Ski & Fitness Glossary

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Balling up
A condition of the skis when snow adheres to the running surface, and thus prevents efficient glide.

Ballistic stretching
A kind of stretching that advocates bouncing to increase the amount of stretch. This is no longer recommended as it has been found to cause muscle tears and soreness.

Banking
Leaning the body into the centre of the radius of the turn to maintain edging and counteract centrifugal force, as you would when riding a bicycle.

Barbell
Weights attached to a long bar which requires both hands to pick up.

Base
The base is the average amount of snow that is on a ski trail, typically measured in inches.

Base wax
A preparatory wax applied to the base surfaces of skis to allow klisters, grip and glide waxes to take firmer hold. 'Grundvalla' is the Swedish word for this substance.

Basic stance
A position in which you might stand when about to receive a serve in tennis or squash, or when about to catch a heavy ball - with the knees flexed forward and head over the balls of your feet, and hands reaching forward slightly.

Basket
The decoration attached to the end of a pole, used to prevent the tip from going too far into the snow when pushing against it.

Biathlon
Competitive cross-country track-racing combined with target shooting with a rifle

Bicep
The muscle running along the inside of the upper arm, which bends your arm at the elbow. Paddling a canoe (and a kayak, to some degree) exercises your biceps.

Bicycle bumps
A series of offset bumps artificially formed in two set parallel tracks, to emulate bicycle pedaling with the legs.

Binder wax
A blend of synthetic resin and rubber compounds used to bind grip waxes to the ski surface, especially used to improve the adhesion of the wax to the ski.

Bindings
Bindings attach your boots to your skis. They are set to skier classification, height, and weight and should only be set by a certified technician.

Biomechanics
The study of the mechanics of muscular activity.

Black Diamond
Black Diamonds are the color and symbol used to mark advanced ski trails. Black Diamond ski trails are often difficult to ski and have advanced terrain.

Blackout Day
A blackout day is a day when, while using a season pass, your season pass is not valid and you must purchase a normal lift ticket if you wish to ski that day.

Blue Square
Blue squares are the color and symbol used to mark intermediate ski trails.

Board-lasted
Shoe construction featuring a piece of stiff fiberboard glued to the upper and then to the mid- and outsole. These shoes offer a lot of stability and motion control, appropriate for the over-pronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.

Body fat
The percentage of your body mass that is not composed of lean muscle, water, bones or vital organs.

Buffer wax
A colder grip wax applied over a warmer grip wax, or klister, to prevent the skis from balling up, and yet retain grip.

Bunny Slope
The bunny slope is a ski area with a gentle slope where beginner skiers are taught to ski.

Burnout
State of being bored or tired with exercise, frequently the result of overtraining or unvaried workouts. Cross-training and rest are good remedies for burnout.