Winter Sports have their own lingo, special words and slang. If you are new to these sports, or your children come home trying to tell you what they were doing and you don’t understand, this quick dictionary is designed to get your Winterspeak going.
This guide is constantly evolving, with new words added all the time. If you would like to suggest a word, please email the editor at her address below

Apres ski – n. – “after ski” the time spent with friends after skiing for the day. (skiing)

Back country – n. – not a resort, or maintained trail area. (all winter sports)

Backstop n. – a goal (broomball, hockey)

Bunny slope – n. – a gentle slope that is a good place for beginners to learn to go downhill. (skiing, snowboarding, sledding)

Corn - n.- chunky, older snow that has often frozen and re-melted, visually resembles canned corn. Can be difficult to ski or snowboard on. (skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling)

Cross- checking – v. – thrusting at, knocking over, or injuring an opposing player with your stick (hockey)

Crud –n. – lumpy, hard snow that is crunchy and uneven (skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing)

Deke – v. – using a fake move when facing an opponent (hockey)

Fakie –n – a trick where the rider goes backward (snowboarding)

Fall line- n. – the part of a slope that gravity pulls you down, almost like being on a path, but due to the natural shape of the slope. A single slope may have several fall lines, depending on where exactly you push off from. (skiing, snowboarding, sledding)

Freeskiing – v. – freestyle skiing, a style of downhill skiing that incorporates tricks and jumps.

Goofy – adj. – riding with your right foot forward. (snowboarding)

Half-pipe – n. – a double-concave shaped ditch within a slope, it rides like a ramp would to a skateboarder, often these are dug out of the snow (snowboarding, freeskiing)

Hat trick – n. – 1) three goals made in one game , or three achievements made quickly by one person (hockey, all other sports)

High-sticking –v.- raising you hockey stick more than waste high to hit the puck, or an opposing player (hockey)

Lumber – n. – hockey stick (hockey)

Milk run – n. – the first run of the day (skiing, snowboarding)

Ollie – n.- a jump where the rider catches air (snowboarding, freeskiing)

Powder – n. – fresh, light, ungroomed snow (all winter sports)

Shred –v. – to ski or snowboard with speed and skill “Let’s go shred that!” (skiing, snowboarding)

Sled – n. – 1) slang for a snowmobile 2) anything that can be ridden down a snow covered slope. (snowmobiling, sledding)

Snowmachine – n. – Alaskan colloquialism for a snowmobile. (snowmobiling)

Wheelie – n. – a trick where the rider rears back and lifts the front of their board off the snow (snowboarding)