Bumps and Crud Tips for Low Intermediate

[hammer]

Does anyone have any tips (aside from taking a lesson) for handling small bumps and crud? It was great to finally ski in some powder this weekend, but most of the trails I went down had bumps and crud in the steeper sections by the end of the day.

 

[thetrailboss]

Does anyone have any tips (aside from taking a lesson) for handling small bumps and crud? It was great to finally ski in some powder this weekend, but most of the trails I went down had bumps and crud in the steeper sections by the end of the day.

Hello Hammer. Mind me asking where you found that snow? We had tons of it at Sunday River.

I like powder. I like bumps. When things get choppy, you get conditions called "chowder" (or in Northern New England, "chowdah"). The snow is all cut up and tracked through. I took a lesson this week with some advice for these conditions...be sure that you have good balance--if your quads are killing you, then you are leaning back too far. If you do get throw back, kick your skis backwards so that your upper body pushes forward. Have some tension in the upper body so that if you hit a bump you aren't thrown back. Be confident and drive your skis through the snow. Keep your ankles stiff. Our instructor also told us to keep our feet together with one ski width in between them (like we used to back in the days of straight skis). This will give you a nice platform to ski...don't expect to supercarve in the stuff...be prepared to skid.

In powdah the name of the game is floatation and speed...stay on top of the snow and go faster with shorter turns that are not as sharp.

Hope this helps...Merrill from Sunday River gave us a great expert clinic on this last week. Request him or Don if you go there. :wink:

 

[tirolerpeter]

Bumps and Crud?

If by "bumps" you mean significant irregularily spaced "ridges" and "ripples" as opposed to outright "moguls" and by "crud" you mean an accumulation of snow that has been tracked up and pushed around by other skiers and boarders then yes, here are a couple of tips:

1. Despite your impulse to lean back on your skiis, stay centered or even forward against your boots. Without forward pressure your tips will wander, or cross.

2. While doing #1 above, keep your back straight, your knees bent, and your butt over your bindings, not back toward your tails. This will not only help you keep your balance, it will allow your legs to absorb the shocks of the irregular surfaces you encounter and facilitate getting over on your edges as you roll into your turns. Note, if you begin to feel "heat" in your quads, you are not forward enough in your stance regardless of what you think you are doing. To help you maintain the proper forward stance, keep your arms out front pointing downhill. This helps also you resist "upper body steering."

3. Keep making nice even turns and avoid the impulse to go straight ahead. You will be amazed at how taking crud while over on your edges allows you to cut through it as if it wasn't there! Besides, except for the instant you are transitioning from one turn to the next, you will be on your edges at all times. Oh yes, don't go too slowly. That just sends you up and down through every irregularity and not over and/or through it.

Did you ever see anybody in a ski movie travel in a straight line? Believe it or not, following steps 1 - 3 above works in real poweder too. So...go for it!

 

[tekweezle]

having never seen you ski, I don;t know what your proficiency is. so I;ll give you some general tips that have helped me. i read that book by "Breakthrough on Skis" by Tejada-Flores and it helped me. also, lots of tips from Ski Magazine plus lessons too..

small bumps and crud are the first step to full out mogul skiiing. I am still working on the moguls but I can give some pointer that have helped me. when encountering variable terrain, i find that more powerful carving can be helpfull. i tend to "knock over" whatever looks loose and ski over whatever i can;t get an edge on like powder snow.

the biggest problems for intermediate skiers is getting knoced into the back seat on variable terrain. it;s easier on groomed slopes with predictable terrain. the tendency is to go back on your heel and skid to slow yourself down. however tactic i use is stay on the balls of your feet and keep those ski tips in the snow provided that you are comfortable witht he speed.

what works for me are:
pole planting-keeping the hands forward so you don;t get knocked into the back seat. pole planting is a key to keeping yourself forward. simply pole with the down hill pole to initiate a turn, chest facing down hill. throwing your weight forward is a good way to start every turn and remember to keep your chest facing in down hill. if you are in some really heavy. deep snow I find doing a double pole plant helps. careful not to drag the uphill pole behind you because that will put you in the back seat ruight away. always keep the hands in the "ready" position.

2 skis in the snow at all times is the most powerful and stable you can be-practice on regular groomed slopes first. let your skis be a little more apart so they are more independent of each other. as you are traversing across the hill and getting ready to make a turn, concentrate on applying pressure on boot tongue of the uphill ski so that when you make the transition of edges at the apex of the turn and the uphil ski becomes the down hill ski, about 60% of your weight gets put onto the new downhill ski. the weight distribution is about 60/40 downhill to uphill ski.

if you feel you are going to fast, make an uphill J turn or a "hockey stop" to slow yourself down or come to a complete stop. it;s also fun to use to spray your friends with snow!.

if you find yourself on a steeper slope than you are comfortable with, one technique I use is to compress my knees across the hill and relax to extend them to turn. relaxing tends to "unweight" you skis and allow them to go down the fall line all by themself. then when you want to slow down and turn, just compress those knees. it kind of works in moguls too but I am still testing that. don;t forget to pole plant, chest forward and stay off those heels!!

goodluck! let me know if any of it helped.

