The wedge, also called the pizza or snowplow, is the first sliding skill in PSIA's beginner progression: ski tips pointed toward each other, tails pushed apart. A narrow gliding wedge lets you slide under control; a wider braking wedge slows you and stops you. It leads into wedge turns, and later the wedge christie, where the skis come together to parallel. From the front, the app reads your wedge shape, your knee position and your stance; the edge grip itself is inferred, not measured.
Make the pizza
Start on flat snow in your athletic stance with the skis parallel. Step the tail of one ski out to the side while its tip stays in the same spot. Then do the same with the other ski.
the tip stays put, only the tail moves.
Now brush both tails out together into a wedge. Point your toes in and push your heels out. Stay tall and keep your upper body still while your legs do the work.
pressure on the inside arch of each foot and the inside of each boot cuff.
Keep the tips pointed toward each other, about 3 to 4 inches (roughly 8 to 10 cm) apart. They should never touch or cross. The tails make the wedge; the tips stay close.
a small, steady gap at the tips.
Size it: glide or brake
For a gliding wedge, keep it narrow: a fairly tall stance with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. The skis brush over the snow without much edge.
sliding smoothly, not grinding.
To slow down, flex your legs and push the tails wider while the tips stay about the same distance apart. A wider wedge tips the skis further onto their inside edges, so they grip and brake more.
sink and push out, and the snow slows you.
To let the skis run again, stand up tall ("relax tall"). Rising narrows the wedge and you glide faster. Sinking widens it and you slow down.
tall to glide, low to brake.
Stay centered and tall
Keep your hips and torso centered between your feet, with your weight even over both skis. Push both feet out equally so the wedge stays symmetrical and you travel straight.
both feet working the same.
Push from a centered stance, not from the back seat. Feel pressure under the balls of your feet and your shins resting against the boot tongues, without leaning hard into them for long.
over your feet, not sitting behind them.
Hold your hands in front where you can see them at the edge of your vision, with the pole baskets angled back toward the ski tails. Face your upper body down the hill toward a distant landmark.
a quiet upper body aimed at a target.
Stay in control
Learn the wedge on flat snow first, then on a gentle slope that runs out onto flat ground. At first, slide only short distances so you don't build up too much speed.
slow enough that you never need to panic.
If you are going too fast for your wedge, don't sit back and shove harder. Keep turning to one side until you stop, even if you end up heading slightly uphill. If you fall, keep your knees bent and your arms forward, and don't try to get up until you have stopped sliding.
turning across the hill takes the speed away.
Feel it
A good wedge feels calm: tips steady and close, tails brushing over the snow, and even pressure on the inside arch and inside boot cuff of both feet. Standing taller lets you glide. Sinking and pushing the tails wider slows you. Your hips stay over your feet, your hands stay in view, and your upper body faces down the hill.
Fix-its
- One ski runs ahead, or the tips cross Push both tails out equally and keep the tips turned toward each other, about 3 to 4 inches apart. Equal pushing stops one ski from travelling in front of the other.
- The wedge keeps spreading and the skis split apart The tips have drifted too far apart. Bring them closer and make the wedge by brushing the tails out, not by opening the tips.
- You drift to one side instead of going straight Face your upper body down the hill toward a distant target, center your hips between your feet, and push equally on both skis.
- You can't slow down Flex your legs and push the tails wider while pressing the inside arches and boot cuffs. If that still isn't enough, turn to one side until you stop.
- You sit back to brake Pushing from the back seat is a common habit with the braking wedge. Bring your hips back over your feet, feel the balls of your feet, and let your shins rest on the boot tongues. Keep the slope gentle while you learn.
Drill
- On flat snow, step one tail out at a time into a wedge and back. Then brush both tails out together. Then hop the tails out into a wedge and hop back to parallel without pausing, like jumping jacks without the arms.
- On a gentle slope with a flat run-out, start in a straight run with the skis parallel, then push them out into a gliding wedge to finish the run.
- Number your wedges: 1 is a narrow gliding wedge, 2 is medium, 3 is a wide braking wedge. While sliding, move between them, sinking to widen and rising tall to narrow.
- Wedge change-ups: ski in a narrow wedge, stand up and let the skis run flat and parallel, then wedge again.
- Pick a marker a few ski lengths ahead and make a braking wedge big enough to stop before it. Film from the front to check that the tips stay close, the wedge is even and you stay centered.
Sources
- PSIA Education Foundation — Alpine Level I Study Guide, Step 5: Gliding and Braking Wedge (1996)
- PSIA-NW (T. McLeod, J. Taggart) — Conversation About the Wedge (2009)
- PSIA-NW (B. Jacobson) — Early Season Training with PSIA-NW Divisional Staff
- Vermont Ski Safety — Tips for Knee-Friendly Skiing
Last checked 2026-10-26.