| Alpine Skiing |
Downhill skiing. |
| Apres-ski |
The nightlife following a day of skiing. |
| Base |
1. Average depth of snow on the mountain. 2. The bottom of the mountain where the lodge is. Example: Base Lodge |
| Bunny slope |
The area where beginners are taught. |
| Carving |
Making turns while the edges of your skis or snowboard are cutting into the snow. |
| Catching an edge |
When the edge of your ski or snowboard accidentally digs into the snow. Usually resulting in a fall or a near fall. (Happens to the best of them) |
| Catching some air |
After riding over a small hill or mogul, your skis or snowboard come off of the ground. |
| Cruising |
Making a long run at less than breakneck speed. |
| Fall line |
The straightest and steepest line down any slope. |
| Gaper |
A person who stops on the slopes to look at the views. |
| Glade skiing |
Special trails for skiing through the trees. |
| Goofy |
Right foot forward on a snowboard |
| Granular surface |
Granules look similar to rock salt, usually formed after a powder snow thaws, re-freezes and crystallizes; or an accumulation of sleet. Loose granular also may characterize surface conditions produced by machine conditioning of frozen granular or icy surfaces. |
| Head wall |
The area on top of the mountain where you are just about to come down the slope usually at the start of a black diamond. |
| Heli-skiing |
Skiing that can only be reached by helicopter. Not available at Belleayre Mountain. |
| Mashed potatoes |
Wet, heavy snow. |
| Milk run |
The first run of the day. |
| Moguls |
Mounds of snow (aka - bumps) |
| Off-trails |
In most cases, they are places that you should not be, such as closed, ungroomed, and unpatrolled slopes. If you are caught skiing or boarding on a closed trail, Ski Patrol will clip your ticket and ask you to leave. |
| Parabolic skis |
Shaped or hourglass skis. |
| Pizza |
See Snowplow |
| Powder |
Light, ungroomed snow. |
| Schussing |
Skiing straight downhill, often in a full tuck. (Not usually recommended). |
| Snowplow |
Also referred to as wedge. It is one of the first ways we learn to stop. It is when your ski tips are almost touching forming a triangular shape (aka - Pizza). Also the piece of machinery that clears the roads after a snowfall so we can get to the mountain. |
| Terrain park |
An area maintained by a resort which is full of jumps and/or a halfpipe, rails, and other obstacles. |
| Wedge |
See snowplow. |
| Yard sale |
A wipeout fall in which skis, poles, hat, goggles, sunglasses, mittens, and anything else you may have on your person ends up strewn along the mountain side. |
Glossary of Ski Terms
