Mogul skiing

Moguls (at Sugarbush, Vermont)

Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers display tricks, jumps and turning abilities for onlookers (or judges) on a mogul slope making “high-quality, aggressive turns while remaining in the fall line (an imaginary line that combines the steepest pitch and most direct line, from top to bottom, of any slope). Skiers absorb the impact of the bumps by bending at the knees and hips. In a good run, shoulders remain parallel to the finish line, turns should be quick and short, and skis should not leave the snow surface”.

Moguls

Moguls are a series of bumps on a trail formed when skiers push the snow into mounds or piles as they execute short-radius turns. This tends to happen naturally as skiers use the slope. They can also be constructed (seeded) on a slope for freestyle skiing competitions or practice runs.

Once formed, a naturally occurring mogul tends to grow as skiers follow similar paths around it, further deepening the surrounding grooves known as troughs. Since skiing tends to be a series of linked turns, moguls form together to create a bump field. At most ski resorts certain pistes (trails) are groomed infrequently or left completely ungroomed to allow moguls to develop. These mogul trails are generally relatively steep.

Some trails cannot be groomed because they are too steep, too narrow, or they have obstacles that cannot be overcome by a snowcat. Such trails often form moguls. Mogul trails that can be groomed are usually groomed when the moguls get so big and the troughs so deep that the moguls become difficult to ski on or around. Some mogul fields are also groomed when they become too icy or too hardened to ski safely and enjoyably. Many times a section of a trail will be left ungroomed and allowed to bump up to prevent skiers from gaining too much speed and getting out of control.

Origin

The term mogul is probably of German origin, akin to German dialect (Viennese) mugl, small hill.

Approach: General vs. Modern

The general approach used by Olympians and children on freestyle teams is to make quick and short turns (initiated by use of the knee and ankle joints) in a mogul specific stance, using absorption & extension (ski flex) as their primary mechanism of speed control.

“The correct body position in moguls requires some adjustment from the position used in non-mogul specific groom terrain. The head must continue to be held in a natural position with the vision ahead in order to read the upcoming terrain. The upper body must be upright with the arms held in front at approximately mid torso height,” shoulders continue to be perpendicular to fall line (an imaginary line that combines the steepest pitch and most direct line, from top to bottom, of any slope).

Skiers absorb the impact of the bumps by bending at the knees and hips (extending by opening the knee, hip and ankle joints). “The ankle joint must remain flexed resulting in shin pressure and the pelvis must remain in the correct neutral position throughout all skiing movements”. “Absorption should start as soon as the ski tips contact the face of the mogul and continue until the feet reach the crest. Extension begins as the feet move over the crest onto the backside” and skis should not be permitted to leave the snow surface (in as much as speed and terrain permit).

This approach works exceptionally well in the most difficult of mogul slopes where style (quiet upper body) and speed are of the utmost importance.

The PSIA Modern Style allows the skier to ride around the front trough and up onto the back crest of the mogul, retracting the lower body in the process. From this position the skier can then extend their lower section pumping off the back side of the mogul in which ever direction allows easy transfer to the next back side crest. This style avoids the troughs and ice patches keeping the skier in complete balance, torso over feet; centering each turn on a patch of fresh snow preceding the face of the bump. The turning mechanism becomes the extension and retraction of the legs rather than a twisting of the hips. This adds a certain degree of style and grace to the descent in a mogul field by allowing the skier to maintain a degree of kinetic energy due to turn shape and timing. This energy allows for powerful and precise turns in any condition field, uniform or random. Eliminating the interaction of extensive forces at the top of each mogul also provides a much easier transition of weight through the body, ultimately eliminating strain once practiced.

Competitive mogul skiing

The first freestyle competition involving mogul skiing occurred in 1971. Freestyle runs included mogul skiing, aerials, and acrobatic tricks. After a series of serious injuries related to inverted aerials, such tricks were banned from competition. This ban remained in place until recently. As mogul skiing gained popularity in its early days, the FIS created the Freestyle World Cup Circuit in 1980. Mogul events take place each year all over the world and “under the guidance of freestyle coaches, children on freestyle teams all over the world are learning mogul techniques and skiing moguls well”. Mogul skiing has been an official medal event in the Winter Olympics since 1992; it was a demonstration sport in 1988 in Calgary. The first World Championships were held in 1986, and are currently held in odd-numbered years.

During a competition run, contestants navigate around the moguls and execute tricks such as the Cork 720, D-Spin, Back Lay, Back X, and Back Full. The slope is steep, usually between 24 and 32 degrees (most commonly 28 degrees), and about 656–886 feet (200–270 meters) long. The jumps in a moguls competition are smaller than those in aerial competitions, and are often referred to as "kickers" for their steep take off (that "kicks" the athlete up into the air).

In dual mogul events two athletes compete against each other for the highest score; the winner of each round advances.

Notable Olympic Mogul skiers

• Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada (Men's Gold 2010)
• Shannon Bahrke, USA (Women's Silver 2002, Women's Bronze 2010)
• Dale Begg-Smith, Australia (Men's Gold 2006, Men's Silver 2010)
• Jean-Luc Brassard, Canada (Men's Gold 1994)
• Toby Dawson, USA (Men's Bronze 2006)
• Edgar Grospiron, France (Men's Gold 1992, Bronze 1994)
• Jennifer Heil, Canada (Women's Gold 2006, Women's Silver 2010)
• Hannah Kearney, USA (Women's Gold 2010)
• Janne Lahtela, Finland (Men's Gold 2002, Silver 1998)
• Sandra Laoura, France (Women's Bronze 2006)
• Travis Mayer, USA (Men's Silver 2002)
• Jonny Moseley, USA (Men's Gold 1998)
• Mikko Ronkainen, Finland (Men's Silver 2006)
• Tae Satoya, Japan (Women's Gold 1998, Bronze 2002)
• Kari Traa, Norway (Women's Gold 2002, Silver 2006, Bronze 1998)
• Donna Weinbrecht, USA (Women's Gold 1992)

See also

• Freestyle skiing
• Freeskiing
• Backcountry skiing
• Extreme skiing
• Alpine skiing
• Cross-country skiing

External links

• wiki.fis-ski.com - The resource of information and knowledge on Freestyle Skiing, Ski Jumping, FIS World Ski Championships, FIS Leaders Seminar, FIS Ladies Seminar
• www.freestyleski.com - The official site of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. Your source for moguls, aerials, halfpipe and slopestyle skiing in Canada.
• www.mogulskiing.net – Mogul skiing's online home. Technique guide, misconceptions debunked, tips from pros, photos, video, equipment reviews, mogul-specific ski area reviews, news, forums and discussion group, US Freestyle Team info, etc.
• The Surprising Motion of Ski Moguls
• Mogul Skiing Tutorials
• Ottawa Citizen: "Moguls glossary" – 2010 Winter Games