Spring Means Bumps!
Wow is the skiing good out there! We've had such a great season so far, and I hope you're getting out there to enjoy some of the best conditions in the country right now. While the increase of sun gets some people thinking about their upcoming summer sport, we're getting stoked for some warmer spring skiing! March can mean a ton more snow (remember last year?) and that makes for good skiing and in the spring good skiing means bumps!
I hear it all the time, "I’m a good skier, but I’m not good in the bumps." Well, the truth is, skiing bumps is very much a measure of being a good skier. The bumps give you feedback about your skiing that groomers don’t. Anytime you're skiing in three dimensional snow (bumps, powder, crud etc) you need to flex and extend your legs to manage the pressure on your skis, and this requires balance. The ability to manage the pressure on your skis in variable terrain is what I call touch. Good skiers seem to float over the snow because they are in good fore-aft balance and actively manage this pressure by letting their skis come under them and keeping their head at the same level during the run. Having good touch is key to good skiing.
The next time you’re out on the hill, find a few bumps, or even little jumps on the side of the hill, and practice this move. Slowly at first, go straight into a bump or small jump, and try to keep your head at the same level, like it’s against an imaginary ceiling. Allow the bump to push your feet up, as you also actively pull them up. Make sure to flex your ankles and drive your shins into the boots to keep your feet under your hips, and not out in front of your body. This will enable you to ski the front of the skis down the backside of the bump or jump. As you get better at this move, challenge yourself to go over bigger bumps with more speed, and keep your skis in contact with the snow. I’m not saying good skiers are always on the ground in the bumps, but they are in balance and have the pressure control to give themselves options at any given time.
Now that you are balanced and controlling the pressure on your skis, you will be able to use the legs to turn the skis, but that’s a whole other topic for next time! Enjoy the the snow! -Doug Stewart, Master Boot Fitter, PSIA-E Examiner