Inconsistent snow after a snowfall: here's how to start skiing

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Inconsistent snow after a snowfall: here's how to start skiing

You will undoubtedly have gone out for a day of skiing and found the landscape blanketed in snow after a snowfall.  The pistes are often groomed in the evening, so in the morning the snow on the slopes has a variable consistency and it can be difficult to adapt.  How should you behave, particularly when tackling the first run, during which we expect to do a little warm-up as well? 

Valerio Malfatto makes his first warm-up run in this video on snow that has not yet consolidated.
The advice is to start at reduced speed and make fairly tight turns to test the consistency of the snow and also activate the muscles, feeling how the ski reacts. 

In these conditions, in addition to unconsolidated snow, it is often easy to find some little balls of frozen snow and a few small patches of ice.

"Let's keep our head and shoulders well forward, nicely coordinated and ready with the pole; let's try to be reactive without worrying about technical perfection—we don't want to make a textbook short-radius turn"—these are Valerio's tips for warming up in these conditions.

The skier's goal should be to allow the feet to become accustomed to a highly variable type of snow cover and to a surface that may hold surprises. After a few dozen turns, it will be easier to find the right centered position, good pole coordination and to begin managing the skiing at higher speed.

Starting to ski on unfamiliar terrain without warming up can involve risks; you will certainly tend to adopt an incorrect posture, generally remaining slightly back.

Warming up is important; also watch this video

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