In alpine skiing, the beginner technique of turning with the ski tips close together and tails apart is called the snowplow.
Also known as the wedge or snowplough turn, it forms a V shape with the skis. Pressing the inside edges into the snow creates friction, allowing a skier to slow down, stop, and control direction. Shifting more pressure to one ski helps the skier turn toward the opposite side.
The snowplow is one of the first skills taught in ski lessons because it works at low speed and does not require advanced balance. Once learners become more confident, they commonly progress toward linked parallel turns, in which the skis remain roughly side by side.
A snowplow is not the same as carving. Carving uses the edges of shaped skis to follow clean arcs, while a snowplow deliberately uses a wedge and controlled skidding. The technique is also different from the stem christie, a more advanced transitional turn.