How did you refine your mogul skills?

[Trekchick]

As someone who has had a desire to improve in moguls the past few years, I've taken every chance possible to read instruction books, take tips from folks who are decent in moguls, and pushed myself to go on mogul terrain that is over my head. Most recently I attended an ESA Clinic where I asked to be put in a bump specific group. I was and WOW did it help!
I've got tons of room to improve, but I feel far more capable of skiing bumps than cherry picking my way through like I have in the past.

How did you learn to ski moguls and further, how did you refine your skills?

 

[Grassi21]

i'm big on observing others.. greg, 2knees, bvibert, powhunter etc

i need to get to a mogul class/lesson soon.

but from what i have read and heard from the guys i ski with is doing drills on the flats.

 

[severine]

I have no skills.

I would like to observe others but they all ski when I can't be there.

 

[frozencorn]

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

For me, it was twofold. One, I had to stop thinking of the bumps as a sort of winding roadway, not fearing hitting into them on an angle- something I'm still not great with when I encounter an icy field. Once I did that, I improved tremendously, making this a mental problem all the way.

With my old skis, I had a difficult time for whatever reason getting a right turn in on bumps. I'd start on the right-hand side, and end up far left soon enough. Once I got the skis I'm on now (Ac3s), that was rectfied immensely, whether it be the shorter length, better carve, or more mental blockage. Again, I could improve greatly on the hard stuff, but when it's soft...well, who am I kidding, I could improve on that too, but the older I get the more comfortable I am with them too.

 

[gmcunni]

far from a great bumper but any improvements i've made have been a result of:

1. skiing with people who are better than me, watching them and trying to imitate them.
2. practice, practice, practice


i'm not really one for reading books and doing drills.

 

[deadheadskier]

practice, practice, practice and emulating those that were better than me. I grew up skiing Okemo. At the time the mountain was 95% cruising runs, bumps on Sel's Choice and 'glades' on Double Diamond and Outrage, which typically only had decent snow about ten days a year. No terrain parks back then except for a half pipe or was it super pipe :lol: and skiers weren't allowed in the half pipe back then. I skied the bumps on Sel's about 90% of the time.

There's no substitute for practice in any discipline of skiing.

 

[hammer]

Need a response "suck at bumps but hope to learn someday".

I'd like to hit the bumps, but my short turns on groomers still aren't up to snuff. :sad:

 

[bvibert]

Flawed poll.

I still pretty much suck, but the skills I do have came from a combination of skiing/watching/emulating people that are better than me, reading books and stuff online, and just doing it. Practice practice practice.

 

[SkiDork]

Hope to get better by watching my son...

 

[campgottagopee]

Poll Flawed

ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGG

another mogul thread uke:

 

[WWF-VT]

lessons and a lot of practice

 

[andyzee]

Poll Flawed

ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGG

another mogul thread uke:

Seconded

 

[mondeo]

Combination of reading and practice. If you don't know how to practice, it doesn't do you much good. Planning on throwing in a clinic sometime this spring and camp this summer at Blackcomb.

A LOT of time on the flats. That's where you learn turns and posture.

 

[Trekchick]

Need a response "suck at bumps but hope to learn someday".

I'd like to hit the bumps, but my short turns on groomers still aren't up to snuff. :sad:

I agree,
Oh Brian, can you edit the poll please!?

Flawed poll.

I still pretty much suck, but the skills I do have came from a combination of skiing/watching/emulating people that are better than me, reading books and stuff online, and just doing it. Practice practice practice.

Feel free to tamper with the poll options.
I trust you

 

[Trekchick]

While in a mogul specific clinic group a few weeks ago, the first thing the coach said is ....
Whoooooaaaa, girl! Slow Down.
First thing we're going to work on is slowing you down and rounding out your turns a little more, then we'll visit the anatomy of a mogul.

We did and WOW it made a huge difference!

 

[deadheadskier]

Combination of reading and practice. If you don't know how to practice, it doesn't do you much good. Planning on throwing in a clinic sometime this spring and camp this summer at Blackcomb.

