New Member Introductions Thread

[Grassi21]

Originally Posted by askstowell

My nine year old daughter started skiing when we got her into a group lesson at Nashoba in 2004 and quite frankly thought she'd think it was too cold and wouldn't be into it. Umm, in her first lesson she was zipping all around while all the other kids were falling/couldn't even stand and she was having an absolute blast. I never skiied and my wife hadn't in 15 years so there was pretty much no history with us...we just thought it would be something fun for her to try. Within two weeks we supplemented the group lessons with a private lesson and the instructor took her right to the lift as we continued to be, quite frankly, stunned by how quickly she took to it.

So the next year I figured I better learn quick as she wouldn't be able to go off by herself being so young so at 40 I took my first group lessons and within a couple of weeks, her and I were hitting Gunstock, Sunapee, Bretton Woods, Pats Peak, etc. Must have skiied 35 times my first year. I just picked it up real easy too and couldn't believe I hadn't done this years ago...I feel like I wasted half my life as this is so much fun! I truly can see her and I doing this together for years.

So basically last year in her 3rd year skiing, she started racing (GS suit and the whole bit) and will continue it this year. And my wife and I think back to when she first put the skis on, never thinking that she'd take to it so easily and have so much fun.

Last Saturday we got the bindings mounted on her Rossi Power 9 race skis, turned in her old Rossi Bandit rec skis she skiied and raced on last year (we're still learning and she basically raced on "my first skis" last year!), and picked up her back up/bum around pair, new Volkl Race Tigers, plus new Nordica boots. Plus I picked up an early Christmas present, new Rossi Zenith/Z5s. We're hooked!

At present I'm mapping out our winter, from her weekly practices and races, to just time for her and I to bum around various areas, some we've been to in the past and hopefully target one or two we haven't as we try to get to a new one each year. Seeing also about getting to Sugarbush for the first time over holiday for a race camp for her. And looking forward to the big Boston Ski Show to see what freebies we can score this year.

So we're basically having a blast and really appreciate forums like this to help learn the ropes!

Welcome! I started skiing three years ago at age 26. At first I thought I wasted half of my life by not skiing. Then I realized that I have more than half of my life ahead of me to get my ski on. I'm not a Dad yet, but I'm sure all the Aline Zone parents starting there kids on the slopes this year hope their kids take to the sport like your daughter.

[andyzee]

askstowe, can you say Olympics, I know you can! Hey, really enjoyed your enthusiasm, welcome and looking forward to reading more from you.

[Jeff Isabelle]

Hello everyone, I'm new here this is my 44th year.
In Ottawa we have a few hills near by so I usually ski every day for at least 3 - 6 hours depending on my schedule I stay local or its a planned day trips to; Mont St Anne, Le Massif, Placid, Killington, Tremblant, Mont Sutton, Loaf, Smugglers as the eastern choices or SnowBird, Taos, DeerValley then finish at Whistler if I'm still alive... I would like to get close to 60 days if possible. My best ski days are long gone, which where in 82 - 87 I skied 120 - 180+ days per season. Those days are long gone but with parabolics no problem as I don't push the long boards around anymore. A piece of trivia; the first parabolic prototypes were available but did not catch-on in the early 80's. I tried a pair and used them in training but they shattered, but so did the the other test skis at length (160 - 220cm). I'm glad to be on the parabolics from the beginning as I was skiing on 205, 210, 220's during my 180+ day seasons. So now hopefully I should get my 60 in this year. I'm also using a Skiiers Edge S4 - World Cup Plyometric Power Series Technical ski conditioner for cardio and muscle strengthening. I stopped skiing 40+ outings for 10 years due to a major back operation (a L4-5 microdiscectomy etc...) but now I'm back but its more recreational and I have a camera for capturing subjects for my paintings. I still enjoy skiing just as much as ever... I wish that everyone has a safe excellent ski season at what ever the levelof skiier you are... All the best!!!!

