You know that feeling where you’ve been skiing a few seasons, you’re confident on reds, you’ve dipped into the odd black, but… somehow it’s all starting to feel a bit samey? Like you’re not getting better, even though you’re out there every winter?
Yeah. That’s the intermediate plateau. And it hits nearly everyone.
You’re not a beginner anymore, but you’re not quite advanced either. You’ve got the basics dialed, but steeper runs, variable snow, or tight turns still make you hesitate. It’s frustrating. Especially when your mates start overtaking you or dropping into stuff you’re still side-slipping.
But here’s the thing: it’s totally fixable. You just need to know why it happens, and what to tweak to get moving again.
Let’s break it down.
Why So Many Skiers Get Stuck at Intermediate Level
It’s not because you’re lazy. Or not “naturally talented.” It’s usually just… habits.
Once you can get around the mountain without falling, most people stop getting proper coaching. You figure out what works for you, and then you stick with it. You ski the same runs, take the same lines, use the same technique. And because it feels okay, you don’t notice the bad habits creeping in.
Things like:
- Leaning too far back on steeps
- Relying on upper body twists to turn
- Not trusting your edges
Skiing defensively when the snow’s chopped up
You might still be cruising, but your progress has hit a wall. And it’s not going to change unless you actively shake things up.
What Finally Unlocked It for Me
I thought I was a decent skier. I could get down anything on the map, link turns, even throw in the odd hockey stop if someone got in my way. But I never felt smooth. I’d hit chopped-up snow and my legs would tense up. I avoided steeper lines unless the conditions were perfect. And moguls? Forget it. I survived them. I didn’t ski them.
Then a buddy convinced me to take a private lesson. Just one. I rolled my eyes and figured, fine, maybe I’ll fix a couple things.
Turns out I was doing a lot wrong.
My stance was off. I wasn’t finishing my turns. I barely used my ankles. The instructor filmed me and showed me side-by-side with a proper skier. I looked like a stiff ironing board trying to keep up.
But here’s the kicker: once I started fixing those things, skiing got easier. Way easier. More stable, more playful, way more fun. I stopped muscling through every turn and started flowing.
I didn’t need to work harder. I just needed to work smarter.
The Confidence Snowball
Once a few things clicked, everything else followed. I stopped avoiding choppy snow. I felt better on steeps. And I started to trust my gear more — not because it changed, but because my skiing did.
The weirdest part? My legs didn’t burn like they used to. Turns out, skiing properly is less exhausting than muscling your way through every run. Who knew?
Confidence builds fast when your technique isn’t fighting you. And when you’re skiing with good habits, you recover faster when things go wrong. You stop panicking when you hit an icy patch. You keep your cool when the slope steepens. It’s not about being fearless – it’s about being ready.
It’s Not Just You
If skiing still feels harder than it should, you’re not broken. You’re just skiing the way most people do — with habits that get you down the hill but don’t make it easy.
The problem is that we don’t talk about this stuff. Most skiers hit a plateau and assume it’s normal. Or worse, they think they’re too old, too unfit, too cautious.
You’re not too anything. You just haven’t had a chance to fix the things holding you back
The Fastest Way to Get Better?
Take a lesson. A good one. Not a group session with ten other people and zero feedback. Book a proper one-on-one lesson with someone who knows their stuff — ideally a top-level instructor, even just for an hour or two.
If you’ve already done that, get someone to film you skiing. The camera doesn’t lie. What feels aggressive and dynamic in your head might look like someone tiptoeing through porridge.
And if neither of those options are on the table, just loosen your legs a little, flex your ankles more and commit to finishing every turn. That alone can change a lot.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to ski faster or harder to ski better. You just need to shake the habits that are holding you back. The difference between surviving a run and flowing through it often comes down to small things — body position, turn shape, pressure control.
If you’ve been skiing for years but feel like you’re stuck in a rut, you’re not alone. Most people are right there with you, carving just enough to stay upright and calling it good.
But skiing can feel way better than that. It should feel smooth, fun, playful — not like a gnarly leg workout.
So go fix the small stuff. Take the lesson. Watch the video. Make the changes.
It’s never too late to become a better skier.
See you out there.
(Oh and here’s what I did to improve last season)
