Rack em!

[JimG.]

Phenomenal!

Love the slo-mo.

 

[BenedictGomez]

That video does show how leaving skis on the ground can be dangerous though.

Although the beginning of the video has been sped up to make the fall look even more dangerous/spectacular, or for comedic effect.

 

[podunk77]

Someone once told me racers do that because it keeps the ski wax at the same temperature as the snow prior to their race. I have no idea if that's true or just an attempt to justify lazy/entitled behavior.

 

[drjeff]

Someone once told me racers do that because it keeps the ski wax at the same temperature as the snow prior to their race. I have no idea if that's true or just an attempt to justify lazy/entitled behavior.

If that's the group at Stratton that I'm guessing it was in Glenn's pic from yesterday, those skis on the ground likely weren't even their race skis, but their slip/training skis! Their race skis, and you're correct about the keeping the bases and the wax at snow temp, likely were clicked off soon after they exited the finish area fencing, and handed either to their parent's, a coach, or sometimes the kids themselves and taken back up to the start area for run two, or if that was after run two, their ski straps put on their race skis, and taken down to the base area.

As a racer parent, I will say that on every race fact sheet, there is in bold print, a line stating that ski racks MUST be used..... The follow through with that line by racers/coaches isn't great, and many parents just don't care where their kids skis end up, as if something happens to them, they'll just break out the VISA card and get new stuff - espeically if that was the group of kids racing at Stratton yesterday that I think it was (the Stratton Mountain School athletes and their end of the season race as for most all Northeast ski academies, this past weekend was their last weekend of the season for the alpine competition programs), there's just a level of money from most of the parent's that is absolutely crazy!!!

 

[deadheadskier]

If there is merit to the argument of keeping the wax at snow temperature, then perhaps the mountains hosting the races could be proactive and fence off an area with signage for the racers to store their skis.

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[Savemeasammy]

So leaving them on the ground at the base lodge will keep the wax the same temp as the snow? Perhaps these kids are forgetting that they will be riding a lift to get back to the course...?


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[Hawk]

I am on the other side of this. Unless all the skis are blocking the entrances or totally blocking out the front of the building then I have no issue. I guess that I am really not that up tight to let it bother me. I do put my skis in the rack most of the time but I am guilty of leaving them on the ground. When I run into Alynns to go to the bathroom or drop my lunch bag I always leaven them on the ground. Not in the way but not in the rack either. For me it has to do with the racks the mountain provides. If I show up and all the racks are full I leave my skis on the ground. Mind you I am usually not in the lodge too long. I hate the crowd indoors.

 

[Not Sure]

So leaving them on the ground at the base lodge will keep the wax the same temp as the snow? Perhaps these kids are forgetting that they will be riding a lift to get back to the course...?


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1+
Leaving them in direct sun would negate any benefit and could cause another problem.
Snow around your bindings could melt and later refreeze causing a binding release fail !

Leaving them on the ground is like an invitation for theives as well, can still see the expression on my buddy's face when his Olin Mark 4 Comps got ripped off.

Edit, if I don't lock my skis I separate them

 

[deadheadskier]

I seem to recall a thread a few years ago about a bunch of race skis getting stolen at Hunter.

I'm guessing these days race skis wouldn't be a real target as everyone wants 110 waisted skis!

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[VTKilarney]

I would have no problem with people leaving them on the ground if there was order to the madness. Specifically, a designated space for that purpose. The reality is that there are always skiers who place their skis with no concern for others. (Blocking access, traffic, etc.)

 

[drjeff]

So leaving them on the ground at the base lodge will keep the wax the same temp as the snow? Perhaps these kids are forgetting that they will be riding a lift to get back to the course...?


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

Nope - many of the high level ski academy kids have 2 pairs of slalom skis, 2 pairs of GS skis, if age appropriate, 2 pairs of Super G skis, etc - so they have a training pair(they also call these "slip skis" as they use them while inspecting("slipping") the course before the race) and a race pair - they pretty much only ski on their race skis during their race runs. Once the run is done, they're out of that pair and onto their training pair.Their race skis, go on their shoulders, ski strapped together to the top of the course both before the 1st run and if a 2 run race discipline, between the 1st and second run, where they'll sit base down on the snow, until it's just about time to slide into the starting gate.

