How do you ski moguls?

One of my goals this year is to improve my skiing in the bumps. I have always been impressed with the bump skiers who ski bumps top to top. I thought I would read about some techniques and came across this:

(1) Green Line: a turn that has a smaller radius than the trough - e.g. you stay on the same mogul on which you initiated your turn.

Initiate your turn on the flat top of a mogul and steer / pivot the skis to perpendicular or more to the fall line that is between where you initiated your turn and the flat top of a designated mogul below where you will initiate your next turn. Avoid the use of high edge angles (carving) and drift down to the new turn location using "soft" edges.

This line is the slowest way to ski a mogul run and does not require fast reflexes.

(2) Blue Line: a turn that has a larger radius than the trough - e.g. you ski on the curved bank of the adjacent mogul staying above the trough.

Initiate your turn on the flat top of a mogul and steer the skis along the arc of the bank of the adjacent mogul that represents the opposite side of the trough (think of riding on a banked NASCAR track). Avoid the use of high edge angles (carving), keep your skis flat to the angle of the bank and drift to the new turn location on "soft" edges.

This line is the second slowest way to ski a mogul run and also does not require fast reflexes.

(3) Trough Line: a turn that has the same radius as the trough - e.g. you ski in the trough.

Initiate your turn on the flat top of a mogul and - keeping your turn radius the same as the trough - ski through the trough to the flat top of another mogul below where you plan to initite your next turn.

This line is the second fastest way to ski a mogul run and requires fast reflexes.

(4) Zipper Line: a method of skiing a mogul run where you essentially go straight down the fall line with minimal turns - e.g. you ski directly from the top of one mogul to the top of another mogul below.

This line is the fastest way to ski a mogul run and requires lightening fast reflexes.

We can safely say that the Zipper Line is not appropriate, under any circumstance, for Baby Boomer and Senior skiers because of the need for ultra-fast reflexes.

Ride the river, feel the flow. Guess that would be #3 of your classification. Will do a little zipper lining in seeded bumps but usually ski a little slower then the good zipper liners.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Those descriptions confuse me. Ski instructor speak almost as bad as lawyer speak.

There is a story told about a guy walking in NY who stops a passerby and asks, "How to you get to Carnegie Hall". The passerby replies, "Practice, practice, practice."

The true answer to "How You Ski Moguls": "Practice, practice, practice." Do it again and again; take every kind of mogul run imaginable, forcing yourself into the ugliest, gnarliest moguls until you ski by such a field and can say with authority, "I could ski those if I wanted to (or had to), but I am smart enough not to."

Where did you find those descriptions?

What you term the "blue line" is what I've heard called the "buddy bump line", but the concept is the same -- you essentially bank a turn off of the neighboring bump to help get you around. I like this option because the troughs tend to be rather "firm" with softer snow on the bumps themselves, so it minimizes the time you spend in the troughs and maximizes the time spent on softer snow.

That said... You've got to learn how to do everything (unless you're trying to ski "world cup style" and you have to stay in the troughs / zipper line). Sometimes it's better to stay up top, sometimes the trough line works, and sometimes the buddy bump line works.

Smellytele said:

Those descriptions confuse me. Ski instructor speak almost as bad as lawyer speak.

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While I was reading it I was thinking of golf instruction, how they are so particular about every pinky and toe.

The descriptions really need images for full effect. Hard to follow it directly. There is a popular mogul book that was talked about here before that I read on my Kindle, I have to see if I can find the name again (brian knows it?) but it was good at explaining some basics that I tired applying when I was at Wachusett. That was 2 years ago though. Probably very rusty now.

Nick said:

The descriptions really need images for full effect. Hard to follow it directly. There is a popular mogul book that was talked about here before that I read on my Kindle, I have to see if I can find the name again (brian knows it?) but it was good at explaining some basics that I tired applying when I was at Wachusett. That was 2 years ago though. Probably very rusty now.

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Pretty sure this is the one I'm thinking of:

That language is not very intuitive. Im comfortable in the moguls but that doesnt mean I know what the heck Im doing in them. From what I can discern here I guess I'm a combination blue line/trough rider but I don't consciously think that way I just point by body at the fall line and make roundish short and medium radius turns wherever I feel they should occur. Granted it's been quite a few months but I don't think I specifically target an area on the mogul..

joshua segal said:

"I could ski those if I wanted to (or had to), but I am smart enough not to."

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why?


To answer the OP, I would say somewhere between 2 and 3. I do a bit more with my edges these days to control speed instead of relying solely on absorption into the bump. I'm not sure what option 4 is. Most people refer to a WC style as zipper lining, which to me is option 3.

Depends on the "aggression" of the bumps. Deep, steep, and stiff: blue line. Low, slow, and shallow: trough with a bit of zipper.

Carefully.

I tried the turn on tops, turn in troughs and hit the bumps half way up. Ya ok. Whoever wrote those things never saw the screwed up, haphazard globs of frozen trenched crap we ski in New England. I learned to stand more upright so I can soak up the bumps (to a degree) and look as far ahead as possible. The minute I look at the bump I am about to hit I am done. Looking ahead and relaxing are the key points for me. After that, I just try to find the point of least effort.

I am not great at bumps but it has become one of my favorite things to do. My latest bucket list item is to learn them on tele gear. That has been a lesson in humility

Pete

you have to dance with the moguls

http://www.ehow.com/video_2366805_ski-moguls.html

Not a fan of those descriptions at all.

I always try to ski a zipper line these days, ever since my son learned how and the competition heated up. BUT, I can ski it as slowly as I want. No need for fast reflexes. Good balance, yes, but not reflexes. Just skid more on each turn and go the speed YOU want to go.

I think this is the book Nick mentioned earlier in the thread.
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-In...RX0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418166692&sr=1-1

I prefer a combination. I like to bounce off the top of a mogul to check speed while in the air in combo with skiing zipper lines. Depends on the conditions though. I hate rut skiing!

No zipper lines for this guy, still enjoy bumps ( natural) just can't make a day out of them , also hate rut skiing. can still make quick turns for my age (60) you need all the skills (except zipper) to ski bumps, especially here in east.

When I was in my 20's my favorite thing on skis was to huck a large Mogul and clear one to two moguls and land the downside of a distant one...if you miss it's ugly but when you pull it off it's awesome.

I like troughs. If anyone wants a mogul lesson ask Savemeasammy. He is one hell of a zipper on those F17s.

Tin said:

I like troughs. If anyone wants a mogul lesson ask Savemeasammy. He is one hell of a zipper on those F17s.

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First lesson...how to tear your rotator cuff? Sign me up

Tin said:

I like troughs. If anyone wants a mogul lesson ask Savemeasammy. He is one hell of a zipper on those F17s.

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yup right up there with the best of AZ bump skiers I've made turns with. Very smooth.

I was posting those descriptions expecting you all to rip them to shreds!

In a seriousness I ski bumps by going at the uphill side of the bump and ski the trough.