Alright admit it......who sucks at moguls. I'll admit it, I suck.

**neufox47** · 02-09-2012, 04:52 PM

I'm pretty good at them, but I have a hard time teaching bump technique, but.

Stay forward, way way far forward.

Be aggressive. It sounds stupid but so many people become tentative and instead of committing to a turn and making it they hold back, get back seat, etc, then wonder why the moguls kicked their ass.

Take what is there. Sounds like it contradicts being aggressive, but it doesn't. Follow the path of least resistance, but be aggressive in following that path. Speed check on the top of moguls when necessary. When you get to a short section of shitty too tight moguls for your speed, air over them. When you to a spot where they all line up beautifully and no one has skied the tops off, bounce from top to top and take advantage of that soft snow on the crowns. When there is a perfect zipper line through the troughs, hit it.

Ski smoothly. If your upper body isn't calm, you're doing something wrong.

**Big Snowballs** · 02-09-2012, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

wtf are moguls?

WTF iza Chinese Downhill ?

**funkendrenchman** · 02-09-2012, 05:05 PM

When I'm skiing bumps, I'm focused on which bumps I can air off of and where there's a good landing. Skiing them 2 or 3 at a time is much easier on the knees, better for your edges (if you have a thin snowpack), and generally flowier.

**JoeStrummer** · 02-09-2012, 05:09 PM

When I joined TGR it seemed like every thread was filled with people rapping into couloirs, keeping an edge on boilerplate over cliffs, sport-fucking rich married women, slaying dragons and krakens on 7 continents. Or was it always this limp-dick and I am just looking back through rose-colored goggles?

Now it's threads where guys post advice on how to jump over boxes in your basement to improve your mogul skills.

Sigh. I'm going to go slap my wife and blame it on my wheat consumption.

**Poop~Ghost** · 02-09-2012, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by JoeStrummer

When I joined TGR it seemed like every thread was filled with people rapping into couloirs, keeping an edge on boilerplate over cliffs, sport-fucking rich married women, slaying dragons and krakens on 7 continents. Or was it always this limp-dick and I am just looking back through rose-colored goggles?

Now it's threads where guys post advice on how to jump over boxes in your basement to improve your mogul skills.

Sigh. I'm going to go slap my wife and blame it on my wheat consumption.

Gluten free for life.

**grskier** · 02-09-2012, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Blurred

Now, you can't find a zipperline to save your life. BECAUSE OF from knuckledraggers, gapers, and fat kids.

fixed it

Seriously though, Ajax still has some decent bumps, but 90% of the bumps I ski any more have very little rhythm.

**cmsummit** · 02-09-2012, 05:24 PM

Yep, all I skied growing up were bumps. Rocking the z-line down Skidder at the 'Loaf was the proving grounds. Bump skiing will help your balance and skiing is all about balance.

**carvedog** · 02-09-2012, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by grskier

fixed it

Seriously though, Ajax still has some decent bumps, but 90% of the bumps I ski any more have very little rhythm.

fucking short skis. my snowboards are all longer than most skis these days and it does fuck up the bump lines. I don't cuz I don't do them like I am trying to fuck someone's grandma. Get after that shit.

No this isn't Gapicski. fuck them too.

Edit to add: sorry about the fucking grandma line. Comes from someone I knew giving shit to someone else and they said - "What the fuck is wrong with you? You ski bumps like old people fuck. Slow and careful. Let's go." that is all.

**mogul5480** · 02-09-2012, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by CarveMan

As a wise man once told me:

It's not that you can't ski moguls, you can't ski, and the moguls just prove it.

^^^ Precisely this.

There is no perfect turn, and no perfect terrain on which to perform a perfect turn. So therefore we must learn to make any turn, on any terrain, at any time.

**CarveMan** · 02-09-2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by JoeStrummer

When I joined TGR it seemed like every thread was filled with people rapping into couloirs, keeping an edge on boilerplate over cliffs, sport-fucking rich married women, slaying dragons and krakens on 7 continents.

Yeah, but the reality is that a decent proportion of the skiers on this forum ski in the back seat with a heinous upper body rotation and a gay pole plant. They just get away with it because they're fit, motivated, have some balls and modern equipment.

**MakersTeleMark** · 02-09-2012, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

wtf are moguls?

God's way of telling you that your intended line has already been skied.

**NakedShorts** · 02-10-2012, 02:13 AM

As Senor Mohawk stated "show me a ski hill without a mogul field"

While I did grow up stick chasing bumps were always something between where I was and going. The real trick is to be a stud and buck up.

1. Find the best line before you start - it will be fall line, and will have some smooth easy to identify troughs at least 4 or 5 turns (the longer the cooler you will look) I M P R O V I S E. ding. ding. ding.

2. Pole Plant. ding. ding. ding Breath too.

3. Keep looking ahead. I M P R O V i S E. ding. ding. ding

4. If you are cool now jump off of the next bump spread eagle ball grab and keep going

The trick to charging bumps is practice and balls. The key is to know how to back off and when to let em rip, and being good enough to let em rip without blowing up or looking like a kook.

