Just got home from another spectacular Sugarbeach weekend. Great conditions, NBB (nuthin' but bumps).

Curious as to how many noticed the odd shape of the moguls on nearly all the bump runs at both mtns. I'd say the overwhelming majority of bumps, whether on blues or blacks, had a very steep, cliff like face on the skier's left, downhill facing side. Rarely on the right, which were usually "normal" and rounded. On the steeper runs, some of the these faces seemed vertical, leading down into very deep troughs. Sometimes they had almost cornice like lips above these faces.

One of my kids' Blazer coach offered the opinion that this phenomenon is due to snowboards, most of whom ride left foot forward and therefore face uphill into the slope when turning right, and thus scrape the downhill left side of a mogul. Seems like a good theory, but every bump run, including the really difficult ones where you don't see too many boarders?

Anyway, just wondering if anyone had the same observation and if there are any explanations?

Jacksun wrote:

Just got home from another spectacular Sugarbeach weekend. Great conditions, NBB (nuthin' but bumps). Curious as to how many noticed the odd shape of the moguls on nearly all the bump runs at both mtns. I'd say the overwhelming majority of bumps, whether on blues or blacks, had a very steep, cliff like face on the skier's left, downhill facing side. Rarely on the right, which were usually "normal" and rounded. On the steeper runs, some of the these faces seemed vertical, leading down into very deep troughs. Sometimes they had almost cornice like lips above these faces. One of my kids' Blazer coach offered the opinion that this phenomenon is due to snowboards, most of whom ride left foot forward and therefore face uphill into the slope when turning right, and thus scrape the downhill left side of a mogul. Seems like a good theory, but every bump run, including the really difficult ones where you don't see too many boarders? Anyway, just wondering if anyone had the same observation and if there are any explanations?

I think you should ski MRG next weekend and report back on your findings. ; }

I think you should ski MRG next weekend and report back on your findings. ; }[/quote]

LOL - Brilliant idea! So obvious, such a good way to gather scientific evidence!

I don't think the Blazer coach's theory is valid. I doubt any formal research has been done, but just from being in the sport for a while and looking around at my fellow riders it seems as though the split between left-foot (regular) and right-foot (goofy) is fairly even, rather than heavily slanted toward regular (despite the nomenclature). It's much more common to be goofy than to be left-handed, for example.

Whether most skiers realize it or not, or are willing to acknowledge it, their turns aren't as symmetrical as they think they are. So, while I can't offer an opinion either way on the snowboard comment, I do think that skiers alone would probably create a similar situation.

When skiing on bump lines, think about whether or not you tend to end up on one side of the trail vs. another. Is it simply a personal preference? Or is it maybe that you turn more strongly and confidently in one direction than another? I am someone who has a tendency to end up on the left hand side of bump lines, likely trusting my right leg and its strength a bit more than the left. I had my left ACL replaced 9 years ago and I probably still favor one side over another, despite doing lots of unilateral work in the gym to ensure even leg strength. Because of that, I've been going out of my way the past few years to ski the right hand side on bump lines, hoping to become more balanced in the strength and quality of my turns.

Just a thought...


GS

Your blazer coach friend should look a little closer. I think he/she would notice almost no boarders in the bumps especially in those sharp edged bumps. The boarders that are there in bumps generally do not skiing them in any way that resembles what the skiers do. They don't make trenches (the boards are too wide.) They will often hit every second or third bump and often the back side of the mogul. Boarder-only bumps are often long and round (whale-like.) Those deep edged trenches are awful for boarders. Those are made by intermediate skiers. You won't find them in the woods or on trails primarily skied by experts. However, you will find lots of boarders in the woods and on on those expert trails.

Not to defend the knuckle-dragging sitting-in-middle-of-the-trail bastards. I've had it with the sideslipping of my favor woods lines. f*ckers. We should ban them*



*unless they've got hard boots.

Hardbooter wrote:

The boarders that are there in bumps generally do not skiing them in any way that resembles what the skiers do. They don't make trenches (the boards are too wide.) They will often hit every second or third bump and often the back side of the mogul. Boarder-only bumps are often long and round (whale-like.) Those deep edged trenches are awful for boarders. Those are made by intermediate skiers. You won't find them in the woods or on trails primarily skied by experts. However, you will find lots of boarders in the woods and on on those expert trails. Not to defend the knuckle-dragging sitting-in-middle-of-the-trail bastards. I've had it with the sideslipping of my favor woods lines. f*ckers. We should ban them* *unless they've got hard boots.

As noted, only a minority of boarders ride the moguls and they are certainly a small % of the overall traffic on those runs. Riding styles vary, boarders will also ride over the tops of the bumps and/or turn mid-way up the bump. No boarder wants to be in steep trenches as that = wipe out. Also please consider that boarders typically do not stop for rest on a bumped run as is the case with all but the top notch skiiers as stop and start on a board in bumps sucks.

As to the hardbooter's other comment, I remind him that his skiing hardboot ancestors tend to congregate standing in the middle of runs waving poles around.

Agree with comments from boarders - seems unlikely that they would create such a dramatic shape on so many moguls.

Still leaves the question - why do so many moguls at LP and ME have that cliff face, with the vast majority of them on skier's left, on the downhill facing side? Same phenonmenon this weekend, perhaps the only exception I noted was lower Domino - they were rounded on all sides, more "normal."

Jacksun wrote:

Agree with comments from boarders - seems unlikely that they would create such a dramatic shape on so many moguls. Still leaves the question - why do so many moguls at LP and ME have that cliff face, with the vast majority of them on skier's left, on the downhill facing side? Same phenonmenon this weekend, perhaps the only exception I noted was lower Domino - they were rounded on all sides, more "normal."

Well , since you didn't take my advice and ski MRG I guess I'll offer my opinion. I ski and ride but when I ride I avoid bumps as I am not that advanced and may never be. I think the bumps are mis-shapen because only the best skiers can sustain a fall line. So when the speed increases out of the comfort zone they side-slip to a stop , usually in the same vicinity as the the last skidder...; }

The bottom line about bump formation and the shape of current day bumps is simple. You only have to look at the difference between Sugarbush and MRG. At Sugarbush the overwhelming majority of skiers and boarders like to ski larger radius turns of varying size. This seeds the bumps larger and more irregular. At MRG there are many more "Old School" type skiers, Tele skiers and straight fallline skiers. They seed the bumps early on with shorter tighter radius turns. This makes for tighters bumps for the rest fo the season.