Lateral alignment—a fundamental skill that keeps you balanced as you shift your skis from one set of edges to the other—plays a much bigger role in modern skiing than it did in the straight-ski era. In instructor-speak, we talk about “getting to the inside” of a turn by moving not only forward and backward (see October’s Turning Points) but also side to side. However, what’s important is not that you get to the inside of a turn to edge your skis but how you get there. Lateral edging movements come in two forms, inclination and angulation, and how you use each affects your lateral alignment and balance.