I'll pile on to what others have mentioned, that quickness comes with technique I would add that using the proper gear helps. As long as you have good fore/aft and single leg balance, the technique is within reach
Quickness wise. I have no issues with executing 2 or more turns on the same bump. If that is my intent from the outset. I much prefer flow in my line rather than hammering it. YMMV.
With regards to quickness, I find that a lot of inexperienced bump skiers are TOO quick. Being patient matters in the bumps too!
Exactly. Quick turns and turning quick are two different animals. Quick turns are done with offensive intent, good balance and technique. Turning quick as executed by most skiers is more akin to jerking the steering wheel hard over while in the midst of negotiating a curve on a country back road. Not a good thing.
@Suzski, below are the things you've said so far about your skiing (in black). You have the skills to ski bumps much better than you do, but some mysterious piece of the bump-skiing puzzle is missing. I think you know this, but you don't know what it is. My comments in red.
What you can do now.
side slip on either side (you can control edging without losing fore-aft balance)
pivot slips in a narrow corridor (you have separation; you can control fore-aft balance while pivoting the skis under a forward-facing upper body
falling leaf on both sides (you have versatility in manipulating fore-aft balance)
hands on hips, hands over the head, poles behind the back (you can stay centered without projecting hands forward)
pole window pane ... down the fall line ... a tree or other immovable object to center inside the frame (you have separation; you can maintain focus on a target downhill)
one-legged squats on the bosu ball, a lot of one-footed drills (you are athletic, and strong and enjoy balance challenges)
You are not a fearful skier.
a foot of tracked out powder ... had a blast doing it. (you are not a fearful skier!)
difficulty was steeper tracked out terrain w/tight trees (you are not a fearful skier if you go into tight trees with bumps)
Fear is probably not causing your issues. You are not a fearful skier. Given everything you can do, I'm thinking it isn't your head that's causing your issues; it's technical. Something is missing.
You can fix your issues with technique.
I think it is the quickness required in "real" bumps that eludes me. This can be solved with technique.
I need to learn how to ski them s l o w l y. This can be solved with technique.
Turn your head and look at your next turn (most helpful piece of advice (for me) ... to keep my upper body oriented down the fall line. Sounds like you lose the down-the-fall-line orientation of your upper body. This can be solved with technique.
I can do [slow slipping through the bumps] for one bump Good! This is expected, given everything you can do.
linking is another matter; I usually end up traversing over the next bump and turning on the next. This can be solved with technique.
I have no problem skiing bumps that are widely spaced out What line do you take in these bumps?
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I think you can solve your issues with a technical approach. I am wondering if there's something simple you can work on that can help you keep your upper body facing downhill, help you eliminate those unexpected traverses when you miss the next bump, and ultimately get the quickness you seek.
I think there is. I looked up pole plants to see if anyone mentioned them in this thread, and can't find any mention. A strong focus on pole plants, combined with looking ahead, may offer a solution to your issues.
Linking turns, not shopping your turns
To eliminate those unwanted traverses when the linking doesn't work and you go "shopping," you need to go slow. One slow way down the bumps is to head straight down the hill, starting on the top of a bump, planting a pole, turning, and slipping down to the next bump top, stopping there or slowing to a crawl, planting a pole, side-slipping a turn down to the next bump. You've already described taking a lesson where you did this but missed your targeted bumps, so you've had partial success with pivot-slipping your way down the fall line.
You'll need several focuses as you do this to fix those things listed above. First, face straight downhill and keep both hands visible at the bottom of your field of vision. Second goal is look ahead over your hands, not down at your feet. Target a bump below you, plant a pole with a flick of your wrist, turn and side-slip down, stop on targeted bump below, stop. Keep hands visible. This means you can't swing your arms. Keep body facing downhill. Stop on each bump, and work up to slowing on each bump.
Flick wrists, don't swing arms. Keeping both hands visible all the time will let you know you're not swinging your arms.
If you're missing your targeted bumps, stopping and starting again allows your body to figure out what it's doing wrong; you're probably aft as you head down the previous bump. Repeating will take care of that, as long as you are stopping on each bump, or slowing to a crawl, and pushing the reset button with determination.
Speed/Quickness
When you are pretty good at stopping/slowing to a crawl on each targeted bump, and at keeping the upper body facing down the hill with both hands staying visible, and planting poles with a flick of the wrist, then it's time to ramp up the speed. Now you can work on getting that quickness that you've been missing. So how do you do this? Look farther ahead, three bumps or more ahead, while keeping both hands visible at the bottom of your visual screen. Now plant the poles a little faster, flicking your wrists. The speed of the pole-flicking will determine the tempo of your turns. Make the same turns you were making before, but speed them up slowly by speeding up the tempo of the pole plants. Stop on a bump top when you feel yourself losing some part of that pattern.
This pattern of skiing will magically give you extra time. Alternatively, time slows down. Looking ahead and trusting your feet to go in the right place will keep you from feeling rushed. I know this because it's been the big deal that's been holding back my own bump skiing.
