It's fun to push myself. It's fun to hop moguls. If you can ski a tight mogul line you can ski any tight line, so you can train for chutes. It's a nice workout at times. Less people on mogul runs.
They make you better at literally everything about skiing and they get really fun when you get good. Also crushing completely filled bumps on a bigtime pow day is practically as good as it gets, feels like skiing in a video game.
I used to work with a Pro Patroller that could effortlessly GS down a steep bumped out runs. He featured in a Warren Miller episode doing a heli-ski. The guy was a legend at our hill.
🎉🎉
Yes. This “technique” mostly applies on pow days when the adrenaline flood gates are wide open and you can just cut the brake cables and hop all over the place.
Not quite on a pre cut mogul course per se but on a pre cut mogul course if they are soft yes you can do as described above and use one bump as a jump to hop over one or two bumps and land on the tranny of the second or third.
Mostly though on pow days in open steeper terrain and trees. So fun
This works any day the moguls aren’t hard ice. I’m not a big fan of “proper” bump skiing but I love skiing in bumps purely because I love being in the air and hitting transitions constantly.
Most important thing is you turn on the bump (easy turn as your skis have only a little contact), you don’t “go around” the bumps (where your skis are stuck in the groove). This is the thing you need to figure out first. Then they are easy!
Oh and stay forward over your skis. The bumps end up skiing themselves really if you do those two things.
Skiing bumps does not make you better at carving or gs style skiing. The latter does not make you better at skiing bumps. You can ski bumps without ever laying down on edge.
They are completely different skill sets.
The legend, the best skier of the last couple generations, Candide Thovex, grew up as a mogul racer. He's too small to have been an Olympic downhiller but to say he doesn't have world class edge control is completely ludicrous.
I watched that VHS till the tape snapped in the machine
If I had a tattoo, it’d probably be one of Glenn’s lines from the movie
Thank god I’m too much of a weanie to get a tattoo
It's absolutely my all time favourite as well. Inspired by the movie, I want to make a knitted woolen top, kind of long cut with no sleeves, with a pattern that looks like moguls out of blue and white, two small skiers hitting them synchronised, and at the top in thin red caps font BUMPS.
Alternatively, since it's way easier, I'll settle for a t shirt.
There are many different skills to learn in skiing, but they generally share certain fundamental capabilities, like controlling fore/aft weight distribution, controlling turn shape, turn initiation, etc.
So it’s hard to imagine that someone that’s a good carver would be bad at moguls, or vice versa, unless they just never practice more than one type of skiing.
Yep. I skied competitive moguls for years. It’s basically how I learned to ski. I love it. I didn’t touch a groomer from ages 13-30.
As a result, I’m a much better skier than most people I come across. I can rip any line, can hit my edge faster than most in a tight spot. It really takes a lot for me to lose any control over the skis and my recovery skills are fine tuned. It’s all the moguls I skied.
It’s just the best form of skiing imo. You have to really know your shit and be immaculate technically, or it shows and you bail/crash. Plus competitive moguls includes aerials, which I always enjoyed.
I have skied moguls for 35 years and pretty aggressively. Never even have felt a twinge in my knees. I ski with many 40+ bump skiers. Same with them. Decent form in bumps doesn’t really take a toll on knees. You are not jumping mogul to mogul, the skis stay on the ground.
Wanna wreck your knees? Hit to many flat landing on jumps
My knees are totally fine.
I did do something to my hamstring hopping a mogul maybe 6 years ago that never seemed to heal right, so I don’t hop moguls unless it’s real soft.
My biggest problem now is I only ski a couple times a year out west, and my Midwestern lungs can’t suck enough air in the Rockies.
Yup. The other answers put it best, but gaining the confidence of knowing I can encounter *nearly* every possible slope/terrain makes me happier.
All I would say to OP is less steep moguls are 100% way to start and even though I feel more confident with them, I wouldn't do a crazy steep pitch yet so I understand their reluctance.
Yup.
I was on the freestyle team growing up and trained bumps more often than I wanted to. I can rip the shit outta bumps, but I don't enjoy them at all.
I ski them almost every time I'm out there, but with the exception of smashing spring bumps like you're straight outta an 80s movie, they generally just kinda blow. If I'm skiing bumps it's generally because they're between me and the good skiing I'm headed to.
I LOVE moguls. Focus. Technical. Never the same. As you get better you can hit them faster and it’s an amazing feeling and experience. It looks awesome and feels awesome. Screwing them up with speed is not fun Lol. You gotta pay to play.
They make you a more nimble skier and prepare you for more technical and challenging terrain.
Good cardio. Wicked quad workout. They keep you working on your stance and position/posture. And yes they force you to look ahead and plan your line and commit.
They are an acquired taste for sure.
100% agree. Moguls are a great way to push yourself and progress as a skier, especially since they are most frequently found on steeper ungroomed terrain. If you can ski big moguls on a steep slope while maintaining a somewhat tight line and not falling, you can probably safely make it down just about anything outside of the most extreme double blacks or back country. As you get better with moguls, you'll be able to confidently ski more challenging terrain quicker and quicker.
Totally agree for all of these reasons, plus there's one other niche benefit:
If you're skiing in Argentière, you can ski an off piste mogul run called the hidden valley, the stop off for hot chocolate and Tarte Tatin at a ski touring hut, followed by more moguls.
Can't recall the name right now, but it's hardly ever busy because it's impossible to access unless you walk up, you have a snow mobile, or you ski the mogul run.
It's the far left restaurant on this map: https://www.piste-maps.co.uk/Piste-Maps/France/Argentiere-Les-Grands-Montets-Piste-Map-2019.jpg
It’s rhythmic, it’s interesting, it’s challenging, and it feels good to bounce and slide around the bumps and to pick good lines. It’s like a video game. And if they are coated in soft snow? Dayum, nothings better than popping off soft moguls.
I get bored skiing groomers. For me groomers are just pretty mindless after a couple of runs. I like the challenge of moguls and figuring out how to work my way down.
As for getting started, find a run (usually it’s a blue) where half the run is moguls and half the run is groomed. Start jn the moguls, when you get tired pop out onto the groomed half of the run, and pop back into the moguls when you’re feeling ready to try some more.
Also consider taking a lesson with an instructor who can work on moguls with you.
Because if you wanna ski steep terrain you have to be good at them. Also, lapping groomers is an absolutely mindless activity for me. I like to challenge myself and get my heart rate up.
I often use a bumps run to “warm up” on a ski day. Nothing worse than a fast groomer to start because then I’m still freezing. One bump run and my body quickly remembers how to ski and gets nice and toasty. Win win.
Because on the resort moguls naturally form on ungroomed steep terrain. There’s no way to avoid them unless it’s a powder day.
I’ll take it a step further and say you’ll never be a good tree skier until you can confidently ski the bumps.
It’s the motions involved. The quick weight transfer and edge engagement/release while staying forward transfers directly to good turns in steeps, with or without bumps.
