Skisailor
Angel Diva
You liked Lito??
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Bumps
- Thread starter artistinsuburbia
- Start date
You liked Lito??
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This is interesting. I really don't know the techniques for trees and bumps, but at the risk of starting another instructor argument, is carving a goal on tree runs? Or just one of the kinds of turns you use depending on place/time/conditions? I can imagine carving some small sections of the couple of easy trails I did if they were out in the open, but I'd think that a carved or semi-carved groomer turn could make it very challenging to avoid obstacles. Like, you know, the ones with bark on them.
climbingbetty
Angel Diva
I think the main goal in a tree run is to not hit anything!!! In that case, whatever kind of turn you have to do to stay on your feet and in one piece is the goal. Swoopy, edgy, carved turns???? Not really. When you consider that 13m or 15m is really small for a turn radius of most adults skis... there's really no physical way you could carve in trees unless they were REALLY spaced out.
That was my point, I was using the totally wrong technique for skiing in trees. Though I didn't hit anything, so I guess I mostly accomplished it.
climbingbetty
Angel Diva
That's right!. But if you've truly mastered those rotational skills you are at the jumping off point! Now you need a good lesson from an instructor who will show you how to translate those skills into good bump skiing. And that means how to ski them as slowly as you want. They should also give you strategies for managing the nastiest of the deep or canyony ones.
Once you can ski them slowly you will start to become more at ease and can then gradually begin to ski them faster and with more of a mix of the 3 skill blend - some edge and pressure with steering - some pivots, etc. as the terrain and your comfort level allows.
Keep moving forward!
Already on it!
Taking a PSIA Intro to Bumps clinic next month!
Skisailor
Angel Diva
artistinsuburbia
Angel Diva
Was I not supposed to? Was loving the outfits best. Hahaha. but seriously, I'm a carver, and I know that THAT is definitely NOT working. So slipping through the turns etc is a light bulb for me. and turning on the top, etc. the slo mo video really helped me to see what I'm after. I'm an artist after all....visual learner. Albeit outdated and possibly improper technique according to some, it's a change that I hadn't considered. I thought you HAD to carve them. and I just didn't have the leg strength to carve turns that quickly. If I can slip the turns, well, that's a whole another story.
One thing that my very talented at bumps friend that I was skiing with said to me was to stand taller, which, I'm not sure how not to lean down. How else can I get my body over the boot and down the hill to pole plant? As when I tried her suggestion, my butt went to the back seat and I found my lower body skiing out ahead of me. Not good.
ETA: Where are all of these intro to bumps clinics?? None of that here.
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Skisailor
Angel Diva
You were absolutely supposed to love it! And the outfits are just icing on the cake!
I've since learned a few things that may be at odds with Lito but I still think this is the best bump instruction video I've seen for the vast majority of recreational skiers.
And yes! Carving is pretty much the opposite of what you should be doing to learn bump skiing. It's all about rotation and getting OFF your edges! You do not need to be quick. You need to know how to slow the whole thing way down. As slow as you want to go. That's the key. The one Lito groomer drill that really helped me was those turns with a delayed finish. So check that out. A lot of my turns in bumps feel like that.
Skisailor
Angel Diva
Oh. And about standing taller - that's something I have been working on as well. We should be "tall" most of the time in bumps and only flex to absorb terrain.
The way to be tall and to still attain the goal of having your weight on the balls of your feet is to flex those ankles!! We have to flex in all 3 joints - hip, knee and ankle. Many skiers are hip and knee dominant. They can't flex the boot well enough or they just don't use their ankles enough so they end up over flexed in knee and hip to stay forward.
You also want to avoid "planting" your pole down the slope too far. Or planting it in the direction of your ski tips - which sets you up for a longer radius turn. With skis across the slope and shoulders and hips facing down the hill, the pole touch should be near the heel of your downhill boot just a foot or two down slope. This sets you up for a nice short radius turn and minimizes the amount of speed you will pick up in the fall line.
The way to be tall and to still attain the goal of having your weight on the balls of your feet is to flex those ankles!! We have to flex in all 3 joints - hip, knee and ankle. Many skiers are hip and knee dominant. They can't flex the boot well enough or they just don't use their ankles enough so they end up over flexed in knee and hip to stay forward.
You also want to avoid "planting" your pole down the slope too far. Or planting it in the direction of your ski tips - which sets you up for a longer radius turn. With skis across the slope and shoulders and hips facing down the hill, the pole touch should be near the heel of your downhill boot just a foot or two down slope. This sets you up for a nice short radius turn and minimizes the amount of speed you will pick up in the fall line.
