How To Ski Moguls

17 June 2024

Whether you’re new to skiing and just starting ski lessons or a practised skier, tackling moguls can be tricky but there’s always room for improvement. 

Just like marmite, most people have a love or hate relationship with moguls. Either way you’re likely to come across them at some point, so these tips to help you improve your mogul skiing from the skiing experts at The Snow Centre will have you flying through the bumps in no time.

What Is Mogul Skiing?

Moguls are mounds of snow that build up throughout the day because skiers and snowboarders making their turns push the snow into mounds all across the slope. These mounds make the piste particularly bumpy to ski or board on and they can vary in size. Some are the size of a football, some are the size of a car and it depends on how steep the piste is. Generally, the steeper the slope, the bigger the mogul.

However, there are also pistes designed to be essentially fields of moguls, for skiers who love the challenge of skiing moguls or snowboarders can have a go too. These moguls can often be particularly large, but are also quite even in comparison to moguls that have just formed from frequent skiing. The term mogul is coined from the Austrian German word Mugel which can be defined as a mound or hillock, so both types of bumps fall under the term mogul.
 

Skiing Moguls Tips

To learn how to ski on moguls without falling it is important to learn some important skiing mogul tips, you can have an adult ski lesson to speed the process up. However, skiing moguls can be a tricky task so if you feel you are in need of some expert advice before a holiday or that lesson on how to handle skiing on these lumps of snow, then here are six tips you can take on to ensure you glide over moguls:

Control Your Speed

Skiing too fast is the biggest downfall in mogul skiing. Controlling your speed will allow you time to control your turns around the moguls or bumps. If you do build up too much speed after the first couple of moguls, you risk spinning out of control and taking a fall. 

To learn how to control your speed when freestyle skiing, why not learn from a freestyle ski coach at The Snow Centre.

 

Choose Your Mogul Line

There’s more than one way to ski a mogul field, but choosing a line to follow before you set off will undeniably make things easier. When you’re picking this line, regularity in the size and the pattern of the moguls is key. Choosing an inconsistent path will mean switching up your rhythm and will give you more to think about and react to. 

Then, probably the most recognised method for skiing moguls is to try to avoid swerving around the moguls. It’s good practice to ski over the mogul before making your turn at the peak; doing this will help to keep the tips of your skis out of the snow, and you should find turning a lot easier. As you complete each turn, ski down a little on the other side of the mogul and turn your ski at the top of the next mogul. Throughout, you’ll need to absorb the bumps with your knees and ankles while allowing your legs to flex with the ups and downs of the terrain. It can be difficult to master mogul skiing, so be sure to take a full day ski lesson where you can practise it until it becomes second nature.
 

Adapt To Your Mogul Line

While choosing a good line is important, you’re never going to find a path through a mogul field that features entirely evenly spaced bumps of a similar size. Instead, pick the best possible line and be ready to face variations in mogul size. 

Learning to adapt and having the ability to tackle bumps of all shapes and sizes will improve your skiing. When mogul skiing, look ahead for a distant object or location within the mogul field and fix a line straight down from you to that very point—then ski that path with conviction and confidence.

Find Your Rhythm

You can considerably improve your mogul skiing by finding a good rhythm, which in turn will improve your confidence and fluidity. If you’re finding this challenging, count to a number, and on that chosen number, make your turn, then repeat. This will keep you consistently manoeuvring down the slopes in a steady rhythm that supports your stability and balance. 

It can be difficult to know whether to turn on the top of the bump or in between the bumps, but having a rhythm to turn to will help. Turning in between the moguls will allow for a faster run, but it can be hard work. Turning on top will allow for a much rounder turn as less of your ski will be in contact with the snow, making the turn much easier.

Remember To Pole Plant

Pole planting is so important when it comes to skiing moguls. The poles will play a key part in helping you maintain rhythm and balance. If you do not know how to pole plant or just need a refresher, then be sure to take a private ski lesson where one of our ski instructors will take the time to perfect the skill with you. 

 

Patience Is A Virtue

If you find yourself struggling to get to grips with skiing the moguls, the most important tip we can give is to remain calm and trust that you will get it eventually. Don’t worry; if you’ve implemented the above mogul skiing points, it may mean you just need to relax and avoid being so rigid. Challenge yourself to glide over some bumps while keeping your head at the same level throughout the run, allowing your ankles, knees, and hips to flex. This should give you more control and allow you to actively move with the uneven terrain rather than being pushed around by it.

The longer you stick at it, the better you will become, so remember to remain patient and follow our skiing mogul tips to know how to ski moguls and never let them be a problem again.

Get in Touch

Make sure to book your ski lessons with The Snow Centre. If you require further information about any of our services or need help making your booking, then be sure to contact us, and a member of our helpful team will be on hand to help.