How did you refine your mogul skills?

[Marc]

Self taught... in the way I taught myself to ski in the first place- trial and error, imitation and reading. I'm no bump skier though. I ski bumps if there's nothing but groomers, or to get to trees or untracked something.

 

[SkiDork]

sack up and ski them bumps boy...

LOL - nuff said...

 

[icedtea]

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:

But you are the hammer...

http://www.meatheadfilms.com/athletes/Randy-Grasso

 

[Trekchick]

. Not to mention that I packed several pounds back on in the last couple of years.

perhaps because you keep all the cookies to your self

I can't change it to multiple choice. Besides, it's much more fun for me to irritate you.

.

As long as you have a goal.

 

[bvibert]

perhaps because you keep all the cookies to your self

That certainly doesn't help!

 

[powhunter]

Ski with people who are better....Watch them!! The "one thing" ive improved at was speed...Due largely in part to watching 2knees rip

steveo

 

[icedtea]

as a boarder i try to imitate and adapt the movements of my skiers friends who can rip the bumps. how do other borders compare their technique to skiers in the bumps?

 

[KevinF]

I've gotten my fair share of bump coaching (largely ESA based) over the years, but I don't think I ever left a lesson thinking "oh, THAT's how it's done". Somewhere in all the "practice" bump runs over the years bumps stopped being obstacles that make it hard to turn and started becoming opportunities to make it easy to turn. Bumps stopped being obstacles to speed control and started being opportunities to slow down.

Basically, once I was able to wrap my mind around the "where do you turn / how do you slow down" issues, the rest of it became gravy. I had heard the answers to those questions countless times in lesson programs, but until I truly believed it, nothing else mattered.

So there you have it. I was told how to ski bumps primarily via ESA; I learned to ski bumps by getting slammed by them countless times.

 

[gmcunni]

Basically, once I was able to wrap my mind around the "where do you turn / how do you slow down" issues, the rest of it became gravy.

where do you turn and how do you slow down? i skid turns through the trough into the bumps to slow down which isn't right and leaves me very slow in comparisson to people who just point their skis downhill. when i try i can't for the life of me get more than 2 bumps and i'm out of control. i have no idea how to control my speed that way.

 

[KevinF]

where do you turn and how do you slow down? i skid turns through the trough into the bumps to slow down which isn't right and leaves me very slow in comparisson to people who just point their skis downhill. when i try i can't for the life of me get more than 2 bumps and i'm out of control. i have no idea how to control my speed that way.

The only ways I know of slowing down on skis are (a) get 'em going sideways or (b) go uphill. You want to slow down? Ride further up the side of the bump from the trough. You want to slow way down? Go over the tops. Want to speed up? Stay closer to the trough line.

I am turning primarily to control where on the next bump I'm going. My position over the next bump is controlling my speed. If I start going too fast, I just have to aim higher on the next bump and presto! I've slowed back down.

At least that's what I want to do... When it works, it's great... When it doesn't, I feel like a rag doll.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

You must become one with the moguls, to reduce your fear imagine each bump is a person sitting there in their underwear.

 

[4aprice]

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.

Two comments:

1. The pole plant in the bumps is extremely important and sets the skier up for the nexrt turn. Too many people ski with what I call "hands in their pockets" instead of out front. I always look to plant the pole almost right on top of the mogul in front of me.

2. The area where I ski has started to do something that I think is great and come up with a term for it too. They blow a nice layer of manmade over the tops of the bumps making the troughs nice and skiable after a thaw/freeze cycle. They put this on their ski report last weekend as "conditioning" them. It's a term I had never seen before but it makes sense. The bumps last weekend were great. They may have to do it again this weekend as we got a nice thump of snow then a mixed bag and even some rain today.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Brewbeer]

I'd have to say there were three things that helped me become someone who could ski bumps:

1. Watching a 'How to ski bumps" video. It was filmed at Killington in the late 70s, judging by the gear being worn by the instructors.

2. Pole planting. There is nothing like firmly planting your pole to help make a turn.

3. Being repeatedly dragged through tight steep woods at MRG by skiers who were much, much, MUCH better than me. There is nothing quite like making do or die turns to improve your turning control on skis.

 

[Greg]

where do you turn and how do you slow down? i skid turns through the trough into the bumps to slow down which isn't right and leaves me very slow in comparisson to people who just point their skis downhill. when i try i can't for the life of me get more than 2 bumps and i'm out of control. i have no idea how to control my speed that way.

The only ways I know of slowing down on skis are (a) get 'em going sideways or (b) go uphill. You want to slow down? Ride further up the side of the bump from the trough. You want to slow way down? Go over the tops. Want to speed up? Stay closer to the trough line.

It's all in the A&E (absorption and extension). I takes a lot of time to figure it out and the fact that extending down the backside of the bump slows you down is a bit unintuitive, but it works. It's all in keeping contact with the snow. When your tips pop up, you go back seat and we all know that's the enemy. I'm starting to get more direct with my line, but I have a million miles to go. I'm still a pretty turny bump skier.

A new more advanced mogul technique started to click for me tonight, lead change. Basically, it's heavily weighting the downhill ski (while turning and A&E, etc.). It's kind of easy to achieve by tucking your uphill knee behind your downhill knee. Easy to do in the flats. Tougher in the bumps with all the other stuff going on, but I was getting it a bit tonight, more so in the low angle bumps.

I've been concentrating on bumps for about 4 seasons. I've made a lot of progress, but there is still a ton to learn. Precisely why I love it.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Watched videos of Greg..

 

[Greg]

Watched videos of Greg..

That explains the goose stompin'.

 

[Grassi21]

Watched videos of Greg..

That explains the goose stompin'.

Is it possible for two people to be each others groupy?

 

[kingslug]

Self taught, then watched and followed others, then took lessons, then chased around Jim G....and lived to tell about it.Now I like them!!!

 

[JD]

By avoiding them.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

That explains the goose stompin'.

Are you a goose-stomper??? Anyway in Jackson Hole I skied a few bump runs on Thunder and those bumps are way way way easier to ski than here in the east because they are so widely spaced..I can carve mandatory GS turns.."Shout out to highwaygnar"..on long fat skis..here in the east you better be on your A game..bumps are way tighter and goosestomping and a little pizza wedge are sometimes the only way to avoid carnage..

Speed control, goose-stomping, credit card air..