Bumps vs. POW

[JD]

This goes back a few years, but did you change your opinion here?



http://forums.alpinezone.com/8100-do-bumps-make-man.html

WOW. You have a memory like an elephant!

 

[Greg]

You cant fake it in powder any more than you can fake it in the bumps. the only way you get good in powder is to ski it. Just like the bumps. Neither is that hard as long as you do it.

Perhaps you can't fake it. But here's a question: give 2 average upper intermediate / lower advanced skiers each 100 hours to ski (not consecutively, duh! :dunce. Assume they are of equal ability and one skis powder exclusively and the other skis bumps exclusively for those 100 hours. Who will become the better skier within their given discipline? I say the powder guy progresses to becoming an advanced powder skier faster than the bump guy achieves true ripper status.

I don't particularly find powder that difficult, at least in terms of navigating the run and not looking like a total tool. As a SNE skier, I don't get the opportunity that much either, but I survive okay given my limited exposure. I'm probably not as critical of myself as far as how well (or not) I'm skiing powder though since it's just fun. I find skiing bumps well to be extremely difficult, but perhaps my definition of what's good bump skiing is more strict than most. I've been concentrating on skiing bumps well for 4 seasons so far and I still have a million miles to go. Maybe I just suck.

Now which is more fun? Despite popular belief, I would take a powder day over a spring bump day any day of the week. Close, but powder for me is just more fun; probably because it's so rare given my geographic disadvantage.

 

[woody]

You can't forget skiing is extremely physical,nothing sears your quads like a bump run.My best skiing is when I feel strong.And nothing hammers me more than moguls and I love that burn.

 

[2knees]

I would take a powder day over a spring bump day any day of the week.

you can turn in your C.L.I.T.S. card and honorary president status at our next meeting.


You sir, are FIRED!

 

[jaywbigred]

Most people can fake it in powder. Not so much in the bumps.

+1

You cant fake it in powder any more than you can fake it in the bumps. the only way you get good in powder is to ski it. Just like the bumps.

Totally disagree...have you ever skied out west with a group of timid Intermediate skiers? What a difference it makes in their speed, flow, bad crashes, etc...to ski in powder as vs. bumps. For example, take a couple intermediates into a big, decently pitched bowl, could be any bowl, with small, inconsistent bumps that often live in such places. They ski the stuff petrified, with plenty of falls, and without much flow (i.e. turn linking). Take them there the next day with 12 inches of fresh on top, and they ski it top to bottom, linking turns like Dexter Rutecki and T.J. Burke practicing for the Powder 8's. Is their technique perfect? No, but they sure can fake it when there is that much snow.

All are different techniques, but I'd say a good bumper has a better chance of skiing well(carving) on groomers than a good powder skier does at skiing well on groomers.

I am not sure I agree with that, though.

What I do think is:

Take an
(1) A+ bumper and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) carving on groomers,

and I think, on average, he will grade higher in both those areas than if you take a

(2) A+ pow skier and put him

(a) in the bumps.

I think it will be a toss up as to who will grade higher
(b) carving on groomers;

Take an A+ carver and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) in the bumps,

and I think on average he will grade higher in the pow than he will in the bumps.

Say it another way:

A+ bump skier might get a B in pow and a B in carving.
A+ pow skier might get a B+ in carving but a C in bumps.
A+ carver might get a B+ in pow but a C- in bumps.

Obviously these are generalizations and guesses, and there are tons of skiers who will get A+ x 3, as becoming an expert skier in any "specialty" requires hours of time on snow during which he/she will have likely gained a broad skill set that translates across the entire mountain.

 

[JD]

You can't forget skiing is extremely physical,nothing sears your quads like a bump run.My best skiing is when I feel strong.And nothing hammers me more than moguls and I love that burn.

tele.

 

[tjf67]

If a person spends 100 hours at either of those styles and cant pick it up then there is a mental block.

 

[Greg]

you can turn in your C.L.I.T.S. card and honorary president status at our next meeting.


You sir, are FIRED!

Meh. You would take a powder day over a spring bump day too. Cuz once the powder is all tracked out, you get pow bumps, and the powder snobs all head deeper into the woods.

 

[jaywbigred]

+1



Totally disagree...have you ever skied out west with a group of timid Intermediate skiers? What a difference it makes in their speed, flow, bad crashes, etc...to ski in powder as vs. bumps. For example, take a couple intermediates into a big, decently pitched bowl, could be any bowl, with small, inconsistent bumps that often live in such places. They ski the stuff petrified, with plenty of falls, and without much flow (i.e. turn linking). Take them there the next day with 12 inches of fresh on top, and they ski it top to bottom, linking turns like Dexter Rutecki and T.J. Burke practicing for the Powder 8's. Is their technique perfect? No, but they sure can fake it when there is that much snow.

I am not sure I agree with that, though.

What I do think is:

Take an
(1) A+ bumper and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) carving on groomers,

and I think, on average, he will grade higher in both those areas than if you take a

(2) A+ pow skier and put him

(a) in the bumps.

I think it will be a toss up as to who will grade higher
(b) carving on groomers;

Take an A+ carver and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) in the bumps,

and I think on average he will grade higher in the pow than he will in the bumps.

Say it another way:

A+ bump skier might get a B in pow and a B in carving.
A+ pow skier might get a B+ in carving but a C in bumps.
A+ carver might get a B+ in pow but a C- in bumps.

