Breakthroughs

[2knees]

Since i'm daydreaming about skiing today i was thinking about this.

We all have had breakthroughs at some point and to some degree with our skiing. Anyone recall an exceptionally significant or gratifying one? My biggest and most satisfying came back in 1987. I had skipped high school on an early april day and went to killington with 2 other friends. One, a top notch bumper and all-around wildman. We were skiing outer limits in a drizzle, big soft hero bumps. Up till that day, i was unable to string any line together at all with any type of rhythm or skill. My friend kept yelling at me to stop being afraid and stick to one line. Dont know exactly what it was but about half way through the day it all just clicked for me. Been totally addicted to mogul skiing since. The clarity with which i can remember that day, but forget my wife's birthday, is uncanny. We quit when my friend tried a backflip and landed on the side of his face. and he was on 207's.

 

[dmc]

First day in POW on a snowboard...

Opened my eyes wide!

 

[Vortex]

1st time I could ski upper flume at loon straight down with tight turns and not gain speed. I met a one of the few goals I set in skiing.

 

[Greg]

The first time I linked turns while on an edge vs. skidding or chopping down the trail. You know when you're doing it right as you get that distinct feeling of weightlessness between turns. I think I was at Butternut a season or two into skiing when I first felt that. Probably 96 or 97.

The first time I skied a bump line with any semblance of skill was at Loon in April of 2003. They used to seed some bumps under the Kanc Quad. The pitch was mellow enough that I was able to keep a line through much of that mogul field. Not a lot in the way of good absorbtion/extension, but just being able to stay in the zipper was a thrill. That was the first time I just let it "go" a bit in the bumps. You need to push beyond that comfort zone in terms of speed. Until you do, moguls are more scarey than fun. The next bump breakthrough came for me also at Loon when they had the bumps set up on Sunset in 2004. Those runs were the first time I felt a good bump absorbtion. I have pics of those runs:

Bluebird skies, comfy temps and nice seeded bumps on a mellow pitch. That day was a confidence builder. The next season I spent a lot of time on the steeper seeded bumps of Rumrunner and improved further:

This season I had another bump breakthrough on the Nor'easter bumps at Sundown. The feeling of how properly extending over the backside of the bumps really does indeed help you control your speed finally clicked. Moguls are awesome. They are as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Putting all these pieces together (keeping a line, absorbtion, extension) consistently is what is so intriguing about bumps to me. Nornally, I can get at least one or two of the pieces together in any given bump run, but being able to consistently nail all three is something I'm still after. Skiing bumps correctly feels sooo awesome and like you Pat it's almost addicting. So I guess I've had a few little breakthroughs in the bumps. I skied a seeded course at Sugarbush this spring where the bumps were so soft and forgiving. I absolutely nailed several runs. Talk about a great feeling.

 

[SkiDog]

The first time I linked turns while on an edge vs. skidding or chopping down the trail. You know when you're doing it right as you get that distinct feeling of weightlessness between turns. I think I was at Butternut a season or two into skiing when I first felt that. Probably 96 or 97.

The first time I skied a bump line with any semblance of skill was at Loon in April of 2003. They used to seed some bumps under the Kanc Quad. The pitch was mellow enough that I was able to keep a line through much of that mogul field. Not a lot in the way of good absorbtion/extension, but just being able to stay in the zipper was a thrill. That was the first time I just let it "go" a bit in the bumps. You need to push beyond that comfort zone in terms of speed. Until you do, moguls are more scarey than fun. The next bump breakthrough came for me also at Loon when they had the bumps set up on Sunset in 2004. Those runs were the first time I felt a good bump absorbtion. I have pics of those runs:

Bluebird skies, comfy temps and nice seeded bumps on a mellow pitch. That day was a confidence builder. The next season I spent a lot of time on the steeper seeded bumps of Rumrunner and improved further:

This season I had another bump breakthrough on the Nor'easter bumps at Sundown. The feeling of how properly extending over the backside of the bumps really does indeed help you control your speed finally clicked. Moguls are awesome. They are as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Putting all these pieces together (keeping a line, absorbtion, extension) consistently is what is so intriguing about bumps to me. Nornally, I can get at least one or two of the pieces together in any given bump run, but being able to consistently nail all three is something I'm still after. Skiing bumps correctly feels sooo awesome and like you Pat it's almost addicting. So I guess I've had a few little breakthroughs in the bumps. I skied a seeded course at Sugarbush this spring where the bumps were so soft and forgiving. I absolutely nailed several runs. Talk about a great feeling.

