Ski slang guide

Walk around any ski resort, and we guarantee you’ll hear shouts of ‘Yew!’, ‘It’s nuking!’, and ‘Dude, it’s only a partial tear – my DINS were too low, and I double-ejected!” Scratching your head trying to translate ski lingo into, well, everyday words? 

We say don’t fight it – go with the flow instead! You see, skiers have their own language. It’s a buildup of expressions, terminology, and nuances formed over time. And don’t worry – this vocab is super easy to learn – especially with our stripped-down ski dictionary. 

So, uninstall Duolingo and prep yourself for mountain life (the best life!) with our ski slang guide. Trust us – it won’t be long before you know the difference between ‘laps’ and ‘lines’ and ‘puking’ versus ‘nuking’. Oh, and once you’ve nailed your new slang, how about securing your new look? Check out our epic range of ski pants for women and ski pants for men.

How to understand ski lingo

Ski slang can be overwhelming when starting out. So, to make things easier, we’ve split the lingo into categories based on where you’ll most likely hear them. Just remember, this isn’t every phrase you’ll ever hear in a ski resort. Still, it’s an excellent base to learn from before becoming 100% fluent in ‘ski’.   

Resort slang

This is the general slang you’ll hear around the resort – from the lift lines to the lines for the bar. So, let’s dive into them (alphabetically, of course). 

ACL

Your ‘ACL’ is short for anterior cruciate ligament, a key ligament connecting your thigh bone to your shin bone. That might seem like a random phrase in a ski slang guide, but trust us – you’ll definitely hear these three simple letters in a ski resort. That’s because, unfortunately, a partial or complete ACL tear is a common ski injury, often requiring surgery. However, it’s also, weirdly, a skiing badge of honor. Stick around at a ski resort long enough, and you’ll feel left out if you haven’t snapped your ACL. 

Après

This is short for après-ski (French for ‘after ski’) and encompasses anything that happens once you’re out of your bindings. That could be your classic ‘après’ scene (drinking ski shots and dancing on tables), mosh-pitting to live music with pitchers of beer, or chilling in your chalet’s hot tub. 

Basket

The round or star-shaped plastic piece at the end of your ski pole. 

Bluebird

Every skier’s dream day: blue skies, sunshine, and (ideally) fresh snow. 

Dump

An epic-sized load of fresh snow. If you look outside and say, “It’s dumping!” you can guarantee grins from other riders at the thought of untracked powder on the mountain. And if a bluebird follows, well, that’s the epitome of heaven. 

Flat light

When the light is ‘flat,’ so there’s little shadow or contrast between parts of the terrain. This makes it difficult to tell what’s a bump, dip, or roller and what isn’t. However, goggles with flat light lenses can heighten contrast to help visibility (also known as ‘vis’).

Gnarly

Something extreme, challenging, or sketchy. For example: “She recovered from a gnarly bail on a gnarly section.”. However, ‘gnarly’ can signify respect or that something’s awesome. For example, you can take on (and conquer) a ‘gnarly face’ or show off your ‘gnarly scars’ from your multiple ACL surgeries. 

Laps

Found a slope you love? Lap it! This typically involves jumping on a chair/gondola, charging down the run, and repeating. Ski laps of your favorite run or the entire mountain. Alternatively, experience park laps, spring laps, powder laps, slush laps, and more. The list is endless! 

Line

Your chosen route down a slope, face, or the whole mountain. It’s most commonly used by freeriders when selecting their safest line down (i.e., avoiding features such as crevasses and cliffs). Terrain parks have ‘jump lines’, too. These are routes made of jumps – and often categorized by ability level. There’s also the ‘fall line’ – where you point your ski tips straight down the mountain. 

Planks

Slang for skis. 

Puking

When it’s snowing a lot (similar to ‘it’s dumping!’). You might also hear the term ‘nuking’, a level up from puking. This is used to describe serious snowfall – such as an amount that buries campervans and results in multiple avalanche blasts by ski patrol. The plus side, though, is you’ll have freshies for weeks (we’ll get onto what that means in a sec)! 

Quiver

Your collection of skis – aka your pride and joy. Skiers will sometimes have multiple skis for different conditions, such as park skis, powder skis, touring skis, etc. 

Ripping 

Skiing at a high skill level – and often fast. You can also use the word ‘shredding’. 

Shovel

The upturned part (‘nose’) of your skis. You’ll also hear ‘shovel’ used when skiing off-piste. This is about your avalanche safety kit, including a shovel, probes, and avalanche transceiver/beacon. 

Stoked

Slang for incredibly excited or thrilled. 

Vert

Short for ‘vertical’: the change in elevation between the top and bottom of a trail or slope. The higher the ‘vert’, the higher the chance of thigh-burn. 

Whiteout

Low visibility (‘vis’) because of cloud or snowfall – basically the opposite of a bluebird. If it’s impossible to see your hand in front of your face, head for the trees where the visibility often improves. 

XC

Short for cross-country/Nordic skiing.

Piste slang

Cruising the groomers? Claiming the corduroy? Charging endless laps? You’re bound to hear slang on the slopes, on the chair, and in the slopeside pitstops. So, here are our top picks. 

