Everything the Instructors Never Told You About Mogul Skiing

[Marc]

Here's my question about learning the bumps. Jim G. gave me some advice that I think will help me in the moguls. Make more turns. I ski like a downhiller, very fast with few turns to scrub off speed, change line, etc. I noticed that he, Gregg and Pat are alway turning. Me, I just shoot down the hill. When I try to do a tight mogul course my legs don't want to turn that much. It's like they are saying " Were not ready to turn yet". This throws me off the course. The question is, do I have to change the way I ski to develop the muscle memory to do the bumps correctly. This would be a big change for me. Out west the areas are so vast that I feel the need to go fast just to get around. Plus powder skiing requires speed. Turning that much is also exhausting. Opinions?
P.S. I think this is one of Bode Millers slalom problems. He's very good in the speed events but has let his slalom technique go. I don't think his legs want to turn like they used to.

Check out the Cannon vid. Watch my style (in the reddish sometimes orange looking coat/black pants and helmet). Since I started breaking the upper intermediate barrier I started making shorter faster turns my primary style and form. It just feels better to me. You can better control and keep a consistent speed skiing like this. Go faster? Just angulate less. Scrub speed? Angulate and skid for a few turns.

Plus you'll almost never be at fault in any trail mishaps if you're "staying in your lane" so to speak.

 

[kingslug]

Check out the Cannon vid. Watch my style (in the reddish sometimes orange looking coat/black pants and helmet). Since I started breaking the upper intermediate barrier I started making shorter faster turns my primary style and form. It just feels better to me. You can better control and keep a consistent speed skiing like this. Go faster? Just angulate less. Scrub speed? Angulate and skid for a few turns.

Plus you'll almost never be at fault in any trail mishaps if you're "staying in your lane" so to speak.

I just can't get that zipper line down. Plus Hunter has no intermediate bumps to practice on. Belleayre on the other hand might be the trick, the whole place is bumped up. I've come to the conclusion that to be a really good eastern skier you have to be good in the bumps. This will be my goal.

 

[SkiDork]

Here's my question about learning the bumps. Jim G. gave me some advice that I think will help me in the moguls. Make more turns. I ski like a downhiller, very fast with few turns to scrub off speed, change line, etc. I noticed that he, Gregg and Pat are alway turning. Me, I just shoot down the hill. When I try to do a tight mogul course my legs don't want to turn that much. It's like they are saying " Were not ready to turn yet". This throws me off the course. The question is, do I have to change the way I ski to develop the muscle memory to do the bumps correctly. This would be a big change for me. Out west the areas are so vast that I feel the need to go fast just to get around. Plus powder skiing requires speed. Turning that much is also exhausting. Opinions?
P.S. I think this is one of Bode Millers slalom problems. He's very good in the speed events but has let his slalom technique go. I don't think his legs want to turn like they used to.

Here's a drill that Dan talks about in his book, and is also highly regarded by CAPBOY from the KZone:

On a groomer: pick a point approximately 50 yards away. Now try to turn as many times as possible in that space. Repeat.

CAPBOY says if you can do this for one hour, you're done for the day.

 

[Greg]

Here's my question about learning the bumps. Jim G. gave me some advice that I think will help me in the moguls. Make more turns. I ski like a downhiller, very fast with few turns to scrub off speed, change line, etc. I noticed that he, Gregg and Pat are alway turning. Me, I just shoot down the hill. When I try to do a tight mogul course my legs don't want to turn that much. It's like they are saying " Were not ready to turn yet". This throws me off the course. The question is, do I have to change the way I ski to develop the muscle memory to do the bumps correctly. This would be a big change for me. Out west the areas are so vast that I feel the need to go fast just to get around. Plus powder skiing requires speed. Turning that much is also exhausting. Opinions?
P.S. I think this is one of Bode Millers slalom problems. He's very good in the speed events but has let his slalom technique go. I don't think his legs want to turn like they used to.

