“Bend your knees.” It’s a ski instructor cliche, but is it a good instruction?
You need shock absorption through your legs as a whole, and the ability to control your centre of gravity, which is located at the level of your pelvis in order to have great control and balance on skis. This requires more than knee bending — it is hip bending that is frequently the missing link. Without it, you sacrifice technique and performance, but you also put a lot more stress on the front of your knees.
This video gives you a simple tip for finding your hips, and sparing your knees for skiing.