For four years, Kenneth Nance served as executive vice president of Fastenal in Winona, MN. Former Winona, MN, executive Kenneth Nance enjoys skiing and other active hobbies in his free time.

For the beginner skier, learning to come to a stop safely and efficiently is an indispensable skill. The first method that most skiers learn is the snow plow stop, in which the skier shifts his or her weight to the inside of the skis and turns the front ends of his or her skis toward each other. The skier must take care not to allow the tips of the skis to cross, as this can lead to a loss of balance.

Skiers who have mastered the snow plow stop and are beginning to learn to turn can use this skill to perfect a second kind of stop. Instead of making a turn that ends with the skis pointing down the slope, a skier can keep turning until the tips point slightly up the hill. This slows the skier down and can help him or her to come to a stop, given enough space below.

Ultimately, however, the skier will likely progress to use the parallel or “hockey” stop. This is the most popular method of turning on skis but does require the skier to be able to travel with skis side by side. 

To stop from this position, the skier shifts his or her weight onto one ski and allows the skis to turn perpendicular to the slope, though the body continues to face downhill. The skier can then lean upward along the slope to push the uphill edges of the ski into the snow, which reduces the skier's speed.

As the skier approaches a stop, he or she brings the weight back onto both skis, so as to retain balance. Skiers may eventually be able to place some weight on the uphill ski, so as to stop more quickly.