Here is a picture from Tuesday were the trough line is the white snow just off my left hand. I'm on the dirty snow on the mogul frontside. I'm staying out of the troughs.
Here is my buddy catching air skiing the trough line.
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Bumps for Boomers Clinics - Pros/Cons?
- Thread starter Suzski
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Here is my buddy catching air skiing the trough line.
I generally ski in the trough. The softer it is, the more time I'll be in the trough. Slushy bumps are the most predictable surface. If it's warm outside, then I know what the conditions will be like, and I love it, so I'll head up to the mountain. Other people seem to feel the same, because once the weather gets warm, you'll see lots of bumpers out there, especially in regions that are powder deprived. I've often skied in 70 degree weather in some of the slushiest conditions we ever see, where many people refuse to come up to the mountain, which is another nice thing, the mountain is empty except for the bumpers. I don't enjoy groomed run conditions as much when it's that warm, but as long as there are bumps, I'm having a fabulous time. The slush provides so much drag that the bumps are effortless. In any type of soft conditions, I'll be in the trough. With very narrow bump skis, there's no skidding in that extreme slush which is why many people have trouble with it. You have to use properly timed absorption and extension going from edge to edge. Speed control comes from controlling forward pressure and absorption and extension. Very slushy bumps are considered "hero bumps", because they are so forgiving. However, because lots of people are skiing in the troughs in these conditions, and because it's so soft, the troughs can get cut extremely deep when there's lots of traffic. You end up with very deep holes that start demanding deep absorption, and some people start riding further up the front side of the bump or skim from top to top if they really want speed, though I tend to stay in those deep holes and go slower, because I like it.
So, here's when I'll avoid the trough. When it's extremely icy and you get a few inches of snowfall, that extra snow is almost instantaneously pushed off the backside and out of the trough. All the powder accumulates on top of the bump. So, in those conditions, I'll avoid the troughs and turn on the topside in those clumps of powder.
So, here's when I'll avoid the trough. When it's extremely icy and you get a few inches of snowfall, that extra snow is almost instantaneously pushed off the backside and out of the trough. All the powder accumulates on top of the bump. So, in those conditions, I'll avoid the troughs and turn on the topside in those clumps of powder.
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From everyone's favorite program, BFB https://www.bumpsforboomers.com/mogul-skiing-technique/new-insight/common-terrain-elements/
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they forgot the bank on the outside of the trough line.
Nah, that's part of the next mogul over.
There is a secondary technique I enjoy on non-standard bumps, specifically a mostly flat surface with isolated bumps. Carve or drift turns on the flats (depending on how steep and what the snow/ice surface condition is) with the apex of each turn on the side of a mogul. "Pinball turns".
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That’s what I was trying to describe earlier. Learning bumps is a lot about objectively seeing what’s there, which usually includes some opportunities for easy lines. New skiers just can’t see it even if they are looking right at it. B4B just turned that into a branded business model.
dm
The low points. Where water would run if it didn't soak into the snow. They may be a series of hollows between the bumps or a valley between extended ridge shaped bumps.
There's various ways to avoid - use the ridge of the bump as a berm or ski around the outside of the hollow. The second is what this Guy is doing with his outside line.
Normally, I'd agree - for exactly the reasons you outlined. Slushy bumps can be almost as fun as pow.
This was an extreme case of slushy. I'd not encountered conditions like that including skiing in +15 C at Thredbo last September. The next day the snow went iso-thermic and, like many places in BC, we had slides.
"Stay out of" does not (usually) mean "don't touch them at all". It means don't stay down in them. Look for shallow spots to cross them. Sometimes there will even be ridges between bumps that do let you avoid them completely for a short time.
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Most have covered tactics or what I call approaching the bump. Not going to address tactics but the airborne stuff is about not being forward enough, the tail is jetting you out of the troughs. This could be gear or technique related. If its gear then your boots and bindings may not give you enough forward lean. If its technique, then do tail lifts in the flats.
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"Stay out of the troughs" means do not try to ski down the hill following the luge lines between bumps that have been created by previous skiers - or if those are not visible - do not ski exclusively between the bumps with your skis pointing in the direction they are going. Doing these things can be the fastest way down the bumps. So being told to avoid the troughs is good advice for skiers learning to ski bumps. It implies going up and over the bumps in some fashion, which slows down travel.
There are several alternatives to "skiing the troughs." In all those alternatives your skis will go up and over the bumps in some fashion, which requires crossing the troughs to get to the next bump. When they cross the trough, the skis will probably be skidding somewhat sideways, not booking it with tail following tips.
Someone upthread said this already, but so many other things have been said that I thought it might be worth repeating. Can't find the post where it was said earlier, or I'd just quote it as worthy of repeating.
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Agree. But a couple of caveats. Going up and over the bumps requires that they are somewhat matured. For example seeded bumps can death cookies grouped together which will have to uneven travel, In natural bumps, a couple of days after a snow dump, the tops are not compact and will have different texture while the troughs are skied in and are more uniformed.
Hi Suzuki, For what it is worth I have taken the BFB clinic. Although you can get something out of it, I found the instruction to not be very technical or inspiring. The skiers are a mixed bag. They divide up according to level and speed like any lesson would. At the top the skiers are pretty ok. After the camp I took a lesson with the a coach that teaches the John Clendenin method. This was quite by accident by the way, I was by myself and signed up for a group lesson for something to do and wound up as the only student, which was a bit of luck.The guy was older however his instruction was absolutely phenomenal. By the end of the day I skied some difficult bumps I thought with aplomb and style I must say. I plan to sign up for the JC camp next season. After being exposed to both styles that would be my suggestion to you. As for the zipper line and all of that, how often have you been skiing and actually seen people barreling down the zipper? Not so much. Looks like fun, but for most folks it is not what we are going to do. Hope this ramble makes sense.
My locker at Snowmass is next to Greg Stumpf. He teaches the Clendenin method and has some camps in the works for next year.
John Clendenin has a book and a video you can buy that explains his method pretty well. The book is called Four Words For Great Skiing. The video is called Finding The Love Spot. The book is available as a pdf, in black and white and in color. The color version is what I bought even though it was more expensive. There are a lot of illustrations so I think the color version would be better, The video is pretty good too. If you are on the fence I suggest you buy them and you can see if this is for you. Just a note, I have absolutely no affiliation with them, I never met the man. However I can attest to his teaching method.
I'm not convinced that this is true. It MIGHT be true. Just not convinced it is. You go up one side and it slows you down, but then on the other side it's STEEPER than the slope of the hill. So doesn't it all net out?
Now if your skis are taking a longer route along the way, that's more plausible to me, but that might be a different thing altogether.
Not if you "butter the bread" down the backside of the bump to burn some speed. That's what I demonstrate and tell our kiddos to do and it seems to click.
Peanut butter, though. They really don't know what butter is, sadly.
Depends on your routes up and down the bumps.
Not all routes are the same when it comes to gaining and losing energy.
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Did you not learn the Taos method at Sugarbush? Well it was a whiteout and icy. Not sure you were there. We're going to have to send @KingGrump jr to teach you. Since you get along so well.
Essentially, you come to a near stall as you go up the bump, plant pole behind feet and release down. People have issues with the release, which means they always have issue with release.
It's not the blocking pole technique of the guy I pointed out on the lift at Stowe, though that was very well done.
It's not accepted as a proper bump technique, even though old guys on 145's wandering around a blue bump field is just great and one step below Mosely.
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Well, yeah.... but it's a big step.
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