Whether you launch straight off a cornice or slide over it at an angle, you must leave and return to the snow with conviction so that you’re in a position to subtly manipulate your skis—edging them just enough to slow your momentum but not so much that you stop it completely.

Correct Stay centered over your skis. Face downhill, with your head over your downhill foot and your uphill hand ahead of your uphill knee to keep your hips from dropping back. Keep tension in your feet and ankles, so you can shift your weight from foot to foot and manipulate your edges to control your speed as the slope gets steeper.

Incorrect If you reach for the security of the mountain, your center of mass winds up behind your feet. Your weight shifts to the heel of your uphill foot instead of being on the ball of your downhill foot. You’re not looking at your target, your torso is rotated away from the fall line, and your downhill ski is barely in contact with the snow.