one side of a half-pipe.

R

Raclette - A Swiss dish where a half-wheel of cheese is melted and scraped onto potatoes, pickles and cured meats.
Rail - A metal bar installed in a terrain park that riders slide along on the base of their skis or board.
Red run - A European rating for advanced-intermediate pistes, steeper than blues but not as committing as blacks.
Regular stance - Riding a snowboard with the left foot forward.
Restraining bar - The safety bar that pulls down across a chairlift to stop riders from falling off.
Rocker - A reverse-camber profile where the tip or tail lifts off the snow at rest, improving float in powder and forgiveness in crud.
Run rating - The colour-coded difficulty classification system used to grade ski runs, varying between Europe and North America.

S

Schuss - To ski straight down the fall line without turning, typically on flat or gentle terrain.
Scraper - A plastic blade used to remove excess hot wax from a ski base after it has cooled.
Sendy - Committing fully to a big line or feature - 'going big' without hesitation.
Shell - The rigid plastic outer of a ski boot, providing structure and transferring force to the ski.
Shovel - A lightweight collapsible snow shovel carried in the pack for avalanche rescue and snow pit tests.
Shred - Slang for skiing or snowboarding hard - 'going shredding'.
Sidecut - The hourglass shape of a ski, measured as the difference between tip, waist and tail widths, which determines its natural turn radius.
Sidestep - Climbing a slope by stepping sideways with skis perpendicular to the fall line.
Sierra cement - Heavy, wet, dense snow typical of California's Sierra Nevada - difficult to ski in quantity but excellent for bonding the snowpack.
Sintered base - A ski base manufactured by pressing and heating polyethylene granules - faster and more durable than extruded bases.
Ski - A long, narrow runner worn on each foot for gliding over snow.
Ski boot - A stiff plastic boot that transmits forces from the leg to the ski via the binding.
Ski brake - The pair of sprung arms under a ski binding that deploy to stop a released ski sliding down the mountain.
Skier cross - A head-to-head freestyle discipline where four skiers race down a course of jumps, rollers and banked turns.
Ski-in ski-out - Accommodation located directly on the piste, allowing guests to ski from the door to the lifts and back.
Skimo - Ski-mountaineering racing - a fast, lightweight discipline combining skinning, bootpacking and descending against the clock.
Skin - A strip of mohair or nylon with directional hairs that sticks to the base of a touring ski, providing grip when walking uphill.
Skin track - The uphill trail of footprints left by ski tourers, usually zig-zagging up a slope at a comfortable gradient.
Ski patrol - The professional team responsible for piste safety, avalanche control, first response and rescue at a ski resort.
Ski pole - A lightweight pole used for balance, timing turns and pushing along flats.
Ski school - A resort-based organisation that provides lessons from private beginner tuition to advanced off-piste guiding.
Ski touring - Skiing uphill using skins and lightweight bindings, then descending - the traditional way to access unlifted terrain.
Slab avalanche - An avalanche where a cohesive layer of snow breaks away as a single slab along a weak underlying layer.
Slalom - An alpine ski-racing discipline with tightly-set gates requiring short, quick turns.
Slalom ski - A short ski with a tight turn radius designed for quick, linked slalom turns.
Slopestyle - A freestyle discipline where athletes ride a course of rails, jumps and features, judged on difficulty and style.
Sluff - A loose, dry surface avalanche of unconsolidated snow - often harmless but can push a skier over terrain features.
Snake - A skier or boarder who cuts in front of others in a lift queue - poor lift-line etiquette.
Snowboard - A single wide board ridden sideways down a mountain, with the feet strapped in via bindings.
Snow cannon - A fan-type snowmaker that propels water droplets through a ring of nozzles to produce machine-made snow.
Snow garden - A fenced children's area at the base of a resort with features and lifts sized for young beginners.
Snow gun - A fixed or mobile machine that sprays water and compressed air into cold air to form artificial snow crystals.
Snowmaking - The use of snow guns and cannons to manufacture snow at a resort, supplementing natural snowfall on key pistes.
Snowpack - The total layered accumulation of snow on the ground at any given moment, made up of successive storms and weather events.
Snowplough - A wedge-shaped ski position used by beginners to control speed and make gentle turns.
Spine - A narrow, blade-like ridge of snow with steep slopes falling away on both sides, a defining feature of Alaskan big-mountain skiing.
Splitboard - A snowboard that splits lengthwise into two skis for skinning uphill and reassembles for the descent.
Spring skiing - Late-season skiing characterised by softer snow, longer days, sun and corn snow conditions.
Steeze - Style + ease - effortless, good-looking riding, especially in the park.
Stem christie - A transitional turn where the skier stems the uphill ski at the start and brings it parallel through the turn, bridging snowplough and parallel skiing.
Stone grinding - A tuning process that flattens and re-structures a ski base using a rotating grinding stone.
Structure - Microscopic grooves pressed into a ski base to break surface tension and improve glide in wet snow.
Summit elevation - The altitude of the highest lift-served point of a ski resort.
Sunburn - UV damage to the skin, amplified at altitude and by reflection off the snow - a daily hazard even in cloud.
Sunscreen - High-SPF cream worn on the face and neck to protect against intense high-altitude UV.
Super-G - Super Giant Slalom - a speed discipline between GS and downhill, with fewer turns and higher speeds.

