First, I would just like to say that we must realize that we are all skiers here and passionate about our sport. I for example, did not start off as a mogul skier, but became one after gaining interest in the 90's, having skied groomers and steeps for 15+ years. I was drawn to mogul skiing because of the challenge, and as a result I pursued proper coaching and mogul techniques and it became an addiction. There are many different aspects of skiing, some of which I don't care for, however, I realize that they are still part of our sport. Not everyone cares for mogul skiing, just as not everyone cares for parks, pipes, groomers, etc., but we are all still skiers and love our sport.
Secondly, we all tend to be defensive about our partcular discipline of skiing, myself included. I think that I can speak for the majority of bump skiers out there (when I use this term, I am speaking of those that have a one track mind about it and for the most part only ski bumps) when I say that we sometimes feel like second class citizens while the rest of the ski population is catered to (massive grooming efforts, parks, pipes, etc). All we ask is that terrain be provided for us as well. The whole mountain does not have to be bumps (Mary Jane... mmmm) , but there should be at least 1 skiable bump run at any given mountain on any given day. If the resorts make this effort, maybe, just maybe the masses will learn to enjoy mogul skiing more, instead of dreading it and beating themselves up in the bumps.
The unfortunate thing is that mogul skiing is misunderstood by a vast majority of the skiing population. Yes, it is a very physical sport, but it also requires years of practice, dedication, education, and technique to become a good mogul skier. I have spoken to many advanced/expert skiers who enjoy skiing bumps, but who I would not consider bump skiers and even these folks are often misinformed about the many aspects of mogul skiing. The frustration for the small population of us "mogul skiers" comes from the fact that in order to have truly good mogul lines, you have to have good bump skiers to not only make them (I am refering to natural moguls here), but to also keep them consistent and skiable. If you have ever been to a mountain that has more than a few mogul skiers, you will notice that the lines are almost always good and consistent, because you have the same good mogul skiers skiing those lines day after day, week after week. Another unfortunate reality of mogul skiing is that truly "good" mogul skiers typically have been professionally coached in one way or another; this takes time, money, and a committment that most skiers are not willing to make. (This is simply a statement based on my own observations and is not meant to inflate or degrade the abilities or intentions of ANY skier out there, as everyone has there own level of enjoyment and achievement in the sport of skiing).
The reality is that there are so few mountains that have such a population of mogul skiers that seeded bumps are the answer to good consistent lines. Also, aside from setting up a comp course, seeded bumps only need to be made once in a while and then touched up with natural snow or man made snow, thus eliminating the need for constant maintenance. Yes, they will get deep, but so do natural moguls. Locally, I have skied seeded bumps that have been really deep, unfortunately the masses complain that they are getting too difficult because their technique is not up to snuff for these conditions, thus they are torn down. As far as slipping... it is useful but not necessary. If you have a couple of people ski the line in a bunch of times, the lines will get skied in and rounded out, provided that there are good bump skier doing this.
Just imagine, these conversations/posts would not even take place if our mountains had just 1 good bump run. It's amazing how the frustration goes away when you go out to your local hill and have a great bump day. But if the bumps are torn down the next day, the frustration is back. Personally, I don't really care if the people sking the bumps can ski or not, just as long as they don't destroy the bumps or get in my way (but this is a topic for another post). As long as I am able to enjoy and challenge myself, I am happy. I don't really care if some guy goes down the same line that I am skiing all in the back seat and breaking at the waist and thinks he looks good and is "skiing bumps". What I care about is if I am doing it right and that I have the terrain to train on.
If there is a perception out there that seeded bumps are easy, I suggest that those folks take a look at any course that has been skied after 1 day of competition , or better yet head up to Blackcomb Glacier in the summer after they have been skied for 3+ days.
As far as the name dropping, I would not consider it as such. Please understand that the mogul skiing community/culture is very tight knit and small, and most everybody knows somebody either directly or through another mogul skiing friend. This is definately a unique aspect of the mogul skiing culture as compared to other disciplines in skiing.
Well, I know this was a long post, but hopefully I did not offend anyone and also shed some light on the things that not only frustrate mogul skiers, but that make us happy as well. In the end, it is important that we all have the means to enjoy what we like to do best while on skis, whether it be trees, bumps, etc.
cj