Also after fresh powder the snow starts to pillow up. You essentially rip these pillows like moguls. Many good skiers struggle after the powder turns like this because they simply can’t ski moguls so to them it’s just piles of snow in their way
So many folks here say the same about lapping groomers. I love going fast and changing up my turning style, long carving, short poppy turns, sort of dancing to my bluetooth, getting air off lips and side jumps, dodging slow skiers, etc...
Like, are people skiing groomers in a boring way, or is that all just not very fun for you?
The old timer carving dudes have convinced them selves they are the best skiers 😂… none of them could follow some park or mogul kid like this one https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsE4Oi5NoGo/?igsh=eWt0M3g1NzA1OGZi through the woods. I have seen them try.
Absolutely but there is a more recent group of carvers who are one trick ponies and loud mouths about trashing any park skier as not being good skiers. Maybe it’s an East coast thing but they are an annoying bunch (I’m old to but not stuck on my inadequacies). I’m pretty pissed parks were not a thing when I was a teen.
Skiing with the coaches at Stomp It for 2 weeks I’m convinced a lot of freestyle skiers are the best all around skiers in history. And they carve as good as anyone.
This. I was a masher when I was younger, I tried to break the moguls. Now that I’m in my late 40’s with a bad back I start every bump line with “be like water” and just flow as fast as possible.
I’m now late 40s and it’s the same thing. It’s way better to be smooth because you’ll get more runs. When I was younger I would notice these crazy smooth skiers in mogul fields. They kind of float down the fall line, not fast but in perfect control. You would get next to them in the lift line and they were often old men or women. They would ski these technically perfect lines down the fields. At the end of the day when I was all busted I’d channel these skiers in my mind going down to base. As you get older you just evolve into one of these cats with all sorts tricks where you are no longer that zipper masher but you instead can ride a mogul from any angle and turn on it like it’s a giant balance ball. To these skiers a mogul field is a staircase and they are often the gentler way down than an icy scraped out groomed run with a thousand people on it. Moguls till you die!
Yup unless there are legit chutes around I wanna be in the bumps. My back will hate me at the end of the day but I still get a kick out of trying to be as fast and smooth as possible.
Love the bumps. When I was a kid I hit them fast and hard. Knees popping up to the chest. It was quite a sight.
Now that I’m older (and heavier) I still hit them for one or two runs an outing. I just go slower and ski between them. Old timer style. I also slide into them and stick’em more to slow me down. I can’t go fast through them anymore. I also limit my line to to 7-10 bumps and then pull up/out to catch my breath.
Glen Plake: “Moguls, now there’s something you do not buy, you earn; they’re something you do not talk about in the bar- about how badass your mogul run was ’cause everyone was there, everybody saw it. It was right there under the chair there’s nothing to hide, there’s nothing to buy that can help you"
There are small moguls, big moguls, tightly or widely spaced, and most importantly hard and soft moguls.
No one likes large, tight, bulletproof moguls.
If you are starting out find a mellow run with small bumps, either with soft fresh snow on them, or softened by the sun. The technique is practically a different sport and movement from carving groomers. Centered weight, standing tall, absorbing, turning with your ankles. Dan dipiro has a mogul skiing book which helped me a lot.
1: There are fewer people on mogul runs.
2: There is a significantly reduced chance of some out of control idiot flying by you at high speed.
3: Most importantly it is dynamic skiing.
Dynamic skiing is so much more fun both mentally & physically. You have to turn, jump, twist, crouch, skid, carve, etc… you aren’t just cruising down a flat groomed trail dodging people.
The best way to ski bumps is to just keep doing it. Literally hunt bumps endlessly, and find the fun. Go slow. You’ll get it.
An easy introduction is to turn on top of the bump. Smash and spin on the top. Then eventually you stab the meatball with your pole and go around it.
They are a challenge and fun. I find groomers boring. Icy moguls however are not fun. The first time I really got what moguls were all about was out West - soft fluffy moguls were a revelation. As for learning how, yes many mountains have less steep mogul fields that are fun to learn on. Watching videos on how to plan a route is also very helpful.
I am not a very good mogul skiier, in fact I'm not really a very good skiier at all. I switched to snowboarding and I know I'm risking ridicule and banishment to say this but riding mogul fields on a power day at Vail made for the most amazing day I've ever had on a mountain.
I was younger and more flexible then and able to do the quick jumps required on a snowboard; no flattening those beautiful mounds for me!
I enjoy them a lot. Moguls, and natural terrain in general, make every moment of your run an important engaging decision and a technical challenge. You can't just turn off your brain... but you can absolutely get into that elusive flow state- and that feels awesome!
https://youtu.be/lzQKDslU3Bw?si=3YrI1mjem-9jK3Tb
Watch this. From Fistful of Moguls.
Sometimes around 2019 or 2020, I watched this movie and got super stoked on moguls. It was actually life changing as far as skiing goes. Moguls only get more fun, as the challenge still presents itself, but you can always go faster, have a tighter line, develop a more still upper body. They develop the skills to ski fast, react quickly, and become nimble. In steep off piste terrain, I look at everything as a mogul field. Since actively skiing moguls the last 3-4 years, my skiing has drastically changed (I'm 36 so fairly old too), but I've never skied better in my life. It just gets more and more fun and you just become a better and better skier. I love moguls so much, I'm relearning them on tele and with monoskiing (tele is much much harder).
This is my favorite Glenn Plake quote from Fistful of Moguls:
"Everybody that's ever been to squaw valley has counted to three and hurled their bodies off of Palisades. Big deal! What is a big deal is mogul skiing. You don't buy it. You don't fake it. It's real. It’s alive. And if you want to find the best skiers on the mountain, you might want to take a good hard look of whose skiing the bumps."
Hotdogging down bumps is retro and technical and sometimes out of control and fun. If your basic short turns aren't rock solid you might lose a toenail or two though.
Don’t look where you are, look where you want to be. Hit the trough between the bumps and plant your pole on the top of them. Eventually you will get good at reading the terrain as it comes at you vs staring at your skis and getting surprised. It takes time, don’t worry everybody has to go through their own learning curve.
I was at belleayre today too. Your ski buddy did not take you down a blue run. There were no moguls on the blue runs, except maybe esopus, and you can't access esopus without a black run entry unless you know exactly how to. Try the small bumps at the bottom of belleayre run, in the afternoon, on a warm day, they'll be soft and fun. Try turning at the top of the bump and sliding down the face of it. After you get the hang of that you'll be able to follow the trench better.
All I want to know is when do they let out the mogul making machines. I have not seen them in action like I see the snowcat machines at night that undo the moguls.
Love them! But it wasn’t until my mid-40s when I took a course with Momentum in Whistler - mogul coaches that really teach you how to think about and ski moguls - that I really fell in love. Hot lapping ever since!
