Skiing Well and Skiing Bumps

[Skisailor]

And line choice, which is a big part of what I get out of following someone!

There's one particular instructor - when I follow him in the bumps, it's like skiing a groomer. Then I cam never find that line on my own.

I agree that line is important. But once you own the proper technique, it's amazing how it vastly expands your line choices - so everything gets easier. For many years I focused on "the right line". But I realized later that this really slowed my progress in bump skiing because I was concentrating too hard on finding the "perfect" line - which worked but only when my line choice happened to coincide with my current skill set. So I could look fine in one set of bumps and terrible in the next set - even when they were of equal difficulty. IMHO, technique should be the focus. Line choice and strategy are important but secondary.

I also agree with Altagirl that not all bumps are created equal !! It's important to understand this, especially when first learning. Finding bumps to learn on can be a challenge - especially in the east. I always applauded Ski Roundtop and Camelback for having low angle seeded baby bumps. Haven't been there in awhile but hope they are still doing that.

 

[Abbi]

Tackle them before knee issues make you cringe at the thought of tackling them.

My knee doc was already suggesting I skip black runs. He knows where I ski and those blacks aren't very .... black! I have never mastered bumps. Sometimes I'll get a few right then ..... now in my 60s, I find I am willing to just ski where I am comfortable. Push a little when skiing with instructors who can guide me; not so much when I'm just cruising around enjoying the world. And that is just ME! Not a suggestion to another soul.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I agree that line is important. But once you own the proper technique, it's amazing how it vastly expands your line choices - so everything gets easier. For many years I focused on "the right line". But I realized later that this really slowed my progress in bump skiing because I was concentrating too hard on finding the "perfect" line - which worked but only when my line choice happened to coincide with my current skill set. So I could look fine in one set of bumps and terrible in the next set - even when they were of equal difficulty. IMHO, technique should be the focus. Line choice and strategy are important but secondary.

There's an interplay. I absolutely agree that you need skills, but I also know that my world changed when I started seeing bumps as giving me infinite choices, rather than seeing them as limiting my choices.

I see shopping for a line as different from seeing the best line. I'm not sure if that's correct, or if maybe there's a spectrum. I think ... so when I think of shopping for a line, I think of looking across bumps to find the one spot where I think I can make a turn. When I think of these skiers @Skier31 and I are discussing, they could be limiting themselves to a section of the run two bumps wide, and they'd still find a way to use the surfaces of the bump to smooth out the line.

 

[mustski]

I have found that snowboarding has hugely changed the shape of bumps. Often we get these long bumps with deep troughs. I find those almost impossible to ski smoothly. I'm not a great bump skier but bumps formed by skiers -or seeded bumps- have a completely different shape.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I have found that snowboarding has hugely changed the shape of bumps. Often we get these long bumps with deep troughs. I find those almost impossible to ski smoothly. I'm not a great bump skier but bumps formed by skiers -or seeded bumps- have a completely different shape.

I call them "canoe" bumps. Bumps at Alta and Deer Valley look completely different.

 

[marzNC]

Tackle them before knee issues make you cringe at the thought of tackling them.

For me, my knee injury and rehab came before I decided to work with instructors on bumps and whatever else they thought would help. Learning to absorb and extend without thinking about the motion has been very, very useful. I have a lot more fun all over the mountain. And worry less.

 

[marzNC]

I agree that line is important. But once you own the proper technique, it's amazing how it vastly expands your line choices - so everything gets easier. For many years I focused on "the right line". But I realized later that this really slowed my progress in bump skiing because I was concentrating too hard on finding the "perfect" line - which worked but only when my line choice happened to coincide with my current skill set. So I could look fine in one set of bumps and terrible in the next set - even when they were of equal difficulty. IMHO, technique should be the focus. Line choice and strategy are important but secondary.

I also agree with Altagirl that not all bumps are created equal !! It's important to understand this, especially when first learning. Finding bumps to learn on can be a challenge - especially in the east. I always applauded Ski Roundtop and Camelback for having low angle seeded baby bumps. Haven't been there in awhile but hope they are still doing that.

Not worrying about a line was part of what I learned during semi-private lesson at Snowbasin. That was with a PSIA Examiner. It was not a day with good snow conditions. A little too warm even though it was mid-season. He took us (3 skiers, all older advanced) down the same intermediate bunch run (wide, not steep) several times. The goal was to "flow." Learned the same concept at Massanutten when a couple of instructors who were working towards taking the Level 2 exam joined my Silver Clinic (over 50 years old). That lesson the goal was to pivot on the ridge tops of the bumps. Lots of different ways to enjoy wandering down bumps when not interested in speed.

Roundtop had low angle bumps a few years ago. Haven't been to Camelback yet.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

I always applauded Ski Roundtop and Camelback for having low angle seeded baby bumps. Haven't been there in awhile but hope they are still doing that.

Roundtop was still doing it 2 years ago - last time I skied it before moving to Philly area! I loved the small bumps they had on a blue run at Roundtop! I haven't skied Camelaback so can't speak about them. Montage has some great bump runs. Jack Frost occasionally has seeded bumps on the sides of their wide groomed runs and so does Blue Mountain.

