Tag Archives: Snowboard Moguls

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How To Actively Snowboard Bumpy Terrain & Moguls

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There are perfect conditions for snowboarding and wakeboarding. Lakes are glass when there aren’t many boats out and there’s no wind to make the water choppy. In snowboarding we get fresh powder or the snow gets groomed but can get bumpy when folks turn and push the snow around. We need to be able to Absorb & Ride Bumpy Terrain. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snake Course, Snowboarding Chutes, Building A Race Course, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

We learn how to snowboard on flat groomed terrain with a gradual slope. After you get comfortable with this terrain step up to steeper slopes. When there is more of an incline you gain more speed. This steeper terrain requires you to turn more to keep your speed in control. On powder days snow is pushed around much more and easy blue slopes that were groomed in the morning might have moguls to start forming in a very short time. You will have to be able to navigate this bumpy terrain to get down. If you use some basic movements and can survey the terrain you’ll do fine.

When I’m teaching students how to ride moguls I choose good terrain. I like to start on blue groomers and get them to start developing rhythm. There are different types of movement patterns and some are better than others in certain situations. Check out Dynamic Flex & Extend Movements For Snowboarding to get a better idea about what I’m referring to. After students are moving their bodies dynamically I can get them off piste. I choose blue terrain that has moguls on one side and is groomed on the other. This way they can try to ride bumps and if they’re not getting it they can jump back onto the groomed terrain.

I like to use Active Absorption Versus Passive Absorption. I will actively lift my front leg up as I approach a bump and then push it down as I go over it and do the same with my back foot. You really want to use independent foot steering, flexing and extending your legs. One might be extended while the other is flexed. It is a good workout to ride moguls. If I only have a short time to ride and want to burn the most calories I ride the moguls. Moving more creates more energy. If you want to be cruisy stay on the groomers and if you’re looking to be more aggressive get off piste and into the bumps. 

Look down the hill and try to plan your line at least 5 turns in advance. I like to just follow the fall line or gravity and choose the path of water or the least amount of resistance. I will change edges across the fall line and will turn uphill to bleed off speed. Snowboarders and skiers both make moguls but because they are faced downhill with narrow skis and boarders are sideways with wider boards we ride the bumps a bit differently. I turn on the bump using it as a berm. I can ride moguls like a skier or a zipper line but my upper body gets out of alignment on my toeside edge and this can cause injury. I prefer to stay stacked over my board finishing my turns in alignment. I plan ahead and if they are obstacles I have no problem avoiding them and keeping my flow.

You should work on being consistent in your turn shape staying on your toeside as long as you stay on your heelside. It will take some practice to get these movements fine tuned. You might get it right away or it might take you a long time but keep with it. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Learn How To Develop Rhythm By Setting Up A Race Course

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Snowboarding is an action sport that relies on timing so Develop Rhythm With A Race Course. This will help you to snowboard moguls with flow and to rip through glades with confidence. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

Grab dead tree branches and I place them in the snow placing them in the snow staggering left and right to make an “S” turn shape. I don’t want to go straight down the fall line. The more you turn in the same spot you create an actual berm the snow gets pushed up and you create a bank slalom! We’re going to turn in the same spot and we’re going to create a bank slalom, a snake course or a bobsled course. This helps improve your snowboarding because when we’re riding in trees, off piste and in moguls there’s a pattern or a rhythm where people turn in the same spot. This is going to help you to develop rhythm. It’s going to help you become a faster, better rider in glades, bumps and off piste conditions. Depending on what you want to practice, place the sticks farther apart and it becomes a giant slalom the closer together it’s more of a slalom course. You want to have a pitch that’s pretty steep. You don’t want your course to be too flat because we’re really practicing on gaining speed and turning quickly. 

I’ve talked about turning above the gate or obstacle in other articles and videos. I want my turn to start early. As I’m coming across the fall line is when I’m going across the gate. That’s what you want to do. You want to turn it eight to ten feet early in front of the gate. We’ll be turning in the same spot and you’re going to start banking up to the snow creating berms. It’s really great to go out and do these courses with a lot of people. This way the course is formed a lot quicker and you’re creating your own freestyle terrain park, banks slaloms, bobsled courses. The berms are great ramps and you can actually start jumping off of those doing your tricks. You can ride them as a bank slalom or a berm and that becomes a nice way to turn. This is going to help you into the bumps too because if you go into the bumps that’s what a bump is. It’s snow being pushed up peeps turning in the same spot. That’s pretty much what bumps are is a bank slalom people turning in the same spot. Skiers turn differently than a snowboarder. 

Sometimes the bumps form differently for a skier than a snowboarder and this drill is great for a skier too if you’re a skier you want to get out here and start doing the same thing because you want to be able to turn quickly as well as a skier. Skiers can practice turning on one ski helping them carve. It also makes them ready to balance on one board or becoming a snowboarder. 