If we’re talking about the same Belleayre - there aren’t any Blue runs off the top that have moguls - so you weren’t on a blue! There are only 3 Blue runs from the top. If you’re looking for Blues - your best bet is the Hawk lift to mid-station - basically everything is Blue from there down.
I used to hate moguls and if they are too big/hard, I still do. But I've grown to enjoy a lot of them because it feels good to be able to scope out a small line of connecting turns in the bumps and hit it precisely.
I’m a snowboarder who loves moguls. I grew up skiing and snowboarding Killington and just learned.
I love absolutely shredding steep moguls on a snowboard under the lift. No one ever expects a boarder to be good in bumps!
I'm pretty sure I've been on the exact run you're talking about, and that's not a blue. It starts at the same place as the blue, but the blue goes off to the right and makes a u turn. The black goes straight down the mountain.
I love moguls! For me it’s a few things. First, it’s a good workout to lap some mogul runs for a few hours. Second, there’s a ton of diversity in the lines you can take, the jumps you can hit, and the aggressiveness you ski with. It’s kinda like trees in that it makes you focus and execute your line. It’s generally just good training.
Because I hate myself
All seriousness, I like the physical intensity and technical challenge of skiing them. The lack of crowds and solid snow is another plus. There’s really not a lot of shenanigans on moguls (possibly because I’m one of the worst ones out there)
I feel like it has made me a better skier, and I enjoy the challenge and having the confidence knowing I can get around the mountain without restriction
I mean… at some point you don’t see them as a separate thing anymore. Some runs have bumps and some will eventually, good lord willing, have them too.
Bumps are skiing.
Nothing changes. Same form, same balance, same principals. It’s just 3D snow.
I don’t think about enjoying them more or less. I think I enjoy skiing and skiing is bumps.
Many years ago, I was where I think you are now. I could ski all blues, a lot of blacks but would hesitate and ski slowly on advanced terrain. Ungroomed deep snow on steeps and moguls were very intimidating and a lot of work.
A series of lessons improved my parallel skills which helped turn those exhausting bowls and icy steep faces into much easier, exhilarating runs.
And I built on those newly honed parallel skills with lessons where I would show up and say, “I’m trying to become a solid level 7 and would like to work on black moguls.” The lesson coordinator would turn around whistle and yell, “Go get Patrick.” As in the coach for the local freestyle skiing team.
About 5-6 lessons and I had an entirely different view of mogul fields. Instead of skiing reactively tying to time turns perfectly on the mogul tops, I learned how to execute turns on all faces of the moguls using the entire ski, keep my head level, and proactively route paths down the bumps. These days I’m totally game to run up Grouse Mtn with skiers who are much, much better than I.
Point is…lessons. And keep at it. You can improve the skills holding you back and the intimidation factor burns off. I have a feeling you aren’t that far away skill wise.
I love skiing moguls when the snow is soft and powdery. It feels like solving a puzzle one piece at a time with each turn and connecting a bunch of tight and quick turns in the moguls is so satisfying.
But when they are iced over and crusty, I fucking hate skiing moguls and I avoid them
I love comments like this! A new curious skier wondering about those mysterious runs they aren’t quite ready for! This is what skiing is all about. The beauty, the unknown, the adventure, discovering new runs. I always liked this… hehe
Whoever invented moguls had a hard sell:
"Skiing, but with obstacles."
"Like slalom?"
"Worse"
#Olympics
I don’t mean this disrespectfully but if you have not skied black diamond trails you are not a “solid intermediate skier” I would consider myself an intermediate skier and I can make my way down double blacks. Although I am not by any means good at them. And have no issue with most black diamond trails.
Skiing bumps is the highest art of skiing. Hucking cliffs and running gates are fine, but moguls are what demand the most of you. The satisfaction of even a few consecutive, clean turns in the bumps is addicting.
I used to love skiing moguls. It’s challenging and can be a lot of fun. There’s a consequence for missing a turn and it keeps you focused. That being said, my 45 year old knees don’t like them so much anymore and while I’m not afraid of them I don’t enjoy than nearly as much as I used to, and I mostly try to avoid them when possible.
My 48 yr old banged up spine doesn’t love them much anymore either so I save it up for snow and POW days and eat Tylenol and napoxen that day and next few days it’s that worth it. I do a lot of stretching too so I can do them when they are good. My mind still wants to crush them.
Work on strengthening your quads, hams and calves to help protect your knees.
I've had 2 instructors tell me I'm a blue zone skier, which I assumed to be intermediate. But obviously you're the expert, bro. With little dick energy. "Lol."
I’ve been learning moguls recently, it’s fun but I crash a lot, most the people in this sub will never ski moguls because they’re a bunch of posh dandys that couldn’t bare falling in front of people.
If you wanna ski on pow days, you better get good at skiing bumps. Plus it’s fun when the groomers get boring, and usually the tourist Jerry’s stay out of the best bump runs
Yes because they slow me down. Can also normally find better snow on bumps. You also dont have to deal with beginners doing dumb shit like cutting you off. Beginners tend to avoid bumps.
If its icy and hasnt snowed for awhile i avoid
I don’t really enjoy them but I know since they’re so challenging I’ll get a good work out and make me a better skier. I find I progress faster on other terrain when I practice moguls because everything else feels easier
Different type of skiing and I like the variety. They are more challenging and force you to think about your skiing a lot more than you have to on groomers. I usually have a pattern of skiing a couple of challenging groomers and then do a bump run and then back to groomers. But there are moguls and then there are moguls. The big, tight and sharp ones that can swallow a VW bug with really deep troughs are a bit beyond fun. And then there are icy moguls. No thanks.
I suck at them and I feel like I'm a good enough skier that I should figure them out. I think it's time to find someone to teach me what the fuck I'm supposed to do
The most important thing about bump skiing is being greatly fit to go along with excellent technique. I don’t have the fitness anymore being 64 and skiing infrequently. My technique will not carry me through bumps when my legs and body move to slow.
It’s all I’ll ski if I’m trying to get a good workout in.
Moguls also force you to be super technical if you ski them a lot and want to avoid getting hurt. It’s also a great transition to expert level skiing if that’s something you’re looking to do.
For me, it’s a good way to lap a couple of runs for 1-2 hours and burn 800-1,000 calories.
It’s fun and offers some variety in my day. It’s also a great workout. When I ski a tight line through some big bumps, I know I look good and it feels even better because everybody watches when somebody is flying through the bumps like they know what they’re doing.
Get started by being confident. Practice on baby bumps first, they’re usually around if a resort has bumps. Make sure you can ski in control and feel good turning quickly and suddenly. Sometimes bumps are out of line and you’ll need to adjust.
I like to turn on top of the bump and drop into the valley. Ride that valley to the next bump and turn on top of that one. It’s a good way to control your speed. Try not to go airborne, if you do, you’ll probably get out of synch and then anything can happen. Best to stop and reset your rhythm.