I guess the real question is what are you goals? If one is to ski bumps better, then yes, you'll have to change your style a bit. It's not that you can't ever go back to fast high speed arcs, but you do need to know how to make short consistent turns to be able to get started in the bumps. Also, realize that quick rotary turns are only part of skiing bumps. Proper absorbtion and extension is as important to controlling speed and I would argue it's an even more difficult aspect to learn. When you nail it though it feels so good.

You mention "out West". Is that where you primarily ski? If so, than perhaps your technique is appropriate when you're out there. As an East coast skier, one needs to be able to make the short snappy turns to truly become an "all-mountain" skier. Remember this, any skier that makes good short turns can also crank out some fast big turns any time they want. It's not something you have to give up. Also, short turns shouldn't be exhausting if done with proper technique. My suggestions would be simply devote one entire ski day (or the better part of one) to just making short turns on intermediate trails. Try to envision the spacing you might expect for moguls on such a trail and make turns accordingly. You really need to be able to quickly turn your skis before you can work on A&E. It's also not something that's going to happen overnight, but with practice, you will see small incremental changes that after the course of a few seasons will add up to substantial improvements in your overall skiing. You might even eventually learn to enjoy the slower short turns more than the fast long ones. I do!

 

[rotorite86]

Was going to check out the Original link since I wasn't browsing when it was posted, but:

Error 404: File Not Found.

Doh!
Anyone got the original post/information, etc?

 

[JimG.]

Was going to check out the Original link since I wasn't browsing when it was posted, but:

Error 404: File Not Found.

Doh!
Anyone got the original post/information, etc?

The original link is gone because Greg changed the software recently. You're looking for this:

www.learnmoguls.com

Bump skiing gold. The bumper's handbook, concise and well written.

 

[JimG.]

It's so gratifying to see this conversation branching out and so many replying and sharing their bump experiences. The word is spreading. The recent posts by SkiDork (tall stance, drills for improving speed and rotary turns), kingslug (the desire for more intermediate bumps, something I think needs serious attention), and Greg (figuring out that absorption/extention is the key and taking the rapid turning into other terrain varieties) shows me that alot of folks are getting it.

I hope Dan see this.

 

[Mark D]

i didn't look through very carefuly but do you guys have any tips as far as snowboard and moguls?

 

[bvibert]

The original link is gone because Greg changed the software recently. You're looking for this:

www.learnmoguls.com

Bump skiing gold. The bumper's handbook, concise and well written.

For anyone thats interested, I believe this is the destination of the original link:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=4978&highlight=dipiro

I edited the original post to point to the correct URL...

 

[krisskis]

I just can't get that zipper line down. Plus Hunter has no intermediate bumps to practice on. Belleayre on the other hand might be the trick, the whole place is bumped up. I've come to the conclusion that to be a really good eastern skier you have to be good in the bumps. This will be my goal.

Hey KingSlug...we were doing a fairly good job at Belleayre on sunday..well, you were...as for me and the son..well you know...i had jello legs after a couple bump runs...you know i need the practice.
For all you KZ people on here..< you all know me from there>..just wanted to let you know that KingSlug is married to my sister...hes a great guy and im glad to see y'all had a great time at Hunter on monday. He and my sister took my son up to Hunter last week and took him all over the west side...he loves skiing with them as he thinks i am too tame for him.
My son and i were attempting the bumps with him on suday at beleayre...i just cant get it...i guess the bumps arent for me.

 

[kingslug]

I think Hunter should take a look at Belleayre's intermediate bump runs. It's a great place to practice without taking a slide for life. The top section is another story. Very steep, huge bumps, icy as hell but short. I wait for spring to hit those. I'm going to practice my short turns at Whiteface on Sun. and Mon. I think I got the downhill method down pretty well. It's hard to translate Western Mogul skiing technique to out here. The are spread out and much softer than our eastern hardpack ones. Glen Plake said it best, "if you want to find the best skiers on the mountain, you may want to look in the bumps". Very true.

 

[dipiro]

It's so gratifying to see this conversation branching out and so many replying and sharing their bump experiences. The word is spreading.... I hope Dan sees this.

I see it, JIMG, and I, too, am psyched about it. Was going to answer some questions posed, then someone did it for me! The conversation has started for real.

