Ski & Fitness Glossary

View All

W

Waist
The narrowest part of a ski, generally underfoot.

Walls
The vertical sides to a pipe. These comprise two elements- the 'transition' and the 'vert'.

Warm-up
Gentle, slow exercise at the beginning of a workout to prepare muscles, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature for the activity.

Water dumbbells/water barbells
Flotation devices shaped like paddles that provide extra resistance to your arm muscles when used underwater. They can also be used to hold you at the surface for back and leg exercises.

Wax pocket
The mid-section of stiffer cambered skis. See camber.

Waxable skis
Skis with bases that are waxed for grip and/or glide.

Waxless skis
See non-wax skis.

Wedge
American name for snowplough.

Weight-bearing exercise
Exercise in which you support your weight or lift weight. Lifting weights or doing weight-bearing exercise (such as running, skiing or walking) can help slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis, and therefore reduce fractures.

Weight-transfer
The shifting of mass from one ski to the other, an important element of many skiing techniques.

Weighting
The action of a skier's body mass exerting pressure through one or both skis onto the snow. See also unweighting.

Wicking
Moisture movement by capillary action. It usually refers to technical fabrics that move sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.

Wide Range
Waxes Wax systems designed for recreational skiers, with two or three waxes matching a wide range of snow conditions. See also short-range waxes.