My friend got into skiing for the first time this past season, and she asked me a legitimate question: "What's up with the ski lingo?" Apparently, she'd just graduated off the bunny hill, feeling pretty good about herself, when she ended up on a chairlift next to a guy who spoke with the confidence of someone who's been skiing his entire life.
He turned to her and said something like, "Man, you should've been here for first tracks. Upper bowl was perfect blower pow. Now the sun's hit, so it's turning to crud… Might just call it and head to après." She smiled and nodded, and texted me the second she got off the lift. Was he offering her a pastry, or warning her about an impending avalanche? And what on earth was an après?! Did she need a special permit to go there?
Step onto any ski resort, and it can feel like everyone around you is speaking a different language. For beginners and casual vacationers, the slang can feel more intimidating than the actual skiing. Consider this your ultimate cheat sheet; from defining the mountain tradition of après-ski to breaking down 35 of the most common ski terms, here is everything you need to know to speak fluent alpine.
Speak with a Mountain Travel Expert today for free trip-planning help.
If there's one ski term you'll hear over and over again, it's après-ski. French for "after ski," après refers to the social tradition of unwinding once the day's skiing is done. While skiers have always gathered to warm up, share stories and celebrate after a day in the mountains, the modern après-ski culture we know today took shape in the French Alps during the 1950s and '60s, as skiing exploded in popularity and purpose-built resort villages became destinations in their own right.
Today, après is as much a part of ski culture as the skiing itself. For some, that means scoring drink specials at the on-mountain bar and dancing to a live DJ with your ski boots on. For others, it's strolling through the village, grabbing a bite at the local pub, sipping a hot toddy by an outdoor fire pit or sinking into a hot tub at sunset. There's no right or wrong way to après—it's simply about enjoying the mountain long after an epic day on the slopes.
A few resorts have built their reputation as much on the après scene as the ski terrain:
Read More: The Best Ski Resorts for Every Type of Skier
Corduroy on a freshly groomed ski slope.
1. Powder (or “Pow”): Freshly fallen, soft, untouched snow that many skiers and snowboarders dream about. Riding powder offers a smooth, floaty sensation that's unlike any other snow condition, but it also requires more skill and can be physically demanding, especially for beginners.
2. Corduroy: The ridged pattern left behind by a snowcat after grooming a ski run, resembling corduroy fabric. It creates a smooth, predictable surface for riding on, and these freshly groomed runs are often referred to as “groomers.”
3. Crud: Snow that becomes chopped up and uneven after fresh powder has been skied, or as warming temperatures cause the snow to break down. Also known as “tracked-out” snow, crud has an inconsistent texture that can make skiing more challenging.
4. Corn Snow: Granular snow that develops after repeated freeze-thaw cycles, giving it a texture that resembles kernels of corn. Common in spring, it provides a smooth, playful ride when softened by the sun, making it a favorite for many skiers.
5. Hardpack: Firm, compacted snow created by grooming or heavy skier traffic. It offers a solid skiing surface that's less forgiving than powder but easier to control than icy conditions.
6. Whiteout: Severe weather where heavy snow or fog eliminates all visibility, blending the sky and the snow together in a white haze.
Read More: How to Ski Powder / How to Ski Crud
Moguls are best saved for the intermediate and advanced skiers!
7. Base: The bottom of the mountain, where you'll typically find the main lifts, lodges, ski school, rentals and village. Base can also refer to the base depth or snowpack, which is the accumulated layers of snow covering the mountain that form the foundation for the ski season.
8. Summit / Peak: The highest point of the mountain that skiers can reach by chairlift, gondola, or, in some cases, by hiking. From the summit, you'll find access to a variety of trails and some of the mountain's most spectacular panoramic views.
9. Cat Track: Flat, narrow trails used by trail-grooming machines that skiers use to traverse between different faces of the mountain.
10. Moguls: A series of bumps formed on steep ski runs as skiers repeatedly make turns. Mogul skiing demands strong technique, including rhythmic turns, balance and speed control.
11. Glades / Tree Skiing: Designated trails or zones that cut through the trees. Glade skiing delivers a more natural, technical experience, often with changing terrain, soft snow and a feeling of riding through the forest rather than a groomed trail.
