 ALPINE SKI LESSONS: MOGUL SKIING |
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Mogul skiing |
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| Mogul skiing is usually underrated by skiers, and is seen as a hard discipline. It's true that to be able to master mogul skiing, real technical and physical capacities are required. Mogul skiing is, nonetheless, an essential training tool for the skier as it allows him/her to very efficiently work on several important basic techniques, especially the flex/extension combo, and allows him/her to develop his/her muscular capacities. |
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The position while going over moguls |
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| The upper body is straight, leaning slightly forward in respect to the plane of the slope. Your head should always be up, your eyes looking ahead, to anticipate the next moguls. The knees are largely bent, to absorb the ground under them. Your shins are putting solid pressure on your boots' tongues.
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The mogul skiing position |
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Method for beginners |
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The goal is to use the top of the moguls to turn more easily.
Use the basic position, largely bending your knees. The latter will play an essential role, as they are the ones that will absorb the moguls, by going up like shock absorbers. This capacity to absorb very broken grounds requires a good muscular condition and needs to be worked on. The upper body should stay tall and straight, and only the legs are mobile.
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 Exercise
While traversing a mogul field, knees largely bent, get used to absorbing the grounds by letting your knees go up (flex/extension) and by keeping your upper body as still as possible. Practise doing this exercise many times, progressively increasing your speed on steeper and steeper slopes. |
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After a traverse, pick a fairly large and round mogul. Plant your poles on the top of the mogul and let your knees flex as your skis go up the mogul. Once on the top, you'll find it extremely easy to turn your skis and, by edging, to lean on the outside ski for support. Complete the turn while going down the mogul, in extension so as to maintain contact with the snow, and finish by traversing.
After a few runs, reduce the length of the traverses to link the turns.
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Method for advanced skiers |
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When you increase your speed and want to go down the run following the fall line, the challenge is to manage to sustain a perfect snow-ski contact. As such, instead of going for the top of the moguls, the skier will choose to ski between the bumps or on their sides, in order to select the most regular path.
As in powder skiing, the skiing position is "stacked". The upper body is slightly leaning forward, faces the slope and is mostly still; the legs are the only ones working hard on absorbing the relief and steering turns. The knees are very mobile, in a forward position and will be pulled up quite high (as high as the chest) during the flex phase.
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The different phases
Reach out in front of you to plant your pole in the mogul coming up. Steer your skis so that they are locked in the slope uphill from the mogul. Your legs, in a forward position, will largely bend to absorb your speed. There should be a wide angle between your upper body (facing the slope) and your skis (perpendicular to the slope). During this stacking phase, firmly use your pole for support.
As you go over the mogul, your skis will unweight and naturally realign themselves with your upper body's and the slope's axis. Your speed will then rapidly increase. Keep your balance by leaning forwards and get ready for the next turn.
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Advice |
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In mogul skiing, decelerations are very strong, and even brutal. To make sure you don't lose your balance forward, your legs are ahead of your upper body . Nonetheless, don't put all your weight on your heels when skiing, to shift your balance backwards. Instead, work on standing nice and flat on your boots' soles and on bringing your skis progressively forward as the speed increases.
The pole plant is essential. The pole should be planted away from you, and rather prematurely on the next mogul. You should use the pole for weight support, especially during the stacking phase. Your arms should always be in front of you, anticipating the pole plant.
Your eyes should be looking ahead so that you can select the line you will ski and anticipate the moguls coming up.
You'll be able to control your speed during the stacking phase, when coming up the uphill side of the mogul. Your legs, as they flex, will absorb part of your kinetic energy. The skis, flat on the slope of the following bump, can withstand an important amount of pressure, without any risk of them skidding. |
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