Does this really make a difference, for the overwhelming majority of the kids in the vast majority of the races.... As a racer parent with a non ski academy kid who's scored some decent results and regularly beats many full time ski academy kids, who only has 1 pair of skis for each discipline, not 2 pairs, who doesn't re-tune/re-wax between runs, and who racks her skis when she's inside, I am quite sure that it makes basically no difference at all!!! It is part of the racing culture, that ski academies try and teach their big $$ paying students (most New England ski academies get in the $25 to 30K a year range for basically November 1st through the last week of March session that includes room, board, coaching, transportation to the races, etc, and others that have full time, all school year programs, that often also include on snow summer training camps as well as often a few weeks in Colorado in late Oct/early November, run $50K plus ) to fully buy into the elite level racing culture, when the reality is that so very few of them will truly make elite level.

As with many youth sports these days, the reality is that far more kids will end up burning out from the way their parents are pushing them, than continue to thrive and develop and improve up through the ski racing ranks. It's kind of sad as a racer parent to see when you watch many of the kids get older in the same age group as your own kids are, and see so many of them go from kids just having fun, more worried about their friends and not spend more than a minute or 2 worrying about their results after the race is over, to going to out right almost despondent crying in the finish area when they see that they finished say 14th out of 80 instead of say a top 10, then pay little attention to their racer friends, and see a parent come over and far too often start getting on their kids case about how they didn't ski such and such a gate or section of the course well, and that their result now will keep them out of such and such a next level race..... Just sad to see

 

[Glenn]

up at Mount Ellen on particularly egregious days they will send the ambassadors out to pick them up and randomly put them on the racks. nothing like a little scavenger hunt to find your skis to discourage the behavior

This is brilliant! It's hard to see in the pic, but many of the skis are the same. I imagine that would cause quite the scene with multiple people running around trying to find their exact pair. Cue the Benny Hill music.

It was quite the scene in the mid mountain lodge. Gear and equipment strewn about at unattended tables. There were a few racer parent moms, but most were busy staring at their mobile device or talking on it. I just can't comprehend that much valuable equipment being left unattended in a lodge and laying outside like that.

Jeff is correct; this was Stratton yesterday.

 

[SkiFanE]

Nope - many of the high level ski academy kids have 2 pairs of slalom skis, 2 pairs of GS skis, if age appropriate, 2 pairs of Super G skis, etc - so they have a training pair(they also call these "slip skis" as they use them while inspecting("slipping") the course before the race) and a race pair - they pretty much only ski on their race skis during their race runs. Once the run is done, they're out of that pair and onto their training pair.Their race skis, go on their shoulders, ski strapped together to the top of the course both before the 1st run and if a 2 run race discipline, between the 1st and second run, where they'll sit base down on the snow, until it's just about time to slide into the starting gate.

Does this really make a difference, for the overwhelming majority of the kids in the vast majority of the races.... As a racer parent with a non ski academy kid who's scored some decent results and regularly beats many full time ski academy kids, who only has 1 pair of skis for each discipline, not 2 pairs, who doesn't re-tune/re-wax between runs, and who racks her skis when she's inside, I am quite sure that it makes basically no difference at all!!! It is part of the racing culture, that ski academies try and teach their big $$ paying students (most New England ski academies get in the $25 to 30K a year range for basically November 1st through the last week of March session that includes room, board, coaching, transportation to the races, etc, and others that have full time, all school year programs, that often also include on snow summer training camps as well as often a few weeks in Colorado in late Oct/early November, run $50K plus ) to fully buy into the elite level racing culture, when the reality is that so very few of them will truly make elite level.

As with many youth sports these days, the reality is that far more kids will end up burning out from the way their parents are pushing them, than continue to thrive and develop and improve up through the ski racing ranks. It's kind of sad as a racer parent to see when you watch many of the kids get older in the same age group as your own kids are, and see so many of them go from kids just having fun, more worried about their friends and not spend more than a minute or 2 worrying about their results after the race is over, to going to out right almost despondent crying in the finish area when they see that they finished say 14th out of 80 instead of say a top 10, then pay little attention to their racer friends, and see a parent come over and far too often start getting on their kids case about how they didn't ski such and such a gate or section of the course well, and that their result now will keep them out of such and such a next level race..... Just sad to see

Kinda a broad brush you're stroking there on the racers parents. I've also put 3 kids through weekend race programs. They were mediocre at best in the USSA races but oldest two did great in their HS teams - it was worth the training. All 3 bailed from race program when it became too much drills and not enough fun. They just didn't have that gut passion. Yet my middle kids hometown friend who was also in her weekend race program was driven. She was put skiing on those freezing cold windy days when myself and my kids were happy to stay inside. She worked her ass off to improve - any weather - she was happiest on skis and in a race course. She finishes top 5 always and now goes to ski academy full time. Her parents didn't force the passion she has. I've seen it since she was a little kid. She is lucky to have parents and means to allow her to develop it. But her parents are not what you describe - and this kid has best sportsmanship, happiest kid and always cheering on racer mates. I think there may a bad parent every now and then, but from my view they are rare and it's the kid with the passion. To say what you observed with a parent giving tips is pretty judgemental - you don't know the kid. Maybe all week long he analyzes tapes, asks how to improve, etc etc... and if he messed up - there is a reason, and parents know their kids best. I know with my kid if I went up and said "ohhh...it's okay, you'll do better next time, I love you sweety"...she'd probably give me the nastiest look ever lol.