I'm guessing that when you ski bumps now, you are looking down at one bump at a time, thus the lack of quickness. The oncoming bumps beyond the one you're looking at come at you too fast for you to look at them and figure out how to handle them. You lose your targets and head off in a traverse, necessitating the shopping you mention. And/or you are swinging your arms which messes up balance and causes you to miss your target. And/or you are getting aft as you slip down to the next bump.
Looking ahead, keeping both hands visible, and flicking poles with wrists, and keeping upper body facing downhill, will hopefully fix your issues. You'll be able to work up to heading faster down the hill with a sense of extra time and full control, as long as you've put in enough practice time slowing to a stop. It's technical.
Steep bumps
Do speed before steeps. When you get into steeps, slow down and make sure you don't miss your turns. Then speed up slowly.
Bumps for Boomers
Bumps for Boomers will not teach you to do this. That program teaches skiers to get down the bumps with the skills you are already using. It sounds like you are aggressive in your skiing goals and ready for skiing a more direct line down the bumps with separation. I don't think that program will get you there.
Great write up for an intro to bump skiing.
One of the moderators should post a cleaned up version as a sticky. Intro primer to bump skiing.
At Taos, the method stated will work on the bumps in Lone Star. Probably the only decent true blue bump run on the hill. Probably will work on both Papa Bear and Tell Glade. These two trails are the next step up in difficulty. The rest of the hill is littered with bump runs that rival or surpass Outer Limit in difficulty. Confidence (or lack of) and fear are real issues when skiing at Taos.
I have skied Taos regularly since 1989. Spent several seasons there. Participated in 30+ ski weeks over the years. I have seen quite a bit and understand the dynamic of the skiers that ski there. Taos is a very unforgiving mountain. IMO, Suzski’s issue is both fear and lack of confidence. It’s a vicious cycle. Some get over it by themselves. Some require external help.
If Suzski was in one of the higher lever groups. The terrains her group frequented will be chutes, steeps, bumps and trees off the ridge, upper and lower front. Kachina peak will probably be part of the terrains frequented if it is open. Following photo is the entrance to Upper Staufffy.
Upper Stauffy. Photo credit SBrown.
To put thing in perspective. Upper Stauffy is the easiest chute off the West Basin Ridge. Big and wide. The pitch of the chute is fairly consistent from entry to the bottom. About 800 vertical feet. A botched turn will get one a quick ride on the express elevator down 80 stories. Best part of it is it is over in a flash. The bad part - well, use your imagination.
Terrain like these are the reasons Slim has a full time job at the top of chair #2 all winter long.
Slim at his office at the top of chair #2.
Speed control via line is paramount for skiing these terrains. Facing downhill and flicking the poles forward will not cut it.
Yup, fear is real. Really real, but it can be overcome.
A interesting incident during the Big Sky gathering this year. Second run on the first day. I lead a group down the one of the steep and slightly bumped up sections under the Challenger chair. Mamie was in the middle herding cats and Andrew was sweeping. The rest of the group are fairly even in technical competence. The line down involved skiing through a rocky choke point. I picked my way through the choke and skied down to where the slope flattens. I turn and looked up hill at the group and I can immediately pick out the one skier that has not been to Taos. She wasn’t even moving. I can tell from the way she was clinging to the hill. Andrew saw it about the same time and skied down to her. He suggested for her to follow his line down through the choke. She followed Andrew down through the rocky choke and down to the flat area with no further issues. The rest of the group experience no issues.
@mdf talked about following an instructor down the bumps is much easier than finding a line by himself in another thread. Most overthink while skiing bumps and steeps. Reduce the thinking and there will be less fear.
At the bottom, I asked the rest of the group what they thought of the run. The purpose of the question was to assess whether to reduce the difficulty level or kick it up a notch. All wanted to kick it up a notch. They all felt if they didn’t die at Taos during the mini-gathering there. This little bit of steep at Big Sky won’t kill them.
What doesn't kill you will make you stronger.
The same women was rocking a pair of FIS SL down similar lines off the challenger chair by the end of the week. I believe she started the week on a pair of Black Pearl 98. She made real progress.
AHHH, confidence. You may have nailed it again
@KingGrump . I'm going to use my time in BC/Vail next week to do as many easy bumps as I can to work on that and the fore/aft balance and "just say no to shopping" suggestions that others have made. I love Taos. That could be a plan in addition to a clinic or private/semi-private lessons since I often go on the Taos trip w/my club anyway. BTW, Teri Koss and Mary Killinger are the instructors out there who have given me what little confidence I do have!
@Suzski , A thought just came to me. you can narrow down your issue during your upcoming trip to Vail.
Full disclosure: I spent couple seasons at Vail a short while back.
After you get your ski legs back, go ski chair #10 at Vail. Warm up and flex out your legs on Blue Ox and then ski the bumps on Highline. The pitch on Highline is not very steep but the bumps are generally tighter.
Please allow me to apologize in advance for the long traverse out from chair #10.
If you can make it down Highline without much difficulty then you are way too advanced for B4B .
If you have no issues linking turns on Highline then your issue is in your head and not with your technique.
If you find yourself too advanced for B4B. A private ski week (or 2) with the right instructors can help with the head, confidence and technique.
I know both Terri and Mary. Both are long time Taos instructors.
I can PM you with a few instructor recs if you wish.
Good luck and have fun at Vail/Beaver Creek.