TR: This One Time at Bump Camp....

When: 1.31-2.1
 

Where:  Mary Jane, CO
 

What:  Mogullogic.com Bump Camp
 

Yeah, so two years ago I sent out word (via a different internet gathering spot for skiers) that I would be at Mary Jane and would like to ski with anyone who was interested.  I got one response and that dude changed my bump skiing forever.

As a long time MJ skier I had seen these peeps on several occasions.  They ski with a distinctive style, they are compact with their heads up and their hands well out in front.  Their line is so directly down the fall line that sometimes it looks like they're not turning at all.  I always marvelled at the way these uber skiers attacked their lines, then I quickly dismissed the possibility that I had any chance to be one of them.  They must be competitive bumpers, Olympic hopefuls fine tuning their craft or ex-World Cuppers reliving the glory days.

I met Bruno at the base of the Super Guage and on the ride up I was introduced to an open, intelligent, eriudite individual.  I knew before we hit the snow that this would be fun.  When we skied Phantom Bridge I realized that this guy who was a bit older than me and a bit taller than me (I'm 6'3" and had been told that I'm too big to be a really good bump skier) was one of those uber skiers that I had seen around.

On the next lift ride he told me about Chuck Martin's Mogullogic camps and ten months later I was a student at my first mogullogic class.  Body position was heavily stressed.  Knees and ankles deeply flexed, heavy shin pressure, elbows in front of spine, hands well in front of body, pointer finger inside of elbows, hips and shoulders parallel, facing down the fall line and stacked over the downhill foot, constant side to side knee roll, feet pulled back under body at top of bump, muscle tension in legs released as ski tips initially come into contact with bump, heels to butt as bump is absorbed, tips pushed forcefully down the back of bump.

Yeah, a lot for a neophyte to assimilate.  I didn't feel like I was nailing it but felt like I was making progress.  The video analysis session at the end of the first day was absolutely the worst moment in my skiing career.  Video doesn't lie and I saw myself very upright, hands low and by my sides, very little absorption/extension.  Yeah, I looked awful and felt worse as I saw it for the first time.  It was the worst moment and at the same time it was clear to me for the first time exactly how far I had to go.

Still a long way away from where I want to be, I've come a long way in the year between last year's camp and this year's.  At the end of this year's camp one student told me I was the most improved skier of the weekend.  Wooohooo!

Here's Anne Battelle and Chuck Martin, two of our three coaches for the weekend.

Here's a vid by friend and fellow Koolaid drinker Jeff Lind:

In conclusion I'd just like to say that I learned a ton and had a fantastic time at this camp.  If you have any interest at all in learning World Cup bump technique I would highly recommend this camp not matter what your current skiing proficiency is.  If you think WC bump tech is for young bucks, the super talented and future knee replacement canditates, please think again.

Oh, and thanks to Jeff for providing the real meat of this TRThumbs Up

Oh, and while I'm at it, here's a short vid of the product as it now stands:

Sounds cool.  From the video, it looks like you are slowing down while riding up the mogul.  I was told to absorb the mogul bending your knees and then at the top of the mogul, straighten your legs so that your skis fall back in the line and then slow yourself down on the backside of the mogul....  Anybody know which way is better?

Very impressive video.  Very impressive instruction.  Can you tell I'm impressed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by krizwit 

 

Sounds cool.  From the video, it looks like you are slowing down while riding up the mogul.  I was told to absorb the mogul bending your knees and then at the top of the mogul, straighten your legs so that your skis fall back in the line and then slow yourself down on the backside of the mogul....  Anybody know which way is better?

One image the coaches liked was to think of a bit of velcro on the top of the bump, as your skis pass over the bump they stick while the CoM continues through the turn.  I prefer to think of it as drawing my feet back under my body.  Either way it accomplishes the same thing, staying stacked over the downhill ski.

As far as which way is better, I'm not prepared to say.  I do, however, know which way I prefer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noodler 

 

Very impressive video.  Very impressive instruction.  Can you tell I'm impressed?

 

 

Thanks NoodlerThumbs Up

the video of you didn't work but the other one was stoke and educational.... do you expect me to learn something 

Thanks for the TR.....you are truly a bumpfreaq!!!

Noodler, if you ever get a chance to ski with our friend BF, do it!

Looking better BF.

Was that run on Drunken Frenchman for me?

One of my Favorite bump runs there.

I met Chuck up at Whistler this past summer. Really good guy and in fact does have an account here on Epic.  These camps, are really off the charts if you want to improve your bump skiing. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars 

 

Looking better BF.

 

Was that run on Drunken Frenchman for me?

 

One of my Favorite bump runs there.

 

 

Lars, I think of you everytime I ski DF..... which means pretty often.  It's one of my faves too!

You got to love Chuck Martin, a mogul God who looks like he's a high school physics teacher!

Looking good BF.

Looks like a great camp.  Nice skiing Bumpfreaq.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roundturns 

 

You got to love Chuck Martin, a mogul God who looks like he's a high school physics teacher!

 

Looking good BF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Jones 

 

Looks like a great camp.  Nice skiing Bumpfreaq.

Thanks guys.

Yeah, Chuck is such a super guy and a great coach too.  He told us about the time he was skiing bumps in a Warren Miller film.  He was doing three to four really really quick turns on every bump.  Mr. Miller's on screen comment was, "If my dog had a wiggle like that, I'd take him to be de-wormed!"

Luv everything about this post,will be looking into this camp for next year.

I missed this on the first round, but I share Noodler's sentiment; I'm impressed.

Thanks Cirque =)

dublblax, if it's something that interests you, I don't see where you could go wrong.  Great coaching and a great time too!

