One of the most common questions aspiring bump skiers
ask is: “Where do I ski in the bump field? How do I pick my
line?” Well, the most obvious answer would be, “Ski down the
fall line!” Of course, that’s not very helpful when you’re a new
mogul skier trying to make a logical choice as to how to ski a
particular bump field.

     As you come to the beginning of a bump trail, take a few seconds to survey the moguls, looking for possible hazards such as ice, bare spots, fallen skiers, etc. Pick a part of the trail to ski that is free of any such dangers. If you are skiing seeded bumps (moguls built by snowcats or other mogul-building techniques) then your line will be right there in front of you. Also, in ideal conditions on a natural bump run with only expert bumpers skiing the trail, the lines will be obvious and straight down the fall line. However, 99% of the natural bumps you will encounter will not be in straight lines, and will include some irregularities and some funny bump locations.

     On natural mogul runs, the most important concept for you to understand is that you CANNOT (note the all-caps bold) allow the troughs (ruts between the bumps) or bump alignment to dictate your line. As mogul skiers, our sole interest and intent is to ski the fall line as straight as possible. Therefore, when you choose a line, choose one that is as regular as possible, but as you ski it, simply absorb through the irregularities (more on this later) and stay in your line straight down the trail. Sometimes you will encounter troughs so deep that you feel like they’ll suck you right in. You have two options: ski through it, or make a hop turn over it onto your next bump. What you do not want to do (as much as possible) is leave your line to avoid an irregular bump or a deep trough. This makes for choppy, disconnected mogul skiing, and you often have to stop to regain composure and pick your line again. Of course, if a crazy skier jumps out in front of you, or you come upon a renegade dirt patch/rock, feel free to adjust lines. But try to make it as smooth a motion as possible.

     Line selection is one of those concepts that you’ll become comfortable with as you ski more and more moguls. As you master the techniques discussed in this guide, you’ll begin to realize that you’re not even “picking” a line anymore, so much as just skiing a logical line without having to think about it.

     Let's have a look at a couple of mogul fields and point out our line selection. This first image is a nice, evenly spaced mogul field. It's pretty easy to pick a line. I have drawn in the beginning of what appears to be the most uniform, straight line:















     

Mogul Skiing Technique Guide
Picking a Line

The Web's #1 Source for All Things Mogul Skiing

     But what about an irregular bump field? Here are two more images, this time of much more "interesting" lines. Note that the overall path is straight down the fall line, regardless of the regularity (or lack thereof) of the moguls:

     One issue that arises for many mogul skiers is that they spend too much time dwelling on choosing their line. Some go to the extent of planning out each of their first dozen or two turns. This is not good. The biggest issue here is that, if you plan out your first, say, fifteen turns and you miss the seventh planned turn, you're completely flustered, out of your line, and out of rhythm. The other problem here is that, if you’re planning your turns based on where the bumps are, you’re letting the terrain dictate your line instead of vice-versa.

     Another instinct that many bump skiers have is to stop and pick a new line each time they come to a new precipice. Many trails (such as Sugarbush’s Tumbler) include a series of several precipices and flatter sections. If you stop each time you get to the top of a new headwall, you are again chopping up your skiing and just making it more complicated by trying to pick a new line. Keep following the fall line--you’ll be fine! Now, if you have to stop because of a dangerous trail condition or you really need a break, and your heart rate is through the roof, and you can barely catch your breath--by all means, stop! Otherwise, there’s no reason to stop. Keep nailing the fall line and making other people envious!

     There are no specific drills for this idea. The only way to get better at line selection is to ski more bumps.