How to ski moguls?

Dmiller27 · Jan 13, 2013

I have been skiing off and on for years and I just can't get into skiing moguls"bumps". Any tips or suggestions on how to get into it and better at skiing them?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using AlpineZone mobile app

Scruffy · Jan 13, 2013

Dmiller27 said:
I have been skiing off and on for years and I just can't get into skiing moguls"bumps". Any tips or suggestions on how to get into it and better at skiing them?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using AlpineZone mobile app

Once you go bumps, you'll never go back.

Take a mogul lesson, then practice, practice, practice.

Hit every skier formed pile of snow you see while you're skiing around on the groomers.

bdfreetuna · Jan 13, 2013

I'm no mogul jedi.. but I enjoy skiing them.

If you want to ski bumps I'd start at making a point to ski a lot of bumps. If you aren't "into them", I might be wrong, but it sounds like you are avoiding them? Ski more bumped up diamonds and double D's.

I think you will need to get generally comfortable with skiing them-- by actually getting a lot of practice on your own-- before you attempt to take it to the next level and become a pro mogul skier or anything.

Once you spend more time on them, then look for low angle bumps... the odd blue square or easier diamond run with small/medium moguls... this is what you can practice hitting the bumps faster and more fluidly on.

And start skiing woods if you don't already... woods are full of bumps but you might find skiing woods and glades to be a lot more fun so this might help you get into bumps a different way =D

Edd · Jan 14, 2013

I'm no bump master either but I ski them a lot. As said, time on the hill is key. Something to keep in mind is that skiing powdery or slushy bumps is relatively easy compared to bulletproof eastern moguls with deep trenches. So you may start improving for awhile when you catch some good snow days and then feel you suffer a setback when you hit a scratchy day. I feel like the hard snow moguls need a lighter touch...a greater emphasis on extension and absorption, or something like that.

MadMadWorld · Jan 14, 2013

Lots of different styles out there and lots of strong opinions about all of them (I tend to like the SVMM method best). Try different styles though and see what you are more comfortable with.

Smellytele · Jan 14, 2013

I am not a bounce from top to top guy but I try to turn as close to the tops as possible trying to avoid getting too low. also I try to get as close to the inside of the line as I can. Does it always end up that way? No but I try. Getting too deep gets you in trouble.

Cheese · Jan 14, 2013

Dmiller27 said:
I have been skiing off and on for years and I just can't get into skiing moguls"bumps". Any tips or suggestions on how to get into it and better at skiing them?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using AlpineZone mobile app

I am a zip line bumper so probably have different thoughts on this subject than others and certainly would have different skills and drills to offer to achieve the zip line level of mogul skiing. However once you've mastered the skills required to control speed in the zip line, increasing the turn spacing or traversing a mogul trail will be a simple transition. On the other hand, most bump skiers that ski outside of the zip line would not say that the transition to skiing in the zip line is a simple one. That's not to say that those skiers ever need to ski the zip line and certainly can have a great day in the moguls while passing back and forth through the zip line. So, choose your path and make sure you mention to any instructor which path you wish to take.

Saturday at Sugarbush was a great opportunity to see the two different styles performed well. WWF-VT traverses a mogul trail smoothly conserving energy whereas I'd come down the zip line and stop more frequently. We both would arrive at the end of a run at the same time much like a long distance runner and sprinter might share a road.

Smellytele · Jan 14, 2013

Cheese said:
I am a zip line bumper so probably have different thoughts on this subject than others and certainly would have different skills and drills to offer to achieve the zip line level of mogul skiing. However once you've mastered the skills required to control speed in the zip line, increasing the turn spacing or traversing a mogul trail will be a simple transition. On the other hand, most bump skiers that ski outside of the zip line would not say that the transition to skiing in the zip line is a simple one. That's not to say that those skiers ever need to ski the zip line and certainly can have a great day in the moguls while passing back and forth through the zip line. So, choose your path and make sure you mention to any instructor which path you wish to take.

The zip line is good if they are man made bumps but natural bumps can be a little trickier if not uniform.

KevinF · Jan 14, 2013

Sorry to be a downer in this thread, but I don't think of bump skiing as something that can be solved by simply adding a tip or two to your "bag of tricks", or with a simple adjustment of technique, etc.

Frustration with bump skiing usually boils down to one simple truth: there is something fundamentally wrong with your skiing, and that needs to be addressed . As instructors like to say (probably not to your face though): it's not that you can't ski bumps, it's that you can't ski and the bumps are proving it.

I come to bump skiing via the PSIA "rounder line" method, which basically means mastering short-radius retraction turns on groomers. Basically, a retraction turn is an absorption of the pressure change that comes as your skis come across the fall line and then extending into the new turn. It allows you to practice the absorption / extension moves that are critical to bump skiing without having to worry about actual moguls.

Until I mastered short-radius retraction turns, I found bump skiing to be impossible. Once I figured out retraction turns (and I mean being able to bang out a hundred straight down the width of a groomer), bumps became -- well, I don't want to say "simple", but certainly a whole heckuva lot easier.

