What is the difference between carving and skidding?

• A. Carving and skidding are the same; both rely on straight-line motion.
• B. Carving is when skis slide on the snow; skidding is the engaged-edge carve.
• C. Carving uses no edge contact.
• D. Carving uses edge engagement to follow a curved path; skidding slides the skis with less edge contact.

Answer: (D)

Edge control determines the turn shape. In a carved turn, the skis are on their edges and pressed into the snow, so the edge grips and the ski follows a true curved path defined by the sidecut and the amount of edge angle. The turn is created by steering with the edges while maintaining pressure on the outside leg, resulting in a clean arc with minimal sideways sliding.

In a skidding turn, the skis slide across the surface with less edge contact. The turn relies more on the skis slipping laterally than on the edges gripping, which reduces the clean, curved arc and often feels like more friction and a less precise path. You can still have some edge contact in a skid, but the emphasis is on sliding rather than carving.

So the difference comes down to edge engagement and how the turn path is produced: carved turns use the edges to bite and carve a curved line, while skidding relies on sliding with reduced edge grip.