Mogul Mentality

[lh_1990]

Can anyone offer suggestions for skiing mogul runs? I've been trying to work on my technique, and theoretically know what I'm meant to be doing. I've watched all the videos and tutorials! A couple of bumps in a row I can manage...but I'm repeatedly finding myself standing at the top of a full run of moguls and totally chickening out. It's starting to frustrate me as at my local ski hill the majority of black runs are mogul runs, and I feel a bit stuck not able to make any progress past blues.
My plan is to get some more lessons but figure it makes most sense to wait until next season so I have plenty of time to practice! For now, anyone any tips for what helped moguls click for them?

 

[scandium]

Lessons, and then practice. Picking a line through moguls, at least for me, is not intuitive and there are only so many videos that you can watch. I still suck at them, but I have a plan of attack that includes trying to keep my fore/aft balance, looking at least 3 turns ahead, aiming to keep my upper body more "calm" and absorb/feel with my legs, and pole planting ahead/before I need to turn. Moguls also demand more strength from me particularly due to the skis I prefer - so lots of off-slope preparation with appropriate exercises alsp helps!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Oh ze bumps!

You mention watching videos. I do not know what is out there but am curious which bumps related skill drills you have practiced so far? Pivot slips, retraction turns over rollers, running gates or brushes, falling leaves, traverses through bumps.

Find a very low angle bump run at first.

How wide are your skis? Too wide makes it harder.

 

[liquidfeet]

@lh_1990, where do you ski? Bumps are different in different places.

Here is something you can teach yourself which will enable you to head into big long bump runs without fear.

--Traverse slowly across the bump run. Turn ski tips uphill to slow yourself down whenever you can. Practice stopping on the tops of bumps. At the end of your traverse, turn and traverse back in the other direction.
--Keep your head at the same level as you go. Bring your feet up as you go over each bump in order to avoid having your head go up and down. This is absorbing. Do a traverse, then one turn, then traverse back in the other direction, absorbing as you go.
--Choose the easiest spot you see for the turns at the ends of the traverses. Keep looking ahead for that easy spot as you traverse. How far ahead can you look? Short term memory and peripheral vision will let your feet know what's directly in front of them as your eyes scan ahead. Train hard to get yourself to look ahead for that easy spot to turn, instead of down at the current bump you are going over.

--Not gaining speed as you traverse is goal #1.
Work on being able to stop on the top of any bump at any time during that traverse. Practice stopping and standing on the tops of bumps. Practice makes perfect.
--Absorbing each bump to keep your head level is goal #2.
Not absorbing will do two things - it will throw you off balance, and it will throw you into the back seat and cause a runaway traverse. Absorbing is fun and easy once you get it. It helps you stay slow.
--Looking ahead for a place to turn is goal #3.
It's essential to look ahead in bumps and plan your next turn or two, or three. This way the bumps won't catch you by surprise and throw you off balance. Practicing on traverses is the easiest way to train your eyes to scan ahead instead of stare down.

Doing these traverses will get you down most non-double-black bump runs at a slow pace and without fear. When you can do these, you can start shortening the traverses. And if you get good at that, it's time for pivot slips on groomers so you can use that skill to ski down the fall line instead of meandering back and forth across the whole run.

.....................................
--If you consistently gain speed, you are probably skiing in the back seat. That means you may be skiing in the back seat on groomers as well, at least part of the time. If you can't go slow in those traverses, get back on groomers and work there on maintaining an effective (not back seat) stance. Consult videos, and get a lesson to confirm that you are getting things right. There are many dysfunctional ways to attempt to get "forward" and you'll want to avoid those.

Best of luck and have fun!

 

[marzNC]

Can anyone offer suggestions for skiing mogul runs? I've been trying to work on my technique, and theoretically know what I'm meant to be doing. I've watched all the videos and tutorials! A couple of bumps in a row I can manage...but I'm repeatedly finding myself standing at the top of a full run of moguls and totally chickening out. It's starting to frustrate me as at my local ski hill the majority of black runs are mogul runs, and I feel a bit stuck not able to make any progress past blues.
My plan is to get some more lessons but figure it makes most sense to wait until next season so I have plenty of time to practice! For now, anyone any tips for what helped moguls click for them?

What region do you ski in the most? A trail with moguls in the northeast is very different from one in the Rockies. Not that skiing bumps in soft snow is easy, but fewer factors to consider than if a little new snow is hiding hard, icy bumps or solid patches of ice underneath after a thaw/freeze cycle.

When you ski groomed trails, do you mostly carve or do you ever practice quick, short turns on relatively flat skis?