Plan your line by looking ahead. This will help you to predict what the best gravity fall line is. This will make you a more advanced snowboarder. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Riding Jackson Hole Powder January 2019

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This snowboard video will give you tips on Riding Deep Pow At Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was a long drive in a blizzard to get to Jackson Hole, Wyoming but it was worth it. There was 1 ½ feet of fresh powder when we arrived. Our first day was short due to the storm but it made the conditions epic. We almost slid off the road several times. We were on a highway with cars cruising in the other lane. Snow plows created white outs where we couldn’t see for 3 seconds and then seeing a line of cars. The snow drifts were a foot deep. We saw plows go by and a few miles down the road the drifts were back only allowing one lane of traffic through.There was a large group of AASI Level 3 Full Certified snowboard instructors training together. We ripped this steep mountain doing tons of trees, chutes and cliff drops. To get you prepared to ride this steep mountain watch this snowboard tutorial on steeps and alignments.

There is a resort in town called snow king that we could see from our hotel. The town has a great vibe and is fun. We drove up to the village catching some amazing views. When Jackson Hole gets tons of snow conditions are epic.

It’s important to really move fore and aft on your snowboard in these conditions. Build up your fore and aft riding skills before you get into powder and steep mountains. Jackson is one of the steepest mountains around having over 4,000 feet of vertical from the top of the tram to the base. To help you train yourself to move fore and aft on your snowboard watch the snowboard video Dolphin Turns.

This progression will help you move towards the front of your board at the beginning of your turn then to move towards the tail at the end of your turn using your whole board as it was meant to be used. Your core is moving fore and aft from edge to edge making a circular motion. Start to flow down the mountain with more rhythm getting dynamic on your snowboard. You can submit video clips to get movement analysis back of your riding by clicking here taking you to Flowing Freeride.

I strongly recommend that you ride Jackson Hole, Wyoming at least once to see what we saw. We met some cool people at Franco Custom Snowboards and you should check out their shop. It takes a bit of a drive through steep passes to get there but it’s worth it. Riding with other high skilled riders pushes you to ride more aggressive. This will improve your riding. Seeing how others ride the mountain and the lines they take will train your eye to survey the terrain. I hope that the snow gods are sending snow to your mountain. 2019 is off to a great start! You can signup to get access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard right online with flowingfreeride.com. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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How To Snowboard Moguls & Bumps

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Learn how to snowboard better by developing your skills to snowboard moguls. Moguls are formed by people turning in the same place and pushing the snow into mounds or bumps. The terrain is steeper intermediate to expert (Intermediate:Blue trails in America/Red trails in Europe & Expert: Black Trails for America & Europe) and that means you need to turn more to regulate your speed. The good thing is that there’s a pattern and if you can develop Flow & Rhythm you’ll improve your riding and rip through the bumps. This online snowboard lesson will go over How To Snowboard Moguls. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you signup that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for steeper bumpy terrain on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching and mastering these L1 RAW snowboard videos before riding Steeper Off Piste Terrain; Beginner Snowboard Lesson on Steering, Toeside Heelside Stance, How to Snowboard: Balance Twist & Beginner Snowboard Stance & these L2 L3 snowboard videos Active Passive Absorption, Better Rhythm & Off Piste. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at Our Blog for more free content and learn to snowboard right.

Find a flat area so that you will stand still. Strap both feet into your bindings and start lifting your front leg off the snow. It’s like you’re making a wheelie on a bike. Now lift your back leg off the snow. Your moving fore and aft on your board. Notice your core or center of mass is moving fore and aft. When I lift up my front foot my core shifts back and I’m putting a lot of my weight on my back leg and the opposite occurs when I lift up my back leg. It’s not just lifting my leg up I’m shifting my center of mass fore and aft along my snowboard. When students tell me they want to ride steeper terrain and to get off piste, before seeing them ride I know that they probably DON’T move fore and aft on their snowboard. I have a lot of drills to get people to move fore/aft in our Full Course but try these movements stationary. Once you feel comfortable doing that standing still start snowboarding and try lifting your nose and tail off the snow. When you master that find a trail that has moguls on one side and groomed on the other that way you can practice the bumps and go on the groomer if you’re not getting it.

We’ll progress through the moguls. We don’t start making tight zipper line turns at first. We traverse across the bumps going over 4 or 5 lifting our legs up and down one leg at a time. As I come up to the mogul I lean back unweighting my front foot and lift up then as I’m going over it I lean forward unweighting my back foot and lift up my back foot. You’re moving fore and aft on your snowboard. Do this on both heelside and toeside edges. I want to turn on the top third or bottom third of the bump. Don’t turn in the trench because it’s harder icy snow and our snowboards are much wider than skies. As you progress go over 2 or 3 bumps and then 1 or 2 until you’re able to go right down the fall line.

If you’re not riding bumps well practice these movements and drills a lot until you get the muscle memory down. Terrain is a big part of practicing because moguls can vary in size and now steep the slope is are factors to difficulty. Having personal coaching really helps. You can signup to get access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, text books, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right.