Backseat rider

A skier who skis in the ‘backseat’ position – i.e., leans too far back as though they’re sitting down. This throws your balance off and kills your legs. So, lean forward and make sure your shins always touch the front of your ski boots. 

Chatter

The vibration rattling through your skis when riding fast. 

Core shot

Extreme damage to your ski base – so much so that it scrapes through the protective layer and exposes the wooden core. Eek! Blame hitting rocks or tree stumps – and book in for a repair ASAP! 

Cruiser

Someone who skis at a gentle, mellow pace, typically down ‘cruisers’ (green or blue-graded runs). 

DIN setting

This setting determines how firmly your bindings (and skis) are attached. It’s calculated using your weight, shoe size, and skill level and helps decide the likelihood of your bindings releasing when you fall. It’s a Goldilocks situation, though – you want them ‘just right’ instead of too low or too high. And don’t worry – any ski tech can help set them. 

Double eject

When both skis come off after a forward fall. It’s quite often a sign you need to tighten your DIN settings. Although some argue that double ejection helps prevent super gnarly injuries. 

French Fries

Slang for parallel skiing (when your skis are side-by-side with one another, like two French fries). Instructors use this phrase when teaching mini-shredders and beginners. 

Groomers

Slopes maintained by groomer machines. You’ve got to experience corduroy snow – freshly groomed snow resembling corduroy material because of the machine-made ridges. It’s a dream to ski! 

Knuckle draggers

Snowboarders! 

Liftie

Lift technician! These heroes keep the mountain spinning, so it helps to give them a smile or a high-five now and again. 

Magic carpet

A conveyor belt for beginner skiers and snowboarders, taking them from the bottom to the top of a learner run. It’s easier to use than traditional lifts. 

Mashed potatoes

Slang for snow – specifically wet, heavy snow that has your thighs screaming for mercy. Other snow types include ‘chop’, ‘chowder’, ‘corn’, ‘crust’, ‘bulletproof’, ‘chalk’, ‘Sierra cement’, ‘slush’, and more. 

Noodling 

An old-school style of skiing where long, skinny skis are pressed together when turning. Some call this ‘hippy wriggles’. 

Pizza

Slang for the snow plough technique, where you move your ski tips towards one another to form a triangle or ‘pizza slice’ shape. Much like ‘French Fries’, ski instructors use ‘Pizza’ when teaching the snowplow technique to children and beginners. 

Slushies

A common occurrence in spring, ‘slushies’ is slushy snow made by warmer temperatures. 

Snow snake 

A never-seen nemesis, which waits in the snow to grab your ski as you’re going full-speed. The result? A full yard sale (see our next phrase). Beware – snow snakes are sneaky creatures with zero remorse. 

Yard sale

A spectacular fall that sees you scatter your skis, poles, helmet, and goggles all around you – as if you’re having a yard sale! This is almost as impressive to watch as a tomahawk – when you rag-doll down the fall line, spinning end-over-end to resemble a thrown ax flying through the air. Yikes! 

Zipper line

The fastest, most direct line down a mogul (‘bumps’) run. Your turns are super tight, so your trail looks like the teeth of a zipper. 

Park slang

Park rats and jibbers form their own ‘tribe’ and spend as much time as possible in the terrain park. So, let’s jump into some of their language, shall we? 

Alley-oop

When a skier spins 180 degrees uphill, usually in halfpipe competition. 

Butter

Rocking onto your ski tips (nose butter) or tail (tail butter) and holding there long enough to spin 180 degrees or more. It’s a smooooth thing to witness! 

Cork

An off-axis rotation resembling a corkscrew. Trust us – this ain’t easy! You’re basically rotating while angled and upside down! And if a skier inverts twice, it becomes a double cork. Thrice? You’ve got yourself a triple cork. More? You’re a super superhuman (Andri Ragettli is responsible for the world’s first quad cork on skis!). 

Features

Elements that make up a freestyle/terrain park, such as boxes and rails. 

Hit/hitting

Anything you can slide, use to catch air, and/or land a trick on, such as a kicker, feature, rail, slope, etc. For example, “Let’s go hit that XL kicker”. 

Grab

Grabbing your skis during tricks for extra style points. 

Japan

A grab involving crossing your skis mid-air, reaching one hand behind your back, and holding the inside edge of the opposite ski or behind the tailpiece. This is not to be confused with a Mute grab, where you cross your skis mid-air, reach for the opposite ski to your hand, but grab the outer edge of your ski. 

Jib/jibbing

Playing on anything that isn’t snow, such as rails, boxes, and natural features like trees. ‘Jibbing’ also includes fun, small tricks on snow, such as butters. 

Kicker

Slang for a natural or man-made jump. These are also known as ‘booters’. 

Kinked rail

When at least one part of the rail changes angle. 

Knuckle

The top of the landing on a jump/kicker/booter.

Lip

The very top edge of the halfpipe or superpipe wall. 

Park rat

The name of any rider who spends 99.9% of their time in the park. And the remaining 0.1%? They’re dreaming about their next park lap. 