Obviously these are generalizations and guesses, and there are tons of skiers who will get A+ x 3, as becoming an expert skier in any "specialty" requires hours of time on snow during which he/she will have likely gained a broad skill set that translates across the entire mountain.

I just re-read this and I am not sure how much sense it makes...hmmm :dunce: sorry, just thinking outloud.

 

[Greg]

If a person spends 100 hours at either of those styles and cant pick it up then there is a mental block.

I must have a mental block.

100 hours is 20 five hour days. You were ripping bumps after 20 days of skiing? Where's my bullshit card?

 

[Trekchick]

.

What I do think is:

Take an
(1) A+ bumper and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) carving on groomers,

and I think, on average, he will grade higher in both those areas than if you take a

(2) A+ pow skier and put him

(a) in the bumps.

I think it will be a toss up as to who will grade higher
(b) carving on groomers;

Take an A+ carver and put him

(a) in pow or
(b) in the bumps,

and I think on average he will grade higher in the pow than he will in the bumps.

Say it another way:

A+ bump skier might get a B in pow and a B in carving.
A+ pow skier might get a B+ in carving but a C in bumps.
A+ carver might get a B+ in pow but a C- in bumps.

Obviously these are generalizations and guesses, and there are tons of skiers who will get A+ x 3, as becoming an expert skier in any "specialty" requires hours of time on snow during which he/she will have likely gained a broad skill set that translates across the entire mountain.

I agree with you, I just didn't say it quite as well

 

[JD]

I must have a mental block.

100 hours is 20 five hour days. You were ripping bumps after 20 days of skiing? Where's my bullshit card?

I think it's on the table allready.

 

[2knees]

Meh. You would take a powder day over a spring bump day too. Cuz once the powder is all tracked out, you get pow bumps, and the powder snobs all head deeper into the woods.

all joking aside, you nailed it when you said its the rarity of a powder day for those of us living down here. You know you can get spring bumps with just a little bit of planning but powder often calls for the chinese fire drill. Get up, check weather, call in sick, lie to wife, haul a$$ to magic. Spring bumps just calls for any decent forecast and then chose the most convenient day to go.

 

[JD]

+1



Totally disagree...have you ever skied out west with a group of timid Intermediate skiers? What a difference it makes in their speed, flow, bad crashes, etc...to ski in powder as vs. bumps. For example, take a couple intermediates into a big, decently pitched bowl, could be any bowl, with small, inconsistent bumps that often live in such places. They ski the stuff petrified, with plenty of falls, and without much flow (i.e. turn linking). Take them there the next day with 12 inches of fresh on top, and they ski it top to bottom, linking turns like Dexter Rutecki and T.J. Burke practicing for the Powder 8's. Is their technique perfect? No, but they sure can fake it when there is that much snow..

Wide open spaces are something I have never been in so I guess my definition of a good powder skiier is someone who can ski tight east coast trees in deep snow well. I don't think someone within a season could become a truely great E.C. Tree skier....and I would say the same goes with bumps. I don't think you can cheat in any disapline unless conditions are very forgiving. It's when consitions are challenging that the cream rises to the top. Also, instead of POW I should have said Natural Snow and all of it's variation.

 

[Greg]

all joking aside, you nailed it when you said its the rarity of a powder day for those of us living down here. You know you can get spring bumps with just a little bit of planning but powder often calls for the chinese fire drill. Get up, check weather, call in sick, lie to wife, haul a$$ to magic. Spring bumps just calls for any decent forecast and then chose the most convenient day to go.

Right. Bumps are just what we know down here. If I lived in NoVT, I'd probably be a touring powder snob just like JD... :lol:

 

[JD]

MMMM powder. It's just fun to type.

 

[2knees]

Right. Bumps are just what we know down here. If I lived in NoVT, I'd probably be a touring powder snob just like JD... :lol:

if i lived in NoVT, i'd be skiing both as much as i could, not just one or the other.

I like big bumps and i can not lie.

 

[tjf67]

Totally disagree...have you ever skied out west with a group of timid Intermediate skiers? What a difference it makes in their speed, flow, bad crashes, etc...to ski in powder as vs. bumps. For example, take a couple intermediates into a big, decently pitched bowl, could be any bowl, with small, inconsistent bumps that often live in such places. They ski the stuff petrified, with plenty of falls, and without much flow (i.e. turn linking). Take them there the next day with 12 inches of fresh on top, and they ski it top to bottom, linking turns like Dexter Rutecki and T.J. Burke practicing for the Powder 8's. Is their technique perfect? No, but they sure can fake it when there is that much snow.


People learn to ski on groomers not bumps. Show them how to control there speed( easier in the bumps than on groomers) and they do fine in the bumps. People who dont look good in the bumps are not that far off from skiing them properly. They just give up to quickly.

 

[Greg]

People learn to ski on groomers not bumps. Show them how to control there speed( easier in the bumps than on groomers) and they do fine in the bumps. People who dont look good in the bumps are not that far off from skiing them properly. They just give up to quickly.

Well, what's my excuse then? :lol: I've been at it for years and I still kinda blow.

I think it also depends on what your definition of "looking good" is. Surviving bumps and ripping bumps are two different things.

 

[tjf67]

Well, what's my excuse then? :lol: I've been at it for years and I still kinda blow.

I think it also depends on what your definition of "looking good" is. Surviving bumps and ripping bumps are two different things.

How would I know I am not a bumper.