Bumps vs steeps vs trees vs carving

[Ogg]

Has really good mogul skiing technique changed much with shaped skis? Clearly, carving technique is much different.

Mogul skis are still pretty much the same. ID One uses an almost identical shape to my ca. 2000 Salomon 1080 moguls.

 

[Tim Hodgson]

@Mike King would you MA those “turns” please.

At my low level of bump skiing I personally hate the term “line choice” because it implies that the turn technique is the same but the route through the bumps is different.
What a bunch of crap!
IMHO, clearly there is a completely DIFFERENT turn technique employed on zipper line vs round line route.
Compare and contrast Deb Armstrong’s round line turn technique with the turn technique employed by Austrians in their zipper lines.
What do you need to ski to pass PSIA-RM Level III moguls?

 

[raisingarizona]

mogul skiing is best done on fairly straight skis.

This. Skis with a lot of side cut have a very dictated turn shape which isn’t good for moguls. I’d say the same for fresh snow free ride skiing

 

[Mike King]

mogul skiing is best done on fairly straight skis.

So what is the advan of straight skis?

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Related cross-thread:

Deb Armstrong recent mogul vids

Deb Armstrong has clips of recent mogul skiing tips from Bobby Aldegheri. Check it out if you want to hear and watch mogul skiing techniques from a mogul skier who had just about done it all, from competing to coaching. Disclaimer, this is not meant to be a complete video series on how to ski...

www.skitalk.com

 

[Rod9301]

So what is the advan of straight skis?

They do not lock in a certain turn shape and they are easy to release.

 

[James]

Not sure 205 straight skis would be great in todays bumps made by short skis and boards.
But, look at the mogul skis. They’re about the narrowest class you can get.

 

[Seldomski]

Not sure 205 straight skis would be great in todays bumps made by short skis and boards.
But, look at the mogul skis. They’re about the narrowest class you can get.

How do dedicated mogul skis work in crud, other off piste, and groomers? Are they pretty terrible anywhere outside of zippering bumps?

 

[Scruffy]

Hummm.... I think it's the Indian, not the arrow. You shouldn't be getting locked into a turn on any ski. You can't swing a cat without hitting a video of one of the Projected Project athletes slaying the bumps on slalom skis

 

[Ogg]

How do dedicated mogul skis work in crud, other off piste, and groomers? Are they pretty terrible anywhere outside of zippering bumps?

It depends on the particular skis. Some of them are designed to ski the zipper line and nothing else others are a bit more versatile. I skied my old Salomons as my only ski for many years. My brother still skis on a pair as his DD at Squaw and leaves his tracer 88s for deep days.

 

[François Pugh]

Re bump skiing and difficulty based on skis: I don't find all that much difference between my 165 cm long 13 m side-cut radius skis tuned to 0.5 3 and my 190 cm 27-ish m skis tuned to 1:1. The sidecut and tune make the SL skis a bit more difficult, while longer skis are a bit more difficult due to having a longer reach to catch on things and exert more torque with forces at tip and tail being farter from my boots. They are both just a little too stiff to be ideal for bumps at my weight.

As far as carving technique goes, the only real difference I notice between the way I did it 30 years ago on "straight" skis (and on straight skis now when I do let them out to play) and carving (arc-2-arc) now is in timing of tipping and weighting/bending the front of the ski. (besides being better at it due to 30 years of practice)

 

[oldschoolskier]

Simple observation, wide open skiing is predictive skiing (you determine where you turn), bumps and trees are reactive, you turn based based on conditions (ie avoid the tree, don’t punch through the bump) makes your turns variable for reasons beyond your choosing.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Well I dont think twice but a seeded kid bump field throws me off. Its because i am not as strong.

Trees are easy and less bumpy unless you are going too fast.

 

[Posaune]

Well I dont think twice but a seeded kid bump field throws me off. Its because i am not as strong.

Trees are easy and less bumpy unless you are going too fast.

What is a "seeded kid bump field?"

 

[firebanex]

I don't have anything in particular to add except that I ski just kinda whatever I feel like on a given run. Skiing is fun and I enjoy all of it.

 

[Rdputnam515]

Carvers have problems in moguls for two reasons in my opinion

1). keeping square to the fall line while facing intimidating obstacles
2). Developing lazy feet and over committing to the downhill ski, slowing down transition time to next bump resulting in being thrown off line and crash.

apply the confidence you get from carves to the bumps. Mow them over, dont over turn. Ski less steep bumps until you can’t fly through them and apply it to steep bumps. I promise you can ski them straighter and faster than you think. It’s a major mind over matter issue.

 

[freeskier1961]

quick reactive feet

 

[East Coast Scott]

Skiing bumps like these videos is out of my reach. I just want to ski them like when I watch other skiers go through them nice and smooth, they look effortless. My knees wouldn't last long skiing like the videos, lol.

 

[Tony S]

Simple observation, wide open skiing is predictive skiing (you determine where you turn), bumps and trees are reactive, you turn based based on conditions (ie avoid the tree, don’t punch through the bump) makes your turns variable for reasons beyond your choosing.

I totally agree with this but want to add that when I'm skiing bumps and trees well there is a gratifying overlay of intention and decision making that are mine and not the terrain's. Of course you can't ski right through a tree, and you almost certainly wouldn't choose to stuff your tips into one of those "Snake River Canyon" troughs that are ubiquitous here in the east. However, beyond that there is a universe of ways to ski through the bumps. (I lump bumps and trees together because in this part of the world any tree run worthy of the name almost always amounts to a bump run with trees in it. Added challenge!)

 

[Superbman]

i posted this video in another thread about best skis for mogul etc. But it apropos here, too. Blake demos skiing on 3 skis (Titan, head isl rebel, Dynastar comp mogul ski) on piste and in bumps. He's an excellent example of high level zipper line and blended style bump skiing. He says, straight out that the Head iSL is the easiest in bumps (and over all Easy in bumps). He has some other videos of him (and others) skiing all kinds of terrain-and he's always on a comp ski or a narrower ski (old salomon enduro xt, head rally, etc). But this vid is a good example of what can be done on a technical ski.