 

[hammer]

Thanks to all for the info. It's great when newbies can get a few tips.

BTW, thetrailboss, I was at Sunapee on Sunday and they apparently had at least a few inches of snow the night before. By later in the day most of it was pushed around into small piles (I guess it's more appropriate to call this stuff "crud"). They apparently don't do any midday grooming so if you wanted to ski from the summit you had to ski through at least some crud.

I was definitely leaning too far back...still training my "subconscious" mind to stay forward, I guess. I also realize that I spent too much effort trying to find what I thought would be the easiest way around the "powder mounds" (as my son likes to call them).

Hopefully I'll be able to see conditions like this again at least one more time this season...one of the best teachers that I've had so far is just plain old experience.

 

[subdude]

Excellent tips guys. Hammer remember to always make sure your shins are touching the tongue of the boot with knees bent that way you know they are over your boot keeping your arms out in front of you and your chest or what I use is the bellybutton pointing down hill. Good Luck.

 

[tekweezle]

i use the "chest over knees over toes" as my mantra for staying forward.

definitely seems non intuitive to lean forward on a downhill slope but you are definitely more stable in that position. I know the general inclination is to lean back toward the hill but you got to fight that urge and take that "leap of faith". some one once decribed to me as "leaping over your ski tips"

if you are able to master this forward position, you will find your quads a little less tired and your calves alot stronger. it will hopefully make for a more enjoyable and less tiring ski day.

 

[RISkier]

Does anyone have any tips (aside from taking a lesson) for handling small bumps and crud? It was great to finally ski in some powder this weekend, but most of the trails I went down had bumps and crud in the steeper sections by the end of the day.

Good question Hammer, and good tips. Thanks! I really struggle in that crud too. The more I've skied it, the better I handle it, but I still really suck in it. I don't feel at all graceful and feel like I really have to work hard when skiing it.

 

[GadgetRick]

Balance young grasshopper...

It's all about the ballance. No matter what you're skiing you must be in balance (weight over balls of feet). If you're skiing crud this is even more important as you don't have any room for error.

The most important thing about learning to ski it, however, is just skiing it. The more you ski it, the more comfortable you'll get in it and the better you'll ski it.

Oh yeah, the better you ski the crud the better you'll ski the groomers...

 

[ctenidae]

I was out at Sunapee on Friday with an experienced powder skier, and he had much the same tips. First run through the pow was tough for me- I was exhausted. He said I was leaning back too much. I worked on leaning forward, and by the third or fourth run the difference was amazing.

Went back on Sunday, too, and found the same tips useful in the crud. One thing I had to work on was not fighting the skis. On the groomed, you can work to keep your skis exactly where you want them. In the crud and powder, you have to be ready for them to wander a bit more. Don't let them loose, of course, but know that they are going to bump around a bit. If you let them, and get a feel for what they're doing, you'll gain confidence and enjoy yourself more, especially when you realize you can blast through most of the soft stuff.

 

[RISkier]

GadgetRick, Interesting comments, especially about the groomers. A couple of weeks ago we were skiing in conditions that got to be that nice mix of scraped off and pushed up piles. Then last weekend we hit some nice smooth groomers and I just felt so solid and confident -- just playing with different turn shapes. This week we hit more of the crud and I was reminded that I suck. I can tell I'm better in it, but have a long way to go before I'll be comfortable in it. Wish there was a magic tip, but I do think the only way to learn to ski well in crud is to keep skiing in it. But the tips on technique can shorten the learning curve. As an aside, as conditions deteriorated later in the day we saw an awful lot of falls on the intermediate terrain. So Hammer, I don't think we're the only ones that struggle with it.

 

[hammer]

I was out at Sunapee on Friday with an experienced powder skier, and he had much the same tips. First run through the pow was tough for me- I was exhausted. He said I was leaning back too much. I worked on leaning forward, and by the third or fourth run the difference was amazing.

Went back on Sunday, too, and found the same tips useful in the crud. One thing I had to work on was not fighting the skis. On the groomed, you can work to keep your skis exactly where you want them. In the crud and powder, you have to be ready for them to wander a bit more. Don't let them loose, of course, but know that they are going to bump around a bit. If you let them, and get a feel for what they're doing, you'll gain confidence and enjoy yourself more, especially when you realize you can blast through most of the soft stuff.

What trails did you go on when you were there on Sunday? I ended up taking several runs from the summit, but my son and I had a rough time getting through the crud in the Sun Bowl area so we only went down that way once (great views, though!).

I also did several runs at South Peak with the family and even went down the blue trail (Spinnaker) there, although I'm sure I gave the people going up the lift quite a show.

