Lessons: Skiing the Bumps
by Skimum Julie
This week we kicked off our lessons with two fantastic instructors from Snowbird’s mountain school. The mums loved working with Susi and Janell who decided it was perfect conditions for some training in the bumps. Of course, who doesn’t want to look great on the moguls? So, we channeled our inner Hannah Kearney and tuned into some excellent advice given freely by the experts.
First item of business, stay off your edges! What? Come again?? Is that even possible? For those of us raised to the tune of “stay ON your edges,” this exercise was extremely painful. But that is the secret to moguls. I learned that if my edges are digging into the moguls, there goes my control. Which makes perfect sense since I only look great for about three turns before I shoot out of my line.
What to do? You need to skid into the mogul bays, by way of what we called “shmearing” (think cream cheese on a bagel). After our instructors evaluated the mums’ less than stellar bump skills, they kindly led us into the corral off Big Emma for some shmearing practice. Instead of keeping our weight leaning into the hill (think steep groomer ski race style) we were to practice moving down the hill with our weight all on our downhill leg, staying completely flat on our skis. Believe me, it’s harder than it sounds and even harder if you need to break the bad habit of leaning into the mountain on your edges.
Once we mastered our schmearing, we worked on the pole plant and turn. So, here’s the kicker: plant your pole and make your turn on the top of the bump, then skid (schmear) into the bay, all the while keeping your skis flat inside the turn (no edges) and your weight on the downhill ski.
Now, before this sends you into a panic attack as you stare down that next mogul chute, don’t forget the most important skill we learned during this lesson: BREATHE. We tend to focus so hard on our skiing that we forget to relax and breathe. We literally hold our breath while skiing through the bumps and eventually become so tight that we’re right back on our edges again and feeling out of control. So breathe or sing a song as one mum suggested.
Of course, it takes practice, practice, practice, so get out there and conquer your ‘mogul anxiety’ and before long you’ll be riding effortlessly through the bumps to the tune of your favorite song :).
While part of the appeal of skiing is disconnecting from the rest of the world, I still need to ski with my phone in my pocket in case one my kids, clients or hubby needs…something. These days having a good audio system is almost an essential part of my skiing gear. Good audio allows me to listen to tunes, answer/talk on my phone and hear incoming text messages. Depending on the system, you may even be able to control different aspects of your phone with voice commands. Most importantly, it allows me to keep my hands in my gloves (where they should be).
I next used a Skullcandy audio system. They make a kit specifically designed for my Smith helmet. It worked pretty well for me. It came with a cord with a built-in clip enclosing a microphone and volume knob and function button. I was able to clip it onto my goggles strap on the side of my helmet to keep it out of the way. This system was a game changer for me. While plugged into my phone, I was able start and stop my Snow Patrol playlist, answer calls (except from my mother-in-law, strangely) and adjust volume, all from the simple corded clip/remote. No more digging through your pockets trying find your phone…or worse yet, fumbling with your phone on the lift – risking a 30 foot drop into a snow bank.
This weekend a few of us were chatting about the upcoming ski season, and a girlfriend mentioned she had never skied Snowbird because it is just too “intimidating.” I hear you my friend. At one time, I felt the same way: “The Bird is for those hard core skiers who use words like ‘pow’ and ‘shred,’ for skiers who hike up mountains with skis on their backs and float effortlessly through the powder . . . it’s really a resort for skiers on vacation, not locals . . . plus, where in the world do I park if I DO want to ski Snowbird – there are FOUR different entrances!” These were a few of the thoughts racing through my mind, and I believed Snowbird was just too intimidating for a local Salt Lake girl, so I stuck with the resorts I knew so well. Comfort zone is a good thing. Right?
If this sounds bizarre, then I’ll just assume you’re unmarried or newly married and don’t have children. Just play along and tuck this away for future reference.
Snowbird Skimums 