I've mostly learned to ski bumps at Taos doing Taos Ski Weeks in recent years. While learning what to do with feet, ankles, arms, hands, and body position (relative to legs) is obviously important, the most important aspect has been learning how to look ahead. Part of what my advanced group practiced this season was how to ski bumps . . . slowly. Meaning essentially one bump at a time, but without stopping in between, and without traversing much. Although traversing while actively searching for the next best place to make an organized turn was considered okay.

One reason it's easier to learn to ski bumps at Taos is because there are almost always bumps of every level, from green to expert.

 

[Jilly]

To add to @liquidfeet - keep those hands up front. When you think about making the turn, make sure you plant your pole....way down hill. If you can, actually on the downhill side of the bump. This will help keep you out of the back seat.

 

[marzNC]

traverses through bumps.

You Level 3 instructors all think alike.

Brings back memories. I started working on technique related to skiing bumps at Massanutten (northern VA, 75 acres mostly groomed manmade snow). There is one black trail that isn't groomed that has a narrow, short, steep section. Perhaps 20 bumps long and 3-4 bumps wide. The instructor I worked with the most, Walter, would go there and talk about absorption and extension. Then he would demonstrate going across the bumps on Upper MakAttack. Those bumps tend to be long (snowboarders) and the troughs can be pretty deep. Actively practicing pushing the tips down or thinking about pulling up the tails was very helpful in the long run.

Also helped with doing bumpy traverses reasonably fast at Alta and at other destination resorts as I started exploring places like Big Sky and Jackson Hole. There are times when going slow won't work because the traverse goes down and then up.

 

[CindiSue]

I haven't skied moguls long, never thought I would, but actually love them! I agree it is much easier to learn on small soft ones. I'm lucky that we have some runs they knock down often for people like us to keep them small :-)

It's key to not pick up speed but to just stay balanced and flexible. One thing that helped me was an instructor tip to aim for the top of the mogul then let your skis slide down around the far side. It was recommended as an easier way for older people, and I ski with a woman who is an expert mogul skier but getting old and she loved that technique. Also, there are some videos on the Bumps for Boomers website showing the 3 different "lines" you can take when mogul skiing, the easy line, moderate line, and hard line.

Oh, one other trick. It's probably dorky looking but it helps out a lot in the beginning. It involves punching your hand in front of your body to help you get around and in position for the next turn. And it slows you down to boot.

 

[lh_1990]

Lessons, and then practice. Picking a line through moguls, at least for me, is not intuitive and there are only so many videos that you can watch. I still suck at them, but I have a plan of attack that includes trying to keep my fore/aft balance, looking at least 3 turns ahead, aiming to keep my upper body more "calm" and absorb/feel with my legs, and pole planting ahead/before I need to turn. Moguls also demand more strength from me particularly due to the skis I prefer - so lots of off-slope preparation with appropriate exercises alsp helps

Thank you! I definitely think a degree of weakness is contributing, I'll have to start hitting the gym a bit more... Thats interesting that you don't find 'picking a line' less useful...that's the advice I've been getting and usually I find that if I take that approach then suddenly I pick up too much speed or come up a monster of a mogul I thought looked more manageable. I've been trying to do as you say and plan a few bumps ahead.

Oh ze bumps!

You mention watching videos. I do not know what is out there but am curious which bumps related skill drills you have practiced so far? Pivot slips, retraction turns over rollers, running gates or brushes, falling leaves, traverses through bumps.

Find a very low angle bump run at first.

How wide are your skis? Too wide makes it harder.

I've done lots of traversing across bumps, pivot turns and tick tock drills (which I'm pretty sure is meant for 5 year olds but hey) and practicing shifting my weight from ski to ski in turns... will definitely look up the others you mentioned. I think finding a good run is frustrating me...they all seem to be super steep or have giant bumps! They're 94mm...wider than I'd skiied before so maybe that is adding to it. Have a set of rentals that are 76 so maybe I should give them a go.

@lh_1990, where do you ski? Bumps are different in different places.

What region do you ski in the most? A trail with moguls in the northeast is very different from one in the Rockies. Not that skiing bumps in soft snow is easy, but fewer factors to consider than if a little new snow is hiding hard, icy bumps or solid patches of ice underneath after a thaw/freeze cycle.

To add to @liquidfeet - keep those hands up front. When you think about making the turn, make sure you plant your pole....way down hill. If you can, actually on the downhill side of the bump. This will help keep you out of the back seat.

