How to snowboard moguls

Learning how to snowboard moguls is mostly about controlling speed in terrain that keeps changing under your feet. Moguls are the bumps that form when many riders and skiers turn in the same places, pushing snow into mounds with troughs between them.

Before you head down a mogul run, you should be able to:

• link short, controlled turns on both edges on a groomed run;
• make a quick, controlled sideslip on your heel and toe edges;
• stop on either edge when you choose;
• ride with your ankles, knees and hips flexed, rather than standing tall and stiff.

Good edge control from carving practice on smooth groomers helps, but bumps call for a different blend: shorter, more skidded turns and much more leg movement. Mogul runs are often marked as more difficult because of their bumps, even if the slope underneath is not especially steep. Start on the smallest, most widely spaced bumps you can find, often at the side of a groomed run late in the day. An instructor can point you to suitable terrain and give you drills that fit your riding.

Staring at the bump in front of you is a recipe for getting stuck. Instead, stop at the side where you are visible from above, look down the run and plan a route.

• Look two or three bumps ahead. Your body follows your eyes. Looking further down the slope helps you link turns smoothly instead of reacting to each bump.
• Turn on the top or shoulder of a bump. On the crest, the nose and tail of the board are off the snow, which makes it easier to pivot. This is a common starting point for learning.
• Use the side of the run. The edges of a mogul field often have smaller or softer bumps, and give you an easy exit if you need a rest.
• Avoid the deepest troughs at first. Riding straight through the troughs builds speed fast, and the walls can catch the nose or tail of your board.

There is no single correct line. As you improve, you will learn to ride different routes through the same field. Start with the one that lets you stay in control.

Riding bumpy terrain well means keeping your upper body fairly quiet while your legs bend and extend beneath you.

1. Start in an athletic stance. Flex your ankles, knees and hips, with your hands in front and your weight centered.
2. Flex as you ride up the bump. As the board rises onto the mogul, bend your legs more and let your knees come up toward your chest. This stops the bump from throwing you upward.
3. Turn near the top. With your legs flexed and the board lighter on the crest, guide it into the new turn.
4. Extend down the back side. Push your legs back out to keep the board in contact with the snow as it drops into the next trough, and use that contact to control speed.

Think of your legs as shock absorbers and your head as staying at roughly the same height. Practice the flex-and-extend movement on rolling groomed terrain first, where you can concentrate on the movement without worrying about the next bump.

Speed is the main challenge when you go down moguls on a snowboard. Each bump can launch you if you arrive too fast, and the troughs between them funnel you downhill.

• Use short, skidded turns. Controlled skidding across the back side of each bump sheds speed. Long carved turns are hard to fit between tight bumps.
• Finish every turn. Bring the board across the hill at the end of each turn so you slow down before the next bump.
• Link turns with rhythm. A steady rhythm keeps your speed even. If you lose it, sideslip or traverse to the side and restart.
• Sideslip when needed. A controlled sideslip down a section of bumps is a perfectly valid way to reset your speed, as long as you stay aware of others.

The NSAA’s Your Responsibility Code says you must be able to stop or avoid people or objects. If you cannot do that in the bumps, move to smaller moguls or a groomed run.

Steep moguls combine two difficult things: bumps and pitch. Build up to them only after smaller bumps feel routine and you have spent time riding steeper groomed terrain in control. On steep bumps, sideslipping the first few moguls to find your rhythm is a sensible way in.

Icy moguls are much harder than soft ones, because the edge has little to grip on the back side of each bump. Our tips for handling hard-packed and icy snow apply, and waiting for the snow to soften later in the day is often the better plan. In spring, bumps that are firm in the morning can become soft and forgiving by midday.

A lesson focused on bumps is one of the quickest ways to make progress, because an instructor can see exactly where your turns lose control.

• Standing tall and stiff. Straight legs cannot absorb anything, so every bump bounces you. Stay flexed.
• Leaning back. Sitting back takes weight off the nose, makes the board harder to turn and tires your back leg. Keep your weight centered.
• Catching the tail or nose. A long board in tight bumps can hit the next mogul. Turn on the tops of bumps and keep turns short.
• Looking down at the next bump. Look further ahead so you can plan your line.
• Speed creeping up. If each turn is a little faster than the last, you are not finishing your turns. Sideslip to reset.
• Tired legs. Moguls are hard work. Rest at the side of the run where you are visible and stop before fatigue affects your control.