Pretzel

Spinning off the end of a rail in the opposite direction to which you spun on. 

Right/left side

Details the direction in which you perform a trick. You can also spin switch right side or switch left side. Wondering what ‘switch’ means? Keep reading…

Snaked

Also known as ‘snaking’, this is when another rider cuts you off. It’s extra annoying when it happens just as you’re about to hit a kicker... 

Steeze

A combo of ‘style’ and ‘ease’, used as a compliment. For example, “She’s got steeze” or “That nose butter 180 was steezy”. It’s mainly used to describe freestylers but can be thrown around in the backcountry and on the slopes, too. 

Stomp

Flawlessly landing a trick or jump. 

Switch

When you ski or land backward. Also known as ‘riding switch’ or ‘fakie’. 

Tweak

Emphasizing trick movements for added style (or steeze). This is most commonly used in relation to grabs. 

Backcountry slang

Last – but not least – it’s backcountry slang. Yep, let’s duck the ropes and go beyond the resort boundaries to explore the terminology used by those searching for fresh tracks and never-ending ‘Yews!’ (what riders squeal in delight!). 

Avvy report

‘Avvy’ is short for ‘avalanche’. So, an ‘avvy report’ is the daily forecast describing the avalanche risk and travel advice in your area. 

Blower

Dry, light powder that ‘blows’ into your face as you float through it. If that sounds annoying, think the complete opposite: it’s the stuff of dreams that riders hunt for again and again. 

Breaking trail

Creating a path through deep snow and powder by bashing down your ski. This is done by the first person in your group – i.e., the guide, show-off, or the one who drew the short straw!

Bootpack

Steps kicked into steep off-piste sections to gain elevation, creating a kind of mountain staircase. Again, this is usually done by the guide, show-off, or the person who drew the short straw! What about your skis? They’re strapped to your back, as it’s too steep to skin up (walking uphill with your skis attached). 

Cold smoke

Powder similar to blower, but colder, creating a kind of mystical ‘smoke’ as you slash through it. It’s mega dreamy.

Couloir

A super narrow skiable chute. Skiing these natural features often requires a hike to the top, holding your nerve as you ski and boasting about it once you’ve done it.

Elevens

Straight tracks left by skiers (i.e., no turns). You can also call this ‘straight-lining’. 

Face shot

A blast of cold powder to the face, usually as you turn. It’s addictive! 

Frankenskins

When your skins (the material attached to your skis so you can walk uphill) become covered with freezing snow. This makes them heavy, sticky, and no fun to glide with. 

Freeheel skiing

Slang for telemark skiing. 

Freshies

Slang for dreamy, untracked lines in powder. They’re also known as ‘first tracks’ or ‘laying tracks’. And there’s nothing like getting to the bottom, spotting your tracks…and bragging about it to everyone else in the gondola as you make your way back up. 

Glades

Nicely spaced trees, perfect for skiing through. The act itself is known as ‘glade skiing’ or ‘tree skiing’. 

Kick turn

Changing direction on skis without actually turning or losing elevation - i.e., you stand still, kick one ski up in a sweeping motion, plant it so it's facing the other way, and turn your other ski and body around to meet it. It’s a handy technique in steep, sketchy terrain or on a narrow uphill traverse. Beware, though – it’s ridiculously challenging to master! But it does make a good party trick…

Pow

Short for powder – aka, what most riders live for. 

Skinning up

Done when ski touring. This is the act of placing skins on the base of your skis and using your body power to glide up the mountain. So, instead of jumping on lifts, you make your way up using a skin track (a zig-zag line). Some riders call this ‘earning your turns’. 

Stash

A hidden area (or ‘stash’) of powder that hasn’t been skied yet. 

Storm riding

Chasing powder in whiteouts and low vis. It might not be the most pleasant weather, but hey, you score freshies before anyone else! 

Tracked out

When it’s impossible to create fresh tracks as other riders have skied the terrain so much. What was an untracked powder field is now covered with lines! This is why it helps to have your own secret stashes – and choose who you tell wisely! 

Traverse

Skiing across a slope rather than straight down the fall line. You’ll do this to reduce speed on a steep section or cut across terrain to reach fresh pow on the other side. 

Walk mode

A setting on ski touring boots that allows you to glide when skinning uphilll. Just don’t forget to change the boots to ‘ski mode’ when you’re ready to ride. This setting stiffens the boot like a normal alpine boot. Then, at the bottom, put them on walk mode again – it’s the best setting to dance at après! 

Wrapping up 

Ready to walk up to a fellow skier and ask if they want to lap the park or cruise the groomers? How about grab a ski shot at après? Of course you are! And we’ve never felt prouder! 

Screaming at the screen because we’ve missed your favorite phrase? Let us know via crew@dopesnow.com. Or how about testing the waters with your new knowledge via the Dope Snow Community Facebook Group? Swap stories with fellow riders and listen out for exclusive collection previews. Yew – we can’t wait to share the stoke!

Related reading:

• Ski length
• Ski jackets for women / Ski jackets for men
• Best ski resorts in Europe
• Ski clothes for women / Ski clothes for men
• Summer skiing in Europe