INTRODUCTION: Skiing resorts have changed. Whereas thirty years ago a number of mogul runs were part of every important resort today the majority of the pistes in European ski resorts are groomed and well prepared. Bump pistes have lost their attraction and are mainly limited to steep terrain where slope preparation cannot be realized. Tremendous improvements concerning equipment (carving skis, snowboards), the preparation of skiing slopes and the absence of mogul runs of variable difficulty are the main reasons for this development. Our study (Felder, 2005) analyses the topic from a motivational and a safety perspective. METHOD: A questionnaire based on Csikszentmihalyi's (1975) flow-concept was administered to two different random samples of skiers and snowboarders in two big ski resorts (Fellhorn, Germany and Zermatt, Switzerland). Answers were received from a total of n=890 individuals. The first group answered the given questions right after having arrived on the parking lot. The other subjects (N=399 skiers of all levels) were asked to express their perception after having skied (or boarded) down a specially prepared and easy to handle mogule piste, which was located right next to the groomed slope. (Biner, 2003). Additionally velocity measurements were carried out for skiers/snowboarders passing on the groomed and for those passing in the mogul part of that slope intersection. RESULTS: The results show that 32% of the participants are not attracted by bump pistes and they usually avoid them at all means. On the other hand this implies with 70% who are interested in this type of skiing. A statistically significant correlation (p<0.01) was found between the quality of the achievement and the intensity of the experience. The better the assessment of one's achievement the more intense and positive was the assessment of the corresponding experience. Advanced skiers mastered the run remarkably better than beginners and they assessed the experiences more positively (p<0.01). DISCUSSION. The results Support Csikszentmihalyi's flow-hypothesis that an even match between the environmental demands and an athlete's skills is an important prerequisite for positive experiences. Moguls in easy and moderate terrain do not seem to overstrain the skiers; instead they are providing a challenge, which is positively attributed. CONCLUSION: Easy mogul runs within the slope area seem to provide additional attraction to skiers without having them to go off-piste. Realizing these special slope areas therefore may not only improve\he ski resort's attractiveness but add to the skiers' or snowboarders' safety.
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