At a command to stand at “attention”, the skiers stand tall with locked knees and straight backs. At a command to stand “at ease”, they relax their knees and let their upper body slouch.

The skiers roll onto the balls of their feet until the heels of their feet are about to lift off the ground. They then roll onto their heels until their toes lift against the inside of their boots. Next they do the “Teeter-Totter”, rocking back and forth from the balls of their feet to their heels.

The skiers reach for the sky, first going up on their tiptoes, and then settling back on both feet at the same time.

The skiers press their shins against the tongues of their ski boots, experimenting with the use of both slight and strong pressure as they squat down. This exercise teaches them the difference between a knee and an ankle bend. When skiers have mastered this activity, they can try it using one leg/ski at a time.

The skiers jump into the air (on their skis) and land softly in a balanced position.

The skiers first stand tall on one leg/ski, and then relax it, letting it slump into a flexed position at the ankle and knee. Alternate legs.

The skiers pop/spring off one leg, which is bent, and then land on it. Alternate legs.

Each letter represents a stretch or activity. Have the participants guess the next letter and/or activity:

• J Jump and reach for the sky three times.

• A Arch your back, in all directions, three times.

• C Crouch and stand five times.

• K Kick each leg out slowly to the front and back, three times each side.

• R Reach to the left and right extending far enough to pull your opposite leg off the ground - five times each side.

• A Achilles tendon stretch – slide your right ski forward and bend your knee parallel to the ground. Keep your left leg straight with your ankle locked. Repeat with the other leg.

• B Bounce on your toes fifteen times.

• B Bend like a tree - left side, front, right side.

• I Itch – scratch each shoulder.

• T Tips - touch the tips of your skis with your hands.

The skiers extend one leg/ski rearward and off the snow while bending forward at the waist. They then move the same leg/ski forward, without weighting it, and return their upper body to an upright position. Repeat with the opposite leg.

The skiers lift one ski and then the other off the snow so that the “poison peanut butter” (i.e. the snow), doesn’t stick to their skis. The coach encourages the skiers to keep moving by saying “quick, don’t let the peanut butter stick!”

These movements are the basis of the Side Step and Star Turn. They follow on from the “Poison Peanut Butter” exercise above. This exercise should be introduced on packed snow, but it can also be practised in deeper snow when the skiers are ready for the challenge. Another option is to set several ski tracks parallel to each other. To begin with, have the ski poles lying on each side of the skier, parallel to their skis. The skiers step over the poles going first in one direction, and then the other. As the skiers gain competence, several poles can be lined up for them to step over, or they can be placed farther apart to require a longer step. The skiers can also try to jump over the poles with both feet.

Two skiers (partners) face each other, standing on their skis with their feet wide apart for solid balance. One ski is placed between the partner’s skis, with the tips reaching behind the partners’ heels. The skiers can improve their balance and agility skills by trying to push their partner off balance.

Skiers form a line, one after the other, with about two metres between each. The skier at the end of the line weaves between the other skiers until he/she comes to the front of the line and then becomes the new leader. For advanced skiers, this exercise can be practised with all the skiers moving slowly forward while the skier from the end of the line is trying to weave forward to the front of the group. Variations can be done on the flat, on a slight downhill, or by skiing around other skiers or other objects.

The skiers descend a slight incline using rubber knees and ankles to help absorb bumps.

While skiing down a gentle slope, the skiers alternate between touching the tips and tails of their skis with their hands.

The skiers descend a slight slope, exerting pressure on the tongues of their boots by bending their legs slightly. They alternate between putting a lot of pressure on the tongues (slide small) and a little pressure (slide tall). Challenge the skiers to touch the ground and lift their arms in the air while coming down the hill. Ask them to throw their mitts in the air and catch them while coming down the hill. Then ask them to catch a glove and throw it back to you (the coach) when they get to the bottom of the hill.

While skiing down a gentle slope, the skiers hop, lifting their ski tails and leaving their tips on the snow.

While skiing down a gentle slope, the skiers first lie back on their skis. Next they practise squatting on their skis until they almost touch the snow with the seat of their pants.

Using their poles, the skiers practise a small upward and forward jump, tucking their knees up towards their chest.