Mogul Skiing Technique Guide
Where to Aim on the Bump

     So you’ve pretty much mastered the techniques in the earlier sections and you’re starting to really feel good about the bumps. Now you want to go a little faster and look a little better. Well, part of the key to that is where you aim your tips as you approach the next bump. When skiing bumps slowly, your skis often rotate pretty far across the fall line. As you long to ski a straighter faster line, you need to adjust this.

     As aspiring bumpers learning correct technique, we aim for a specific point on the bump. That point is not the top of the mogul, not the middle of the side of the mogul, but just several inches up the front corner/side of the mogul. Since the concept of "corner" is technically non-existant when discussing a round object, perhaps a drawing will help (my technical editor pointed out to me that aiming for the corner of a round mogul is like telling someone to sit in the corner of a round room!). The following depicts the same line skied by three skiers. The first is skiing slowly, the second a medium speed, and the third a fast zipperline:

     In zipperlining, we're attempting to take as straight a path down the fall line as possible, while still maintaining complete control. Sometimes you have to throw your skis across the fall line a little to slow down if your speed begins to get away from you. That's okay, but always strive for this straight path. Let those skis run, and absorb whatever comes in front of you!
     
     It is important to make a distinction between the third image and what many people consider "trough skiing." The third image depicts a very straight line through the moguls, but your skis are always in contact with the moguls and are not "riding the troughs." The mogul skiing technique described in these pages is not about being down in the troughs. It's about finding the right spot on the moguls. Although the image above shows a nice straight line, this is not always what you'll find in a mogul field. The goal is to ski your straight line, regardless of what's ahead of you. The following image will help to clear this up:
























     This means that sometimes you will ski high on the moguls, sometimes low, sometimes you'll find yourself in a trough for a second, and ocassionally you might be on top of a mogul. As long as you are skiing the fall line, you're fine. However, as the bumps allow (and always when you're in a comp or seeded course) definitely aim for that uphill corner.






     The only way to practice this is to get out there in a bump field, and point your skis for that imaginary mark a few inches up the front corner/side of the bump. This can be a gradual process. Consider starting out aiming for a point a little over halfway up the bump. Then each run, aim a little lower until you become comfortable with the speed you'll experience aiming for the spot mentioned earlier. It will take time. Skiing moguls fast can be intimidating at first. But don't give up. Just take your time, and be careful. You'll get there.

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     To further clarify, the arrows in the photo below demonstrate what I mean when I say "corner" of the bump:

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