Professional big-mountain skier聽 makes ripping down 聽look easy. And while he has plenty of genetic聽talent to thank for those feats, he wouldn鈥檛 be one of the world鈥檚 best skiers if he didn鈥檛 train like a maniac in the off-season. The number聽one skill he focuses on? Balance. Whether聽you鈥檙e pizza-ing down greens or sending 20-footers, improving your balance will make you a better skier, so we asked the 35-year-old pro for his top five balance-training techniques鈥攏o fancy tools required.聽
Get on a Skateboard聽
Just聽rolling around town on a skateboard聽requires good balance, and it鈥檚 one of the best ways to train your legs for ski season. Cattabriga-Alosa聽says skating down city streets and avoiding rocks and聽jumping curbs also help聽teach him to look ahead and scout for clear routes鈥攌ey when skiing fast on big lines. Plus, it鈥檚 fun and cheap聽if you go for聽a used board or one from a big-box retailer.聽
Train Your Core
鈥淲e often focus on leg balance, but your core is a major balance point for your body,鈥 says聽Cattabriga-Alosa. He regularly sits on an exercise ball,聽like the $30 ,聽lifting聽his legs off the floor to activate his core and test his balance.聽
Stand on a Balance Disc聽
Cattabriga-Alosa spends a few minutes every day standing on a balance disc聽like this . Standing builds leg strength but also works the muscles in your feet, which is key when you鈥檙e driving big planks down a steep face. To up the ante, he also uses the disc聽for one- and two-leg squats.聽
Make Your Own Balance Board
Sure, you could buy a balance board, but Cattabriga-Alosa prefers to make his own from an old skate deck and a two-liter plastic soda bottle filled with water. This saves money, but the homemade tool is聽also more agile and better for practicing spins because of the bottle鈥檚聽slick surface. The聽setup is also plenty durable. 鈥淚t sounds super sketchy, but you can fully air onto the thing without it breaking,鈥 Cattabriga-Alosa says.聽
Slackline or聽Walk a Fence Line
Slacklining improves your balance, and if you have the proper setup, it makes for ideal balance training.聽If you don鈥檛 have a slackline, find a fence聽with a solid beam on top.