Ice! Am I doing this right?

Okay, so you're tootling downhill, linking nice little parallel turns, and all of a sudden the old favourite ICE rears its ugly head. I seem to be able to handle it fairly well, but is my technique corrct?
Sequence is this: Initiate turn on nice surface by even loading skis, a little edge to start the turn, weight central. Increase inner edge bite to make the turn. Half way round the turn there's the familiar sound of ice, and the edges start to slip. Bring knees more uphill, bend knees more than normal, increasing edge angle, consciously keep weight central, or slightly forward of centre, equal pressure on uphill edges of both skis. Increase edge bite if needed to stop or reduce side slip. Once turn complete, unload edges, equal weight on both skis, initiate next turn.
It seems to work okay for me, and apart from the awful noise I can keep a fairly steady rhythm.
The "Face" at Val D'Isere was the training ground for this technique...is it ever not icy?
Obviously all technique goes out of the window when caught on the hop...then it's just a case of brown trousers, swear, lock body and legs in terror, and wait for grip....but we've all been there...haven't we? :(

The main thing is not to panic and stay calm, either flatten the ski bases to the ice or if your more experienced just ski over the blasted stuff on your edges.
Years ago I used to be terrified by the stuff but as you get more experienced you learn that ice is your friend. :thumbup:

You used the "Face" to teach yourself how to ski on Ice?????

'Nuff respect - you have the Cahoonas!

8)

Didn't intentionally use the Face.....it just happened that way....it's the most awful piste; steep, icy, usually littered with bodies of the fallen.... mind you, that tight steep gulley towards La Daille is on even par with it when it comes down to bodies....now that is truly awful!

I've never had the bottle to try the Face - as you say always icy and full of bodies

The gully into La Daille? - do you mean the last drop of the Ok/Orange runs?

worst thing round there is the Green run - if that's a beginners way down then I'll eat my jacket, gloves and sallos as well as my (obligatory bobble) hat!

Maybe you're right...it was a nice wide steep run which ran very quickly into a narrow steep gulley full of lumps and downed skiers...by narrow I mean sort of twenty feet or so....and steep sided, funelling everyone into the middle....mayhem....

Sounds fine to me if it works for you Ratty

The key bit of what you said is: 'consciously keep weight central, or slightly forward of centre, equal pressure on uphill edges of both skis.'

People get into trouble when they lean into the hill and the edges can no longer bite.

The Face isn't always icy. I've also skied it with perfect 8 inch deep fluffy snow on it. Incredible.