Welcome to Lisa Ballard's blog, where you'll find updated information based on her popular book, Ski Faster! Guide to High Performance Skiing and Racing, and LOTS more. As one of the top masters ski racers in the world and a prominent masters-level coach, you'll get technical and tactical tips for slalom, giant slalom, super G, and downhill, off-snow training ideas, answers to your gear questions, insights about aging and athletic performance, and travel advice. This blog is aimed at adult athletes, though junior racers, parents, coaches, officials, and skiers in general can glean useful info, too. If there's something ski-related that you're wondering about, Contact Lisa. If you would like to ski with Lisa at one of her race camps or trips, click here.
WIN RACES WITH BETTER START TECHNIQUE: March 22, 2026. Back in the late 1970s, when I was a teenager competing on the NorAm circuit looking for every possible hundredth of a second, one of my coaches said, “You can lose up to two seconds just at the start.” “Not me,” I thought. With all of […]
LENGTH AND RADIUS: January 3, 2026. One of the most important decisions you can make as a ski racer is what skis you are going to use. Along with your ski boots, your skis are your most important tools for going as fast as possible. If you have the right tools for the task, in […]
MORE THAN CARVING: September 14, 2025. In skiing, and particularly in racing, the carved turn is the fastest turn, but what’s a carved turn, exactly? A true carved turn leaves parallel clean lines in the snow, one line from each ski. How you apply pressure to the outside ski as you roll it on edge […]
PLUS WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH AND TRAINING PROGRAM: August 23, 2025. Ski racing is a sport for life! This is my long-time motto and the basis of my coaching philosophy. My overarching goal is to create a positive, supportive athletic environment, both on and off the ski slopes, that promotes a lifelong […]
PLUS, HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE OVER-TRAINING: August 11, 2025. When you get in a starting gate, only you can make your run go well. To do that, you need to gauge what your training needs are, so that when it’s go-time, you perform your best. This includes whether you should get on snow […]
IMPROVING QUICKNESS, COORDINATION, AND FLEXIBILITY: July 7, 2025. Getting in shape for skiing, and especially ski racing as a masters athlete, is an annual cycle of periodic training, meaning concentrating on certain areas of fitness at certain times of the year. It starts each spring by laying a foundation of endurance and stamina, followed by […]
PLUS WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH AND TRAINING PROGRAM: August 23, 2025. Ski racing is a sport for life! This is my long-time motto and the basis of my coaching philosophy. My overarching goal is to create a positive, supportive athletic environment, both on and off the ski slopes, that promotes a lifelong […]
PLUS, HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE OVER-TRAINING: August 11, 2025. When you get in a starting gate, only you can make your run go well. To do that, you need to gauge what your training needs are, so that when it’s go-time, you perform your best. This includes whether you should get on snow […]
IMPROVING QUICKNESS, COORDINATION, AND FLEXIBILITY: July 7, 2025. Getting in shape for skiing, and especially ski racing as a masters athlete, is an annual cycle of periodic training, meaning concentrating on certain areas of fitness at certain times of the year. It starts each spring by laying a foundation of endurance and stamina, followed by […]