Few things in life offer the same amount of satisfaction as a bump run well executed. The sheer excitement of not knowing what lies ahead and the snap judgements that have to be made keep you in ‘the zone’. Bump skiing requires one to be highly alert and active, yet at the same time totally calm and relaxed.
Here are 10 tips to improve your fall line bump skiing:
1. Eccentric muscle strengthening
Let’s face it – skiing is a sport and it requires a level of fitness that will allow you to cope successfully with the demands that it places on your body. Skiing requires a type of muscle action where the muscle lengthens as it contracts. This is called an eccentric muscle contraction. This type of contraction happens in your thigh and calf muscles when you bend your legs while they are carrying weight, like during skiing. Incidentally this is also the type of muscle contraction that is most strenuous on your muscles. It’s no wonder so many people are in agony after the first two days of their vacation. In the bumps this ability to control the bending of the legs (eccentric muscle control) in order to absorb the pressure as you hit the bumps is extremely important and must be trained.
Incorporate eccentric muscle control in your current workout by focussing on a slow and gradual bending of the legs in squats and lunges. If you’ve already been doing this (good for you!), increase the load by holding a dumbbell weight in each hand. To progress further and be a superstar in the bumps, start working with plyometric exercises (more on this in another issue).
2. Stance
An excellent stance is most definitely a good starting point. Here are the key check points, from the bottom up:
1. Shins firmly touching the front of the boot.
2. Skis about fist width apart.
3. Knees bent over the toes.
4. Hips bent over the heel pieces.
5. Hands out in front and keep them there.
6. Vision ahead of you so you can see what’s coming.
3. Improve your short radius turns
Fall line bump skiing is about being able to do great short radius turns in bumpy terrain so improving your short radius turns on groomed runs and then applying those improvements in the bumps is very useful. Make sure that you are able to choose an imaginary corridor to ski in and that you are able to maintain the same speed all the way down. If you can do this on moderate terrain, move on to steeper runs or small bumps to make it more challenging.
4. Pole plant
A strong, confident and decisive pole plant that reaches forward down the fall line is your ally in the bumps. Doing this consistently forces you to commit to turning all the time. A mantra like “Plant, turn, plant, turn, plant…,” can be very useful.
Planting your pole into the face of the bump as you approach it has the effect of kicking your hand back and can in turn cause your upper body to go back as well. Reach further forward and over the top of the bump for a smoother ride.
5. Activate your ankles
Think of your body as a giant shock absorber. To most effectively absorb the bumps you need to use all the joints at your disposal. The ankle joint is often neglected.
Picture this: you approach a bump, the tips of your skis start to slide onto it and as they do, the skis start to bend. As this happens the force gets transferred to you your ankles that then start to bend. As your ankles bend the force travels further up your legs to your knees that in turn start to bend and eventually ends up at your hips that absorb the remainder of the force.
Remember that in the same way that a shock absorber lengthens after it has absorbed the shock, you need to lengthen your legs as you ski over the other side of the bump in order to maintain contact with the snow and absorb the next bump in the same way.
(Fig. 1) Skier showing flexion (bending) of the leg joints to absorb a bump. How much you flex depends on the size of the bump.
(Fig. 2) Skier showing almost full extension (straightening) of the leg joints to maintain contact with the snow where the terrain falls away. How much you extend depends on how much the terrain falls away.
6. Choose the best line
Choose your initial line for the features that you are looking for. You might only be able to see the first 4 or 5 bumps and nothing further than that. Maybe you want the first few bumps to be more regular in shape and pattern to make for an easier start or perhaps you want to play a bit and choose a more challenging line with interesting features. It’s really up to you. The more tricky part is to keep looking 2 or 3 bumps ahead of you as you make your way down the run so that you know what is coming and you have that extra split second to prepare. More advanced skiers are also able to scan the bumps to their left and right to decide whether they want to change to a better line.
7. Breath
Remember to breath! Your muscles need the oxygen. Focussing on deep, slow breathing has the added benefit of keeping you appropriately relaxed. Sometimes we just try too hard and then we start to force things. Focussed breathing takes your mind off what you need to do, giving you a clear mind and the ability to ski more ‘naturally’.
8. Visualize
Visualization in sport is a fantastic tool to improve all aspects of your ability. Virtually all Olympic and elite athletes employ this technique in their training programmes and more and more recreational athletes are realizing the benefits of visualization. Find video footage of an expert bump skier in action. Become that person in your mind and replay the run over and over in your mind’s eye. Make it as real as possible, including colour, sound and feeling in your visualization. I really encourage you to find out more about visualization techniques. They are incredibly valuable.
9. Enjoy the experience
Sometimes we are so serious about improving our skiing that we forget to enjoy it. If you have fun while you are working hard, the improvements will come much quicker. Savour every run and take in all the detail. You deserve it!
10. Take a ski improvement course
Take the guess work out by spending time with an experienced instructor who will coach you to your goals and by using supplementary tools such as video analysis. You will reach your goals much quicker and you’ll have heaps of fun with other skiers of a similar ability level.
The best time to start working towards your goals is right now. It’s important to realize that you can start making improvements anytime and anywhere. Muscle strengthening, visualization and checking your stance in a mirror while in your ski boots can be done even while you’re on holiday in the Bahamas. Ok, well, maybe lugging your ski boots to the Bahamas is taking it a bit too far. Or is it…?