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Skiing and snowboarding aren’t just sports – they’re a way of life. And like any lifestyle, they have their own lingo. So to help you feel at home on the slopes without any language barriers, we’ve prepared a ski dictionary to understand what’s going on, keep up with the conversations or simply expand your skiing vocabulary.
Ski slang
Backcountry
Wild terrain out-of-bounds of a ski resort.
Backflip
A backward somersault in the air.
Black Diamond
A steep black-diamond ski run with an inclination of 40% or more.
Warning! For advanced skiers only.
Blue Bird
Perfect weather marked by a clear blue sky.
Bombing (not recommended)
Flying down a slope at high speed.
Carve turns
Ski with clean, defined turns.
Conduroy
A freshly groomed piste with a distinct textured surface – perfect for Fresh Track.
French Fries
American term for skiing with skis parallel to one another to increase speed.
Full
A flip with a full twist (360 degrees).
Example: “That trick was spot-on – nailed the flip and landed like a pro.”
Gnar
An intense level of skiing excitement.
Example: “That was gnarly!” = amazing!
Hit the deck
Landing on a jump before the intended landing area.
Piste
Ski run or slope.
Pizza
Snowplough, i.e. a position where ski tips are brought together and the skis are in a V-shape. The basic position that every beginner learns to control speed and stop safely.
Powder, pow pow
Fresh, untouched snow.
Example: “Mate, the powder is so deep you’ll get completely buried.”
Stoked
A skier who’s thrilled, pumped up, or buzzing with excitement.
Switch
Skiing backwards, with the back facing downhill and skis pointed in reverse.
White-out
Very poor visibility caused by heavy snowfall or thick fog.
Example: “Skiing in that white-out was a total fail.”
Ski terms
Après-ski
A French term literally meaning “after skiing”; activities and entertainment after a day on the slopes.
Carving
A type of alpine skiing where turns are made by “carving” edges into the snow without skidding.
Code of Conduct
The internationally recognised rules of conduct on the ski slopes.
Freeride
Skiing natural mountain terrain off the groomed and marked pistes.
Freestyle
A style of skiing with jumps, tricks and obstacles.
Ski-in/Ski-out
Accommodation where ski pistes are literally on the doorstep.
Traverse
A connector between two ski slopes.