I was temped to go down Upper Blastoff, but after struggling with the crud I decided that maybe that can wait for another time...

 

[JimG.]

It's all in the ankles folks...the ankles are your key balancing joint in skiing, and you need to keep them strong and flexible when skiing crud. Your ankles are what will keep you centered over your skis.

Keep your head up! Tactics are key when skiing crud and you won't see what you're about to ski if you're looking at your ski tips.

Dust on crust is the most difficult of conditions to ski well...powder, ice, powder, ice alternating rapidly and without warning. These are the conditions alot of people get hurt skiing. It pays to learn how to master them.

 

[tekweezle]

momentum and modern shaped skis are your best allies in these conditions. i see is people skiing too slow. and not building enough momentum to carry out a turn. let those snow tips plow through the crud and knock anything loose out of the way. also having a strong "core" and having a good two footed stance will allow you to power through anything.

in variable conditions and in powder-as far as balance goes, i try to visualize myself balanced on a rope or balance beam side ways. i try to keep my weight centered over the center of my skis with the arch of my feet straddling the balance point. i find it easier to allow my skis to hug the contour of the snow and try to float on the top. this way, you have more flat area in contact with the snow. you can practice this usually on the edge of ski trails where people have pushed loose snow onto. skiing like this, since you are not on edge, your skis may wander a bit and feel squirelly though so it will require your complete attention. but it;s a good experience since you can;t exactly carve deep powder.

 

[ctenidae]

Hammer- I pm'ed you on Sunapee.

 

[Bandit2941]

The best advice I can give is to just let the skis do their job. I used to have trouble in that stuff too, and I finally realized why. I was too far in the back seat and I was skiing defensively, skidding around. My advice is to get your weight forward, big toe down, and point your knees where you want to go. Just carve right through it and let the ski's do their job. It's a LOT easier like that, when you're not trying to fight the ski's by making them skid.

Its even easier to carve on that stuff then it is a hardpack groomer since your ski's have some snow on the sides of them keeping them from skidding. Its also easier to keep your speed in check on that stuff, as the snow isn't as fast as a groomer and you can pretty much just let the ski follow its radius and not get going too fast. Just think of your ski's as knives and let them cut right through it. You'll barely even feel you're skiing through it.

Jamie

 

[tirolerpeter]

More advice

If you have trouble following all of the really excellent advice above, then take a very experienced friend who is really good in handling these conditions skiing with you. Buy them a lift ticket, and ask them to patiently work with you for half an hour at a time (let them go ski each alternate half hour while you practice) and listen to what they tell you. If they are good teachers, they will give you one pointer at a time to master, until you tie them all together and really start to enjoy doing it right.

 

[blacknblue]

Learning to ski variable terrain and conditions will open up a whole new world to you--the world of skiing off the corduroy. It just takes tons of practice and a willingness to work hard. Good advice so far. Here's my $.02....
1: Keep your shoulders facing the fall line. Don't get lazy and let your shoulders move around as you turn; keep them pointed downhill. This will help you initiate your turn quickly and smoothly.
2: Get your butt good and low. I find myself having to get real low to get a more powerful position to ski through crud. It will also help in bumps to use your legs as shock absorbers.
3: Have a fair amount of velocity to add force to your turns.
With a low center of gravity and shoulders pointed downhill, the very act of standing up with any velocity will turn your skis.
I found myself in some above-treeline crap last weekend, with the top 3 inches wind-packed styrofoam. Sometimes it's just a matter of "survival skiing," especially with lots of rocks around!

 

[cyrk007]

go that way really fast... if something gets in your way.... turn

 

[noreaster]

A good way to start to build confidence in the bumps is to ski over the top of bumps. If you are standing stationary on top of a bump, the front and back of your skis will not be touching the snow. In this position you should be able to easily rotate your skis around in any position. My point is it is very easy to make your turn at the very top of the bump because your front and back of your skis are off the snow.

Now the hard part how did you get to the top of the mogul and have good balance and be centered to make that turn. Most people will get thrown around in the moguls which is why people stay back in the backseat. When you are aproaching a mogul and about to ski over the top it will have a tendency to slow your skis down and throw you forward. To compensate for that stay forward as normal but drop your butt before you get to the mogul. When you come over the top of the mogul make your turn and at the same time raise your butt and drive the shovel front part of your skis down on the other side of the mogul. It is very important to drive the shovel front part of the skis down as you come over the top of the mogul so the front of the skis can start edging into the snow as soon as possible.

Another technique is to side slip and skid you skis on the other side of the mogul down into the valley. This helps slow you down and provides good stability.

Practice lowering and raising your butt on flat groomers. Its a good way to start building dynamic motion and build confidence for the moguls.

Be loose and go with the flow. Find an intermediate trail with moguls, have some fun with it, and stay loose.