Thank you all for all this advice! Definitely a few things for me to work on. I suspect I am getting in the back seat, particularly when I feel like I'm losing control and tense up. I feel like my stance is *relatively* OK on the groomers, but I lose it when I'm just trying to get down the hill.
I'm based in BC, mostly skiing the local ski hills around Vancouver and Whistler when I can afford it (moved here too late in for a season pass!)

Oh, one other trick. It's probably dorky looking but it helps out a lot in the beginning. It involves punching your hand in front of your body to help you get around and in position for the next turn. And it slows you down to boot.

I saw those videos...definitely useful for planning and thinking through the bumps rather than just launching down the run. And I will definitely be trying the punching trick!

 

[Jilly]

Look at booking 1 or 2 of the Whistler Women's Camps, next season. This year they are sponsored by North Face if you're looking it up on the website. I came off that camp with a lot more confidence about trees and bumps.

 

[Skier31]

I have struggled with bumps for years and have had a huge breakthrough this year.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Concentrate on your fore/aft balance - you must be centered to ski bumps. If you are back, your skis shoot out from under you and you are hanging on for life. Ski a very easy bump run - notice where you are fore/aft. Ski that run until you can ski it while being centered. I like to think about keeping the heel piece of my binding behind my hips.

2. Where are you turning? I was trying to turn too early - and guess what - my skis run into the next bump or get hung up in the troughs. A Swiss instructor told me to "put my shoes "boots" on the drop off point before you turn. In other words, don't turn until your tips and tails are in the air and you can turn easily. Patience!

3. How much edge are you using? A flatter skin in bumps creates more friction, the ability to slip and slide to where we want to turn. Try using less edges.

4. Start with side slipping to get momentum going. Do not start by skiing across the hill - slip a few feet downhill and then make your turn.

5. Pick where you are going to finish - look for a good spot to finish so you can be in good spot to start the next turn. Easier to pick a line if you look to find a good "landing spot".

6. Try one bump at a time. One bump stop, next bump stop. When you are confident you can control your speed, do 2 bumps at a time etc.

 

[scandium]

Thank you! I definitely think a degree of weakness is contributing, I'll have to start hitting the gym a bit more... Thats interesting that you don't find 'picking a line' less useful...that's the advice I've been getting and usually I find that if I take that approach then suddenly I pick up too much speed or come up a monster of a mogul I thought looked more manageable. I've been trying to do as you say and plan a few bumps ahead

The reason I struggle with just picking a line is that my basic technique for skiing on moguls is not yet developed enough to "just ski a line" unless the run is very short. Once my fore/aft balance is thrown off I experience the exact same thing where I end up going too fast and then if I keep trying to ski without correcting this, I fall over. Looking 3 bumps ahead helps me with my body position and mentally planning where I am likely to have to make adjustments. Bumps are conscious incompetence right now with respect to how I ski them!

 

[lh_1990]

I have struggled with bumps for years and have had a huge breakthrough this year.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Concentrate on your fore/aft balance - you must be centered to ski bumps. If you are back, your skis shoot out from under you and you are hanging on for life. Ski a very easy bump run - notice where you are fore/aft. Ski that run until you can ski it while being centered. I like to think about keeping the heel piece of my binding behind my hips.

2. Where are you turning? I was trying to turn too early - and guess what - my skis run into the next bump or get hung up in the troughs. A Swiss instructor told me to "put my shoes "boots" on the drop off point before you turn. In other words, don't turn until your tips and tails are in the air and you can turn easily. Patience!

3. How much edge are you using? A flatter skin in bumps creates more friction, the ability to slip and slide to where we want to turn. Try using less edges.

4. Start with side slipping to get momentum going. Do not start by skiing across the hill - slip a few feet downhill and then make your turn.

5. Pick where you are going to finish - look for a good spot to finish so you can be in good spot to start the next turn. Easier to pick a line if you look to find a good "landing spot".

6. Try one bump at a time. One bump stop, next bump stop. When you are confident you can control your speed, do 2 bumps at a time etc.

I think I do end up back as a reflexive way to try to control myself, which I know is totally counterintuitive. I've been trying to work on it. That's a good tip about keeping the heel behind your hips because I find when I'm on the go I find it hard to identify when I'm too far back until it's too late.
Turning at the right point is a part I find very challenging - I think I put off turning and then get myself wedged between two bumps, afraid to move because the most likely outcome is an awkward tumble!
I'm definitely going to think about these next time I'm in the moguls...thanks!!

 

[elemmac]

6. Try one bump at a time. One bump stop, next bump stop. When you are confident you can control your speed, do 2 bumps at a time etc.

This here is how I improved in moguls. Stop looking at the whole run…it can be overwhelming.