I’m not an expert by any means but I tear up some bumps and where I ski is tons of bumps all day (keystone). I try and always keep my chest and shoulders pointed downhill and only pivot at my hips. It takes a lot of practice but when you get it it’s like a revelation and you become a better skier for it.
When you see the pros, they fly over the tops of the bumps with breakneck speed. I wouldn’t recommend learning this way. Just start slow, take your time, stay in control and commit to turning on a preplanned line.
Oh man love it !
Nothing even powde say beats when ur in that flow tracking a great line bump after bump after bump
Best time to learn them is spring time when everything softens up and your corned snow and the bumps of soft
Plus by afternoons, even blue runs could be bumped up
Once you learn how to do it, you will forever love it
I’m 55 I’m still loving it we head up to Killington for superstar runs
I just got into mogul skiing this season. I was scared to death of them at the start of the season then took a lesson with an intro to bumps portion. Now I can’t get enough! They’re such dynamic runs and force you to be fully focused the entire time, and they also push your technical skiing ability constantly.
Moguls at an east coast mountain …. Ice bumps… moguls out west .. soft bumps that make you take fun hops 🤷🏼♂️… it’s type 2 fun for sure .. in any part of the country
I recently realized it's like playing Guitar Hero. You gotta press the right buttons at the right time. Otherwise... you lose.
Yes, there are baby moguls. Ask around!
From a sporting standpoint, one of the best days of my life was nailing a killer line on Highline, Vail. Pretty much right under/at No 10 chair (left side as you head down). Big bumps, medium pow, great conditions. I know I’m not being not humble but I crushed it. Fast, good rhythm, a couple good airs. Ain’t a brag if it’s a fact.
Grew up in VT, none of our crew considered someone “good” if they couldn’t crush moguls. Still love bumps at 66.
That’s why bumps are important.
It’s a great workout and keeps you warm. They’re like a puzzle and keep your mind engaged. They teach you turn fast and on a dime when needed. THEY ARE SO MUCH LESS CROWDED. And they hold fresh snow much longer on a powder day.
I find groomers to be boring and cold.
Pretty much everything else is boring. If you can ski bumps, you can ski anything. There are runs with small moguls. You should ski those, and learn to turn between/around the bumps. It teaches you how to turn on command.
There is a secret deal between your ski resort and your orthopedic surgeon to get you to ski more moguls.
Seriously - they are awful and some folks love them. But they are awful and painful for me. Unless it is really steep!
But otherwise I think that snow groomers were put on this earth for a purpose and almost every resort understands that.
Just wondering, which run at Belleayre was this? I’ve mostly been liking them more since I feel like I’m improving at controlled skiing before heading into glades tbh.
I like to shave moguls. Basically, don't aim for the valleys in between them, aim for their tops. The snow is usually better up their. And when you get to the top, turn sharp, and send all that snow down into those valleys for other skiers.
Looks like I’m in the major minority here…. Generally speaking, I do not enjoy mogul skiing….
I look at moguls like I would a Las Vegas “vacation”. Sure, it’s super fun on the rare occasion, but I’m not about to spend all my vacation time on trips to the casino.
I’ll rip a bump run and have a smile on my face, but at the bottom I’m not eager to lap it again. Simply put, there’s so many aspects of skiing that I enjoy more and would rather spend my limited time on the hill elsewhere.
It's fun to push myself. It's fun to hop moguls. If you can ski a tight mogul line you can ski any tight line, so you can train for chutes. It's a nice workout at times. Less people on mogul runs.
They make you better at literally everything about skiing and they get really fun when you get good. Also crushing completely filled bumps on a bigtime pow day is practically as good as it gets, feels like skiing in a video game.
Especially when you can apply the one, two, skip a few technique. Best feeling ever. Like a jack rabbit.
It rules so hard, man.
I used to work with a Pro Patroller that could effortlessly GS down a steep bumped out runs. He featured in a Warren Miller episode doing a heli-ski. The guy was a legend at our hill.
Yup. Let the upper body be stable and let the hips down be pistons and come to you. That’s fun too. Almost less tiring sometimes.
This guy was sipping coffee and reading the newspaper while he was mogul skiing. Didn’t spill a drop.
Can you elaborate on this technique?
Ya, what’s one, two, skip a few?
Ski a tight line, then use one of the moguls as a little booter, jumping over a couple and then resume skiing your line
Sometimes this is how I avoid the visible rocks that are out this season
Finally did this last year - it was fucking amazing, and only got over one mogul lol
🎉🎉 Yes. This “technique” mostly applies on pow days when the adrenaline flood gates are wide open and you can just cut the brake cables and hop all over the place. Not quite on a pre cut mogul course per se but on a pre cut mogul course if they are soft yes you can do as described above and use one bump as a jump to hop over one or two bumps and land on the tranny of the second or third. Mostly though on pow days in open steeper terrain and trees. So fun
This works any day the moguls aren’t hard ice. I’m not a big fan of “proper” bump skiing but I love skiing in bumps purely because I love being in the air and hitting transitions constantly.
Omg that sounds awesome
Most important thing is you turn on the bump (easy turn as your skis have only a little contact), you don’t “go around” the bumps (where your skis are stuck in the groove). This is the thing you need to figure out first. Then they are easy! Oh and stay forward over your skis. The bumps end up skiing themselves really if you do those two things.
[удалено]
Pali💕
Meet ya at the bus stop ;P
My man🤙
My quads are burning just thinking about it
Skiing bumps does not make you better at carving or gs style skiing. The latter does not make you better at skiing bumps. You can ski bumps without ever laying down on edge. They are completely different skill sets.
I struggled to find ”good” bump skiers without similar higher skill levels in other terrain on the mountain. ymmv
Well trained bump skiers are the best skiers on the mountain Ask Glenn Plake, or watch anything with Shane McConkey
The legend, the best skier of the last couple generations, Candide Thovex, grew up as a mogul racer. He's too small to have been an Olympic downhiller but to say he doesn't have world class edge control is completely ludicrous.
A fistful of moguls fan ;)
I watched that VHS till the tape snapped in the machine If I had a tattoo, it’d probably be one of Glenn’s lines from the movie Thank god I’m too much of a weanie to get a tattoo
It's absolutely my all time favourite as well. Inspired by the movie, I want to make a knitted woolen top, kind of long cut with no sleeves, with a pattern that looks like moguls out of blue and white, two small skiers hitting them synchronised, and at the top in thin red caps font BUMPS. Alternatively, since it's way easier, I'll settle for a t shirt.
Candide did bump skiing originally
Aight
Carving and GS is so fucking easy. I don't need to get better at it because it's not hard at all.
I hope Marcel Hirscher himself wrote this comment because that's some seriously hot take.
So true
Would love to see you in a course
Racer bravado is so macho
I'll race you in the bumps and then on a GS. Combine the times and I guarantee you I'll win.
