Bump Skiing 101 - An introduction to skiing moguls

I had a 3 hour lesson the other day with a strong intermediate skier who wanted to improve his bump skiing.  By his own self assessment his mogul skiing wasn't very good!  We'd had a few inches of fresh snow at the mountain, so the conditions were perfect for an intro to bumps lesson.  After a quick warm up lap to check he could make a parallel turn on blue terrain, we dove right in.  I'll lead you through my progression, and give some explanation why.  I might have taken a different approach depending on the profile of the student.

Up & Over Ski Drill: Making 'C' turners out of 'Z' turners

The Up & Over drill was probably the biggest 'ah-ha' moment I've had on skis.  I think for most people it is difficult to understand and conceptualize.  Let's think about this in everyday skier terms.  Next time you ride the lift over a steep trail, count the number of skiers you see pushing their heels around at the top of the turn, with a heavy edge-set at the end of the turn to control speed.  This is usually accompanied by bracing against the outside leg/ski.  The stereotypical 'Z' turner (turn shape looks like the letter 'Z').

At this point, if you're not a contemporary ski coach, you're probably saying "what's wrong with that as long as they're having fun?!"  Well, you'd be right, but it is not a smooth or efficient way to slide down the mountain, especially when considering the technology in modern ski equipment.  Modern skis are parabolic in shape, so they naturally want to turn in an arc or the shape of the letter 'C'.  Why are we fighting that?  More so, how do we make 'C' shaped turns instead of 'Z' shaped turns?

Review: Part 2 - 2018 Dalbello Lupo AX 120 Ski Boots

Brand: Dalbello
Model: 2018 Lupo AX 120
Flex: 120
Last: 100mm

I should have written this at the end of last season, but my season kind of fizzled out with a slight knee injury.  You can read my comparison of new vs old boot in Part 1.  I put about 25 days on the boots, enough to give them a good shake down.  In summary, they ski great.  The 120 flex is perfect for me and I like the responsiveness of the new cuff design.  The shape of the spine, and the higher top buckle, really hugs the back of your leg, and there is no 'dead spot' between the shin and tongue of the boot.

Review: Part 1 - 2018 Dalbello Lupo AX 120 Ski Boot Comparison

Brand: Dalbello
Model: 2018 Lupo AX 120
Flex: 120
Last: 100mm

So I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a pair of 2018 Dalbello Lupo ski boots and will be testing them until the end of the season.  Part 1 of my review will be a direct comparison of the previous model that I currently ski on, the Lupo 110.  Part 2 will focus on on-snow performance.

Review: 2018 Blizzard Brahma

Brand: Blizzard
Model: 2018 Brahma
Length/Radius: 173cm/15.5m
Dimensions: 127-88-111

Wow, what a ski!  Let me preface my review by first telling you the conditions I tested them in.  Early March at Stowe after a couple of freeze thaw cycles and no new snow.  The high for the day was about 15°F with a wind chill of around 0°F.  Kudos to the grooming team at Stowe, but the snow was firm!

Counter-rotation: What is it and when do we need it?

Counter-rotation should be evident in nearly every ski turn to varying degrees.  The only time I would not expect to see counter is in a very basic wedge turn, or in children that have not developed fine motor skills yet.  So what is counter-rotation?  According to the PSIA, "counter-rotation describes the movement when the upper body turns in one direction as the lower body (legs) turn in the opposite direction".  Out on the hill, counter-rotation is observed when you see the legs turn across the hill towards the end of a turn and the upper body stays focused facing more down the hill.  This is also known as turning the feet and legs against a stable upper body.  Counter-rotation is greatest during the transition between turns and smallest in the fall line.

Getting out of the wedge and into parallel (via a wedge christie)

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I teach a wedge turn, the primary fundamental input I focus on, and some reasons why a student might struggle.  You can read that post here.  Following on from that, how do we make wedge turners into parallel skiers?  There's a little step in-between called a wedge christie.  This is when the inside ski of a wedge turn spontaneously matches the outside ski and is parallel.  The key word here is spontaneous.  It is not forced by the skier and can happen at any point during the turn.  It will only happen if the skier is making effective and efficient movements that allow the skis to perform on the snow.

How Do You Coach Balance?

A few years ago when I was preparing for my Level 2 teaching exam, I called the trainer from the first mountain I worked at for some tips.  He told me not to coach balance at the exam.  Why?  Balance is a very intrinsic thing.  I can't balance for you, only create sensations that allow you to remain in balance.  This was when the PSIA only had 4 fundamentals; balance, edging, rotary, pressure.  (There are now 5 fundamentals, which go into more detail).

How I Passed My Level 2 Teaching Exam

Level 2 can be a tough one.  There's a big gap between the skills and knowledge needed to pass Level 1 and the jump to Level 2.  This approach might not work for everyone, but it served me well.  You may also have to teach tactics vs technique, so have some drills up your sleeve that will change how your students think about skiing down the hill.

How I Structure My Lessons

When I first meet a new student I introduce myself and start asking questions to better understand why they are taking a lesson.  Questions like, "when was the last time you skied?", "what trails do you normally ski on?" or "do you play any sports?".  This may seem obvious but it's important to know your student's needs.  Ask as many questions as you can think of, the lesson is about the student and not about you.

Review: Rossignol Experience 88 HD 164cm

Brand: Rossignol
Model: 2017 Experience 88 HD
Length/Radius: 164cm/13m
Dimensions: 135-88-124

I came to this ski after skiing on the Rossignol Experience 84 last season at 170cm.  I found at that length the ski was just a little long for me as I'm 5'8" and weigh only 130lbs.  The 84 is a great all mountain ski but I found it gave up edge grip on the really firm stuff due to its lack of torsional rigidity.  I just couldn't drive the tips hard enough to bite without them giving up.

Wedge Turns

I often see wedge turns taught in a variety of ways.  Some more effective, some less effective, and some which may create barriers preventing skill development further down the line for the student.  What is the main skill/fundamental of a wedge turn?  In the novice-beginner zone, the main fundamental we teach is turning, pivoting and steering the skis with leg rotation.  Before our students even click into their skis, we teach them how to draw bow-ties in the snow with their boots, how to herringbone and eventually make a wedge.  All these skills require leg rotation.  So let's break it down.