How do you ski moguls?

[joshua segal]

...
If you guys like instructor speak you should check out the instructors forum over at Epicski. They are real pros at complicating the simple, overanalyzing anything, and general obfuscation through overuse of overly technical terms piled high into steaming, heaping mounds of you know what.

As I start season 37 of teaching, I never failed to be amazed at how many instructors prefer to stand around talking about skiing rather than skiing. Some I know drive 2 hour round trips to teach 3 hours - and often, don't even take one free run.

What I get a kick out of - is how terms disappear for a few years - and then reappear with a new definition. Braquage is a good example of this.

I saw a group of PSIA Examiners on the hill at Mt. Snow at a clinic. As I passed the group, I heard the clinician reading to the class from a book. I spoke to one of them who is a friend and the person said, "The snow was great. We had two runs for the entire day - and the sad thing was, I was the only one who cared!"

 

[joshua segal]

At 57 I maybe hit a few moguls here and there. Like Warren Miller once said - Your knees only have so many moguls in them. I liked the gas pedal analogy. It is similar to one I got from a Nelson Charmichael video a long time ago. He said to think of your ski tips as dolphins coming up out of the water and then make them dive back down as soon as they crest the bump.

...

I think a lot depends on the individuals. I know some 40 year olds who bail claiming they're too old, but my 81-year old skiing buddy (100+ day a year skier) tells me, "I'll give them (moguls) up someday when I get old."

BTW: The dolphin imagery you cited is very good.

 

[joshua segal]

The most honest answer: not as well as I'd like to.

I don't think there is ANY skier who doesn't want to be better - no matter how good s/he is.

 

[Glenn]

I pick a line through the troughs. I sit back just a big and turn on my heels.

 

[jimk]

I don't ski the moguls, they ski me.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Poorly.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Funny smelly but nothing to be afraid of. We had a mini summit at Magic last year with skiers of varied ability levels and had a blast.

This is very true. Everyone had a good time and we all moved at our own pace. It was a great and we literally skied all over the mountain.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Poorly.

Wait I'm confused...your not an expert on this? :what:

 

[dlague]

Ever since I took a run on Hurricane with him I have been afraid to ski with any other AZ'er. Great bump skier.

Ditto and Yup!

 

[dlague]

Not a fan of those descriptions at all.

I always try to ski a zipper line these days, ever since my son learned how and the competition heated up. BUT, I can ski it as slowly as I want. No need for fast reflexes. Good balance, yes, but not reflexes. Just skid more on each turn and go the speed YOU want to go.

I think this is the book Nick mentioned earlier in the thread.
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-In...RX0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418166692&sr=1-1

Here is the website:

http://www.bumpsforboomers.com

 

[bvibert]

Dan DiPiro's book (linked above) is great at explaining bump technique in simple terms and (IIRC) has drills you can do to work on certain aspects. Some might say the techniques it covers are a bit dated (almost 10 years old), but I still think it's a good book. The best advice, as has been mentioned, is to practice as much as you can, this includes trying to make 'mogul turns' even when you're on flat terrain, and using rollers in terrain to work on absorption and extension (it's easier to concentrate on that when you're not trying to navigate a mogul field). If you can find low angle bumps that will help a lot too. Check out the forums at mogulskiing.net, you might find some good ideas there, though they tend to over analyze technique more than I can wrap my head around.

Most importantly- Have fun!

(disclaimer - I love skiing bumps, but I'm not actually that good)

 

[skiNEwhere]

Greg, going to chime in here at all?

 

[skiNEwhere]

Johnny Mosley is a hell of a skier....but his methods of instruction have never made a whole lot of sense to me

 

[SkiFanE]

DHS and I were talking about this (subject) on our way home from Killington. IMO, it's not so much about the line you ski - what's more important is HOW you ski. I focus on keeping my hands in front, keeping a quiet upper body, and absorbing the bumps with my legs.


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This. There is no standard mogul in NE - the only thing standard are the 3 steps above. I spend alot of effort keeping arms in front of my chest - that will correct me most times when I'm going off balance. Separate upper/lower body with upper always straight to where you're going. And let your legs be shock absorbers. Where and how I turn depends on the moguls. I ski SL skiis, so I generally have tighter turns than most so can carve my own line to avoid ice/crust/nasty troughs. Zipper lines are a blast, but not as common as the crusty kind.

And old? WTF? I'm hitting a big milestone next year, I can ski bumps all day long and my knees only feel pooped after 3:00 and never give out before my quads. If you're doing it right, the only thing your knees do is go up/down - should not be any other type of stress on the knee. Don't know if I have special knees or I've never stressed them too hard - but 60 days on snow a year is not a stressor, apparently

 

[deadheadskier]

If you're doing it right, the only thing your knees do is go up/down - should not be any other type of stress on the knee. Don't know if I have special knees or I've never stressed them too hard - but 60 days on snow a year is not a stressor, apparently

I hear it all the time. "Aren't moguls bad for your knees?" Completely not. The pressure and stress you put on your knees doing a carved turn is WAY worse than a correctly executed bump turn. One type of skiing involves an up and down motion with nearly equal weight/pressure on both knees where that pressure lasts only for a moment in compression and is relieved at extension; another involves loading up to 60-80% of the weight/pressure onto one knee and forcing it into an unnatural position and holding it there for up to several seconds.

Those who believe skiing bumps are worse for the knees than traditional carving need to take a refresher course in anatomy.

 

[SkiFanE]

I hear it all the time. "Aren't moguls bad for your knees?" Completely not. The pressure and stress you put on your knees doing a carved turn is WAY worse than a correctly executed bump turn. One type of skiing involves an up and down motion with nearly equal weight/pressure on both knees where that pressure lasts only for a moment in compression and is relieved at extension; another involves loading up to 60-80% of the weight/pressure onto one knee and forcing it into an unnatural position and holding it there for up to several seconds.

Those who believe skiing bumps are worse for the knees than traditional carving need to take a refresher course in anatomy.

Exactly. I twisted my knee last spring (between 2 trees, not bumps). When I got back on skis after a week break, still tender, I realized that it's easy to be lazy and use your knee to pull out of bad carves...I had to really be aware since I could feel pain if done wrong. My knees were fine in bumps, just had to be careful carving and over-using my knee, rather than my muscles to control myself.

 

[Domeskier]

I hear it all the time. "Aren't moguls bad for your knees?" Completely not.

Agreed, but to be fair - skiing moguls the way most people do can be very bad for the knees.

 

[dlague]

Agreed, but to be fair - skiing moguls the way most people do can be very bad for the knees.

When I find a rhythm and have a good line it does not bother my knees, but when bumps get taller and tighter, I find myself getting sloppy maybe because of ski length but tails get kicked around on the troughs. I have skis with a softer tail this year which should help. We shall see!

 

[deadheadskier]

That's a misconception. You want a ski with slightly stiffer tails in the bumps to serve as a platform. A ski with softer tails will make it easier to get in the back seat. It's the tips and underfoot where you want flex for a ski to perform well in the bumps.

 

[jack97]

(disclaimer - I love skiing bumps, but I'm not actually that good)

bro.... you are good at them. I think your view got distorted because sundown attracts competitive and former competitive bumpers.