How to Butter on Skis

There are thousands of tricks to learn on skis -- just learning the nomenclature could take up weeks of your life. Most tricks also come with optional extras like grabs to make things that much harder for you to master. Buttering is an additional maneuver to master and though it takes a bit of patience to learn, once you've mastered it it can actually make other tricks easier, as it gives you a bit of extra lift to help you on the jump.

Things You'll Need

  • Stiff skis
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ski towards a bump that you can jump from. Curve in towards it at a slight angle. Begin to shift your weight onto your toes and bend slightly at the knees and ankles.

    • 2

      Tighten your turn. As you near the crest of the bump, pop slightly from the heels and spin at the waist in the direction you are turning. Spin in the air until you are facing back up the slope. Keep the tips of the skis pointed down onto the snow.

    • 3

      Shift your weight right forward so you are pressing down onto the tips of the skis. You should be able to feel the skis compress as they take your weight.

    • 4

      Continue spinning as you do this. When the skis are tightly bent, jump back and complete the turn in the air. Absorb the impact of the landing through your knees.