GREG, who is the ripping bump skier in your new photo?

KINGSLUG and KRISSKIS, I hope you'll consider buying a copy of my book. There's some stuff in there that might help you.

ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED, the following is a mogul book update that I sent out to the folks on my book mail list. It applies to many of you, too:

Skiing friends and colleagues,
Many thanks to those of you who've bought a copy of my new book, Everything the Instructors Never Told You about Mogul Skiing. And a special thanks to all of you ski school directors who've bought multiple copies to share among your staff members. I'm grateful for your openmindedness and willingness to venture outside the instructing establishment's traditional model of skiing. For all sorts of reasons (pedagogical, political, organizational), this is not an easy thing to do, I know, but you've done it. I hope the book has rewarded you by helping to make your staffers better mogul skiers and better mogul-skiing instructors.

I also hope the book has convinced you that one must know the techniques of the competitive mogul skier, not just the alpine racer, in order to ski moguls well and teach others to ski moguls well. By the way, SKI Magazine instructional writer Stu Campbell, who read and liked my book ("It is most excellent... you make a compelling case for recognizing the technique tweaks necessary to become a great mogul skier. Super job.") tells me he has touched upon the techniques of the mogul competitor in his March "Turning Points" column. Stu tells me he even recommended my book in his original column manuscript, but that the recommendation was edited out. (Not hard to imagine why Stu's conservative, Time-Warner-employed editors would want to keep the title of my book from SKI's pages.) I'm thrilled to receive Stu's buy-in. To the extent that it describes the techniques of the mogul competitor, his March column could mark a turning point in the way mogul skiing is described and taught to the skiing masses. Be sure to look for Stu's column in SKI.

Since November, I've been seeing all sorts of evidence of strong book sales, but I've only recently received my official sales report for the fall and early-winter quarter. I'm thrilled to tell you that sales during this period were far higher than I'd thought. As we're promoting the book with just a modest advertising budget, many of the book's sales are being generated by word of mouth: skiers are finding the book accessible and useful, and they're recommending it to their friends. "Everything" has a spotless, five-star reader-rating on Amazon.com, and is ranked, as I write this, eleventh, among the nearly 1,000 skiing-related books on Amazon.

(To see Amazon's long-term sales averages, do a book word search on "skiing," sort the results by "Bestselling," then scroll down.)

I hope that those of you who've not yet read my book will give it a try. You can easily order a copy through www.LearnMoguls.com, www.Amazon.com, www.bn.com, or your local bookstore (ISBN: 1-4208-6159-X).

To read more about my mogul skiing and mogul-skiing instruction ideas, visit www.mogulskiing.blogspot.com and explore the archives. (The main articles are located in the oldest archives.)

Best regards!

Dan DiPiro

 

[kingslug]

I bought the book and took it with me to Vail. Skie a lot of bumps there but It's a bit easier with their conditions. The length of those runs is killer though. They never end. We'll see how I do at Whiteface. Hopefully they have some less steep runs to practice on.

 

[Greg]

GREG, who is the ripping bump skier in your new photo?

Hey Dan - thanks for the kind words. It means a lot, especially coming from you! Fellow AZer, Catul took that with his rad digital SLR one night while at Sundown. Here's a larger version:

It's the result of (1) low-angle bumps, (2) Catul's rapid-fire shutter which allowed him to select the best shot of the run, and (3) alotta luck to have some decent form at that particular second!

 

[2knees]

Stu tells me he even recommended my book in his original column manuscript, but that the recommendation was edited out. (Not hard to imagine why Stu's conservative, Time-Warner-employed editors would want to keep the title of my book from SKI's pages.)

Its their stodgy approach to ski journalism that has kept me from reading an issue of SKI for at least a decade. Your book is excellent. I only wish i had purchased it before i bought new skis. You comment on the disadvantages of too much sidecut has unfortunately come very true for myself. My tips and tails are constantly on top of each other as i tend to ski bumps with my boots locked together.

