How To Ski Heavy Chopped Up Bumpy Snow

[skilover]

Hi,

Wondering how experts handling heavy, big, chopped up bumps? It has rain a couple of hours and turned into heavy snow the day before I went to ski, the snow was not groomed, when I got there in the afternoon, there were a lot of big piles of snow here and there, maybe I should call them soft bumps as they are not as hard as moguls, but they are not fluffy powder either as they are tracked/packed and a little bit heavy. I consider myself advanced skier, I can handle most conditions with my 86 atomic vantage, but did have some challenges in such conditions as the “Soft bumps” are big, and it is hard to go around it as there were a lot connecting one after another.

Thanks for your time and advice.

 

[mdf]

Always on edge.

 

[CalG]

Skiing with intent and purpose helps me the most.

go here, go there! Ski over that pile, smash through that bump, ski around that slick spot.

A head game.

You are already a good skier!

 

[KingGrump]

A center stance and round turns.

 

[Dolomitiskier]

I’m not an expert but I don’t try to avoid all of the piles. I feel that it is easier to just absorb some of the crud using my core and pulling my legs in to keep my knees soft. It ends up being less tiring for me.

 

[Mike Thomas]

Relax. Be smooth, subtle and light on your feet. Let the skis and gravity do the work as you retract and extend to stay in contact with the snow (or extend and then retract to leave the ground and hop over spots...). Don't get tense and don't try to 'muscle' your way through, just... relax. Imagine Bruce Lee. Be like Bruce Lee.

 

[skilover]

Thank you all, I have a feeling I can’t get on top of those bumps as they are not moguls, can’t cut through straightly either as they are very big and heavy, often time I got stuck there just like hit a wall. Can’t keep my tempo, maybe need a bit speed to break the walls?

 

[graham418]

Stand Tall. Maintain your suspension.

 

[givethepigeye]

Technique, covered above, gets you 75%. The other 25% is related to skis. Face it, some are just better than others dealing with this stuff. No magic bullets though

 

[cantunamunch]

Thank you all, I have a feeling I can’t get on top of those bumps as they are not moguls, can’t cut through straightly either as they are very big and heavy, often time I got stuck there just like hit a wall. Can’t keep my tempo, maybe need a bit speed to break the walls?

Forget tempo. Tempo is an artifact of your own internal timing. The mountain is stronger than you or your timing instinct. Adapt and flow with it. Slow and flowing will help you, speed is for when you're getting away with something bad.

 

[Bad Bob]

Embrace independent leg action, it is your friend.
Do not shop for turns, traversing is not your friend. Continually be in a turn, easiest place to start a turn from.

 

[skilover]

Embrace independent leg action, it is your friend.
Do not shop for turns, traversing is not your friend. Continually be in a turn, easiest place to start a turn from.

I kind of underhand what you meant, often time I got stuck when I was traversing or wait for a better spot to make a turn. Keep flowing and turning will help, but just not confident making turns when the skis land on or insert into those soft bumps, is hopping necessary to get the skis out of it? Thanks.

 

[Wilhelmson]

How about some fresh wax.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Do not shop for turns, traversing is not your friend. Continually be in a turn, easiest place to start a turn from.

Easier said than done when in survival mode.

 

[cantunamunch]

I kind of underhand what you meant, often time I got stuck when I was traversing or wait for a better spot to make a turn. Keep flowing and turning will help, but just not confident making turns when the skis land on or insert into those soft bumps, is hopping necessary to get the skis out of it? Thanks.

Hopping is a tool but it sounds like you're already getting in trouble when your skis leave the snow and land again. There are less forceful tools available, like retracting the 'stuck' foot or retracting both feet. Retracting both feet is the magic credit card in turn shopping mall. You can use it to get that easy turning feel in your skis anywhere on slope.

 

[Ken_R]

Always on edge.

This is IT. Took me a while to learn it. Just keep carving turns through the mess no matter what. The skis are sharp enough and thin enough to cut through it all when on edge. Run them flat and prepare for an unpleasant, bumpy (and very short) ride.

 

[Atomicman]

Visualize your path of at least your first three turns before you start out. Look as far ahead as possible. Lead with your head and hands.

 

[skilover]

This is IT. Took me a while to learn it. Just keep carving turns through the mess no matter what. The skis are sharp enough and thin enough to cut through it all when on edge. Run them flat and prepare for an unpleasant, bumpy (and very short) ride.

yes edge works for smaller soft bumps below 1 feet, I am talking about those large ones about 2 feet or bigger after a snow storm, does edge still work? landing on the side of those big bumps often gets me stuck there no matter I am on edge or flat cuz they are tall and thick. I am trying to figure out my best bet - cut through with speed or go over with retracting?

 

[Ogg]

yes edge works for smaller soft bumps below 1 feet, I am talking about those large ones about 2 feet or bigger after a snow storm, does edge still work? landing on the side of those big bumps often gets me stuck there no matter I am on edge or flat cuz they are tall and thick. I am trying to figure out my best bet - cut through with speed or go over with retracting?

Carve up over, around the side or in between, whatever the particular situation dictates. Drive your tips up and over or around the side of the bump, don't let them get launched into the air. The more aggressive you are the better. Play with turning on different parts of the bumps.

 

[Doug Briggs]

You need a strong core. While you don't want to be tense, you don't want to be overly relaxed.

The mass of your whole body needs to be actively involved so that when you start to plow into a soft bump and otherwise might slow down, the entirety of your mass is unified though a strong musculature and skeletal framework to allow mass to maintain your momentum.

Being on edge is a double edged sword. (pun intended). You are cutting through the snow but your bases, especially your tips, are still meeting resistance from the snow.

In a phrase 'drive your skis through the snow'.