Trees but not bumps - Technique?

[tjf67]

I learned to ski the trees before I learned the bumps. If you can ski bumps well you can ski trees well. It is not true the other way around.

Bump skiers have a different technique. I dont think it is as elegant looking but it is more effective in the woods.

 

[Greg]

Bump skiers have a different technique. I dont think it is as elegant looking...

Maybe elegant is not a great description, but in my opinion world cup bumpers are the most fun to watch:

 

[JimG.]

I dont think it is as elegant looking but it is more effective in the woods.

Sometimes.

Tight quick turns just don't work as well in really deep (2ft +) snow or in deep snow that is crusty or wind packed. In those conditions, fewer and longer turns more in the fall line work much better.

 

[tjf67]

Sometimes.

Tight quick turns just don't work as well in really deep (2ft +) snow or in deep snow that is crusty or wind packed. In those conditions, fewer and longer turns more in the fall line work much better.

True but when there is that much snow a lot of the danger it taken away. In deep snow that has wind packed crust on top the best thing to do is stay out of the woods. You are cruisen for a bruisen.

 

[JimG.]

In deep snow that has wind packed crust on top the best thing to do is stay out of the woods. You are cruisen for a bruisen.

Problem is, you have to duck in to check it out. Sometimes you're just committed from the start. Maybe not fun, but you have to ski it.

Then you get to the bottom and you realize it wasn't all that bad. Funny how you wind up right back in the same place again.

 

[tjf67]

Maybe elegant is not a great description, but in my opinion world cup bumpers are the most fun to watch:

I am referring to a bumper that is not in the bumps. I like the over the top set a good edge gs turn. The bumper( not the pros) have the there twisty hips back in the saddle look.

 

[jarrodski]

Dude.... Just go more.

 

[jack97]

I am referring to a bumper that is not in the bumps. I like the over the top set a good edge gs turn. The bumper( not the pros) have the there twisty hips back in the saddle look.

The mogul techniques the pros teach is to keep hips square to the fall line and the hips forward. You can see this in the utube vid of the Nate Roberts run.

 

[JD]

Buy fat skis.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

I guess what i'm talking about is tight trees with bottomless powder. No base to sink into. Thats where i get thrown. Skiing trees is not the problem, its not having the technique to truly ski powder. And again, i'm referring to deep powder where you skis arent sinking onto the pre-existing base.

you're surface area challenged...good bump skis are skinny, good pow skis are fat. If you've got balance and some decent skills (don't need to be a super hero) the right pair of mid fat to fat (85mm waist +) will unlock the secret to pow...the other secret is momentum...need to keep some speed going to plow through it all and get the skis to turn. If I had it my way, it would be waist deep all the time...nirvana...and just about effortless when you're in the zone.

 

[riverc0il]

Interesting back to back posts. JD seems to strive for areas where turning is minimal, while jack points out that being a quick turner is beneficial in the trees. I prefer to turn a lot in and out of the bumps. Perhaps this is why I enjoy lightly wooded terrain vs. tight woods. I want to turn when I want to turn, usually rhythmically, and not necessarily because I'm about to smack a tree every other turn. I guess this is why lightly wooded "glades" or trails (Lynx at MRG; Twilight Zone at Magic; or East Glades at the Beast for example) appeal to me. I can still get the feeling of skiing in the woods, but can for the most part ski in a rhythmic pattern with some random line corrections here and there to avoid trees or tree islands, or occasionally pop off some terrain feature or something. Different stokes for different folks...

I don't think JD was referencing anything you would see on a map. I totally feel what JD was describing... shots where only a few skiers can straight line it. If you haven't tried it in two feet of powder, you need to someday. I love turning in all types of trees from spacious and really opening it up to tight... but dropping into a steep straight line with only 4-5 feet of wiggle room in deep powder is the nuts and isn't so much about the turn as technical proficiency and all around control.

Another way to look at tight trees is just like moguls. You don't get to turn when you want to turn but rather when the bumps make you. Same is true with tight trees but there are still more options in tight trees than bumps except when things get really tight.

 

[riverc0il]

I guess what i'm talking about is tight trees with bottomless powder. No base to sink into. Thats where i get thrown. Skiing trees is not the problem, its not having the technique to truly ski powder. And again, i'm referring to deep powder where you skis arent sinking onto the pre-existing base.

Just need to practice skiing deep powder Seriously, get out on more powder days, get an early start, and practice on the open slopes before heading into the trees. Turning in "bottomless" powder is so different than any other type of turn when you bases and edges have purchase on a hard surface. You don't truly "need" fat skis as I rip it pretty good with 79 waist which I actually prefer to my 89 waist when the trees are really tight. Folks were skiing deep powder 20 years ago on skinny 50-60 waisted skis so it can be done. Fat certainly makes it a lot easier but the technique is the same regardless.