How to ski backwards

Ever looked in awe at a skier pointing the wrong way down the slope, facing and talking to the people come down the slope? Well then this is for you…

Skiing backwards or ‘riding switch’ is easier than you think, especially when you own a pair of twin tips.

Here is our guide to skiing backwards and a superb video from the BBC. Enjoy!

Skiing switch is not that dissimilar to skiing forwards, the scariest bit being that when you switch your weight to turn you will be skiing blind and looking back up the hill.

1) Start off on a nice gentle slope and get up a bit of speed – it’s easier with speed

2) As you come to do a turn look on the outside rather than the inside of the turn.

3) It’s important to keep the skis parallel rather than snowplow and to keep moving, it gets harder the slower you go.

4) Keep your weight in the middle of the skis – this will make those all important turns much easier.

5) Make sure you look where you’re going! you don’t want to go ploughing into some other skier when you’re showing off!