A LOT of time on the flats. That's where you learn turns and posture.

that's an engineered bump skier for you :lol:


I don't think I've read one book or magazine article in my life about bump skiing nor have I ever thought about bump skiing while on flats. I'm not saying there's anything 'wrong' with that approach. I'm just a doer and I disagree with the statement that if you don't know how to practice, it doesn't do you much good. But, people learn differently.

 

[SkiDork]

I'm gonna film Icemans groomer quick turn drill he does. and post it on here.

If anyone (myself included) thinks they have a prayer in the bumps and they can't do what he does on the flats....

Well I say fugggettaboutit...

PS - Don't shoot the messenger... To Be Continued...

 

[Greg]

The poll really is flawed, especially since you can't select multiple options. For me, I'm self taught, learned by watching other bumpers, and some reading books and stuff online. However, the option that overshadows all of that is "Haven't refined it yet but plan on doing one of the above to work on it." Many mogul skiers I know are very self-critical and are always striving to improve. I know I am.

...pushed myself to go on mogul terrain that is over my head.

Probably a way to just get frustrated more than anything. Hopefully there are some areas near you that offer more gentle low angle bumps. Once you can hammer those, go to the steeper ones.

Maybe have someone shoot some video of you in the bumps. You might find you look a lot better than you feel, and this gives you visual confirmation of the things you need to improve.

practice, practice, practice and emulating those that were better than me....

There's no substitute for practice in any discipline of skiing.

This really is the truth. You need to spend a lot of time in the bumps. You'll never get it by hitting the mogul field once or twice each outing. You need to just keep at it and eventually things start to click. Repetition is the key. It really takes years to get good, and still you might find that you're probably never satisfied.

but from what i have read and heard from the guys i ski with is doing drills on the flats.

A LOT of time on the flats. That's where you learn turns and posture.

I know you're big on the flats training, but I can't get myself to do that. Certainly won't skip a bump run for it. I get enough flats skiing to/from the bumps to work on stuff. At the end of the day, bump skiing is mostly about having fun and skiing flats when there is a perfectly good bump run right next to it isn't fun for me.

I'd like to hit the bumps, but my short turns on groomers still aren't up to snuff. :sad:

You've got the right approach. A lot of people just jump into steep bumps before they can even make short turns on the flats. If you can't do it on the groomers, you're definitely not going to be able to in the bumps. I know this comment sorta contradicts the one above, but I'm talking about the folks that are just getting started. Get those short turns down first. Once you know how to select a line and can stick your turns in the bumps, then work on refining your technique (more direct line, incorporating A&E, better hands, etc.)

another mogul thread uke:

Seconded

Maybe if you guys just manned up and learned how to ski them well (mogul skiing vs. mogul survival) you wouldn't be so annoyed by these threads. When I read posts like this I just can't help but think of the guys that say, "I don't ski bumps" which really means "I can't ski bumps."

Or you could just easily skip reading threads like this. It's not like the thread title is misleading or anything...

Or perhaps you two just wanted to post some snarky comment again... :roll: :razz:

 

[bvibert]

The poll really is flawed, especially since you can't select multiple options.

That's what I meant about it being flawed, but I didn't articulate it very well.

Maybe have someone shoot some video of you in the bumps. You might find you look a lot better than you feel, and this gives you visual confirmation of the things you need to improve.

Good idea! Watching video of myself has helped me a lot!

 

[lerops]

Need a response "suck at bumps but hope to learn someday".

I'd like to hit the bumps, but my short turns on groomers still aren't up to snuff. :sad:

Same here.

Actually, until recently I did not even appreciate skiing moguls. I thought it was unnecessary torture. But, my first trip ever out west and skiing more natural snow showed me that moguls are part of natural skiing and can be fun.

Then, I made some improvements (emphasis on some ) on my pole planting and short turns. Now, I look for the easiest moguls whereever I go. The problem is they just take them down on less steep slopes. Since the East does not get frequent snow, moguls can be (sometimes large) blocks of ice. That is scary, at least to me.

So, I work on it when I find a simple mogul field that is not very icy. Unfortunately, it does not happen very often. Otherwise, after natural snow all trails could bump up. This helps to practice even though it is not the same thing.