| Find some well formed, nicely spaced bumps on a | | | | going right into the snow, and the pole is |
| gentle gradient. Make sure they are nice bumps, | | | | perpendicular as it goes in, you will have to angulate |
| closely grouped, and not some horrendous sausage | | | | over the skis, you will have to weight the lower ski, |
| shaped monsters with cliffs and small bushes growing | | | | and your body will have to be facing down the hill. |
| out of them. On the traverse ski slowly over the top | | | | It is quite possible that as you stand on the bump, |
| of one of these nicely spaced bumps until the middle | | | | only a foot of ski is actually touching the snow, as |
| of the boot is perched on the very summit. | | | | the back and front are both off it, or only barely |
| Stop and think about where to put the pole in. | | | | touching it. Now remember what I have said about |
| Remember that the skis are still on the traverse. If | | | | the torsional qualities of your thigh and stomach |
| your body is in the driving position facing down the hill | | | | muscles (see the article on Upper Body Position); you |
| (which it should be for short turns), then you will find | | | | will immediately twig that the skis should swivel round |
| that the pole should go in about 12" from your boot, | | | | with the slightest encouragement. Back to the |
| and slightly down the far side of the bump. You will | | | | exercise. |
| have to bend at the knees and hips with your weight | | | | As you put the pole in, your weight will be projected |
| in the middle of your foot on the lower ski, in order | | | | slightly over the downside of the bump, the skis will |
| to get the pole in. | | | | tip forwards, and will start to slide round. They will |
| So you are now standing motionless on the top of | | | | probably side slip into the soft snow on the backside |
| the bump, your upper body facing down the slope, | | | | trough of the next bump. |
| your pole perpendicular in the snow down from your | | | | Remember to keep the weight in the middle of your |
| boot, and your skis still on the traverse. While you | | | | foot on the bottom ski. Line up another bump on the |
| are standing there, let's just go over this | | | | other traverse, and try it again. |
| perpendicular pole plant again. I have already | | | | Keep low and keep a wide stance throughout this |
| mentioned that the pole plant is a crucial part of | | | | exercise, because you are going from a stop into an |
| anticipation (see the article on Anticipation) and while | | | | acceleration, and then to a stop again, from soft |
| learning to ski the bumps it is imperative that you get | | | | snow to ice, and back to soft snow. Your balance |
| it right, because everything else follows. | | | | could be all over the place! |
| If you make a definitive pole plant with the point | | | | |