Don't worry though because some of us just are really that much better

Skiing poor conditions makes you a better skier btw.

**LongShortLong** · 02-10-2012, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

wtf are moguls?

Little features on the slope to help you turn. Last year, Tahoe didn't have any and it was chaos. I hear AK suffers similarly this year. Pray to the weather gods, and maybe some moguls will appear. We could sure use your snow down here (this year we have no moguls either - no snow at all).

**NakedShorts** · 02-10-2012, 02:21 AM

oh yea just like in powder "Feet Together, Knees Bent, Hands Up"
SMILE

**theshredder** · 02-10-2012, 02:57 AM

You guys have pretty much covered it all I think.

Except, didn't a Russian guy pioneer the whole mogulage technique in the 60s? Freagin communists invented mogulage?

Now you have to learn how to ski bumps on what olympic athletes use to train (ski around the jumps). Usually you'll see bamboo on the course to keep gapers off.

If you're not making about 2 turns per second then you're not skiing htem properly. Also don't turn in the rut, hit the bump and turn on that. Bumps are faster on ice than in fresh or spring snow, way more intense. That's when (as warthog eluded), your ski flies off behind you when you go down, later to return and hit you in the face.

In conclusion, I find that that having my binding mounted forward helps. In contrast, you'd want it mounted back for pow. If you can't ski moguls it doesn't really matter.

**UrMomsKneePads** · 02-10-2012, 05:40 AM

I took a four weekend course this winter. Single best thing I've done to improve technique in 20+ years skiing. Don't know why I waited so long.

Speed control is the whole focus for me, not slow, but the ability to control it. It's amazing how little adjustments can impact that. Getting your weight forward, ankle flex, and enough counter can really help keep the skis in contact with the snow. That translates to speed control, rhythm, and confidence.

Speed it up a little, rinse, repeat. The fun part for me is varying the line, sometimes hammering the zipper line but other times riding out random lines across the trough or turning on the tops. It's not as stylish, but definitely helps practice the need to turn unexpectedly and stay in control on varied terrain.

**jonzo** · 02-10-2012, 10:13 AM

As mentioned early on in this thread, skimming the tops is probably the easiest method out there, although it does require commitment to taking more speed through the line than one is likely comfortable with.

I didn't see any progression in my bump shredding ability until I paired up with three friends who all had backgrounds steeped in bump comps; forced myself to pick a line, point it, and rip it as fast as I could to try and keep up with them. Paid the price on a number of occassions, but that's why they put the bar at the bottom of the hill. All that said, I think one of the best parts about skiing out east for me ends up being the spring bumpfests.

Definitely agree with the assessment that bump skiers (current or former) possess greater ski control ability than those who shy away from the moundfields.

**ak_powder_monkey** · 02-10-2012, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by LongShortLong

Little features on the slope to help you turn. Last year, Tahoe didn't have any and it was chaos. I hear AK suffers similarly this year. Pray to the weather gods, and maybe some moguls will appear. We could sure use your snow down here (this year we have no moguls either - no snow at all).

I thought you were only suppose to turn when something got in your way?

I'm confused

**PNWbrit** · 02-10-2012, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

God's way of telling you that your intended line has already been skied.

Another reason to hate god and moguls.

**Bluebird** · 02-10-2012, 12:09 PM

I love bumps. Finding them up here is going to be interesting.

As for technique I just try to do what my wife does as she kills it in any bumps, anytime. I did get a piece of advice once from her or another bump coach we hung out with that its like pedaling a bike backwards. Imagine that motion and get your legs to do it all while staying way forward.

I really do love bumps.

**Buster Highmen** · 02-10-2012, 12:17 PM

You're doing it all wrong. You're supposed to consume vast quantities of psychedelics and just let it rip.
There's too much intellectualizing going on.

As for bumps who cares if I suck at them, I still like them. It's skiing dammit and as long as I'm not strapped down or my diaper needs changing, I'm going.

**Mudfoot** · 02-10-2012, 12:24 PM

If you want to learn to ski bumps move to Telluride for a season. It's impossible not to rack up a couple hundred thousand vert of steep bumps in a year there. Nothing like skiing down the Spiral Stairs thinking you are ripping and having some chic on teles pass you at eye level to inspire you to get your zipper line dialed.

For my money the secret is an even median flexing ski. Stiff tails will kick your ass in short order. Ski the steepest bumps you can find because they will immediately punish you for technique errors and force you to ski right. Constant contact is what it takes, so flexibilty is better than strength.

**Buster Highmen** · 02-10-2012, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Mudfoot

Nothing like skiing down the Spiral Stairs thinking you are ripping and having some chic on teles pass you at eye level to inspire you to get your zipper line dialed.

That's dialing a different zipper line.

**jetski** · 02-10-2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

It's skiing dammit and as long as I'm not strapped down or my diaper needs changing, I'm going.

Amen brother... Amen. You for sure would be fun to ski with.

I can have fun clicked in on small summer snow patches to the odd rail to wide open pow fields to high speed groomer domination... its all good. Its all skiing...