Learning to ski moguls is the ultimate test of agility. It transforms the mountain into a rhythmic, physical puzzle. To master the bumps, you must shift your mindset from carving long arcs to making quick, tactical decisions.
Moguls (bumps) are created when skiers scrape the snow with the edges creating elongated gullies or round holes (troughs), and then other skiers turn almost in the same places, accumulating more snow and forming ridges or “walls” that eventually become compacted.
Expert skiers form round, uniform bumps while intermediate skiers form irregular bumps, creating vertical walls that make skiing difficult.
Those skiers who ski moguls in straight lines on the fall line, leaving clear tracks of linked, rounded turns, form rhythmic lines of bumps.
Mogul Readiness: Key Considerations
Before tackling a mogul field, consider the following aspects:
- Know how fast you are going to go down.
- Know how much you need to brake after each turn to maintain a controlled speed.
- Know how much space you need to turn or brake.
- Know how quick you are able to turn.
- Be able to choose the best line.
- Be able to quickly change the chosen line when necessary.
- Be able to recover from the unexpected effects of the snow and skis.
Speed Tactics
- The first mogul tactic is to ski slowly.
- Speed control is important and requires a lot of practice at low speeds.
- Learn to turn at different speeds: sometimes fast, sometimes slower.
- Use the uphill side of the mogul to control speed.
- Make short turns with speed control in a groomed slope before entering a mogul run.
Key Reference Points
- Being Ready for Moguls: before venturing into moguls, make sure you can quickly control the tails of your skis in short turns and hockey stops.
- Terrain Selection: choose a slope with gentle moguls, soft snow, and, if possible, a groomed slope nearby to get away from the mogul run if necessary. If there isn’t one, choose the edges, as smaller moguls usually form there.
- Speed Control: the slower you ski between moguls, the better your balance will be, as you will be less dependent on your reflexes.
- Edges Off: avoid excessive edge angles.
- Navigating the Four Sides: visualize the four sides of a mogul: uphill side, downhill side, and left and right sides. Make turns around the left/right sides and finish turning on the downhill side. Use the uphill side to control speed or, if necessary, to brake.
- Path Planning: practice visually anticipating the line of descent by determining the next moguls.
- Pre-Descent Mapping: a classic reference for planning the descent line is to stand at the top of the slope and select a sequence of certain points where you intend to turn.
- One-Turn Strategy: an alternative tactic, at reduced speed, is not to plan the descent line but to make decisions one turn at a time. When completing a turn, you only have to decide where to make the next one. This tactic has two benefits: you don’t have to worry about complex planning, and by focusing on one turn at a time, the decision-making process is less complex and reduces the perceived challenge, as well as the fear factor.
- Advanced Line Selection: you don’t always need to ski through the gullies, as you can also use the crest (where the tips and tails don’t touch the snow), taking advantage of the convex shape to turn the skis.
- Turn Shapes: the most used turn shapes are round and skidded “C” turns, linked “S” turns, or braking “J” turns.
- Tactical Variation: it is not necessary to turn on every mogul, instead, make diagonal turns when the terrain allows it or when you need a break to coordinate the next turn or find better terrain conditions.
- Natural Line: follow the trajectories of the gullies and brake on the uphill side of each bump.
- Maintaining Longitudinal Flow: avoid turning too quickly so as not to cross your skis sideways in the gully.
- Passive vs. Active Absorption: if the bumps are gentle and your speed is moderate, simply relax your legs and waist to absorb them. If they are pronounced or your speed increases, you will need to actively flex your feet, knees, and hips to “bring” your skis up (absorption) as you pass over the top of the bump, leaning your upper body forward copying the rounded shape of the bump.
- Mastering Hip Flexion: flexion of the hip joint is accelerated by contracting the hip flexors as you approach the uphill side of the bump. Legs are extended after the crest, continuing with active pivoting of both feet but especially the inside foot/leg.
- Upper-Body Realignment: repositioning upper body balance is imperative as the skis accelerate and decelerate continuously.
- Counteracting Bump Impact: to compensate for the pressure exerted by the mogul when going over it, oscillate your upper body forward (downhill dive) and/or move both feet backward.
- Sequential Turning: it is more efficient to turn both skis simultaneously, but you can also open the tail of the uphill ski to start the turn and finish it with the skis together.
- Flexion-Extension Timing: it is essential to bend your legs to absorb the mogul, just as a car’s shock absorbers would do when going over a pronounced speed bump, and extend them when going over the trough that forms between the moguls.
- Pole Plant Placement: use the crest as a reference point to plant your pole and turn around it. This helps stabilize your upper body while feet and legs turn.
- Proactive Absorption: to have a positive experience on bumps, you need to ski proactively, especially in the forward oscillation of your body at the moment of absorbing the crest.
