MASTERING THE DOWNHILL U TURN
This is one of my favorite things to teach people in clinics because it’s so useful when you are in the backcountry. We have all been in a situation where you are going downhill and need to instantly go back uphill. Either you’re trying to avoid a situation or you can save a ton of time by not having to go all the way down the mountain to turn your sled around to just come back uphill from where you just came from.
When I teach this move, I generally find a hill that isn’t very steep for riders to learn on. The more advanced you get, the steeper faces you can try on. To start practicing this move find a very mellow hill, something that you are not going to continuously slide down very easily. Pay attention to your body positioning. Remember to transfer your weight and get your center of mass over your sled.
To turn uphill to your left, get on the left side of your sled. Put your right foot in the front of your running board with your left foot out. Counter steer your sled (turn the skis all the way to the right) while applying the brake to allow your sled to get on its edge. At this point your sled should be on its side, your right foot still on the front of your running board and your left leg in the snow for an anchor.
Remember to always look ahead and where you want to go. To turn back uphill you are going to need a lot of throttle. Once the sled starts to come around remember to ease up on the steering and use your skis to help balance so you don’t do a complete circle and fall over.
Don’t let off the throttle and remember to bring your right leg back over so you’re in riding position when going up the hill.