I will add my prospective I am still earning to ski bumps - I am comfortable/enjoy small to medium bumps and easy trees, but still scared on really big tightly spaced bumps. Yes, absolutely there are some technique basics like the instructors in this thread already mentioned - pivoting, fore/aft balance etc that need to be honed/developed before attempting bumps. And fully agree that bump lessons are the best way to go.

But also what I have discovered - there comes a point in ones skiing, at least I came to this point. I have most of these trachnique basics down and plenty of practice in many lessons on groomers, now I just need to practice it in bumps and ski bumps. I have had several instructor comment in lessons that I have such good technique and that it's strange that I still can't comfortably ski all kinds of bumps. I am definitely capable of executing round short radius turns with pole plants on groomers, can't always do it bumps. Sometimes I just can't make myself turn, once I start turning and pole planting things usually go well. It's almost like this strange mental coordination issue I have to overcome. There is a fear element too, so maybe it's a mix of fear and coordination issue. I am getting better overcoming it slowly, so mileage with more lessons is my current priority for improving my skiing bumps right now. I have skied some medium difficulty bumps this winter and felt like I was flowing them and having a great time. But then there were times I skied similar difficulty bumps and was making 2-3 turns and stop.

I would actually say I only partially agree with the expression that "it's not that you can't ski bumps it's that you can't ski and bumps show it". This expression doesn't take into account mileage/fear issues for the skier, just that there is a lack of technique issue. Great ski technique is not enough to ski bumps well, it's the very first necessary step in learning to ski bumps IMHO. The other steps are mileage, coordination, confidence, line choice which comes with mileage - those are unique to every skier. At least that's how I think about it. I'm not an instructor though, just someone who has taken many lessons.

 

[Powgirl]

I played in the bumps a little last year...mostly had fun, too, even tho my form wasn't always pretty....but my PT advised no bumps this year due to my knee/loss of cartilage issue...I think I will still have a good time skiing!

 

[Skier31]

Roundtop was still doing it 2 years ago - last time I skied it before moving to Philly area! I loved the small bumps they had on a blue run at Roundtop! I haven't skied Camelaback so can't speak about them. Montage has some great bump runs. Jack Frost occasionally has seeded bumps on the sides of their wide groomed runs and so does Blue Mountain.

I will add my prospective I am still earning to ski bumps - I am comfortable/enjoy small to medium bumps and easy trees, but still scared on really big tightly spaced bumps. Yes, absolutely there are some technique basics like the instructors in this thread already mentioned - pivoting, fore/aft balance etc that need to be honed/developed before attempting bumps. And fully agree that bump lessons are the best way to go.

But also what I have discovered - there comes a point in ones skiing, at least I came to this point. I have most of these trachnique basics down and plenty of practice in many lessons on groomers, now I just need to practice it in bumps and ski bumps. I have had several instructor comment in lessons that I have such good technique and that it's strange that I still can't comfortably ski all kinds of bumps. I am definitely capable of executing round short radius turns with pole plants on groomers, can't always do it bumps. Sometimes I just can't make myself turn, once I start turning and pole planting things usually go well. It's almost like this strange mental coordination issue I have to overcome. There is a fear element too, so maybe it's a mix of fear and coordination issue. I am getting better overcoming it slowly, so mileage with more lessons is my current priority for improving my skiing bumps right now. I have skied some medium difficulty bumps this winter and felt like I was flowing them and having a great time. But then there were times I skied similar difficulty bumps and was making 2-3 turns and stop.

I would actually say I only partially agree with the expression that "it's not that you can't ski bumps it's that you can't ski and bumps show it". This expression doesn't take into account mileage/fear issues for the skier, just that there is a lack of technique issue. Great ski technique is not enough to ski bumps well, it's the very first necessary step in learning to ski bumps IMHO. The other steps are mileage, coordination, confidence, line choice which comes with mileage - those are unique to every skier. At least that's how I think about it. I'm not an instructor though, just someone who has taken many lessons.

I agree with you. 100%. I have decent technique and still struggle in the bumps. I am working on it!

I dislike the statement as well as it comes off a little bit arrogant.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I have decent technique and still struggle in the bumps. I am working on it!

Well, yeah, but you also passed your PSIA level 2 exam, which implies that your level of struggle may be different than others' level of struggle ...

(This is generally the tricky part of evaluating ski ability. I mean, everybody has room to improve!)

 

[bounceswoosh]

^ evaluating ski ability *on a forum* I meant

 

[CarverJill]

Also, a good way to practice is to find runs that have lots of piles of snow after being skied. You can practice skiing the piles.

My issue is going from skiing the piles to skiing actual bumps. Its a huge step. I'm good in the piles regardless of the steepness of the slope but once they are true moguls I struggle. Blue bumps are great for practice but tough to find good ones and still enjoy exploring the other fun parts of the ski area. I probably need to get bored of an area and then find some blue bumps to work on all season.

