Dictionary

This Glossary is provided to help guests understand more about the rental of inns, resorts and vacation rentals. It is not comprehensive but serves as a primer for terms guests may encounter in renting specialty lodging. Not all terms apply to all properties or managers.

Walls

The vertical sides to a pipe. These comprise two elements- the 'transition' and the 'vert'.
Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Watermelon Snow

A reddish/pink-colored snow that smells like watermelons, and is caused by a red-colored green algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis.
Origin: Faheem, Muhammad Link: SaltLakeVacationRentals.com

Wax pocket

The mid-section of stiffer cambered skis. See camber.
Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Waxable skis

Skis with bases that are waxed for grip and/or glide.
Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Wedge

American name for snowplough.
Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Weight-transfer

The shifting of mass from one ski to the other, an important element of many skiing techniques.
Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Weighting

The action of a skier's body mass exerting pressure through one or both skis onto the snow. See also unweighting.
See also: unweighting. Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Wide Range

waxes Wax systems designed for recreational skiers, with two or three waxes matching a wide range of snow conditions.
See also: short-range waxes. Origin: skiresorts.org Link: skiresorts.org

Wind Slab

A layer of relatively stiff, hard snow formed by deposition of wind blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge or other sheltered area. Wind slabs can form over weaker, softer freshly fallen powder snow, creating an avalanche hazard on steep slopes.
Origin: Faheem, Muhammad Link: SaltLakeVacationRentals.com

Yard Sale

A crash where equipment is scattered across the slope.
Origin: abc-of-skiing.com Link: abc-of-skiing.com

Yukimarimo

Balls of fine frost formed at low temperatures on the Antarctic plateau during weak wind conditions.
Origin: Faheem, Muhammad Link: SaltLakeVacationRentals.com

Zastrugi

Snow surface features sculpted by wind into ridges and grooves.
Origin: Faheem, Muhammad Link: SaltLakeVacationRrentals.com