Mogul Skiing Technique Guide
Beginning Absorption and Extension

     Absorption and Extension (A&E) refers to the shock absorber-like motion in which the mogul skier absorbs the moguls and then extends his legs toward the next mogul, and repeats the process continuously for the entire run. It is an integral part of a correctly executed mogul turn. A&E seems to be the most talked about component of good mogul skiing. Unfortunately, many people stress A&E so much that they forget all of the other equally important parts of the sport. If you skipped to this section because you think A&E is all you need to learn, forget it. Believe me, you’ll be doing yourself a HUGE favor if you go back and read through the previous six sections first. Without the foundation that those sections lay, A&E is worthless. Really. I’m serious.

     A&E is one of the most prominent actions of mogul skiers. Many people easily associate it with mogul skiing from watching the pros and seeing their knees work like shock absorbers. Most people think that they will never be able to do that. Well, you can. As important as A&E is, it’s not any more difficult than any of the other techniques you’ll practice in the bumps. If you do it enough, you’ll become proficient.

     The reason we absorb and extend is the same as the reason cars have shock absorbers: it saves the equipment from excess stress (in this case, you). It maintains a quiet upper body, it reduces jarring and injury, it allows us to ski the fall line, and it looks smooth. It also saves our knees. Most people believe that mogul skiing is bad for your knees. WRONG! Although there is always inherent risk of knee injury in any type of skiing, mogul skiing is no riskier than alpine skiing. Because we absorb the shock of the moguls, they do not jar our knees. Frankly, skiing moguls properly is easier on your knees than going for a jog or running up a staircase. Although in the '70s, '80s, and early '90s, most dedicated mogul skiers ended up with knee injuries or worn-out knees from "bump bashing," current and recent pros and dedicated mogul skiers are having many fewer knee issues than previously. The biggest danger of knee damage now relates to improper or missed landings after hitting a kicker/jump.

     A&E is also one of the primary means of speed control in mogul skiing. When coupled with effective edging, absorbing and extending keeps the mogul skier at a controlled speed. By varying your turn size, edging pressure, and A&E, you can vary the speed that you travel. Each time you absorb a mogul, it checks your speed. That is why mogul skiers can ski straight down the fall-line with much more control than a skier on a groomed trail.

     Most mogul skiers, even advanced mogul skiers, often misinterpret the act of absorbing. They interpret it as a pulling of the knees toward the jaw (or even a sitting down motion). However, this is not correct. Sitting on a chair, if you pull your knees up to your chin, where is your center of gravity? That’s right--way behind your feet. Absorbing by pulling your knees to your face will immediately throw you into the backseat, a place no mogul skier wants to be!

     The correct motion for absorbing a mogul is as follows: As you reach the mogul with your tips, begin to absorb the mogul in your knees, and stay on the balls of your feet while actively driving the tips down into the snow upon reaching the crest of the mogul. While doing this, you will feel more like your heels are being pulled to your buttocks, rather than your knees to your chin. Always, always, always maintain solid shin pressure. This keeps you stacked and balanced, and you will be ready for the next bump. As your CG moves slightly backward, your skis do so as well since your heels are moving directly to that CG. In essence, you are adjusting your fore/aft balance. Although there is quite a lot of obvious vertical knee motion, it is not caused by pulling the knees up, but by pulling the heels back and up. Keeping the skis on the snow as much as possible should be a goal of the aspiring mogul skier. You should consciously be sure to drive your tips into the snow as much as possible (be careful on a deep powder day, though ;-).

     Extension is often considered far less important than absorption. However, this is also untrue. After absorbing a mogul, it is crucial that a full extension be part of your short-radius mogul turn. If you want to be able to fully absorb the next mogul, you need to fully extend. Look at the photos below. Notice how I stand tall as I reach for and approach the next mogul. I am almost fully extended in these shots.

     The photos below demonstrate A&E. The two on the left are mogul skier Aaron Peets. Note in the first shot how he is fully absorbing the mogul, while keeping his upper body square to the fall line. In the second shot, note how he has extended and returned to his stacked stance as he reaches forward for the next bump. The photos on the right show mogul skier Jeff Lind in the same A&E action:

     To put this into action, here’s the general idea for skiing a series of 3 moguls: attack the first mogul (we’ll say it’s on the left side of your line) in as straight a line as possible. Absorb the mogul as soon as you reach its crest by staying on the balls of your feet and driving your tips into the snow (which should move your heels toward your buttocks). After absorbing and cresting the mogul, turn your skis quickly to the left (from your feet/ankles and knee angle) and fully extend into the next mogul. As your tips come off of the snow and you begin to crest the bump, absorb as fully as possible (as described above), and make a quick right turn fully extending to the third bump. Repeat the process for absorbing the mogul, and continue your run by repeating these techniques. Remember, when you are turning your skis, it should be an edging and carving action rather than a skid. Be sure you are angulating at the knees, and weighting your downhill ski early. Remember lead change??? If not, head back to the section entitled "Short Radius Turns" and brush up.

     This method is essentially the same no matter how you ski the moguls, although it is slightly tailored toward slower skiing as you learn the concepts. After the next section, “Where to Aim on the Bump,” we’ll revisit A&E and discuss how you can fine-tune it to skiing straighter and faster lines.

Drills:

     As much as I hate to admit it, the best way to get a feel for (and become comfortable with) A&E is to ski across the fall line on an intermediate-grade mogul run. Slowly ski across the fall line and practice absorbing each bump as you begin to crest it. Extend your skis and repeat until you’ve made it the whole way across the trail. Continue to do this, and each time across the trail, point your skis a little more down the fall line. Soon you’ll be absorbing and extending straight down the trail!

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