Big GS Turns or Zipperlining Bumps

[deadheadskier]

I disagree. The turns and the basis of judging those turns has in fact changed quite a bit. And if you compare Edgar's best runs with DBS's (Dale Begg-Smith), for example, you'll see a pretty obvious advancement in turns. Yes, a lot of it is subtle, but it's affect on the overall turn is quite substantial.

Granted, Edgar was a phenomenal skier in his day. Watching his runs is still impressive. But things have certainly changed since the '92 Olympics.

guess I'm becomin' an old man. I haven't a clue what has changed since back then in judging. To me bumps have always been about just lettin' em' run as straight as can go, skiing tall as to keep your skis on the snow and your upper body as quiet as possible......that's bump skiing to me and I think given the same equipment that's available today, Edgar would be right there with anyone.

At that BMM, as an old guy now, if you're around this spring, Id love to charge down some hero bumps with you, sounds like you know the 'new school' quite well.

 

[skibum9995]

It takes a lot of hard work to be very good at either, which one is harder depends on what you focus on. I'm pretty much a one trick pony, skiing groomers hard and fast. I focus on carving, skid free, on bulletproof surfaces. Its a lot harder than just tipping your ski on edge in soft snow and riding the sidecut. It's not that hard to ski the sidecut but it takes more skill to really carve turns of varying radii, for example skiing the ~18m course sets we race at Pats on my >23m skis.

I'm not the best carver, but I like to think I'm pretty good and I'm usually breathing hard after a good run. To anyone who says carving groomers is easy and not a workout, come ski with me for a day and try to keep up.

 

[KevinF]

It's not that hard to ski the sidecut but it takes more skill to really carve turns of varying radii, for example skiing the ~18m course sets we race at Pats on my >23m skis.

+1. I think anybody who says that railing GS turns is "easy" or "relaxing" is probably just riding the edges around on whatever turn radius that happens to produce. Varying that radius involves some serious work (and some serious G forces once you really start moving).

 

[jack97]

... if you compare Edgar's best runs with DBS's (Dale Begg-Smith), for example, you'll see a pretty obvious advancement in turns. Yes, a lot of it is subtle, but it's affect on the overall turn is quite substantial.

Dale Begg-Smith is the present gold standard for turns, they are amazing. Over at the NBC site (i think the links are broken now); they flashed his scorecard, nearly perfect in his turns. He didn't have the most speed and his jump scores wasn't the highest compare to the others who placed. He won the event mainly because of his turns.

http://www.skidebosses.com/2006/jo/jo-1H.wmv

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

It takes a lot of hard work to be very good at either, which one is harder depends on what you focus on. I'm pretty much a one trick pony, skiing groomers hard and fast. I focus on carving, skid free, on bulletproof surfaces. Its a lot harder than just tipping your ski on edge in soft snow and riding the sidecut. It's not that hard to ski the sidecut but it takes more skill to really carve turns of varying radii, for example skiing the ~18m course sets we race at Pats on my >23m skis.

I'm not the best carver, but I like to think I'm pretty good and I'm usually breathing hard after a good run. To anyone who says carving groomers is easy and not a workout, come ski with me for a day and try to keep up.

You've got the right gear to do it that's for sure.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Dale Begg-Smith is the present gold standard for turns, they are amazing. Over at the NBC site (i think the links are broken now); they flashed his scorecard, nearly perfect in his turns. He didn't have the most speed and his jump scores wasn't the highest compare to the others who placed. He won the event mainly because of his turns.

http://www.skidebosses.com/2006/jo/jo-1H.wmv

Makes sense cause turns are 50% of the score, air 25% and speed 25%.

 

[skibum9995]

You've got the right gear to do it that's for sure.

Love the stuff. Switched to Nordica after years on Volkl/Lange. Boots last year, skis this year, and another pair of skis coming for next year.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

guess I'm becomin' an old man. I haven't a clue what has changed since back then in judging. To me bumps have always been about just lettin' em' run as straight as can go, skiing tall as to keep your skis on the snow and your upper body as quiet as possible......that's bump skiing to me and I think given the same equipment that's available today, Edgar would be right there with anyone.

