BPS – Upper/Lower Body Separation
Big Picture Skiing

Upper / Lower Body
Wind-up & Tilt

How experts tune their body to the turn

Upper body
Lower body / skis
Tilt — Roll Plane
Method 01

Legs tip,
upper body quiet

The legs tip left and right beneath a still, quiet upper body. Like the skis sliding out from under you while you stay calm above. Tilt created below the hip.

Method 02

Upper body tips
against planted legs

The upper body tips while the legs stay planted. Tilt from above — useful for fine-tuning balance without disturbing the skis underneath.

Method 03

Full body lean —
legs a touch further

The whole body leans into the turn together. The deep committed lean of high-speed carving — upper and lower tilt together, legs just a fraction further. Integrated and inclined.

Method 04

Upper and lower
tip opposite ways

Upper and lower tip toward opposite sides at the same time. Shows the full range of freedom at the hip. Rarely one pure movement — but it's always in there.

Wind-up — Yaw Plane
Method 01

Skis turn,
upper body holds

The skis rotate through each turn while the upper body holds its line. Wind-up builds below — the upper body is the anchor. Classic short turn shape.

Method 02

Upper body winds up
against still skis

The upper body rotates while the skis stay pointed. Winding from above, storing energy. When it unwinds it helps drive the skis into the next turn.

Method 03

Upper body leads —
lower body catches and overtakes

The upper body leads the rotation first. The lower body follows but moves faster — catching up then overtaking, winding past the upper body. The gap builds itself. No conscious counter-rotation needed.

Method 04

Winding in
opposite directions

Upper and lower rotate toward opposite sides at once. Maximum wind-up — both halves working against each other. The most powerful way to store energy for snapping into the next turn.