Everything the Instructors Never Told You About Mogul Skiing

[Greg]

I hope rivercoil's "maybe" will pan out: I hope ski areas will begin to provide more gentle mogul terrain for learning.

I think it's happening. Check out my post here. Even my little local hill in CT is working on a seeded bump area specifically aimed at teaching. Jiminy now offers a dedicated bump run in Cutter (although the selection of Cutter isn't the best, but that's for another thread) and they, like many smaller areas, are letting sides of some trails bump up. I've also seen a lot of dedicated bump areas at Catamount. So it looks like some of the desire for moguls is catching on at the smaller feeder hills. Places like Loon have done a fine job at offering intermediate and beginner seeded bump runs the past few years. The purists may scoff at seeded moguls, but I think they're a great way to learn bumps so when you're faced with a challenging naturally bumped up black, you at least have the skill to handle it. Skier created bumps on intermediate terrain are usually formed by....intermediates, leading to inconsistent irratically spaced bumps. Seeding them provides consistent low-angle lines to practice on.

And a big thanks is definitely due in your direction, Dan. Thanks for your expert participation.

I've been putting in the "mileage" this season now and wow. Bumps are fun and addicting. I avoid groomers now. I've been finding them boring, even the steeps.

I love it. There's just a steep learning curve in the very begining, but once the basic technique is just learned, not even mastered, a new whole world of skiing opens up to you.


It really is true what you say, Dan. Good bump skiers are good skiers, period.

Well said, Marc. I concur with all you've posted.

 

[skibum1321]

And a big thanks is definitely due in your direction, Dan. Thanks for your expert participation.

I've been putting in the "mileage" this season now and wow. Bumps are fun and addicting. I avoid groomers now. I've been finding them boring, even the steeps.

I love it. There's just a steep learning curve in the very begining, but once the basic technique is just learned, not even mastered, a new whole world of skiing opens up to you.


It really is true what you say, Dan. Good bump skiers are good skiers, period.

I'm with you on finding groomers boring. I've avoided groomers at all costs for years. I'm either in the trees or in the bumps/ungroomed.

 

[Greg]

I'm with you on finding groomers boring. I've avoided groomers at all costs for years. I'm either in the trees or in the bumps/ungroomed.

Likewise, although if groomed runs are the only ones available, I can entertain myself on the trail sides. Sometimes it's find to hop up and over the lip formed by the groomer.

 

[JimG.]

maybe all this talk about bump skiing will catch the eye of more ski areas and perhaps we can see some more bump trails, specifically half groomed blue squares and the like for good training grounds. never made any sense why ski areas don't want to develop skiers that can ski the whole mountain well which increases enjoyment and thus increases skier visits. perhaps this should be another thread, heh! regardless, all this discussion about bump skiing certainly can't hurt!

:beer:

Your post is in exactly the right place. I've been fighting the battle for bumped up beginner and intermediate areas at Hunter for years. It's a very tough sell.

Even when management agrees to allow the bumps to form, the wave of older passholders who have been skiing Hunter for 35 years who decend on management and demand that the bumps be mowed down is overwhelmimg.

It's so unfair because those folks rarely even go into those areas and are usually inside and done skiing by 11:00am.

What's worse is that the freestyle teams are just left swinging...few good bump lines to train on, the ones that exist are so crowded it becomes dangerous.

I don't get it.

 

[SkiDork]

Dan, you could probably make a decent amount of cash if you ran some bump clinics. I know I'd try to be there if you did.

 

[riverc0il]

you know what makes no sense? bumps fit in perfectly with the nu-skool mentality of park rats and folks wanting to go big. this is where it all came from! guys have been going big off jumps for years and years before parks came into play, you just had to nail them in between 2 dozen zipper lined bumps at 40 mph :lol: seriously though, i figured some bump runs would tie in well with the park movement. maybe they need some part elements within a bump run, a featured hit or two in the middle of the run to liven things up. i dunno, just makes no sense that most ski areas answer to demands for a bump run is to leave one or two token trails ungroomed the entire season and not clean up the bumps when they get nasty.

appreciate the positiveness of this thread by the way!
:beer:

 

[dipiro]

My pleasure, Marc. Glad to hear you've caught the bump skiing bug! Yeah, with just a few bump techniques in place, a whole new downhill skiing world opens up for you.

Greg, good to hear that Sundown is creating some bump terrain. And, yup, rhythmic, regular bumps are certainly best for learning.

Skidork, thanks for mentioning the bump clinic idea. I've been considering it. Perhaps something for next season.

-Dan D.

 

[hammer]

Does anyone have any suggestions for an "ability test" for starting to ski moguls?

I'm getting a little better at handling the "crud mounds" on blue terrain, but I'd rather have a better idea of whether I'm ready to hit the mogul fields before I get in over my head... :-?

 

[SkiDork]

Does anyone have any suggestions for an "ability test" for starting to ski moguls?

I'm getting a little better at handling the "crud mounds" on blue terrain, but I'd rather have a better idea of whether I'm ready to hit the mogul fields before I get in over my head... :-?

Moguls are a constant work in progress.

Get Dans book - you'll get all your answers there.

$crew PSIA!!!!

 

[JimG.]

Moguls are a constant work in progress.

Get Dans book - you'll get all your answers there.

$crew PSIA!!!!

Hammer, this is your best bet by far. I reviewed Dan's book and wound up reading it several times. I've been skiing bumps for a long time and the amount of additional tidbits of knowledge I got from Dan's book shocked me.