It also helps to choose runs where 1/2 the run is groomed, 1/2 moguls. This way you can ski 1, 2 or 3 bumps, then a couple turns on groomed terrain to recalibrate balance…then back in for a couple turns…rinse and repeat.

 

[LucieCZ]

love the bumps! there's nothing that will highlight flaws in your base technique more than skiing bumps. it really is an artform that requires years of practice and can never be perfected. but, doesn't mean that it takes years before you're having fun, right?

my hubby and his crew are mogul fanatics. i never really appreciated the bumps until i started skiing bumps with them. they're excited like little kids when they ski them. they analyze every run and talk about things like their hand position and their turns in slow motion lol. but i will say I've taken what i wanted from all that and now i really enjoy skiing them.

don't get too hung up on the million tips you'll get, because there really are a million thing that go into getting good at bumps. instead, try to tackle one thing at a time and don't move on until it's muscle memory.

second, if you take away the bumps, your technique is really the same basic technique that needs to be solid on the groomed runs, but maybe a little more exaggerated and quick. so if you're perfecting your turns and body position for a steep fall line run, you're also practicing your mogul skiing.

next, even though it doesn't feel like it, most people are backseat at least somewhere in their turn on a bump. the terrain is more 3d in the bumps and you have to stay forward on every part of the bump and every turn.

of course, there are a ton of other things that other people have already said, so I'll just leave it with one more. you can totally cheat when you're starting at moguls! one of the biggest things people run into is speed control. but there's an easy way to control your speed while you work on all the other stuff. check out this YouTube video:

it's in Japanese so you can turn down the volume. it's irrelevant. but this side slipping can be a game changer if you use it to slow down while you work on all those other tips you get. when i first saw it, i thought it was a joke because it doesn't look like skiing. but when i tried it, it's like skiing moguls in slow motion and you can work on keeping your weight forward, your shoulders facing downhill, your head up and your hands in front of you. then slowly start carving more and speeding up.

you might get some eye rolling at first, but if you decide to try it, hope it helps! have fun!

 

[Mudgirl630]

love the bumps! there's nothing that will highlight flaws in your base technique more than skiing bumps. it really is an artform that requires years of practice and can never be perfected. but, doesn't mean that it takes years before you're having fun, right?

my hubby and his crew are mogul fanatics. i never really appreciated the bumps until i started skiing bumps with them. they're excited like little kids when they ski them. they analyze every run and talk about things like their hand position and their turns in slow motion lol. but i will say I've taken what i wanted from all that and now i really enjoy skiing them.

don't get too hung up on the million tips you'll get, because there really are a million thing that go into getting good at bumps. instead, try to tackle one thing at a time and don't move on until it's muscle memory.

second, if you take away the bumps, your technique is really the same basic technique that needs to be solid on the groomed runs, but maybe a little more exaggerated and quick. so if you're perfecting your turns and body position for a steep fall line run, you're also practicing your mogul skiing.

next, even though it doesn't feel like it, most people are backseat at least somewhere in their turn on a bump. the terrain is more 3d in the bumps and you have to stay forward on every part of the bump and every turn.

of course, there are a ton of other things that other people have already said, so I'll just leave it with one more. you can totally cheat when you're starting at moguls! one of the biggest things people run into is speed control. but there's an easy way to control your speed while you work on all the other stuff. check out this YouTube video:

it's in Japanese so you can turn down the volume. it's irrelevant. but this side slipping can be a game changer if you use it to slow down while you work on all those other tips you get. when i first saw it, i thought it was a joke because it doesn't look like skiing. but when i tried it, it's like skiing moguls in slow motion and you can work on keeping your weight forward, your shoulders facing downhill, your head up and your hands in front of you. then slowly start carving more and speeding up.

you might get some eye rolling at first, but if you decide to try it, hope it helps! have fun!

Interesting video.
I speak Japanese, so it was even more interesting.

The first part was strange.

Thansk for sharing.

I do love moguls also.

 

[santacruz skier]

Learned that in Taos as a fall back. It works and helps with the intimidation factor! Thanks for sharing @LucieCZ !
And, no, I don’t speak Japanese!

 

[Mudgirl630]

What points helped me were " think foot to foot actions, like bicycle pedals" and where to enter and turn on a mogul. Shmere, go flat footed. This will slow you down. Get on a neighboring mogul to turn and don't make a super short turn. This will get you stuck on uphill position/a total backseat position, before the next turn. The game over.

 

[LucieCZ]

Interesting video.
I speak Japanese, so it was even more interesting.

The first part was strange.

Thansk for sharing.

I do love moguls also.

ha ha what are they saying?!

 

[Mudgirl630]

ha ha what are they saying?!

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