How to Turn and Stop on Skis, From Pizza to Parallel (2026)

Control Comes First

Turning and stopping are the same skill: your skis slow you down when they point across the hill and grip the snow with their edges. Learn the moves in this order: wedge stop, wedge turns, turning to a stop, stem turns, parallel turns, hockey stop, then carving. Each one builds on the last. New to skiing? Start with how to ski.

Turning and Stopping Methods at a Glance

The Wedge Stop (Pizza)

1. Stand in your athletic stance: ankles and knees flexed, shins against the boot tongues, hands forward.
2. Keep the tips of your skis a few inches apart and push the tails out to form a V.
3. Roll your knees slightly in so the inside edges grip.
4. Push the tails wider and press harder on the edges to slow down, until you stop.

Keep your knees apart over your feet rather than knocked together, and don't sit back. A wide wedge is tiring on the thighs, so use it on gentle slopes and learn to turn as soon as you can.

Wedge Turns

1. Glide in a narrow wedge on a gentle slope.
2. Look where you want to go.
3. Press a little more on the outside ski: the right ski to turn left, the left ski to turn right.
4. Steer with your feet and legs, keeping your upper body quiet and facing down the hill.
5. Finish each turn across the slope, then shift weight to the other ski to start the next.

Linked wedge turns let you control speed on any green run without a wide, tiring wedge.

Turn Uphill to Stop (J-Turn)

The most reliable stop at any level is simply to keep turning until your skis point across the hill and slightly uphill. Gravity slows you and you stop with almost no effort. Practice it both ways. It's also the move to use when the slope is busy and you need to stop in a controlled way at the side of the run.

Stem Turns: The Bridge to Parallel

A stem turn (often called a stem christie) mixes a wedge and parallel skis:

1. Traverse across the slope with skis parallel.
2. Push the tail of the uphill ski out into a small wedge to start the turn.
3. As you turn through the fall line, bring the inside ski in so both skis finish the turn parallel.
4. Traverse, then repeat in the other direction.

Over time, make the wedge smaller and match your skis earlier in the turn.

Sideslipping

Sideslipping lets you lose height in control on steep or narrow sections. Stand across the slope with skis parallel, then flatten your skis slightly by rolling your knees away from the hill so you slide sideways. Roll them back into the hill to grip and stop. It's also a great drill for learning edge control.

Parallel Turns

1. Ski with feet about hip-width apart, ankles and knees flexed, hands forward.
2. Look toward the next turn and lightly touch your downhill pole in the snow to time it.
3. Release your edges by flattening your skis, then roll both skis onto their new edges together.
4. Press on the outside ski and guide both skis around, keeping them parallel.
5. Finish the turn across the hill before starting the next.

Speed control in parallel turns comes from turn shape: the longer you stay across the hill before changing edges, the slower you go. If you get too fast, drop back into a wedge.

The Hockey Stop

1. Ski straight down a gentle slope at moderate speed with skis parallel.
2. Unweight slightly, then pivot both skis quickly across the slope by turning your feet and legs.
3. Sink your knees and roll your edges into the hill so the skis bite.
4. Keep your upper body facing down the hill and your weight slightly on the downhill ski.

Hockey stops are hard at very slow speeds, when you don't have enough momentum to pivot. Learn them on an empty, gentle slope and practice both directions, since most people have a stronger side.

Skidded vs Carved Turns

Learning to Carve

1. Traverse on edges: on a gentle groomer, tip your skis on edge and traverse across the slope, trying to leave two thin lines.
2. J-turns: point down the hill briefly, then tip onto edges and let the skis carve uphill to a stop.
3. Railroad tracks: on easy terrain, roll your knees and ankles side to side to make long, shallow turns on edge without twisting the skis.
4. Add angle gradually: tip the skis further as you get comfortable, keeping your upper body quieter than your legs.

Carving is easier on modern shaped skis with a shorter turn radius; see best skis.

Drills to Get From Wedge to Parallel

Choosing the Right Stop

• Gentle slope, low speed: wedge.
• Busy run: turn uphill to the side of the trail and stop where you're visible from above.
• Need to stop quickly at moderate speed: hockey stop.
• Steep or icy patch: sideslip, or traverse and turn uphill.
• Too fast and out of control: turn across the hill rather than trying to straightline.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

Safety While You Practice

• Practice on gentle, uncrowded terrain where you can see and be seen.
• Stop at the side of the run, never below a rise or in a narrow spot.
• Look uphill before starting again; skiers below you have the right of way.
• Wear a helmet; see ski helmets.
• Take a lesson when you hit a plateau; a few pointers usually unlock parallel turns.

Gear That Makes It Easier

Snug, well-fitted boots transmit your movements to the skis, so loose rental boots make turning much harder; see how to choose ski boots. Shorter, softer skis are easier to turn while you learn; check the ski size chart. And the right pole length helps you time turns with a pole touch.

Next steps: explore types of skiing, and see what to wear in what to wear skiing.

Frequently Asked Questions