As Cheese said above, there are several "schools of thought" regarding bump skiing. I'm not going to debate the merits of each approach, but this is what worked for me.

steamboat1 · Jan 14, 2013

KevinF said:
Frustration with bump skiing usually boils down to one simple truth: there is something fundamentally wrong with your skiing, and that needs to be addressed . As instructors like to say (probably not to your face though): it's not that you can't ski bumps, it's that you can't ski and the bumps are proving it.

:beer:

Glenn · Jan 14, 2013

Jump into a section of bumps here and there. If you can find some that are seeded, even better. Seeded tend to be more uniform and you can easily get into a rythym.

JimG. · Jan 14, 2013

Get Dan's book:

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showth...d-You-About-Mogul-Skiing&highlight=dan+dipiro

Nick · Jan 14, 2013

JimG. said:
Get Dan's book:

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showth...d-You-About-Mogul-Skiing&highlight=dan+dipiro

^A very good book. I read it on my Kindle last year. At one point, the author had been here posting about it.

Cheese · Jan 14, 2013

KevinF said:
Frustration with bump skiing usually boils down to one simple truth: there is something fundamentally wrong with your skiing, and that needs to be addressed . As instructors like to say (probably not to your face though): it's not that you can't ski bumps, it's that you can't ski and the bumps are proving it.

I come to bump skiing via the PSIA "rounder line" method, which basically means mastering short-radius retraction turns on groomers. Basically, a retraction turn is an absorption of the pressure change that comes as your skis come across the fall line and then extending into the new turn. It allows you to practice the absorption / extension moves that are critical to bump skiing without having to worry about actual moguls.

Great information here and especially important is the suggestion that skills and drills are best perfected away from the bumps. The idea of skiing into a mogul field to give it a try or work on getting better will probably not do much more than reinforce bad habits, increase frustration and risk injury.

JimG. · Jan 14, 2013

Nick said:
^A very good book. I read it on my Kindle last year. At one point, the author had been here posting about it.

Many years ago...I got to ski a day with Dan at Cannon in 05 before he moved to Waterville.

It is an excellent book.

bdfreetuna · Jan 14, 2013

I gotta check out these different "methods" of skiing bumps.

Been working lately on not getting so deep in the trenches and my bumps skiing is getting better. A lot of the time I just watch somebody better than me and try to follow their line.

MadMadWorld · Jan 14, 2013

KevinF said:
Sorry to be a downer in this thread, but I don't think of bump skiing as something that can be solved by simply adding a tip or two to your "bag of tricks", or with a simple adjustment of technique, etc.

Frustration with bump skiing usually boils down to one simple truth: there is something fundamentally wrong with your skiing, and that needs to be addressed . As instructors like to say (probably not to your face though): it's not that you can't ski bumps, it's that you can't ski and the bumps are proving it.

I come to bump skiing via the PSIA "rounder line" method, which basically means mastering short-radius retraction turns on groomers. Basically, a retraction turn is an absorption of the pressure change that comes as your skis come across the fall line and then extending into the new turn. It allows you to practice the absorption / extension moves that are critical to bump skiing without having to worry about actual moguls.

Until I mastered short-radius retraction turns, I found bump skiing to be impossible. Once I figured out retraction turns (and I mean being able to bang out a hundred straight down the width of a groomer), bumps became -- well, I don't want to say "simple", but certainly a whole heckuva lot easier.

As Cheese said above, there are several "schools of thought" regarding bump skiing. I'm not going to debate the merits of each approach, but this is what worked for me.

It's amazing how one translates to the other. Once I really understood pressure, I finally could grasp how guys could do ziplines and look so out of control yet in control at the exact same time.

MadMadWorld · Jan 14, 2013

bdfreetuna said:
I gotta check out these different "methods" of skiing bumps.

Been working lately on not getting so deep in the trenches and my bumps skiing is getting better. A lot of the time I just watch somebody better than me and try to follow their line.

It's not as simple as following someones line when it comes to moguls. You have to understand upper/lower body seperation, flex/extension, pressure, etc. You sound like you are using the ole' slide and bump method. Check out the Sun Valley Mogul Method as an alternative.....not saying one is better but decide for yourself.

bdfreetuna · Jan 14, 2013

Slide and bump sounds about right. Thanks for the tip I'll check that out after work.

edit: couldn't wait... watched a few vids. Looks like Sun Valley method is something like how I tackle low angle bumps... except not as fast as the pros in the videos and I tend to get a little air off the occasional bump just for fun.

The video did help me realize one thing.. I am not doing a good job pulling my skis back under me, and therefore there are occasions where I feel my balance starts to get way back and I no longer have good control or speed control. Gotta work on that. This seems like a big reason why my shallow bump and steep bump technique is drastically different.

Sorry to hijack thread OP hopefully this stuff is useful to many people trying to better themselves in the bumps

steamboat1 · Jan 14, 2013

Two methods I think. You either ski the valleys or bump top to top.

How to ski moguls?

New member

Active member

New member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Member

New member

Active member

Moderator

Administrator

New member

Moderator

New member

Active member

Active member

New member

New member

Similar threads