Bump pants- did you earn yours?

[faceplant]

Ya see them every where- young dudes on bump runs with big loud knee patches
yep quite the statement- 'clear out- mogul masters comin thru!"
....dudes seem to be a little full of themselvs- or just trying to impress the ladies?
mebbe its a uniform for members of the bump tribe only?
or is it just a little pading in case you skin your knee?

so......what gives you the right to put 'em on?
did you earn 'em? place high in a comp?
why are you wearing 'em if your not in a comp?

or did you just buy 'em off a rack someplace...a pretender?

funny tho- don't see any ladies wearing em- is it a guy thing?
or are the ladies just not that impressed with themselvs?
after all- its a sad sight when a bump pants dude cant really handle the course

so what gives?

.

 

[Greg]

I don't wear them all the time. And when I do, I do so fully understanding that I'm a total poser. And I'm okay with that. :lol:

 

[SkiDork]

I don/t wear the becuase I'm not worthy.

My son is, but the problem is you can't buy them any more.

The kids these days get them sewn on.

 

[jarrodski]

I don't wear them all the time. And when I do, I do so fully understanding that I'm a total poser. And I'm okay with that. :lol:

for me, i relate to this in that you gotta get in your zone when you're out there shredding it up. Has anyone seen my purple get up? ya...

however...when you're decked out in your "steeze", you can't help but get in the mind set of full shred. its like a skiers super hero uniform. seems like there's one for each discipline too. bumpers knees, park puffys, racer's tight pants!....ski school vests haha

As far as being worthy to doan it? (doan?) i say, you're rocking the threads legitmitly if you're looking solid down your run (even if shitting pants quietly) and performing modertaly up-to-date style with ease. you'll know this is happening if you get stared down from the side lines by someone you're pretty much skiing over (move it joey!!!), or getting hoots from strangers. i think if thats happening, you're probably ok with a bit of steeze. However... what's funnier than posers?

 

[bvibert]

They're just a pair of pants. Why does one need to be a super bumper to wear them? I'd wear bump pants just because some of them look cool, and I suck at skiing.

 

[o3jeff]

Bad enough I'm a poser with bump skis, don't think I need the pants too.

 

[Glenn]

Up until two seasons ago...I was wearing a pair of mid 1990's Burton Biolight pants. Black never goes out of style.

 

[snosharkrider]

i thought the whole point of the patches were for the judges to better see movement of the knees in bump competitions. Anyone know for sure?

I always loved Plake's rant in Fistful of Moguls:

"You know a lot of people are having trouble skiing powder. Its, you know, so difficult. But, hell, there an answer for that... Get yourself some... some fat skis!

You know I'm having a hard time skiing powder and uh, I just uh, I don't know uh... You know its really difficult.

No kidding its difficult. Its, skiing's a difficult sport. But for $650 bucks go get yourself some tongue depressors to slide around on and guess what man? Your skiing powder. In fact your chasing me around in powder!

The old carved turn. Nobody can carve a turn. Your not supposed to be able to carve a turn. That's like the sacred cow man. But for $650 bucks, go get yourself some hourglass skis and you'll out carve half the guys teaching skiing at Vail!

Everybody's that ever been to Squaw Valley has counted to three and hurled their bodies off Pallisades. Big Deal! What is a big deal is mogul skiing. You don't buy it. You don't fake it. It's real. It's alive, and if you want to find the best skier on the mountain you might want to take a good hard look at who's skiing the bumps.

But moguls now there's something you do not buy. You earn. There's something you do not talk about in the bar about how bad ass your mogul run was, cause everybody was there. Everybody saw it. It was right there under the chair. There's nothing to hide. There's nothing to buy that can help you.

You know what comes from skiing? Moguls. Moguls are a product of our sport. It's not something you've got to go spend a million dollars on building a little... little playing field. It just happens naturally."

 

[SkiDork]

Yes, patches are for the judges benefit.

Iceman (my son, mogul competitor) can recite that whole scene by memory

 

[mondeo]

I wear them primarily at competitions, also Sundown if I figure there's a good chance of video due to their making A&E easier to see. It can be very hard to tell from head-on shots how much work the legs are actually doing without the patches.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Yes, patches are for the judges benefit.

Iceman (my son, mogul competitor) can recite that whole scene by memory

The patches as well as most other "cool" attire additions or hardgoods the regular skiing/riding public uses can be traced back to skiing/riding racing. Hell, I think that happens in just about every recreational sport.

At the big retail ski shows all the vendors are trying to convince you that their products are the best to sell and the "cool factor" is entrenched in their pitch cause they know it's important to the retailers cause those are the products that will sell.

The patches obviously have a logical use not only in competitions but with serious recreational bumpers who are trying to get better versus, for example, mirror/chrome lens which really do not make the product any better in any measurable way except the added $20-$40 depending on the goggle but are very popular.

 

[Jeffy]

yep quite the statement- 'clear out- mogul masters comin thru!"

Exactly. Indeed the patches on the pants say 'I am a mogul skier' and I like that. I have worked a very long time to be able to ski moguls well so I am proud to sport the patches when I am skiing moguls. Some people (even myself sometimes) think wearing them can also be a little silly sometimes and I don't mind that either. Its good to laugh at yourself once in a while.