Read More: Top Resorts for Tree Skiing
12. Off-piste: Skiing or snowboarding on natural, ungroomed terrain outside of marked and maintained trails. This can take place within resort boundaries or in more remote backcountry areas. (Terrain that's accessed from a ski resort, usually by exiting the resort boundary through a gate or taking a short hike from a lift, is typically called side-country.) Off-piste conditions often offer fresh, untracked snow, but they also require strong awareness of hazards such as avalanches and changing mountain conditions. Rules and access for off-piste skiing vary depending on the resort and region.
13. Vertical Drop: The total elevation change from the top of a ski run or resort down to its base. It’s commonly used to describe the scale of a mountain and can also give skiers a sense of how long or sustained a descent may be.
14. Bunny Hill: A skiing area designed for beginners with gentle, wide-open slopes, ideal for learning and practicing your skills. Typically located near a resort's base with easy-to-use lifts (like magic carpets).
Read More: Top 9 Ski Resorts to Learn to Ski
There's nothing quite like a bluebird day on the mountain.
15. Grom: A talented, young kid on the slopes who is usually fearless and riding faster than the adults.
16. Jerry: A slang term for an uneducated or oblivious skier or snowboarder doing something dangerously incorrect or funny, like wearing their helmet backward. (You do not want to be a Jerry!)
17. Yard Sale: A slang expression used to describe a big fall where a skier loses all their gear—skis, poles, goggles, gloves—and it ends up scattered across the slope, like a yard sale.
18. Liftie: Short for ski lift operator, the friendly resort staff members who operate the chairlifts and scan passes.
19. First Tracks: The experience of being among the very first skiers on fresh, untouched snow, often highly sought after for the pristine conditions and sense of solitude.
20. Bluebird Day: A sunny day with clear blue skies after fresh snowfall, commonly considered ideal conditions.
21. Pizza (Snowplow): A beginner skiing technique used to slow down or come to a stop by pointing the tips of the skis together and pushing the tails apart, forming a wedge or “pizza slice” shape.
22. French Fries (Parallel Skis): A beginner skiing technique used to describe skiing with skis parallel and close together, forming a pair of straight French fries.
23. Catching an Edge: When a ski or snowboard edge unexpectedly digs into the snow, usually causing a sudden loss of balance and often resulting in a fall.
24. Magic Carpet: A conveyor-belt-style surface lift used in beginner areas to help new skiers easily get up the hill.
25. Gondola: An enclosed cable car that whisks passengers up the mountain out of the wind and elements.
26. High-Speed Quad / Six-Pack: High-speed chairlifts designed to carry four (quad) or six (six-pack) passengers per chair at a faster rate than standard lifts. These lifts reduce ride time up the mountain, while still slowing down at loading and unloading zones to make getting on and off safer and more manageable for riders.
27. RFID Pass: Radio Frequency Identification passes that read automatically through your jacket pocket at the lift gates (no scanning required).
28. Ski-in Ski-out: A term used to describe lodging, restaurants or bars where you can ski right from the door to the slopes and back, no shuttles or schlepping gear required.
29. Slopeside: Refers to accommodations, restaurants or amenities located right next to the ski slopes. While not always true ski-in ski-out, slopeside spots are just steps from the mountain, offering quick and easy access to the lifts and runs.
Read More: How to Plan Your First Ski Trip
30. Carving: Making clean, sharp turns using the steel edges of your skis or snowboard, leaving arc-like tracks in the snow.
31. Aping / Shredding / Ripping: Tearing down the mountain with immense confidence, speed, style and form.
32. Freestyle: A type of skiing or snowboarding focused on tricks, jumps and terrain park features.
33. Terrain Park: A dedicated zone of the mountain filled with jumps, rails, boxes and halfpipes designed for freestyle riding.
34. Jib: Any type of trick or maneuver in snowboarding or skiing, usually performed on features other than snow, such as rails, boxes or other man-made terrain park obstacles.
35. Send it: This phrase of encouragement basically means, “Go for it!” Fully commit with 100% confidence –– you got this.
Now that you speak the language, it’s time to head to the mountain. Navigating different pass styles (like Epic vs. Ikon, or lift tickets) and lodging options can be tricky. Connect with a Ski.com Mountain Travel Expert to help plan your perfect winter getaway, from booking lodging near the best après scenes to securing the right lift tickets. Don't let the logistics get in the way of your first tracks.
TAGGED: Après-ski, beginner skiing
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