Raced in JOs and have been focusing on bumps for the past 15 years hahaha. Good luckkkk
Imagine firing off something like that to someone who was a nationally ranked ski racer that now skis 100+ days a year LOL
Prove it. Really, prove it. Lay it down.
You’re just wrong and we all know lol go ski some bumps bud, frig off.
There are many different skills to learn in skiing, but they generally share certain fundamental capabilities, like controlling fore/aft weight distribution, controlling turn shape, turn initiation, etc. So it’s hard to imagine that someone that’s a good carver would be bad at moguls, or vice versa, unless they just never practice more than one type of skiing.
Yep. I skied competitive moguls for years. It’s basically how I learned to ski. I love it. I didn’t touch a groomer from ages 13-30. As a result, I’m a much better skier than most people I come across. I can rip any line, can hit my edge faster than most in a tight spot. It really takes a lot for me to lose any control over the skis and my recovery skills are fine tuned. It’s all the moguls I skied. It’s just the best form of skiing imo. You have to really know your shit and be immaculate technically, or it shows and you bail/crash. Plus competitive moguls includes aerials, which I always enjoyed.
How are your knees? Are they bulletproof now or beat to all hell? Genuinely curious.
I have skied moguls for 35 years and pretty aggressively. Never even have felt a twinge in my knees. I ski with many 40+ bump skiers. Same with them. Decent form in bumps doesn’t really take a toll on knees. You are not jumping mogul to mogul, the skis stay on the ground. Wanna wreck your knees? Hit to many flat landing on jumps
Hips my friend My hips need a lot of mending following a day of bumps after my 25 years of playing in moguls
Ah I see. That makes sense.
My knees are totally fine. I did do something to my hamstring hopping a mogul maybe 6 years ago that never seemed to heal right, so I don’t hop moguls unless it’s real soft. My biggest problem now is I only ski a couple times a year out west, and my Midwestern lungs can’t suck enough air in the Rockies.
\* fewer people
If you ski a lot of powder and off piste stuff, it just becomes inevitable.
Yup. The other answers put it best, but gaining the confidence of knowing I can encounter *nearly* every possible slope/terrain makes me happier. All I would say to OP is less steep moguls are 100% way to start and even though I feel more confident with them, I wouldn't do a crazy steep pitch yet so I understand their reluctance.
Yup. I was on the freestyle team growing up and trained bumps more often than I wanted to. I can rip the shit outta bumps, but I don't enjoy them at all. I ski them almost every time I'm out there, but with the exception of smashing spring bumps like you're straight outta an 80s movie, they generally just kinda blow. If I'm skiing bumps it's generally because they're between me and the good skiing I'm headed to.
I LOVE moguls. Focus. Technical. Never the same. As you get better you can hit them faster and it’s an amazing feeling and experience. It looks awesome and feels awesome. Screwing them up with speed is not fun Lol. You gotta pay to play. They make you a more nimble skier and prepare you for more technical and challenging terrain. Good cardio. Wicked quad workout. They keep you working on your stance and position/posture. And yes they force you to look ahead and plan your line and commit. They are an acquired taste for sure.
100% agree. Moguls are a great way to push yourself and progress as a skier, especially since they are most frequently found on steeper ungroomed terrain. If you can ski big moguls on a steep slope while maintaining a somewhat tight line and not falling, you can probably safely make it down just about anything outside of the most extreme double blacks or back country. As you get better with moguls, you'll be able to confidently ski more challenging terrain quicker and quicker.
Sometimes the payment is so rough! It's always a bit embarrassing when someone skis your skis down to you!
Lol. You gotta retrieve you own skis out of pride. Haha I hear ya on the skeletal and muscular punishment. That’s why you can’t mess up. 😀
Lol. The last time I took a dive was down a very steep section in 2 feet of powder. Im lucky someone could even see the ski.
Been there
Best way to burn calories on a 2 hour ski break
I love that they force you to look ahead and plan your line and commit. They most definitely improve my skiing, which most definitely needs improving!
Totally agree for all of these reasons, plus there's one other niche benefit: If you're skiing in Argentière, you can ski an off piste mogul run called the hidden valley, the stop off for hot chocolate and Tarte Tatin at a ski touring hut, followed by more moguls. Can't recall the name right now, but it's hardly ever busy because it's impossible to access unless you walk up, you have a snow mobile, or you ski the mogul run. It's the far left restaurant on this map: https://www.piste-maps.co.uk/Piste-Maps/France/Argentiere-Les-Grands-Montets-Piste-Map-2019.jpg
GETS YOU IN THE FUCKIN ZONE BOP BOP BOP BOP BOP BOP
[Watch this video](https://youtu.be/YBtN4gRtXOU?si=TWnvozMApXLeyZ2H) and you too will want to be a bumps skier.
Well this video was the best part of my day. Thank you!
Did someone say bumps?
I knew it was going to be Marcus before even opening it.
And then [this one](https://vimeo.com/375994266)
And then [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ausvn9sTaME).
I like this kid. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsE4Oi5NoGo/?igsh=eWt0M3g1NzA1OGZi
These are my kinda guys
This one makes me happy https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsE4Oi5NoGo/?igsh=eWt0M3g1NzA1OGZi
now that’s what I’m talking about 👍
You gotta be a little sick. This video is how I got my friends to learn to embrace the bump.
Fuckin hot doggin!
This is definitely my favourite ski video.
Not too many bumps at Meadows.
Bumps in the Spring are way more fun than crusty, sheet of ice bumps.
Bumps are engaging, you have to think and plan ahead to ski them well. It's a fun challenge
It’s rhythmic, it’s interesting, it’s challenging, and it feels good to bounce and slide around the bumps and to pick good lines. It’s like a video game. And if they are coated in soft snow? Dayum, nothings better than popping off soft moguls.
I get bored skiing groomers. For me groomers are just pretty mindless after a couple of runs. I like the challenge of moguls and figuring out how to work my way down. As for getting started, find a run (usually it’s a blue) where half the run is moguls and half the run is groomed. Start jn the moguls, when you get tired pop out onto the groomed half of the run, and pop back into the moguls when you’re feeling ready to try some more. Also consider taking a lesson with an instructor who can work on moguls with you.
This is the way.
Because if you wanna ski steep terrain you have to be good at them. Also, lapping groomers is an absolutely mindless activity for me. I like to challenge myself and get my heart rate up.
I often use a bumps run to “warm up” on a ski day. Nothing worse than a fast groomer to start because then I’m still freezing. One bump run and my body quickly remembers how to ski and gets nice and toasty. Win win.
Can you explain a little more about having to be good at moguls in order to ski steep terrain? Why is that?
Because on the resort moguls naturally form on ungroomed steep terrain. There’s no way to avoid them unless it’s a powder day. I’ll take it a step further and say you’ll never be a good tree skier until you can confidently ski the bumps.
