Unpopular opinion: Bumpy trails are better than groomed ones for learning control

I used to only ride packed snow until a mechanic in the UP told me I was just going for comfort not skill. He said 'you can't steer worth a damn on flat ground.' So I spent two weekends on moguls near Munising and finally learned to shift my weight right. Has anyone else had a fellow rider call them out and actually improve from it?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_coleman2d ago

So did you force yourself to ride moguls, or just stay on them until it clicked?

richardfox2d ago

Nah I don't think forcing it is the way. I tried that on a black diamond at Killington and spent more time sliding sideways than actually skiing. For me it was more about finding a run that had a few moguls spaced out, not a whole field of them. I'd ski through, stop, look back, and figure out what I did wrong. Eventually your legs start absorbing them on their own if you just relax a little and let the skis do the work.