How to Do a Rail Slide on Snow Skis

Doing a rail slide with skis takes is challenging since your feet aren't fixed to a single object, as they are on a snowboard. Balance and timing will serve you well when you attempt this trick, one you can accomplish with practice. Be sure to wear your safety gear when skiing, especially if you're going to rail slide.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Approach the rail with some speed. The amount of speed will vary according to the height of the rail. For shorter rails, you don't need as much speed to do a rail slide on skis as you would a taller rail.
2. Keep your feet about a shoulders-width apart. Hold your hands low and out in front of you for balance.
3. Aim for the ramp that should be located before the rail.
4. Pop off the ramp's lip and angle your skis 90 degrees, so they're sideways on the rail. Focus on the end of the rail. You don't want your momentum to stop once you're on top of the rail with your skis, so commit to reaching the end of the rail and beyond.
5. Apply more pressure to the foot that's in front while you're sliding. Keep your feet about shoulders-width apart. Stay balanced by keeping your hands out and forward and your center of gravity low.
6. Slide off the rail and turn your skis so they face front. Make the dismount, part of the slide. Keep your eyes on where you want to land so the slide and dismount are smooth.
7. Practice doing the rail slide with snow skis on shorter rails until the pop, slide and dismount become fluid. Once you get the moves down, gradually increase the height of your rails. Remember to increase speed to mount the rail.