Man is it me or do the bump pics you put up always look like the prefectly setup bumps? They NEVER look like that on Outer Limits....I could zipper line the bumps in your pics all day...the transitions look near perfect...

M

 

[Greg]

Man is it me or do the bump pics you put up always look like the prefectly setup bumps? They NEVER look like that on Outer Limits....I could zipper line the bumps in your pics all day...the transitions look near perfect...

Which is why I love seeded bumps. Some purists hate them...

 

[andyzee]

My breakthrough came at Hunter. I decided to take some time off work for a longer weekend of skiing, it was my birthday. Me and Vee had only been skiing a couple of years at that point and we had just purchased new skis to replace our beginner skis. Instead of heading straight up to K, I decided to stop at Hunter on the way to break up the trip and check out Hunter for the first time. I had gotten a free ticket from a friend and we stopped at Potter Bros. ski shop for a discount ticket. Lucky me, it was a flex day, got a ticket for something like $19.75. Up to this point we had only hit one or two black diamonds and were very shakey on them. This day, we had no problems with the black in Hunter, we didn't do k-27, we weren't ready for that yet, but we did real good on most of the other blacks, Claires was our favorite. From there we headed up to Killington and Sugarbush, where we suddenly had no problem with trails that we wouldn't even try in the past.

 

[SkiDog]

Which is why I love seeded bumps. Some purists hate them...

I have to admit that I tend to think of myself as a "purist" as you call it, but those bumps make me drool......truly drool.....they look sooo nice..

M

 

[Greg]

I have to admit that I tend to think of myself as a "purist" as you call it, but those bumps make me drool......truly drool.....they look sooo nice..

M

I can totally see how some folks scoff at seeded moguls, but I'm a huge supporter of them. For me, they provide consistent terrain to hone my skills so when I get on my favorite type of trails (natural snow, skier-made bumps) like The Mall or Middle Earth, for example, I can hold my own and enjoy the run vs. holding on for dear life. I consider them "training"...

 

[Hawkshot99]

If I could ski on bumps like that, I "might" enjoy them. As it is, wherever I go, the bumps are just random mounds, that make it impossible to hold a line. So I hate moguls.

 

[JimG.]

My breakthrough came at Hunter.

Hunter? That place is totally overrated!

 

[SkiDog]

Hunter? That place is totally overrated!

AMEN BROTHER...HA...i am laughing really hard right now.

M

 

[andyzee]

Hunter? That place is totally overrated!

I knew you'd appreciate that answer, it's the truth.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Hunter? That place is totally overrated!

Easy Rambo. How about changing your avitar to that? It would be cool.

 

[JimG.]

AMEN BROTHER...HA...i am laughing really hard right now.

M

I heard Rambo hangs out there.

 

[JimG.]

Easy Rambo. How about changing your avitar to that? It would be cool.

What, to Rambo? Nah, the "Italian Stallion" image just isn't me.

 

[2knees]

Man is it me or do the bump pics you put up always look like the prefectly setup bumps? They NEVER look like that on Outer Limits....I could zipper line the bumps in your pics all day...the transitions look near perfect...

M

I dont ski killington more than a handful of days a year now, but if you ask me, ol consistently seems to have some of the worst lines you could possibly seek out. Dont know if its the half groomed bailout getting more people on it then when it was wall to wall or just me getting picky, but i just dont really enjoy it anymore. I'll take vertigo, needles liftline, northstar, escapade to name a few at k over ol. And when killington does seed a course, its always roped off.

 

[SkiDog]

I dont ski killington more than a handful of days a year now, but if you ask me, ol consistently seems to have some of the worst lines you could possibly seek out. Dont know if its the half groomed bailout getting more people on it then when it was wall to wall or just me getting picky, but i just dont really enjoy it anymore. I'll take vertigo, needles liftline, northstar, escapade to name a few at k over ol. And when killington does seed a course, its always roped off.

Yeah if I had to pick an overrated trail (yeah I know theres a thread thanks) id pick OL...i agree totally the worst lines you can find, but if you can zipper OL you can ski any bump track out there...thats for sure...

I am sometimes soo tempted to jump into those roped off courses they make for the teams..and comps...

M

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

And when killington does seed a course, its always roped off.

At WF after the World Cup Mogal Comp. they leave the course open to the public. If you think all seeded courses will make you look like heros try that one top to bottom. Its a good test.

 

[JimG.]

I am sometimes soo tempted to jump into those roped off courses they make for the teams..and comps...

M

Offer to help groom the course when you see them working on it and you might get invited.