I've been applying some of these tweaks since the season started, in addition to one I got from Dan's blog. Anytime you throw a few tweaks into your skiing it feels strange at first. The past few weeks everything seems to be clicking.

This past weekend I felt really good; a buddy took some pics of me and I was really happy with what I saw...nice tall stance, hands driving forward and down the hill, feet together, but with a general look of relaxation.

Buy the book.

 

[Greg]

This past weekend I felt really good; a buddy took some pics of me and I was really happy with what I saw...nice tall stance, hands driving forward and down the hill, feet together, but with a general look of relaxation.

Post the pics!

 

[bvibert]

This past weekend I felt really good; a buddy took some pics of me and I was really happy with what I saw...nice tall stance, hands driving forward and down the hill, feet together, but with a general look of relaxation.

Post the pics!

No, we hate pics here... :roll:

 

[SkiDork]

here's where I am with the book:

In the first or 2nd chapter Dan talks about doing "slip and grip" drills, then talks about doing quick turns on the flats.

I've been doing a LOT of slip and grip drills, then I transition into quick turns with mostly rotation and a little carving right in the transition.

It REALLY has helped me with getting the feel for how to do quick turns - sort of like the old fashioned wedeling.

THos quick turns have helped me on the steeps, where I like to go right along the edge (where the good snow is) and just hop along in that good snow. Good stuff.

I'm still working on A&E...

 

[Greg]

THos quick turns have helped me on the steeps, where I like to go right along the edge (where the good snow is) and just hop along in that good snow. Good stuff.

Yup. I'm probably far from what one would call a graceful carver. I prefer to make short snappy rotary turns even on groomed snow. Because of this I tend to ski slower even on steep groomers. Playing in the crud and LGR piles on trail sides is great practice for bumps.

 

[JimG.]

This past weekend I felt really good; a buddy took some pics of me and I was really happy with what I saw...nice tall stance, hands driving forward and down the hill, feet together, but with a general look of relaxation.

Post the pics!

OK! I didn't before because these are taken on flats, but then I realized I'm usually very lazy on flats and the fact that I'm looking locked and loaded is a good thing:

http://www.powderhound.org/cgi/imgt...name=Hunter_01-08-06_JimG_bleeker_a1&type=jpg

http://www.powderhound.org/cgi/imgt...name=Hunter_01-08-06_JimG_bleeker_a2&type=jpg

http://www.powderhound.org/cgi/imgt...name=Hunter_01-08-06_JimG_bleeker_a3&type=jpg

http://www.powderhound.org/cgi/imgt...name=Hunter_01-08-06_JimG_bleeker_a4&type=jpg

 

[bvibert]

Here ya go Jim:

 

[JimG.]

Here ya go Jim:

Thanks B! I'm somehow baffled by the image loading tool. I put links up instead.

 

[Greg]

Thanks B! I'm somehow baffled by the image loading tool. I put links up instead.

Your first attempt was a URL to a page not an image file directly. Nice pics. Looks like some new avatar material in there...

 

[jackstraw]

I'm with you on finding groomers boring. I've avoided groomers at all costs for years. I'm either in the trees or in the bumps/ungroomed.

Likewise, although if groomed runs are the only ones available, I can entertain myself on the trail sides. Sometimes it's find to hop up and over the lip formed by the groomer.

im w/ u guys but a groomer is the best place to work the fundamentals. yrs ago a friend and i were at a small hill in ME w/ no bumps. we decided to try and make some we skied the same line almost all day. i improved more in that one day then any other before or since. also, guys that mention 'hop'. not recommended, keep your skis on the snow as much as possible if you want to ski the bumps. you don't have control when your edges are in the air. in time you can certainly pull it off.
if you look back at plake he always tried to turn on the back side of the bump where there is usually carvable (is that a word??) snow...cheers!

 

[Marc]

I'm with you on finding groomers boring. I've avoided groomers at all costs for years. I'm either in the trees or in the bumps/ungroomed.

Likewise, although if groomed runs are the only ones available, I can entertain myself on the trail sides. Sometimes it's find to hop up and over the lip formed by the groomer.

im w/ u guys but a groomer is the best place to work the fundamentals. yrs ago a friend and i were at a small hill in ME w/ no bumps. we decided to try and make some we skied the same line almost all day. i improved more in that one day then any other before or since. also, guys that mention 'hop'. not recommended, keep your skis on the snow as much as possible if you want to ski the bumps. you don't have control when your edges are in the air. in time you can certainly pull it off.
if you look back at plake he always tried to turn on the back side of the bump where there is usually carvable (is that a word??) snow...cheers!

When others have mentioned almost a hop turn, I don't think they mean skis off the snow. If they will allow me to speak for them, I think all they mean is making a quick turn on steep terrain and the necessity for have clearance under the tales of your skis to do so. What they're describing here includes remaining in contact with the snow with your tips. Pressure on the front end of the ski not only allows for a pivot, but allows them to remain controlled and avoid crossing.

As a matter of fact, I watched an instructor at Killington last week demonstrate this pivot/hop turn to his beginner bump class down a groomed trail. He obviously accentuated it but it confirmed my suspition that this part of my technique was correct.


You are right in thinking it isn't as necessary in lower angle or particularly close spaced bumps, because if they're well defined enough, you can find a spot on the bump itself on which to pivot and then slide down the back side.


The bumps I encountered at Snow this weekend on Jaws were steeper and further apart than those on say, Beartrap, so that hop turn, or pivot turn, whatever you want to call it, was necessary to use.