{"id":19800,"date":"2018-02-20T21:41:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T21:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/20\/five-ski-tips-from-a-swedish-winter-warfare-instructor\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:31:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:31:16","slug":"five-ski-tips-from-a-swedish-winter-warfare-instructor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/02\/20\/five-ski-tips-from-a-swedish-winter-warfare-instructor\/","title":{"rendered":"Five ski tips from a Swedish winter warfare instructor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Skiing is becoming an essential<\/a> tactical skill for Marines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Marines for the first time trained at the Swedish Armed Forces Subarctic Warfare Center in Arvidsjaur, Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The learning curve for tactical skiing is pretty steep for most Marines, said Sgt. Maj. Fredrik Flink, the international course\u2019s senior enlisted leader and a member of the Swedish armed forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least 50 percent of the students have never skied like this before<\/a>,\u201d on wooden skis in difficult terrain, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoing out with a 1-meter deep snow in a forest environment with wooden skis and the uniform is completely different,\u201d especially when navigating routes 12 miles long, in -20-degree Fahrenheit weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But practice makes perfect. Here are his five tips for troops learning ski warfare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) The cold is the hardest part.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Marines aren\u2019t used to \u00adoperating with thick mittens or gloves, especially when shooting. And it takes discipline to change out of sweaty ski clothes into warm, dry clothes after skiing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good training,\u201d Flink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing deployed in Afghanistan up in the mountains, you have snow \u2014 deep snow. Maybe you don\u2019t ski on most \u00addeployments, but you\u2019re going to have the same problem with weapons in the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Learn without poles.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the beginning, the Swedish instructors always try to teach Marines to ski without ski poles, just to work on balance, Flink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s difficult to learn to shoot having poles attached to the hands. It takes practice, practice, practice, Flink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Participants of the Swedish Basic Winter Warfare Course perform a long-distance march on skis in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, Jan. 22, 2018. (Staff Sgt. Marcin Platek\/Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3) It\u2019s all about core strength.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Core strength is key for staying balanced on skis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the snow is really soft and it\u2019s really deep, you have a hard time \u00adkeeping balance,\u201d Flink said. \u201cIf you put too much pressure on one leg, you\u2019re \u00adgoing to sink in and fall, so you really need core strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Ski with the muzzle down.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When skiing, Marines should keep their weapon slung in a low readiness on the chest. And keep the muzzle down. \u201cIf you fall, it\u2019s better to have the butt in your face than the muzzle of the weapon,\u201d he said. It\u2019s important to carry your weapon at the same position in the summertime as the wintertime, Flink says. It\u2019s all about muscle memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Remember \u2018dry, warm, full.\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe three biggest things we try to teach are: dry, warm, full,\u201d as in full belly, Flink explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\t