Like warm beer, carving hasn't garnered the appreciation in America it enjoys in places like Austria and France. But skiing on short carvers or snow blades is one of the best ways to learn the intricacies of carving both skis. Rent a pair of short, 80-centimeter skis, ditch your poles, and practice getting an equal amount of weight over both skis as you turn. When you switch to your regular skis, you'll be back at the bottom of the learning curve, but in no time you will be looking down to see two clean arcs - instead of smeared washouts - carved in the snow.