The “pencils at your ankles”: the brilliant metaphor for truly feeling the edge

Imagine having two double-ended pencils passing through your ankles, with one tip pointing right and one pointing left. Every time you make a turn, you should imagine: 

• making the pencils on one side write

• then “lifting them off the paper”

• and making those on the other side write

Writing means tilting your feet and loading the edge, until you imagine tearing the paper with how forcefully you are carving into it.

This visualization helps you:

• focus properly on edge engagement

• make the transition from one turn to the next clearer

• develop sensitivity and precision even at low speeds

You can try it first on flat terrain and then on steeper slopes, always keeping the idea in mind: now the pencils on the left are writing, now the ones on the right.

A simple, immediate and surprisingly effective metaphor for finding continuity, grip and control in your skiing.
Try it on the snow… and let your “pencils” really carve into the track.