With the best opening week in 40 years, Marmot Basin had 101cm of snow at mid mountain, and Jasperites have had arguably the best skiing in November in the Canadian Rockies this season.

So much snow has left many talking of the difficulties of skiing in powder over après-ski drinks at the lounge, and local skiers talking about how unprecedented the snow conditions are for Jasper.

With the Knob area opened on Tuesday (Nov. 24) at Marmot and other big mountain resorts such as Revelstoke and Kicking Horse opening soon, there will plenty more snow to come for those looking for powder. For those who might be looking for a tip or two on how to handle yourself in the deep white stuff, The Fitzhugh asked Canadian Mountain Holidays heli-ski mountain guide, ski coach and instructor Roko Koell to share some of his tips for skiing powder.

* In powder, it’s important to always keep equal weight on both skis. As long as you are putting more weight on one ski, it will be very frustrating.

* Snowboarders and skiers alike should always start in the fall line (straight down, not on an angle) when in powder. This can be a little nerve-racking, but it is the easiest way. Let your skis or snowboard accelerate to a decent speed – if it’s too slow it doesn’t work, and if it’s too fast it becomes defensive. Wait until you are at a comfortable speed and you feel your skies or board start to float, then start to make short turns. Push equally on both skis and make pole plants if on skis.

* Keep your hips, knees and ankles bent and make a downward motion with your body.

* Starting on an angle doesn’t allow for enough speed for both skis and snowboards, and when you make your first turn, you have to turn 180 degrees to come back the other way. At a certain speed, the skis start to float upwards to the surface and become free of the friction of the snow, however if there is not enough speed, you use your entire body to muscle your way down. To get enough speed, take the fall line. Depending on how steep the slope is, this could only take a few feet or ten or 15 feet before turning.

* In powder, snowboarders have an advantage of having a natural platform and bigger surface area. If it is really deep, a snowboarder needs to be stronger on their back leg to keep the nose from digging in. There are so many shapes of boards and types of snow that not everything applies to every one specific snowboarder.

* The goal is not to accelerate really fast, but to put your skis in front of you and let them run, as soon as you feel a little bit of floating (on skis or board), that’s when you start your rhythm and your turning.