T

Tail - The rear end of a ski or snowboard; on twin tips the tail is also upturned for backwards landings.
Tartiflette - A rich Savoyard dish of potatoes, lardons, onions and melted reblochon cheese, a classic French mountain lunch.
Tatras - The highest range of the Carpathians, shared by Poland and Slovakia, with popular resorts like Zakopane and Jasná.
T-bar - A surface drag lift with an inverted-T bar that pulls two skiers uphill by the backs of the thighs.
Telemark - A graceful free-heel skiing technique using a lunging turn where the outside ski leads and the inside knee drops.
Terrain park - A purpose-built area within a ski resort featuring jumps, rails, boxes and half-pipes for freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
The Alps - Europe's largest mountain range, spanning France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany and Slovenia - and home to more ski resorts than anywhere else on Earth.
Three Valleys - The world's largest linked ski area by piste length, in the French Alps, connecting Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens.
Tip - The upturned front end of a ski or snowboard that deflects over obstacles and initiates turns.
Toe piece - The front half of an alpine ski binding that holds the toe of the boot and releases laterally in a crash.
Toeside - The edge of a snowboard under the rider's toes, used for a heel-off-snow carving turn.
Tomahawk - A crash in which the skier or rider cartwheels end-over-end down the fall line.
Top station - The upper station of a lift where skiers disembark at the top of the ride.
Traditional camber - A ski profile with full-length camber and no rocker, delivering precise edge hold on firm snow.
Transceiver - A radio device worn by every backcountry skier that transmits a signal and can switch to receive to locate buried partners.
Transceiver check - A group procedure at the start of every backcountry day confirming every transceiver is switched on and transmitting.
Traverse - Skiing across a slope at a shallow angle rather than straight down the fall line.
Tree run - A ski descent through forest, offering wind-sheltered snow and tight turns between trunks.
Tune - Maintenance work on a ski or board - sharpening edges, filling base damage and waxing - to restore performance.
Twin tip - A ski with both tip and tail upturned so it can be ridden and landed backwards - essential for freestyle skiing.

V

Val d'Isère - A renowned French resort in the Tarentaise valley, linked with Tignes to form the Espace Killy ski area.
Vertical drop - The altitude difference between a resort's summit and base - a headline figure often quoted when comparing resorts.
Vin chaud - French hot mulled wine, the après-ski drink of choice in French ski resorts.

W

Waist - The narrowest point of a ski, measured in millimetres - a key figure for determining whether a ski is built for piste or powder.
Walk mode - A lever on touring and hybrid ski boots that unlocks cuff rotation to make walking and skinning easier.
Wax - A layer of paraffin or fluorocarbon rubbed or ironed onto the ski base to reduce friction with the snow.
Wet slab - A slab avalanche involving heavy, water-saturated snow - slow-moving but very destructive.
Whiteout - Conditions of heavy snow or cloud that reduce contrast and visibility to near zero.
Wind slab - A dense, cohesive layer of snow formed when wind deposits snow on the lee side of a slope or ridge - a classic avalanche hazard.
World Cup - The top tier of international ski racing, a season-long series of races across Alpine, Nordic and freestyle disciplines.

Y

Yard sale - A crash scattering skis, poles, goggles and gloves across the slope.