THE TAO OF POW

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 21, 2007 by DAVE PHILIPPS,

Powder is Nirvana for skiers -- the fullest state of existence, always chased but never totally grasped.

"Powder snow skiing is not fun. It's life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality," said Colorado writer Dolores LaChapelle.

It's the feeling of flying free and fast. It's glorious. At least it is if you know how to ski powder. If not, it's like being a toddler wallowing through icy quicksand. No matter what you do, you just can't stay up.

Like every toddler, the key to staying upright and moving is to practice, and, according to Monarch Mountain ski school director Jack Sciacca, you don't need a powder day to learn the basics that will teach you how to fly.

"Half of it is confidence, and half of it is some skills you can practice anywhere," he said on a recent knee-deep day at the mountain. "Once you have the skills, you'll gain the confidence and it will come naturally."

Here are his tips for reaching the next plane.

PLOW THROUGH THE POWDER 1

Turn from the hips down: Ski with legs hips-width apart, legs slightly bent, even weight on both skis, and your upper body facing down the fall line. Focus on turning your skis by rotating your legs (see the practice without powder drill on Life 3). 2

Leave turns unfinished: Never bring your skis fully across the hill at the finish of a turn. It makes it hard to start the next turn and increases the chance of being

tripped up by a snow pile. Instead, dive right into your next turn, gently rolling over to the skis' other edge while keeping ski tips pointed downhill. 3

Use powder to brake: Powder naturally slows skis, meaning you can ski steeper slopes with fewer turns and not speed out of control. Steer toward piles of powder to brake. 4

Go with gravity: Momentum will keep your skis from sinking, making turns easier. Just like when riding a bike, momentum equals stability. Go too slow and it's

hard to stay up. Find the right speed and you'll feel at ease.

HELPFUL HINTS

Get up in powder 1. Place your skis across the fall line, downhill from you. 2. Scoot your skis up until they are almost underneath you. 3. In really deep powder, where poles can't touch bottom, grab both poles together at the center of their shafts, place pole shafts flat on snow and use them to push yourself up.

Find your lost ski 1. If you're skiing with a friend, have her start from the point where you fell. Work your way up as your friend works down. 2. Drag your pole side to side through the powder, feeling for the ski.

3. Sometimes skis can travel unseen under the powder. If you don't find your ski between where you fell and where you stopped, continue searching directly below on the fall line.

Watch for hidden hazards 1. Ridges on top of the snow can mean wind crust; prepare for a jarring stop.

2. Slight bumps can mean stumps or rocks; steer clear. Lay off the poles: Keep poles out in front of you, using just the slightest tap of the pole for timing at the start of each turn. If you're relying on poles for balance, you'll run into trouble when they can't touch bottom in deep snow.

Ski with the times: Old-fashioned skis were long, skinny and straight. To turn in powder, they required skiers to hop like bunnies. New, wide, shaped skis don't need much of a hop. A slight knee bend when changing edges is usually enough.

The real secret? Powder skis

No need to own several pairs of skis. Just rent when the big dump comes. c Monarch: You can rent some serious fatties, including the K2 Pontoon (130 mm underfoot), and huge telemark skis too, $25 c Wolf Creek: $21 c Summit County: Alpine Sports, in Breckenridge, AlpineSportsRental.com, $40 c Vail: Vail Ski Tech, vailskitech.com, $20

Practice powder skiing without powder

Taking time to master keeping even weight on your feet and rotary turning will make you an ace when the big snow comes. The rotary motion makes turns quick and easy, even in crud. The even weighting keeps skis together in deep snow. 1. Pick a groomed, open green with a gentle pitch. 2. Point skis downhill, making sure to keep even weight on your feet. 3. While keeping hips and shoulders facing downhill, gradually rotate legs to the right so that skis are across the hill. 4. Gently slide to a near stop. If you begin traveling across the hill or come to an abrupt halt, you're using too much edge pressure. Ease off. 5. Before coming to a complete stop, rotate skis back downhill and slowly rotate legs to the left. 6. Repeat the exercise until if feels smooth and easy. EXPERT ADVICE

Take a lesson on a powder day:

Sign up for an advanced intermediate lesson on an epic snow day. You'll not only get great tips and a tour from someone who really knows the mountain, you'll get to cut the lift line.

TROUBLESHOOT

Problem: You continually fall to your uphill side.

Fix: You're leaning back too much. Focus on keeping your upper body facing downhill, with weight over the balls of the feet.

Problem: One ski keeps getting hung up in the powder, or skis go different directions.