Side slipping is an unavoidable part of training gates, but there are a number of different techniques that can be employed, depending on the objective. Most basic is “slipping the line,” which is relevant before training if there is a small amount of unevenness or loose snow on the course and between runs to try to smooth out small ruts and chatter marks. This involves skiing the racing line in a high speed snow plow, and may be supplemented by special efforts to knock down small berms or ruts in the area of the gates. If there is a bit more loose snow, you may be asked to “slip wide.” This is often done in pairs and involves slipping on either side of the racing line, only pushing loose snow farther to the side you’re slipping. For example, if you are slipping wide right, you will be plowing with your right ski, you will ski wide of the left turn gates, pushing snow outside them, ski low towards the next right turn gate pushing snow downhill as you approach the gate and then ski high from that gate to the next left turn gate, pushing snow uphill until you start down the fall-line wide of the next gate. Alternately, we have been able to clear 10 cm. or so of fresh snow from our SL course fairly quickly by having teams snow plow straight down through the course in a V formation, with all snow being pushed by successive team members out either side. If there is more snow or a wider GS course, it may not be possible to sweep the course entirely. In that case, it may be best to set a high track and then have people simply push snow straight down from the top of the track to a level approximately even with the next gate, then release it there and start again at the top of the track when it starts again below the gate. Finally, after training on days when large ruts develop, our goal is to fill in the ruts. This involves snow plowing outside the berms and pushing them back into the ruts. Again, it is likely best to only slip one side of the course when doing this.