COchick
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This is a great thread - I'm currently focusing on improving my bump skills as well. I do OK in the gentle, easy bumps ... but get me in the trees or in a steep chute and it's like I suddenly forgot how to ski all together. I start turning my body, forgetting to face forward, and I feel totally awkward with my poles. I'm at the point where I am interested in skiing the whole mountain, and want to develop the skills to be comfortable no matter where I end up. I'm almost there, but my biggest problem is my own head. Endurance is also a factor, as bumps are just physically exhausting! But when I get in the rhythm, it's awesome and it feels great. I just need to work on what to do when I get freaked out, and also how to not miss turns. I've discovered that I love skiing trees, but I'm not comfortable yet to just charge into territory that hasn't been scoped out already by someone that knows my skill set.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I think the bump clinic referred to was a PSIA clinic. You are correct that the Mid-Atlantic is not an easy place to find a clinic devoted to bumps. Hard to imagine when most bump runs have a few hundred feet of bumps on perhaps 2-3 trails. A private or semi-private lesson with a Level 3 instructor (or 10+ years experience) is the way to go. The advantage of having the lesson at your home mountain is that you can learn how and where to practice.
From Pittsburgh, the places most often mentioned by those who like the challenge of bumps are Blue Knob, PA and Timberline, WV. BK is closer but need to time it right to avoid finding that the bump runs are too icy.
Skisailor
Angel Diva
WISP also usually has some seeded bump runs.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Haven't made it to WISP yet. Have seen the bump run at Whitetail (wasn't open) but that's not worth the drive from Pittsburgh. BK and Timberline provide the opportunity for natural bumps, humps, or whatever happens to be on the ungroomed trails.
Massanutten has seeded bumps on the side of Paradice these days. Better snowmaking capabitiliy added in recent years means they have enough snow early enough. I know that the PSIA trainers want bumps available for the clinics that are held at Mnut in late Feb.
In early Jan, the only reason one of the black trails was open at Timberline was for PSIA clinics. Not really bumps, just giant snow whales from the tower snow guns that were left completely as is. When I was there, there was 5 inches of fresh snow on top. The backs of the whales had been scraped off the day before. Talked to the trainer from Mnut (PSIA Examiner Emeritus). He really liked the challenges presented.
Also very irregular spacing and shape once the pitch steepens. The top part is not half bad for learning how to ski bumps, but after that it's not about looking pretty. And, there's no early exit.
artistinsuburbia
Angel Diva
^^^^this^^^^^
Right? It's like we reverted back to level two as soon as you hit the top bump.I still have free days on my pass to both wisp and blue knob...just need a weekday companion. Bueller? Bueller?
I forgot about these. right there off of the midstation. I totally
in those a couple of years ago following the hubby and the kids. we just have never been back for me to get my new confidence down them. I'll have to make a point of it soon. Hockey season is finally coming to a close. I'm told Holiday Valley has a couple of good seeded runs too.
snow addict
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Standing taller in bumps was a revelation for me, basically the straighter your femurs are the less pressure your muscles are under, your legs are getting more mobile etc. The lower down you are the harder is to remain balanced with feet closer together.
climbingbetty
Angel Diva
Did Westway on the backside of Hunter today, which was all bumps. It wasn't as pretty as some, but I got in there and worked on it. By the bottom it wasn't too bad. I just take the bumps 2-3 at time. Right now, I seem to struggle with 'seeing my line.' (I followed DH down since he's a better spotter- that seemed to make a big difference.) I have to take a few bumps at time, then stop, scope the next few out, etc. Does anyone have an suggestions for how to better 'see' one's line through the bumps?
+1 to whoever said this thread is really helpful!!!
+1 to whoever said this thread is really helpful!!!
artistinsuburbia
Angel Diva
So I got back to the mountain finally today, but only to Hidden Valley as I didn't have time to go over to Seven Springs....and.....no bumps!!! WHAAAA???? they groomed them all out. 
So I practiced more pivot slips...this time focusing on standing taller. I'm not really all that quick with these, so I also tried just speeding them up. Very benign today so, don't know how much it helped, but muscle memory is muscle memory, right?
So I practiced more pivot slips...this time focusing on standing taller. I'm not really all that quick with these, so I also tried just speeding them up. Very benign today so, don't know how much it helped, but muscle memory is muscle memory, right?
Olesya Chornoguz
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I know, it is sad when they groom them out. Roundtop has some really nice bumps on a blue and green slopes, but this weekend they groomed them out. The only bumps they had were on a double black, I would have much preferred bumps on the blue slope. The snow was good though so the bumps on the double black were not too bad mostly soft, but I wasn't in the best shape that day - sleep deprived/tired so didn't ski bumps as well as I wanted - mostly traversed with an occasional turn. There were soft bumps forming on one of the single black slopes and those were fun - I was turning more on those.
Pandita
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi artisinsuburbia!
Pandita here. I am a Level I instructor, I mainly take beginners and never evers up to level 3 sometimes 4. I do know that there are group lessons available for levels beyond never-ever skied before. When you call you should specify, also since the group lessons meet outside by the beginner slope, it is important to specify that you are not a beginner, otherwise you will end up in a beginner lesson.
7 springs has a lot of snow now and conditions are great!!. Please PM me if you have any questions.
On a side, for the bumps - I am really trying to get over my fear. I can conceptualize how to ski bumps, I can mimic on anon bump slope, but once I see them I have a fear. I can't figure out how to have the fear just escape and let me enjoy the run. I have even tried visualizing the run, feeling the sensation of the bump, etc. I think I may just have to do it over, and over, and over again. even if it doesn't look too pretty when I start. I will need to know how to have a nice run to pass my level 2.