Those videos and photos never do the terrain justice for how steep it actually is.  It is especially hard to stick to your attack plan and technique of skiing the bumps and holding the line when survival instincts may be telling you otherwise. 

Well done!

I have much to learn.

That is some great skiing.  Mogul skiing is still by far the most entertaining to watch for me.

You mean Bruno, the tall skinny Frenchman? 

It goes to show how small the skiing world really is.  I have stayed and skied with him.  I was in CO that week and maybe should have come over to WP for a day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkiMerlin 

 

 

 

You mean Bruno, the tall skinny Frenchman? 

 

It goes to show how small the skiing world really is.  I have stayed and skied with him.  I was in CO that week and maybe should have come over to WP for a day.

Yup, that's the guy.  Great dude to ski with.

Nice report bumpfreaq! Did not see it before.  So the guy in the video at about 1:35 in the two tone grey/beige jacket...It looks like his boots are canted tipping out - intentional, illusion, or what?

Also, from this bump camp did they talk about other ways besides zipper line style or is it always geared towards that? - or does it translate.  What about air in between bumps? - Like the Mike Hattrup sequence at the begining of the video. Did they talk about that style?  - Isn't he a guide now and one of the people in Steep?

I will attest to bumpfrq's mogul skiing.  In the garbage, rock hard, wind swept, double fall line bumps on one of the trails at Magic on 'Powder Day' he was rocking them. He went right for them while I preferred the softer merely windpacked ones on the side. Later in the day, those disappeard too and it was all rock hard and somewhat torturous. I preferred the rock trail under the lift.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

 

Those videos and photos never do the terrain justice for how steep it actually is.  It is especially hard to stick to your attack plan and technique of skiing the bumps and holding the line when survival instincts may be telling you otherwise. 

Well done!

 

Perhaps that's why I was  not totally awed by BF's skiing in the video when I watched it. Colorado bumps, eh, how hard can that be? After seeing BF ski in person on eastern ice bumps, (his words; "I don't consider those moguls."), I must say his technique holds up well in bad conditions. He looked pretty much the same as in the video. Like Tog, I sought an easier line to the side, while BF charged down the middle. Hey Chris, thanks for bringing my ski down to me when it came off.

BF: If you think WC bump tech is for young bucks, the super talented and future knee replacement canditates, please think again.

Yet that wonderful video clearly shows that there is a lot of impact. Only the very best manage to "slink" through the bumps with minimal impact.

I am not convinced this is the best approach for a less-than-expert bump skier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog 

 

Nice report bumpfreaq! Did not see it before.  So the guy in the video at about 1:35 in the two tone grey/beige jacket...It looks like his boots are canted tipping out - intentional, illusion, or what?

Also, from this bump camp did they talk about other ways besides zipper line style or is it always geared towards that? - or does it translate.  What about air in between bumps?

Equipmet issue discussions weren't really part of this camp.  Two full days were packed full of basic body position drills and practice.  The coaches were always very willing to impart their knowlege on any topic if asked though.

This was a WC tech specific camp.  Other styles were not addressed.  Again, I'm sure the coaches would have been open to a discussion of comparing and contrasting styles but it never came up.  All students and all coaches were really jazzed about the WC style.

Air between bumps was not part of this camp either.  Maximum ski to snow contact was the goal.  The focus of this camp was narrow.  When the coaches skied they would often end their runs with an air over a bump or two.

Thanks for the props Tog.

Quote:

Originally Posted by telerod15 

 

 

 

Perhaps that's why I was  not totally awed by BF's skiing in the video when I watched it. Colorado bumps, eh, how hard can that be? After seeing BF ski in person on eastern ice bumps, (his words; "I don't consider those moguls."), I must say his technique holds up well in bad conditions. He looked pretty much the same as in the video. Like Tog, I sought an easier line to the side, while BF charged down the middle. Hey Chris, thanks for bringing my ski down to me when it came off.

My vid was taken on one of the more shallow pitches on Frenchman but still, I think the camera flattens it out a fair amount.  IMO Colorado bumps and specifically Mary Jane bumps are way easier than eastern bumps...I guess I should have said that I have a hard time considering those moguls because obviously they are, it's just that the bumps at MJ are made (to a large extent) by very good bump skiers.  They are a whole different animal.  They have a lot more uniformity and consistancy in size, shape and spacing and there are so many of them that you can get really creative with your line choice and still ski a 'zipper' line for the most part.  Those bumps on Extrovert at Blue Knob had absolutely no uniformity, constancy or really any organization at all..... and they weren't soft like I like =) ..... but they were still fun.  All those body positions and movement patterns that I'm trying to get into my skiing still work on 'em.

I'd rescue your ski anytime Rod, 'cause I know you'd do the same for me.... and I'm pretty likely to give you the chance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB 

 

BF: If you think WC bump tech is for young bucks, the super talented and future knee replacement canditates, please think again.

 

Yet that wonderful video clearly shows that there is a lot of impact. Only the very best manage to "slink" through the bumps with minimal impact.

 

I am not convinced this is the best approach for a less-than-expert bump skier.

I can only speak from my own limited experience but I can tell you that in the two years I've been attempting WC tech I have greatly reduced the impact to my knees and back.  I've been coached to release the tension in my legs as the ski tips hit the 'target' so that the bump itself pushes my feet up under my butt in a smooth and gentle fashion.  I've got a long way to go before I'm very good at this but I used to ski bumps with my legs braced against each impending impact.  I used to take way more ibuprophen in those days.

I'd say I'm way shy of being an 'expert bump skier' but impact-wise WC tech beeen beddy beddy goood to me.  Also I'll pass on the observation that I don't think we had any skiers at this camp under 35 and we had quite a few over 50.  A very large percentage are regulars at this camp.  Sore knees were not a problem, Anne Battelle excepted.