Well, that's definitely the basis of any kind of good mogul skiing. It's the subtleties that have evolved. Skiers now, like DBS, are quite a lot smoother, and take quite a lot less impact in the bumps than previous generations of mogul skiers.

You can check out the current judging standards on the FIS site (www.fis-ski.com).

But I do want to point out this: it's not the equipment at all. There's not a ski in the world that can make you ski bumps well, or transition to "newschool," if you will, bump skiing (conversely, there ARE skis that will make you ski poorly in the bumps). It's all about how you make the turns. Gimme the old original glossy blue Hart Freestyles from the early '80s, and I can make the same turns I can with my '06 CaBrawlers. Edgar learned to ski the oldschool way, and he can freakin' rip. No two ways about it. He could certainly keep up with anyone on the pro circuit. I'm not here to judge which way is "better." But I'd like to have the chance to try my hand at competing, so I'm a follower of current technique standards.

At that BMM, as an old guy now, if you're around this spring, Id love to charge down some hero bumps with you, sounds like you know the 'new school' quite well.

Well, if ya wanna come out to Colorado!!! Unfortunately, I won't be back in New England until May. I'll be leaving out here May 9th, as soon as the RMLA (Rocky Mountain Lift Association) conference is over. It'll be a couple of days in the car, and then I'll be back at the Bush. I doubt to find much bump skiing in the middle of May!

But I'd love to rock the hero bumps with you sometime. Maybe next Spring.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Love the stuff. Switched to Nordica after years on Volkl/Lange. Boots last year, skis this year, and another pair of skis coming for next year.

I'll guess the SLRs since you already have the GSRs. Which Dobbie boots do you have? The last on the Aggressors is just to narrow for me. I had 2 pairs of Pro 130's which I loved. I went to the Blowers this season just to try something different, but not too different.:wink: They're working well.

 

[skibum9995]

I'll guess the SLRs since you already have the GSRs. Which Dobbie boots do you have? The last on the Aggressors is just to narrow for me. I had 2 pairs of Pro 130's which I loved. I went to the Blowers this season just to try something different, but not too different.:wink: They're working well.

SLR it is. Boots are the Pro 130s, but I'm most likely going to pick up some Aggressors this summer. I want something a bit narrower for racing, keeping the Pros for freeskiing.

 

[deadheadskier]

Well, that's definitely the basis of any kind of good mogul skiing. It's the subtleties that have evolved. Skiers now, like DBS, are quite a lot smoother, and take quite a lot less impact in the bumps than previous generations of mogul skiers.

You can check out the current judging standards on the FIS site (www.fis-ski.com).

But I do want to point out this: it's not the equipment at all. There's not a ski in the world that can make you ski bumps well, or transition to "newschool," if you will, bump skiing (conversely, there ARE skis that will make you ski poorly in the bumps). It's all about how you make the turns. Gimme the old original glossy blue Hart Freestyles from the early '80s, and I can make the same turns I can with my '06 CaBrawlers. Edgar learned to ski the oldschool way, and he can freakin' rip. No two ways about it. He could certainly keep up with anyone on the pro circuit. I'm not here to judge which way is "better." But I'd like to have the chance to try my hand at competing, so I'm a follower of current technique standards.



Well, if ya wanna come out to Colorado!!! Unfortunately, I won't be back in New England until May. I'll be leaving out here May 9th, as soon as the RMLA (Rocky Mountain Lift Association) conference is over. It'll be a couple of days in the car, and then I'll be back at the Bush. I doubt to find much bump skiing in the middle of May!

But I'd love to rock the hero bumps with you sometime. Maybe next Spring.

I wish! Latest lift served I ever did was at A-Basin, 4th of July 1993. Summer between my junior and senior year of High School, I lived and worked at Keystone. Did some hike to turns on August 17th somewhere above Loveland that year to. It was the closest I've ever come to 12 months straight. Started my year at Killington in October.