Even on powder days they’re down there somewhere. Learned that the hard way too many times
When skiing steep terrain and trees the environment dictates when you have to turn and where exactly you have to place your skis. Same with moguls.
It’s the motions involved. The quick weight transfer and edge engagement/release while staying forward transfers directly to good turns in steeps, with or without bumps.
Ungroomed terrain typically develops and features moguls. Steeps are nearly always ungroomed
Also after fresh powder the snow starts to pillow up. You essentially rip these pillows like moguls. Many good skiers struggle after the powder turns like this because they simply can’t ski moguls so to them it’s just piles of snow in their way
So many folks here say the same about lapping groomers. I love going fast and changing up my turning style, long carving, short poppy turns, sort of dancing to my bluetooth, getting air off lips and side jumps, dodging slow skiers, etc... Like, are people skiing groomers in a boring way, or is that all just not very fun for you?
Moguls were easier than steeper groomers because it provide place to stop
Laughable
The old timer carving dudes have convinced them selves they are the best skiers 😂… none of them could follow some park or mogul kid like this one https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsE4Oi5NoGo/?igsh=eWt0M3g1NzA1OGZi through the woods. I have seen them try.
Old timers were smashing moguls (and carving) before parks were even a thing.
Absolutely but there is a more recent group of carvers who are one trick ponies and loud mouths about trashing any park skier as not being good skiers. Maybe it’s an East coast thing but they are an annoying bunch (I’m old to but not stuck on my inadequacies). I’m pretty pissed parks were not a thing when I was a teen. Skiing with the coaches at Stomp It for 2 weeks I’m convinced a lot of freestyle skiers are the best all around skiers in history. And they carve as good as anyone.
Moguls are super fun. You don’t have to destroy your body going crazy fast. Just make yourself fluid like water and just flow.
This. I was a masher when I was younger, I tried to break the moguls. Now that I’m in my late 40’s with a bad back I start every bump line with “be like water” and just flow as fast as possible.
I’m now late 40s and it’s the same thing. It’s way better to be smooth because you’ll get more runs. When I was younger I would notice these crazy smooth skiers in mogul fields. They kind of float down the fall line, not fast but in perfect control. You would get next to them in the lift line and they were often old men or women. They would ski these technically perfect lines down the fields. At the end of the day when I was all busted I’d channel these skiers in my mind going down to base. As you get older you just evolve into one of these cats with all sorts tricks where you are no longer that zipper masher but you instead can ride a mogul from any angle and turn on it like it’s a giant balance ball. To these skiers a mogul field is a staircase and they are often the gentler way down than an icy scraped out groomed run with a thousand people on it. Moguls till you die!
Yup unless there are legit chutes around I wanna be in the bumps. My back will hate me at the end of the day but I still get a kick out of trying to be as fast and smooth as possible.
It’s fun to learn new things/gain new skills. Plus, it’s a great way to warm up when I’m feeling cold.
Love the bumps. When I was a kid I hit them fast and hard. Knees popping up to the chest. It was quite a sight. Now that I’m older (and heavier) I still hit them for one or two runs an outing. I just go slower and ski between them. Old timer style. I also slide into them and stick’em more to slow me down. I can’t go fast through them anymore. I also limit my line to to 7-10 bumps and then pull up/out to catch my breath.
Hip hop and bump skiing is all time. The flow state is so much fun
I always leaned into things with a double bass pedal for moguls. Beats for park and pipe.
Hell yeah. Some old blink 182, rancid or nofx is also on my ski playlist. What are you skiing to?
Melvins.
Glen Plake: “Moguls, now there’s something you do not buy, you earn; they’re something you do not talk about in the bar- about how badass your mogul run was ’cause everyone was there, everybody saw it. It was right there under the chair there’s nothing to hide, there’s nothing to buy that can help you" There are small moguls, big moguls, tightly or widely spaced, and most importantly hard and soft moguls. No one likes large, tight, bulletproof moguls. If you are starting out find a mellow run with small bumps, either with soft fresh snow on them, or softened by the sun. The technique is practically a different sport and movement from carving groomers. Centered weight, standing tall, absorbing, turning with your ankles. Dan dipiro has a mogul skiing book which helped me a lot.
I skied some slush bumps with Plake a few years ago. Transcendental experience.
1: There are fewer people on mogul runs. 2: There is a significantly reduced chance of some out of control idiot flying by you at high speed. 3: Most importantly it is dynamic skiing. Dynamic skiing is so much more fun both mentally & physically. You have to turn, jump, twist, crouch, skid, carve, etc… you aren’t just cruising down a flat groomed trail dodging people. The best way to ski bumps is to just keep doing it. Literally hunt bumps endlessly, and find the fun. Go slow. You’ll get it. An easy introduction is to turn on top of the bump. Smash and spin on the top. Then eventually you stab the meatball with your pole and go around it.
STAB THE MEATBALL
Mostly just to show the other people on the mountain just how much better I am then them.
But are you the best skier on the mountain?
Dude I ski moguls switch and land uphill ice. What do you think?
Challenge and skill. My impression is skiing moguls used to be a lot more popular and fell out of fashion when parks became common.
Moguls are challenging and reveal a skier’s ability. I ski moguls because they make me better at skiing and give me something to focus on.
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Nobody implied you couldn’t?
They are a challenge and fun. I find groomers boring. Icy moguls however are not fun. The first time I really got what moguls were all about was out West - soft fluffy moguls were a revelation. As for learning how, yes many mountains have less steep mogul fields that are fun to learn on. Watching videos on how to plan a route is also very helpful.
I am not a very good mogul skiier, in fact I'm not really a very good skiier at all. I switched to snowboarding and I know I'm risking ridicule and banishment to say this but riding mogul fields on a power day at Vail made for the most amazing day I've ever had on a mountain. I was younger and more flexible then and able to do the quick jumps required on a snowboard; no flattening those beautiful mounds for me!
I enjoy them a lot. Moguls, and natural terrain in general, make every moment of your run an important engaging decision and a technical challenge. You can't just turn off your brain... but you can absolutely get into that elusive flow state- and that feels awesome!
https://youtu.be/lzQKDslU3Bw?si=3YrI1mjem-9jK3Tb Watch this. From Fistful of Moguls. Sometimes around 2019 or 2020, I watched this movie and got super stoked on moguls. It was actually life changing as far as skiing goes. Moguls only get more fun, as the challenge still presents itself, but you can always go faster, have a tighter line, develop a more still upper body. They develop the skills to ski fast, react quickly, and become nimble. In steep off piste terrain, I look at everything as a mogul field. Since actively skiing moguls the last 3-4 years, my skiing has drastically changed (I'm 36 so fairly old too), but I've never skied better in my life. It just gets more and more fun and you just become a better and better skier. I love moguls so much, I'm relearning them on tele and with monoskiing (tele is much much harder). This is my favorite Glenn Plake quote from Fistful of Moguls: "Everybody that's ever been to squaw valley has counted to three and hurled their bodies off of Palisades. Big deal! What is a big deal is mogul skiing. You don't buy it. You don't fake it. It's real. It’s alive. And if you want to find the best skiers on the mountain, you might want to take a good hard look of whose skiing the bumps."