 

[mustski]

Blue bumps are hard to find in SoCal/Mammoth. Last year, bumps were non existent until spring because there was SO much snow, it kept filling in. The other side is that the bumps tend to form on steeps because they groom them out on the blue/single black runs. Then, if there is no snow, they become rock hard. Throw in the "canoes" formed by snowboarders and there really are rarely any true intermediate moguls to practice on. Spring is good because everything softens and becomes more forgiving, but they are still on the steeps.

 

[bounceswoosh]

So, there are bumps underneath the Quicksilver lift at Breck, and the corridor is narrow - but the bumps are nicely formed, because the people who are willing to ski under a lift are usually pretty good. And it's not much of a slope. I find sometimes a narrow bump run is easier for me, because there just isn't that much "inventory" to shop for.

 

[Fluffy Kitty]

It's almost like this strange mental coordination issue I have to overcome. There is a fear element too, so maybe it's a mix of fear and coordination issue.

For me, some of these limits are hard limits that can't be "overcome" as such... maybe compensated for, but never truly removed.

It's hard to know for sure which is which... which is why I go on those same trails every year where I get a sprained hip and/or a mild concussion every year, hoping that my technique/reflex/courage has improved enough... And don't forget those "unclimbable" bumps ("canoe bumps" on steroids) I once complained about; I'm waiting for an opportunity to try them again. I am overcoming new territory every season.

Still, there are certain situations that I know no amount of practice or lessons will completely resolve.

So, if someone at Epic (RIP), Pugski, or TGR wants to therefore tell me I can't ski, I'm prepared to give them a blank look and a shrug. Maybe even agree. Whatever. I am proud to know my limits, and knowing one's own limits, I think, is as important a technique as any.

 

[liquidfeet]

I've never liked that statement "It's not that you can't ski bumps. It's that you can't ski and the bumps just prove it."
It's meant to put someone down who just revealed that they "can't ski bumps," while puffing up the person who says this. It's rude.

But there's a reason the sentence keeps showing up in ski forums (I read in ski forums a lot). A grain of truth is embedded in it. Where I ski in New England, "nasty" bumps are often all we have. Skiing those requires precise fore-aft balance over the skis along with impeccable fundamentals. By "nasty" I mean big, mature bumps that have been sitting there for weeks with no new snow, hard icy bumps that have gone through freeze-thaw cycles, hard bumps that consist mostly of man-made snow, bumps with odd cut-off shapes, bumps with deep troughs, "canoe bumps" also known as "banana bumps," bumps under lifts with massive, exposed boulders, bumps on the side of a trail with a double fall line. Those are often what I've had to go into to learn to ski bumps. Ideal learning terrain has been difficult to find.

My goal this upcoming season is to learn to get down the worst of the worst, on the worst day, at a snail's pace first, then at increasing speeds. I've been working on this for years and have made tiny improvements, but not at a pace that satisfies. As a part-time instructor, I spend much of the day teaching so can't get into the bumps much. At my age (67), it takes forever to cement something new into my form. So I'm taking a year off from teaching, just to work on skiing those nasty bumps. I hope we have enough snow this year to have bumps form on the mountains early in the season. We had one season (two years ago) with so little snow that there were no bumps all season. Please, please, not that again.

 

[ski diva]

But there's a reason the sentence keeps showing up in ski forums (I read in ski forums a lot). A grain of truth is embedded in it. Where I ski in New England, "nasty" bumps are often all we have. Skiing those requires precise fore-aft balance over the skis along with impeccable fundamentals. By "nasty" I mean big, mature bumps that have been sitting there for weeks with no new snow, hard icy bumps that have gone through freeze-thaw cycles, hard bumps that consist mostly of man-made snow, bumps with odd cut-off shapes, bumps with deep troughs, "canoe bumps" also known as "banana bumps," bumps under lifts with massive, exposed boulders, bumps on the side of a trail with a double fall line. Those are often what I've had to go into to learn to ski bumps. Ideal learning terrain has been difficult to find.

SO true what you say about bumps in the East. Nasty, nasty, nasty. A totally different animal from pillowy western bumps. And by animal, I mean BEAST.

 

[liquidfeet]

Yes!
...and then around here "glades" are bump runs with trees.

Teaching a beginner bump lesson to adults on the bump terrain available is a challenge.
I've done that but not been much satisfied with the results.
This season's work should help me teach that type of lesson better in the future.

 

[Obrules15]

For me bumps highlight weaknesses that I thought I'd addressed but were still problems. There are nasty habits I have on Piste that I'd like gone but don't stop me from sliding, but those same things in bumps.........If I start stemming in bumps I notice, or if my stance drifts too wide, or I'm not as a precise in turn placement as I thought, Bumps will tell me.

Bumps (IMO) almost act like a poor man's video camera. Seeing yourself ski on video forces you to recognize your flaws, but being in the bumps also doesn't allow you to let things slide. I don't think it matters what you look like or what other people think, the things I'm talking about affect my control, stability, and my ability to stay off my a**.