What is it about bumps? People often ask me. You ski bumps with that thing? (meaning my mono) And then they are surprised when I say yes. Are bumps the pinnacle of the skiing experience? I don’t think so, some might and that’s cool. When you get right down to it bumps just tell you when to turn.
I was in a bump clinic at the end of the 03 season At Windham mountain where I teach. There were only three trails that had bumps. There was our big steep, hard, nasty, crusty, double black. Appropriately named Upper Wheelchair. Then there was an all natural snow, patchy, crusty, diamond with some deep ruts and trashed lines affectionately called Old Wolver. And finally, Whirlwind, a nice well used blue with deep ruts but quite manageable. We all figured that is where we would be. By 8:10am or so we were on the summit. It was an overcast day, hard pack fast conditions. My least favorite conditions for bumps but it was on the warm side hinting to softening conditions. Our first trail had no bumps at all. Actually it was a steep slick blue called Warpath. We started with exercises to prepare us for the situations that will be faced on a bump run. It was all about filling your bag of tricks so you have something to draw from in time of need. These exercises consisted of side slipping, fast and slow. A long slide with a quick short turn. A short slide to a stop in position for the next turn. Falling leaf, controlled falling leaf and long dragged out falling leaf. Then it was on to short turns, then long turns, then mixing them together. Run after run going over these exercises. Then lunch. What? lunch and no bumps yet? Are there bumps in this bump clinic? Some of the gang were getting upset. But I could see there was a method and a pattern to our instructors clinic. It’s not about bumps, this bump clinic was not about bumps, but about having the tools and the skills in our bag of tricks to draw from every where on the hill and especially in the bumps where timing, action and reaction is paramount. I was reminded of the Karate Kid. All he wanted to do was learn karate, kick jump spin, chop HiiiiiYA! Ahh little grasshopper has so much to learn. There we were all the little grasshoppers Sanding the floor and waxing the car and painting the fence. Some felt it was beneath them and left the clinic early. Those are the ones who will be huffing and puffing half way down the next bump run thinking they are out of shape, when actually they are just not using some of the skills that we were working on. After many drills all of which I thought were fun. We headed for some blue bumps. The falling leaf was the hardest drill for me and I will be working on it until I own it this season. By the time we were ready for the bumps, I think there was three of four of us left. But that was fine. I was the only mono. This bump run had some deep ruts, but it was not too steep, so Speed management was not a big issue as it is on the steeper runs. I tent to ride the troff and Slam into the rut for speed control, using the ski and shock to check my speed. This is aggressive and you need to have some quick rotary moves the get the next turn or you will launch out of your line and then it gets ugly. The instructor pointed out for me to try using the whole bump to control my speed, to start my turn high on the rut and finish checking my speed at the top of the bump. Or start high and finish low, but use the whole bump for speed control. Blocking with the out riggers is another way of speed control. This can cause problems, beating up your shoulders for one or the rigger getting hung up causing you to over rotate. We all use blocking with our riggers to some extent, but in the bumps everything becomes a little more aggressive. That is just the nature of bump terrain. Skiing well is about commitment, keeping your head and shoulders in the fall line and traversing the ski and mono under you. Weather you are skiing a blue or green a race course, bump field or the back bowl of some remote mountain. The best lines you see in the snow are those laid by a person committed to go from point “A” (the top) to point “B” (the bottom). In bumps it is so critical to pick your line and stay in it. My trick is to drive the tip of the ski tip into the rut by an upper body rotary move, then use the bump and my shock to absorb the speed. I counter rotate the other way and drive the tip again. It is a work out, and very exhilarating. Soon there will be some good video clips posted to add some visual for you visual learners. I learned a few new techniques and a bunch of new skills. My bag of tricks is a little heaver and that is a good thing. Please feel to send feed back and additional information.
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