Moguls

[yomama]

Patrice,

I saw a short (too short !! ) video of you riding moguls.
What is the most stylish way of riding moguls and could you briefly describe the technique?

Is it possible to ride the moguls in a fast and dynamic way like skiiers? If yes, again what is the technique here ?

If you guys happen to make a freeride video for 2004, don't forget the moguls, jumps, tricks and everything you know !!

I'm just hungry to learn new things !!

Thanks !

Peter

[vkrouverk]

One carving video (not from extremecarvers, but from other carvers from Switzerland), containing moguls, is Pureboarding's 'beyond the limits' http://www.pureboarding.com/en/doku/video.php4?page=3 Tricks, jumps and powder as well.
And if you haven't seen, check other videos also out:
http://www.pureboarding.com/en/doku/menu.php4?case=4

[fivat]

Hi Peter,

I think you saw the short video on Web pages of the CERN ski club.

This is a 7 years old movie... My style is bad: my arms are contracted and gesticulating... At least I use the rotation technique: I turn the shoulders in the sense of the turns (like the surfers), they are not facing the slope all the time.

Here is the sequence, the original one and a slowed down version:

normal speed          slow motion

What is the most stylish way of riding moguls and could you briefly describe the technique?

It's not to me to judge what way is the most stylish. And who can? All styles are great when one gets pleasure. But I can tell you briefly what is our technique.

It's difficult to see it in the video, but it's something close to the "push-pull" technique: on the bump I absorb it, doing a rotation at the same time. Then, the important point (that requires a mental effort) is to push the board after the bump (don't undergo the moguls). Then, when I reach the next bump, I do again a flexion...

The movements of the legs are close to the skiing style. The key is to control the contact with the snow, to regulate the pressure: absorb the bumps, push in the hollows.

The rotations give more inertia and it's not possible to be as fast as the skiers. But if the moguls where created only by snowboarders and not skiers, they would be wider and different. I would love to try such conditions, it would be easier and maybe we could go faster.

The counter-rotation used by many snowboarders is another style. Advantage: you can go faster. Disadvantage: balance and timing are more delicate, in my opinion.

There would be much more things to say...
To conclude, I would say that the Swoard is excellent in the moguls too. We will shoot probably some sequences: Jacques is good in the moguls!

Patrice Fivat

[fivat]

vkrouverk, I like this well known video from Pureboarding.

It's interesting to note that some of those riders are doing large turns with the rotation technique ("Swiss style").
But when small and quick turns are required, especially in the moguls, they do counter-rotations.

Patrice Fivat

[audacium]

Well, in my opinion the ability to go through moguls strongly depends on the "size" of the moguls. I tried the Swoard on moguls several times, and if the moguls are too close to each other or quite high resp. there are deep "valleys" in between, it is not really funny to go through these moguls with a 175cm board - one gets stuck automatically. So it is a question of length, and as for EC longer boards are better suited than shorter ones I would have a look at the moguls before getting into a "no-fun" descent , but with the shorter Swoards it should be fine.

Eduard.

[fivat]

Yes audacium, when the moguls are too close to each other or quite high, it's not funny.
As I said: I dream about a field of moguls created by snowboarders runs only...

Patrice Fivat

[audacium]

Yes, snowboarder moguls are what we need !!!!
I said this because I once got with my skiing friends into a very long hill (I think it was in St. Anton), where it took me nearly an hour to get through (there was no other way), as the moguls where very close to each other and I could not even do one singly proper turn as each time the board got stuck between the moguls. It probably would have been faster to walk down... (Well, it said at the top: "for skiers only", so it was somewhat my fault )
Since then I have a long look at the moguls before entering whether
1. they are wide enough
2. there is an "escape" possibility at the side

Especially my skiing friends were not really happy to wait such a long time for me...

Eduard.

[Christoph]

vkrouverk, I like this well known video from Pureboarding.

It's interesting to note that some of those riders are doing large turns with the rotation technique ("Swiss style").
But when small and quick turns are required, especially in the moguls, they do counter-rotations.

Salut Patrice,

I just found this topic ....... and I don't realy agree. If you look at the video "beyound the limits" in slow-motion you can find that joerg does not do any counter-rotation. It's pre-rotation in his body, then he lets the board go over the moguls and with the stop he starts the next turn. I know, it almost looks like counter-rotation but just almost. It makes a big difference if your movement is ahead of your board or behind.
The basic movements in your anim-gifs and in the pureboarding-video are the same.

[István]

Guys,

Just a comment on the mogul issue: on slopes with bumps all over, there are usually two 'fast lanes' on the two edges, made by skiers not doing the alpine bump skiing, but going down straight.

I just follow them...

Who the hell wants to ride big bumps with a very stiff and narrow carving board. Not me. Sometimes I find myself standing on two bumps like a bridge over the river

Cheers,

István

[fivat]

If you look at the video "beyound the limits" in slow-motion you can find that joerg does not do any counter-rotation. It's pre-rotation in his body, then he lets the board go over the moguls and with the stop he starts the next turn. I know, it almost looks like counter-rotation but just almost.

Yes, you are right It may look like counter-rotation but it's not. I judged the sequence too quickly. Counter-rotation is based on the physics law "action-reaction", the upper part of the body and the board are rotating in opposite senses simultaneously, what is not the case in the video.
Joerg is doing indeed pre-rotation (or anticipated-rotation), an advanced technique that is also taught in the Swiss snowboard schools

Patrice Fivat