So this last week I went up to Blackcomb to partake in 2 days of bumps in the zipper line. What a blast, and what a rude awakening.
I realized the night before Day 1 that there was a chance I'd get dumped from class. On signing up, I failed to make the connection that a level 5/6 in Canadian Epic Ski level didn't necessarily equal a US Epic Level 8. And to be sure, both days I was hands down the worst skier in my group. While big picture this isn't a bad thing to ski with people better than you, it's a stigma I let influence my skiing the entire weekend (bad on me, not Momentum.) I thought I could manage a short radius turn, for example, but what instructors and students both were doing was much faster, and more fluid. Really, what these folks can do was beautiful.
This course was 2 days of zipper line moguls, with the only difference between day 1 and 2 being the instructor and how they might approach the bumps. A fresh perspective if you will, philosophy being if one instructor didn't click for you, maybe the next instructor's approach would. That was the theory.
Structure of each day (spring skiing conditions) was drills on the flats before lunch and then soft moguls in the afternoon. This worked out well for the group, though I found each day that perhaps I would have liked to continue on the flats a bit to dial some things in. I know...mogul clinic, so we should bring on the bumps. I think if my fellow group mates both days had been a bit lessor skilled (second worst skier after me, day 2, was PSIA level 1) that might have happened.
I’m going to focus on day 2, as I was lucky enough to have John Smart as an instructor. The guy is freaking amazing, and was really good about pulling individual focuses together for each member of our group that was aggregated around a theme for the run, yet individualized. On top of that, he had a few moments to show off, leaving the rest of us speechless. Like a good coach he always had a positive coupled with a skill to work on, and I feel that in the end I know what I need to work on n the world of moguls (and frankly skiing,). We spent most of the afternoon (both days) cruising bumps under the Excelorator Express lift.
I learned a ton, and I will go back to Blackcomb/Momentum, but maybe not until ironing out a few flaws in my technique (I have a upper/lower separation issue turning left. Also, bringing my skis together really messed with my head.) Frankly, what these skiers can do, both instructors AND students with a short radius turn is nothing shy of amazing. So fast, yet graceful and effortless. Some day I'll be like that!
This is definitely a different track from say Bumps for Boomers (based on what I’ve read.) I also must say while spent at the end of each day I don’t feel that I would want to ski bumps/the mountain any other way at age 51. That said, I might work on boosting my aerobic and anaerobic endurance before signing up for 2 consecutive days. I didn't notice an impact on my muscles/skeletal system per se, but I definitely ran out of gas by 2:30 pm day 2 with an hour to go.
Tldr version: Momentum rocks, wish I were a better skier to take advantage of all that we did. I will go again, and you should too. But No, 2 days later I have more to work on as opposed to coming home being a bump bad ass. Get your expectations in check...
Any questions...I'll do my best to represent and answer.
I realized the night before Day 1 that there was a chance I'd get dumped from class. On signing up, I failed to make the connection that a level 5/6 in Canadian Epic Ski level didn't necessarily equal a US Epic Level 8. And to be sure, both days I was hands down the worst skier in my group. While big picture this isn't a bad thing to ski with people better than you, it's a stigma I let influence my skiing the entire weekend (bad on me, not Momentum.) I thought I could manage a short radius turn, for example, but what instructors and students both were doing was much faster, and more fluid. Really, what these folks can do was beautiful.
This course was 2 days of zipper line moguls, with the only difference between day 1 and 2 being the instructor and how they might approach the bumps. A fresh perspective if you will, philosophy being if one instructor didn't click for you, maybe the next instructor's approach would. That was the theory.
Structure of each day (spring skiing conditions) was drills on the flats before lunch and then soft moguls in the afternoon. This worked out well for the group, though I found each day that perhaps I would have liked to continue on the flats a bit to dial some things in. I know...mogul clinic, so we should bring on the bumps. I think if my fellow group mates both days had been a bit lessor skilled (second worst skier after me, day 2, was PSIA level 1) that might have happened.
I’m going to focus on day 2, as I was lucky enough to have John Smart as an instructor. The guy is freaking amazing, and was really good about pulling individual focuses together for each member of our group that was aggregated around a theme for the run, yet individualized. On top of that, he had a few moments to show off, leaving the rest of us speechless. Like a good coach he always had a positive coupled with a skill to work on, and I feel that in the end I know what I need to work on n the world of moguls (and frankly skiing,). We spent most of the afternoon (both days) cruising bumps under the Excelorator Express lift.
I learned a ton, and I will go back to Blackcomb/Momentum, but maybe not until ironing out a few flaws in my technique (I have a upper/lower separation issue turning left. Also, bringing my skis together really messed with my head.) Frankly, what these skiers can do, both instructors AND students with a short radius turn is nothing shy of amazing. So fast, yet graceful and effortless. Some day I'll be like that!
This is definitely a different track from say Bumps for Boomers (based on what I’ve read.) I also must say while spent at the end of each day I don’t feel that I would want to ski bumps/the mountain any other way at age 51. That said, I might work on boosting my aerobic and anaerobic endurance before signing up for 2 consecutive days. I didn't notice an impact on my muscles/skeletal system per se, but I definitely ran out of gas by 2:30 pm day 2 with an hour to go.
Tldr version: Momentum rocks, wish I were a better skier to take advantage of all that we did. I will go again, and you should too. But No, 2 days later I have more to work on as opposed to coming home being a bump bad ass. Get your expectations in check...
Any questions...I'll do my best to represent and answer.