# Any tips for riding steep and bumpy terrain?



## sneakybanana (Mar 5, 2018)

Hey guys,

Does anyone have any good tips or can share their 'aha!' moments for riding steep and bumpy terrain? I just got back from a weekend in Thredbo, and there was a ton of snow and the runs were all pretty bumpy. On the blue runs, I managed fine, but on the black ones, I found I felt off balance and there was no rhythm in my turning.

I'm heading back soon and I'm going to look for these runs again to conquer them, but I'm trying to figure out what I need to do better. So far I've got:

1. Make legs move independently of each other
2. Knees bent, KNEES bent, KNEES BENT

I'm also assuming it's correct to ride bumps like you would do skidded turns, meaning no ruddering, turning with the front knee, no counter-rotation/keeping body in alignment.

Am I on the right track here?


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm don't ride bumps very well, but I try to ride them at least once everyday I'm out.

Instead of bending the knees, I think about absorbing the bumps by sucking up my knees.

And I pre-rotate and try to keep my leading shoulder in the fall line.


----------



## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

Hope your board isn’t a noodle.


----------



## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Go fast.
If something gets in your way... TURN.
Bump the bumps.
Gap the bumps.
Go faster.


----------



## sneakybanana (Mar 5, 2018)

Manicmouse said:


> Hope your board isn’t a noodle.


i'll be using a jones mountain twin....definitely not a noodle, surely it'd be stiff enough to ride effectively through bumps?


----------



## sneakybanana (Mar 5, 2018)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Go fast.
> If something gets in your way... TURN.
> Bump the bumps.
> Gap the bumps.
> Go faster.


Thanks man...what do you mean by 'gap the bumps'?


----------



## sneakybanana (Mar 5, 2018)

wrathfuldeity said:


> I'm don't ride bumps very well, but I try to ride them at least once everyday I'm out.
> 
> Instead of bending the knees, I think about absorbing the bumps by sucking up my knees.
> 
> And I pre-rotate and try to keep my leading shoulder in the fall line.


Thanks for the tip regarding the knees! I'll try to keep that in mind...

With the pre-rotation, doesn't that keep you all out of alignment and therefore off balance?


----------



## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

Look ahead. 3 or 4 turns if u can. Don't be reactionary, actively bEast the snow. Bumps= skier spray opportunity


----------



## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Drink moar barley pop..............


----------



## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Scouting out spots where you can speedcheck or turn is nice, then "straightline" between. You have an ideal board for it.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

sneakybanana said:


> Thanks for the tip regarding the knees! I'll try to keep that in mind...
> 
> With the pre-rotation, doesn't that keep you all out of alignment and therefore off balance?


Disclaimer...not a good bumps rider:

Perhaps pre-rotate was a bad choice of descriptors. 

Generally I try to keep my leading shoulder in directed/chosen line, matching the slope and a bit of pre-rotation with the shoulder/body pre-hop/unweighting the nose (see in the link below)...but not counter-rotation. And thus not out of alignment with the line. As for off balance...I try to absorb the bumps....absorb, extend, absorb, extend... Its more about moving the board under you, instead of you moving on/above the board.

Alot of it is about timing/rhythm/flow. On a good day when I'm feeling it, the slope is good and the snow is good...it comes together...other days not so much.


----------



## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

sneakybanana said:


> i'll be using a jones mountain twin....definitely not a noodle, surely it'd be stiff enough to ride effectively through bumps?


The extended rockered tips will help. In choppy snow you should be able to pull turns with a stiff board but keep those knees really bent as you'll bounce around. I tend to avoid mogul runs, they're just not fun!



Rip154 said:


> Scouting out spots where you can speedcheck or turn is nice, then "straightline" between. You have an ideal board for it.


This.



wrathfuldeity said:


> Vid


A very good video!


----------



## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

100% starts with picking your line, your eyes should be forward not looking down, see the bumps ahead, know where they are, memorize them in your head so your feet react to them while your eyes are looking further down hill.

Then as mentioned it's not "BENT KNEES" it's relaxed soft knees to suck up bumps. Your knees can be super bent but if your keeping them stiff while bent it won't help. 