[Briskies]

I will be back in the states in november Just intime to contuine the Ski season

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Jeff Isabelle

Hello everyone, I'm new here this is my 44th year.
In Ottawa we have a few hills near by so I usually ski every day for at least 3 - 6 hours depending on my schedule I stay local or its a planned day trips to; Mont St Anne, Le Massif, Placid, Killington, Tremblant, Mont Sutton, Loaf, Smugglers as the eastern choices or SnowBird, Taos, DeerValley then finish at Whistler if I'm still alive... I would like to get close to 60 days if possible. My best ski days are long gone, which where in 82 - 87 I skied 120 - 180+ days per season. Those days are long gone but with parabolics no problem as I don't push the long boards around anymore. A piece of trivia; the first parabolic prototypes were available but did not catch-on in the early 80's. I tried a pair and used them in training but they shattered, but so did the the other test skis at length (160 - 220cm). I'm glad to be on the parabolics from the beginning as I was skiing on 205, 210, 220's during my 180+ day seasons. So now hopefully I should get my 60 in this year. I'm also using a Skiiers Edge S4 - World Cup Plyometric Power Series Technical ski conditioner for cardio and muscle strengthening. I stopped skiing 40+ outings for 10 years due to a major back operation (a L4-5 microdiscectomy etc...) but now I'm back but its more recreational and I have a camera for capturing subjects for my paintings. I still enjoy skiing just as much as ever... I wish that everyone has a safe excellent ski season at what ever the levelof skiier you are... All the best!!!!

Wow! Great intro. Seems like you'll have a ton of experience to contribute here. I look forward to your contributions. Welcome!

[Jeff Isabelle]

I'm possibly a source of information I guess as I have worked many years locally as a ski technician between graphic design contracts. I've always been busy skiing or getting ready to go...

I started skiing in the 60's and I'm still going strong. Most friends have no idea that I started skiing in 1963 at the age of 4 as my father was a St. Johns medic back here in those days. That makes me 47 but one cool thing is that you seem able to clip 10+ years off of how you look I always get a good chuckle on this. My father had me in a back pack when I was 3 - 4 years old as he skied each week-end. Then I got my own boards at 4. Dad skied until the mid eighties. He doesn't ski anymore as he was the last of his generation 40's type of skiiers. He used Rousemount boots, Rossignol skis Strato 102, Marker M3 Explomat bindings that barely had a DIN value. Oh
Yah a 8 foot tether strap to bring'em with you each fall, no ski brakes then.

I started on a similar set-up Dynastar MV5 or Fischer on Lange boots and the same bindings by the mid 70's my after school job was as a ski tech at a local ski shop so needless to say I went wow when I saw the first Marker ski brake and had to have them installed. From then on it only got better as the new equipment started to role in during the late 70's and 80's. I tested the first Hanson and Salomon boots and lots of ski's over the years. The most impressive innovations came gradually then as no one product was a major overnite success. I really liked the day sintered bases and the teflon base technology replaced P-Tex and when boots started using foam injection. Never quite got some of the stuff like scott ski boots or spademan bindings but I had a pair of "The Ski"
a cult item for mogul diehards of the day Jack Taylor and a few other pro skiiers back then.

My favorite things though were bindings. I could ski cranked to 12 -14 DIN (420Lbs tork) as my knees were able to tork out on command anytime not something to try unless your ACL's/knees are very strong. Or I would ski all day with them set to 1 DIN (30lbs) to train, I remember skiiing days of glare ice in the 80's and going for a speed trial on radar with fellow employees when the hills were closed... but thats another story for another day. Its time to jump on my skiers edge.

All the best and bye for now!

[skize]

Hello, my name is George and I am 45 and live in Rochester, NY.

Have done lots of cross country sking, but just recently started with downhill. Spent 3 and a half months in Colorado last winter ('05 - '06) on relocation for work. So, when in Rome... Decided to give downhill a try. The family flew out for winter break in Feb. and we went to Steamboat Springs. WOW, what a great time!! My wife and I went through 2 full days of lessons, and the kids through 3 full days of the rough rider program. So, now we are hooked...

To say the least, I was really excited to find a message board that focused on the North East.

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Welcome George, like yourself i was out in CO for a few months in the winter, had a good time, hope to see you around the boards..

[BeanoNYC]

Welcome, George. It's always nice to have some more members from the Tri-State Area

[nocomp]

hi,my nick is nocomp i live in the french alps near chamonix,30 y of social skiing in our mountain,new member here, worker as photographe for a press agency http://www.wooloomooloo.com