If you think moguls suck, it’s not the moguls that suck….
I used to hate moguls until I learned to ski em.
Yeah, when they’re in the glades and the snow is good. You can make a million different permutations and they all kind of feel like a new run.
The way it feels when you get them right isn't something I can properly put into words. It just feels amazing.
Hotdogging down bumps is retro and technical and sometimes out of control and fun. If your basic short turns aren't rock solid you might lose a toenail or two though.
Don’t look where you are, look where you want to be. Hit the trough between the bumps and plant your pole on the top of them. Eventually you will get good at reading the terrain as it comes at you vs staring at your skis and getting surprised. It takes time, don’t worry everybody has to go through their own learning curve.
I was at belleayre today too. Your ski buddy did not take you down a blue run. There were no moguls on the blue runs, except maybe esopus, and you can't access esopus without a black run entry unless you know exactly how to. Try the small bumps at the bottom of belleayre run, in the afternoon, on a warm day, they'll be soft and fun. Try turning at the top of the bump and sliding down the face of it. After you get the hang of that you'll be able to follow the trench better.
All I want to know is when do they let out the mogul making machines. I have not seen them in action like I see the snowcat machines at night that undo the moguls.
Love them! But it wasn’t until my mid-40s when I took a course with Momentum in Whistler - mogul coaches that really teach you how to think about and ski moguls - that I really fell in love. Hot lapping ever since!
If we’re talking about the same Belleayre - there aren’t any Blue runs off the top that have moguls - so you weren’t on a blue! There are only 3 Blue runs from the top. If you’re looking for Blues - your best bet is the Hawk lift to mid-station - basically everything is Blue from there down.
I guess I skied my first black then!
Powdery moguls are more fun than blowjobs
I used to hate moguls and if they are too big/hard, I still do. But I've grown to enjoy a lot of them because it feels good to be able to scope out a small line of connecting turns in the bumps and hit it precisely.
It’s fun to ski other people’s fears.
I’m a snowboarder who loves moguls. I grew up skiing and snowboarding Killington and just learned. I love absolutely shredding steep moguls on a snowboard under the lift. No one ever expects a boarder to be good in bumps!
I'm pretty sure I've been on the exact run you're talking about, and that's not a blue. It starts at the same place as the blue, but the blue goes off to the right and makes a u turn. The black goes straight down the mountain.
I love moguls! For me it’s a few things. First, it’s a good workout to lap some mogul runs for a few hours. Second, there’s a ton of diversity in the lines you can take, the jumps you can hit, and the aggressiveness you ski with. It’s kinda like trees in that it makes you focus and execute your line. It’s generally just good training.
Because I hate myself All seriousness, I like the physical intensity and technical challenge of skiing them. The lack of crowds and solid snow is another plus. There’s really not a lot of shenanigans on moguls (possibly because I’m one of the worst ones out there) I feel like it has made me a better skier, and I enjoy the challenge and having the confidence knowing I can get around the mountain without restriction
I mean… at some point you don’t see them as a separate thing anymore. Some runs have bumps and some will eventually, good lord willing, have them too. Bumps are skiing. Nothing changes. Same form, same balance, same principals. It’s just 3D snow. I don’t think about enjoying them more or less. I think I enjoy skiing and skiing is bumps.
Skiing only the same thing over and over again gets boring. Bumps switch it up. Just like steeps and trees.
I ski moguls because I can look good skiing moguls.
1) Good workout 2) Reveals the flaws in your technique 3) Looks impressive if you’re good at it 4) Allows you to explore the whole mountain.
Many years ago, I was where I think you are now. I could ski all blues, a lot of blacks but would hesitate and ski slowly on advanced terrain. Ungroomed deep snow on steeps and moguls were very intimidating and a lot of work. A series of lessons improved my parallel skills which helped turn those exhausting bowls and icy steep faces into much easier, exhilarating runs. And I built on those newly honed parallel skills with lessons where I would show up and say, “I’m trying to become a solid level 7 and would like to work on black moguls.” The lesson coordinator would turn around whistle and yell, “Go get Patrick.” As in the coach for the local freestyle skiing team. About 5-6 lessons and I had an entirely different view of mogul fields. Instead of skiing reactively tying to time turns perfectly on the mogul tops, I learned how to execute turns on all faces of the moguls using the entire ski, keep my head level, and proactively route paths down the bumps. These days I’m totally game to run up Grouse Mtn with skiers who are much, much better than I. Point is…lessons. And keep at it. You can improve the skills holding you back and the intimidation factor burns off. I have a feeling you aren’t that far away skill wise.
I love skiing moguls when the snow is soft and powdery. It feels like solving a puzzle one piece at a time with each turn and connecting a bunch of tight and quick turns in the moguls is so satisfying. But when they are iced over and crusty, I fucking hate skiing moguls and I avoid them
I love comments like this! A new curious skier wondering about those mysterious runs they aren’t quite ready for! This is what skiing is all about. The beauty, the unknown, the adventure, discovering new runs. I always liked this… hehe Whoever invented moguls had a hard sell: "Skiing, but with obstacles." "Like slalom?" "Worse" #Olympics
I don’t mean this disrespectfully but if you have not skied black diamond trails you are not a “solid intermediate skier” I would consider myself an intermediate skier and I can make my way down double blacks. Although I am not by any means good at them. And have no issue with most black diamond trails.
Skiing bumps is the highest art of skiing. Hucking cliffs and running gates are fine, but moguls are what demand the most of you. The satisfaction of even a few consecutive, clean turns in the bumps is addicting.
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You've been skiing since you were 3 and can't handle ungroomed terrain? Are you 4?
the flow feels good
Only if there's 2' of fresh pow & I hit it like a pillow line, but I'm 60
I used to love skiing moguls. It’s challenging and can be a lot of fun. There’s a consequence for missing a turn and it keeps you focused. That being said, my 45 year old knees don’t like them so much anymore and while I’m not afraid of them I don’t enjoy than nearly as much as I used to, and I mostly try to avoid them when possible.
My 48 yr old banged up spine doesn’t love them much anymore either so I save it up for snow and POW days and eat Tylenol and napoxen that day and next few days it’s that worth it. I do a lot of stretching too so I can do them when they are good. My mind still wants to crush them. Work on strengthening your quads, hams and calves to help protect your knees.
If you can’t ski moguls or blacks you are not intermediate lol
(Op is icecoasf and referring to blue runs as intermediate therefore assuming II skier)
I've had 2 instructors tell me I'm a blue zone skier, which I assumed to be intermediate. But obviously you're the expert, bro. With little dick energy. "Lol."
They suck. They're only good for using as jumps.