Plan and prep for times where your board is going to skip or slip. If you're setting a hard edge and you know you're going to come off a bumo or something pick, are you going to try and land with your weight on your edge to get it to instantly engage again, or are you going to use it to transition? It's often easier to come off your edge when you are about to skip or have the board hop though. It lets you get your weight back centered again so you can absorb it with soft knees rather than trying to push in to the snow when your board comes off the ground for a second.

That's it, that's the whole thing. After that it's just practice and muscle memory.


----------



## bazman (Jan 15, 2017)

I like to bomb down bumpy runs (not big moguls) and absorb with knees as per previous advice. Adjusting position of board under my body all the time

The issue comes when needing to lose lots of speed or stop! Haven't worked that out yet without some brown pants moments


----------



## Scalpelman (Dec 5, 2017)

That video was posted before last season. It’s the real deal. My mogul riding advanced significantly after following those principles. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## phillyphan (Sep 22, 2016)

wrathfuldeity said:


> I'm don't ride bumps very well, but I try to ride them at least once everyday I'm out.
> 
> Instead of bending the knees, I think about absorbing the bumps by sucking up my knees.
> 
> And I pre-rotate and try to keep my leading shoulder in the fall line.


I'm with Wrath on this. I absorb the bumps. My knees are bent more, but they are freely moving to absorb the bumps.


----------



## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Additionally to before posted advice I'd add that you should try to get the nose in fall line as quick as possible after circumventing a bump. Quick short turns, weight on front foot, nose back into fall line. Once you get perpendicular, ur lost, rhythm is killed.


----------



## sneakybanana (Mar 5, 2018)

Thank you to everyone that posted in this thread! I'm excited to go up this weekend and put to work your suggestions! I even wrote them down in my phone to go over them quickly before the first run of the day!


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

Too bad it got deleted in his narcissistic rage, but Snow Wolf had the definitive guide on how to ride the steep bumps.


----------



## Anais (Aug 14, 2016)

sneakybanana said:


> With the pre-rotation, doesn't that keep you all out of alignment and therefore off balance?


Not when it's within 180 degrees, it's actually faster turning using counter rotation within that range, but of course only when you know how and use it correctly. Also like spray snow (also using counter rotation), use that movement gently and quickly (not as exaggerated as spray snow), to buffer off some speed.

Other than absorb the bumps passively (jelly knees, keep them soft, flexible, use them like shock absorber on cars/mountain bikes etc.), if you are active/athletic enough (like to get some air while riding, jump, ollie, etc.) use active absorption too - when you are just not fast enough to turn properly, or it's too much to be absorbed passively, then just jump over it :wink: Same with changing edges, when you just don't have that room and not fast enough to make proper turn, then try jump to your new edge. There is a freestyle trick called dolphin turns, which can be very useful in such conditions.

Feel and use the terrain to your advantage, when it bounces you up, don't fight against it, suck up your knees, use that rebound to pop up and change edge => turn. 

Make gradual progress rather than jump onto icy moguls full speed right away.
1st, try to traverse on both of your toe and heel side all the way across the bumpy slopes rather than making turns. See how you're absorbing bumps using the techniques mentioned, and at what speed you can comfortably traverse across bumps, and how well you can keep the balance.

Once comfortable with the above, plan your line, start making turns, many suggests it's best to turn around the top of the bumps, which it will help you to buffer off some speed. Don't be too greedy, trying to turn on each bumps at the start, take your time, it's perfectly fine to miss a few bumps. If going too fast, unable to keep the balance, slow down by traversing across and up the slope, or use quick counter rotation similar as spray snow movement for a bit of speed control. 

Repeat, revise, find your rhythm, and pick your line, eventually you'll ride it through as nothing.


----------



## Magikarps (Sep 27, 2018)

yeah man, keep those legs active, by that I mean MOBILE and RELAxed. try turning around the bumps instead of over on top of them etc (pick your line)

initiating your turns from your lower body keeping your torso static above the board will help you keep it under control.


----------



## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Low and loose.


----------

