Mogul skiing can be tough! But that is why it is so satisfying. Being able to ski moguls smoothly, quickly and in control is the mark of a good skier and something we can all improve on. Guy Hetherington, the ALLTRACKS head coach is a master in the moguls so why not check out our video coaching series to help you make some improvements to your bump skiing. Mogul skiing is a sport you’ll find at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships as well as the Winter Olympic Games so if you master these bumps, who knows where you could end up….
A step by step guide
Do you want to improve your mogul or bumps skiing and take your off-piste skiing to the next level? Our 3-part video series on how to ski moguls with Guy Hetherington, head coach of Alltracks will teach you how to learn the best techniques for mogul skiing. Mogul skiing is a pretty awesome skills to add to your list, and it’s something you’ll find both challenging and exciting to learn.
Lesson 1 – How to Ski Moguls
Take a watch of this first video, as this YouTube video drill will show you how to ski moguls. You’ll want to ensure before you begin practising on more advanced terrain that you have mastered the art of using your legs to manage terrain in a straight run first. Once you have that mastered, it’s time to learn the more advanced moves. This initial part of learning Mogul skiing is about learning when to tackle the bump and when to use the turn to your advantage. This video will also help you learn how to position your body in which parts of the bump, and when your body needs to be the most compressed.
Where does the name come from?
Mogul skiing is named after the bumps you’ll find along the run. Moguls are actually what the series of bumps on the piste are called – and they’re formed when skiers push snow into small bumps and mounds as they make their sharp or technical turns. These bumps are common on many different ski pistes, and it’s important to know how to tackle them and how to ski on them (or around them).
Mogul skiing is all about learning to read the terrain and learning how to interpret it. Advanced bump skiers are able to interpret entire mogul terrains with a glance, and the more you practice the more you’ll understand how to spot different areas and different bumps.
You can do Mogul skiing wherever you see a series of these bumps (it doesn’t have to be limited to official competitions) and there are plenty of ways to practice your mogul skiing techniques.
Lesson 2 – How to Ski Bumps
Work on your turn versatility with the ALLTRACKS Bumps Skiing Lesson. Tune in to our head coach, Guy Hetherington – CSIA Level 4 examiner.
This lesson looks at a number of tactics you can use to enhance your bump skiing technique. While you are doing this, it is important to choose terrain that matches your skill set. If you are relatively new to bump skiing, choose a slope that has small, well spaced moguls on a moderate pitch and this will offer you the best chance of success so you can progress.
Before venturing onto mogul fields, we must practice certain techniques on groomed terrain. We need turn versatility in our skiing. We must be able to change our turn size to make the best use of terrain. Secondly, we need to develop a consistency in our turn shape – that is to say each turn should be complete, round and connected to the subsequent turns. Once you can do this, you’re ready to tackle the bumps!
It is good to begin your run visualising the fall line (the path of least resistance down the mountain). Start off by making some medium turns at moderate speed. As you establish a rhythm, cast your focus on the fall line. Your goal is to complete each turn at a 90 degree angle to the fall line. this is harder than it looks. It often take form commitment to finish the turn than you may be used to. The good news is that the more effort you put in to complete the turn, the less effort is required to begin the next. This will help you with transition speed.
Get out there and practice your mogul skiing. If you really want to take your mogul skiing to the next level, why not join one of our ski courses in Whistler this season.
Lesson 3 – Line Choice When Skiing Moguls
Here is the latest video from Head Coach, Guy Hetherington, on How to Ski Moguls. Part 3 of the ALLTRACKS Mogul Series – Line Choice.
If you want to hone your mogul skiing through the most challenging of terrain, check out the video here – I hope it helps! As we’ve mentioned, successful mogul skiing is all about understanding the terrain and being able to plot your turns and movements before getting to them. This video will help you plan those turns and learn how to truly read the landscapes.
Video transcript
Guy Hetherington>> “Guy Hetherington back for ALLTRACKS Academy closing in on step 3 of our bump skiing series. Today, we’ll be looking at line choice. Let’s get straight into it.
Since we are now able to look for the correct place to finish our turns, the next step is figuring out how to get there. Even if our final destination is the same, our chosen may vary depending on our ability or desired outcome. Let’s take a look at a few different options on the same set of bumps.
Here we have a typical run of medium sized moguls with clearly visible landing points. When I look at their shape and size, three possible line options immediately come to mind.
Option 1 is the inside wall line. This line offers the best for gradual speed control as it allows the skier to slip down the side of each mogul, shedding speed along the way. I will often introduce this line to skiers int he early stages of learning. If you are new to bump skiing, this may be your best option.
Option 2 is the centre rut line. This is a common choice for advanced skiers as it offers the path of least resistance on any given run. Of course, with lower resistance comes higher speed so if you are comfortable with the inside wall line and searching for a little more speed, the chances are that you are ready for the rut line.
Option 3 is the outside bank line. The beauty of the bank line is that the wide approach angle allows for really soft landing. This will make a bump run appear smooth and graceful which is why, when given the option, it is always my line of choice.
Lets take a look at a comparison of each of these lines when skiing over the same bumps.
So there it is! Take some time to practice skiing some different lines through the moguls. Once you’ve mastered these three options, you’ll be skiing with much greater versatility and control.
This has been Guy Hetherington of ALLTRACKS Academy coming to you with more online ski training”