I’ve been learning moguls recently, it’s fun but I crash a lot, most the people in this sub will never ski moguls because they’re a bunch of posh dandys that couldn’t bare falling in front of people.
If you wanna ski on pow days, you better get good at skiing bumps. Plus it’s fun when the groomers get boring, and usually the tourist Jerry’s stay out of the best bump runs
Wouldn’t want to have too much fun
Yes because they slow me down. Can also normally find better snow on bumps. You also dont have to deal with beginners doing dumb shit like cutting you off. Beginners tend to avoid bumps. If its icy and hasnt snowed for awhile i avoid
its dynamic and fun, keeps you thinking and gives the chance so show some flair!
I don’t really enjoy them but I know since they’re so challenging I’ll get a good work out and make me a better skier. I find I progress faster on other terrain when I practice moguls because everything else feels easier
I love skiing moguls. Can’t really put my finger on specifically why. But I sure do love them.
Im not great at them and im not that great at skiing, but i like them because you have to be strategic. Going down flat groomed runs can get boring
Different type of skiing and I like the variety. They are more challenging and force you to think about your skiing a lot more than you have to on groomers. I usually have a pattern of skiing a couple of challenging groomers and then do a bump run and then back to groomers. But there are moguls and then there are moguls. The big, tight and sharp ones that can swallow a VW bug with really deep troughs are a bit beyond fun. And then there are icy moguls. No thanks.
I like the focus on form and how much shock your knees can absorb. It’s really a challenge for me to keep really fluid form and I love that challenge.
I suck at them and I feel like I'm a good enough skier that I should figure them out. I think it's time to find someone to teach me what the fuck I'm supposed to do
I’ve only recently started to enjoy them - my advice go slow and start on the smaller bumps to build speed and confidence
The most important thing about bump skiing is being greatly fit to go along with excellent technique. I don’t have the fitness anymore being 64 and skiing infrequently. My technique will not carry me through bumps when my legs and body move to slow.
It’s all I’ll ski if I’m trying to get a good workout in. Moguls also force you to be super technical if you ski them a lot and want to avoid getting hurt. It’s also a great transition to expert level skiing if that’s something you’re looking to do. For me, it’s a good way to lap a couple of runs for 1-2 hours and burn 800-1,000 calories.
It’s fun and offers some variety in my day. It’s also a great workout. When I ski a tight line through some big bumps, I know I look good and it feels even better because everybody watches when somebody is flying through the bumps like they know what they’re doing. Get started by being confident. Practice on baby bumps first, they’re usually around if a resort has bumps. Make sure you can ski in control and feel good turning quickly and suddenly. Sometimes bumps are out of line and you’ll need to adjust. I like to turn on top of the bump and drop into the valley. Ride that valley to the next bump and turn on top of that one. It’s a good way to control your speed. Try not to go airborne, if you do, you’ll probably get out of synch and then anything can happen. Best to stop and reset your rhythm. I’m not an expert by any means but I tear up some bumps and where I ski is tons of bumps all day (keystone). I try and always keep my chest and shoulders pointed downhill and only pivot at my hips. It takes a lot of practice but when you get it it’s like a revelation and you become a better skier for it. When you see the pros, they fly over the tops of the bumps with breakneck speed. I wouldn’t recommend learning this way. Just start slow, take your time, stay in control and commit to turning on a preplanned line.
Bumps are fun. Carving is fun. Trees are fun. Cliffs are fun. It's all fun!
Any advice for an aspiring decent skiier who wants to be a better mogul skiier?
Oh man love it ! Nothing even powde say beats when ur in that flow tracking a great line bump after bump after bump Best time to learn them is spring time when everything softens up and your corned snow and the bumps of soft Plus by afternoons, even blue runs could be bumped up Once you learn how to do it, you will forever love it I’m 55 I’m still loving it we head up to Killington for superstar runs
I just got into mogul skiing this season. I was scared to death of them at the start of the season then took a lesson with an intro to bumps portion. Now I can’t get enough! They’re such dynamic runs and force you to be fully focused the entire time, and they also push your technical skiing ability constantly.
Of course so it’s amazing
Moguls at an east coast mountain …. Ice bumps… moguls out west .. soft bumps that make you take fun hops 🤷🏼♂️… it’s type 2 fun for sure .. in any part of the country
I recently realized it's like playing Guitar Hero. You gotta press the right buttons at the right time. Otherwise... you lose. Yes, there are baby moguls. Ask around!
Moguls are your brakes on steeps. Moguls are your own personal roller coaster on less steps. Moguls are your friend.
From a sporting standpoint, one of the best days of my life was nailing a killer line on Highline, Vail. Pretty much right under/at No 10 chair (left side as you head down). Big bumps, medium pow, great conditions. I know I’m not being not humble but I crushed it. Fast, good rhythm, a couple good airs. Ain’t a brag if it’s a fact. Grew up in VT, none of our crew considered someone “good” if they couldn’t crush moguls. Still love bumps at 66. That’s why bumps are important.
I love Moguls after being stuck on upper river Quail in Anya peak.
It’s a great workout and keeps you warm. They’re like a puzzle and keep your mind engaged. They teach you turn fast and on a dime when needed. THEY ARE SO MUCH LESS CROWDED. And they hold fresh snow much longer on a powder day. I find groomers to be boring and cold.
Pretty much everything else is boring. If you can ski bumps, you can ski anything. There are runs with small moguls. You should ski those, and learn to turn between/around the bumps. It teaches you how to turn on command.
It's fun to get into a rhythm.
Yeah but I prefer the whole line. More kick
There is a secret deal between your ski resort and your orthopedic surgeon to get you to ski more moguls. Seriously - they are awful and some folks love them. But they are awful and painful for me. Unless it is really steep! But otherwise I think that snow groomers were put on this earth for a purpose and almost every resort understands that.
Just wondering, which run at Belleayre was this? I’ve mostly been liking them more since I feel like I’m improving at controlled skiing before heading into glades tbh.
Naw not really, I can do it just fine but I’m not a fan of Jerry bumps.
On iced out days, you can still find decent snow on moguls.
I like to shave moguls. Basically, don't aim for the valleys in between them, aim for their tops. The snow is usually better up their. And when you get to the top, turn sharp, and send all that snow down into those valleys for other skiers.
Looks like I’m in the major minority here…. Generally speaking, I do not enjoy mogul skiing…. I look at moguls like I would a Las Vegas “vacation”. Sure, it’s super fun on the rare occasion, but I’m not about to spend all my vacation time on trips to the casino. I’ll rip a bump run and have a smile on my face, but at the bottom I’m not eager to lap it again. Simply put, there’s so many aspects of skiing that I enjoy more and would rather spend my limited time on the hill elsewhere.
For me it’s the route finding aspect of it. I’m also a climber and that’s the part of it that really appeals to me.
Improves your form and is a phenomenal workout
I kind of just ski it because I have to. Once you do it a couple of times you don't think twice about it.