 

[dipiro]

Hey Dan - thanks for the kind words. It means a lot, especially coming from you! Fellow AZer, Catul took that with his rad digital SLR one night while at Sundown.... It's the result of (1) low-angle bumps, (2) Catul's rapid-fire shutter which allowed him to select the best shot of the run, and (3) alotta luck to have some decent form at that particular second!

Feet and knees together in a nice, tight mogul skier's stance. Good absorption with the legs. Shoulders square to the hill. You're rippin' it.

-dd

 

[dipiro]

I bought the book and took it with me to Vail. Skie a lot of bumps there but It's a bit easier with their conditions. The length of those runs is killer though. They never end. We'll see how I do at Whiteface. Hopefully they have some less steep runs to practice on.

Yeah, Vail's Prima and Pronto... they feel like they're miles long, don't they?
-dd

 

[dipiro]

Your book is excellent. I only wish i had purchased it before i bought new skis. You comment on the disadvantages of too much sidecut has unfortunately come very true for myself. My tips and tails are constantly on top of each other as i tend to ski bumps with my boots locked together.

Thanks, 2knees. Glad you think the book is good. Have you checked ebay for inexpensive bump skis?

 

[Greg]

Feet and knees together in a nice, tight mogul skier's stance. Good absorption with the legs. Shoulders square to the hill. You're rippin' it.

-dd

Thanks. Just wish I could ski like that more consistently. Getting there and the tips in your book certainly help!

Skiing friends and colleagues,
Many thanks to those of you who've bought a copy of my new book, Everything the Instructors Never Told You about Mogul Skiing. And a special thanks to all of you ski school directors who've bought multiple copies to share among your staff members. I'm grateful for your openmindedness and willingness to venture outside the instructing establishment's traditional model of skiing. For all sorts of reasons (pedagogical, political, organizational), this is not an easy thing to do, I know, but you've done it. I hope the book has rewarded you by helping to make your staffers better mogul skiers and better mogul-skiing instructors.

I also hope the book has convinced you that one must know the techniques of the competitive mogul skier, not just the alpine racer, in order to ski moguls well and teach others to ski moguls well. By the way, SKI Magazine instructional writer Stu Campbell, who read and liked my book ("It is most excellent... you make a compelling case for recognizing the technique tweaks necessary to become a great mogul skier. Super job.") tells me he has touched upon the techniques of the mogul competitor in his March "Turning Points" column. Stu tells me he even recommended my book in his original column manuscript, but that the recommendation was edited out. (Not hard to imagine why Stu's conservative, Time-Warner-employed editors would want to keep the title of my book from SKI's pages.) I'm thrilled to receive Stu's buy-in. To the extent that it describes the techniques of the mogul competitor, his March column could mark a turning point in the way mogul skiing is described and taught to the skiing masses. Be sure to look for Stu's column in SKI.

Since November, I've been seeing all sorts of evidence of strong book sales, but I've only recently received my official sales report for the fall and early-winter quarter. I'm thrilled to tell you that sales during this period were far higher than I'd thought. As we're promoting the book with just a modest advertising budget, many of the book's sales are being generated by word of mouth: skiers are finding the book accessible and useful, and they're recommending it to their friends. "Everything" has a spotless, five-star reader-rating on Amazon.com, and is ranked, as I write this, eleventh, among the nearly 1,000 skiing-related books on Amazon.

(To see Amazon's long-term sales averages, do a book word search on "skiing," sort the results by "Bestselling," then scroll down.)

I hope that those of you who've not yet read my book will give it a try. You can easily order a copy through www.LearnMoguls.com, www.Amazon.com, www.bn.com, or your local bookstore (ISBN: 1-4208-6159-X).

To read more about my mogul skiing and mogul-skiing instruction ideas, visit www.mogulskiing.blogspot.com and explore the archives. (The main articles are located in the oldest archives.)

Best regards!

Dan DiPiro

Great to hear your book is successful. I hope that we here at AlpineZone played some small part in its success!
:beer:

 

[dipiro]

Great to hear your book is successful. I hope that we here at AlpineZone played some small part in its success!
:beer:

The AZ news page and forum has certainly told a lot of people about my book!
-dd