 

[SIKSKIER]

up at Mount Ellen on particularly egregious days they will send the ambassadors out to pick them up and randomly put them on the racks. nothing like a little scavenger hunt to find your skis to discourage the behavior

Yup,this works.Twice I couldn't find mine and had to search the racks to find them.Thought my friends were messing with me but no.Somebody else was not happy with me leaving my skis on the ground and moved them.I certainly would never touch other peoples skis but I got the message.

 

[Smellytele]

3 things I tell my kids:
1. never ski with your jacket totally unzipped
2. Always rack you skis
3. Never leave a table with your trash still on it or your shit all over the place - Pickup after yourselves!

 

[Jully]

3 things I tell my kids:
1. never ski with your jacket totally unzipped
2. Always rack you skis
3. Never leave a table with your trash still on it or your shit all over the place - Pickup after yourselves!

but then it flaps around while skiing and you look sick

 

[Savemeasammy]

3 things I tell my kids:
1. never ski with your jacket totally unzipped
2. Always rack you skis
3. Never leave a table with your trash still on it or your shit all over the place - Pickup after yourselves!

I've never given a thought to the jacket unzipped thing. However I would add:

4: Put your poles traps on!


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[drjeff]

Kinda a broad brush you're stroking there on the racers parents. I've also put 3 kids through weekend race programs. They were mediocre at best in the USSA races but oldest two did great in their HS teams - it was worth the training. All 3 bailed from race program when it became too much drills and not enough fun. They just didn't have that gut passion. Yet my middle kids hometown friend who was also in her weekend race program was driven. She was put skiing on those freezing cold windy days when myself and my kids were happy to stay inside. She worked her ass off to improve - any weather - she was happiest on skis and in a race course. She finishes top 5 always and now goes to ski academy full time. Her parents didn't force the passion she has. I've seen it since she was a little kid. She is lucky to have parents and means to allow her to develop it. But her parents are not what you describe - and this kid has best sportsmanship, happiest kid and always cheering on racer mates. I think there may a bad parent every now and then, but from my view they are rare and it's the kid with the passion. To say what you observed with a parent giving tips is pretty judgemental - you don't know the kid. Maybe all week long he analyzes tapes, asks how to improve, etc etc... and if he messed up - there is a reason, and parents know their kids best. I know with my kid if I went up and said "ohhh...it's okay, you'll do better next time, I love you sweety"...she'd probably give me the nastiest look ever lol.

Completely not meant as a generalization off all racer and/or academy racer kids parents! You are 100% correct in that there are many academy parents who are totally relaxed and not as I described, heck I ski with multiple academy parents like that in my regular circle of ski friends most every weekend!

I guess that I am a bit jaded now, as I've seen some battling within the parents of the 2 academies that are part of the council in VT that my U14 daughter races in, and by far and away, it's a group of parents from those academy kids (and by no means is it just 1 or 2 parents out of the 30 or so academy kids in the council) but when you see the kid finish the race, a parent (usually Dad) looks up from the live timing app on their phone, and starts shaking his head, and then you can see starts pointing a finger up the hill at such and such a gate, and then the kid skiing off with his/her shoulders hunched in a look of dejection, that gets me as much as the parent who is screaming at their kid because they didn't make a play in a soccer game or little league game. That's a big issue with me!!

 

[Puck it]

I just ski thru them to the racks and stick my poles out to the side and knock all the poles over the place. I did this at the Loaf summit this year.

 

[180]

Kinda a broad brush you're stroking there on the racers parents. I've also put 3 kids through weekend race programs. They were mediocre at best in the USSA races but oldest two did great in their HS teams - it was worth the training. All 3 bailed from race program when it became too much drills and not enough fun. They just didn't have that gut passion. Yet my middle kids hometown friend who was also in her weekend race program was driven. She was put skiing on those freezing cold windy days when myself and my kids were happy to stay inside. She worked her ass off to improve - any weather - she was happiest on skis and in a race course. She finishes top 5 always and now goes to ski academy full time. Her parents didn't force the passion she has. I've seen it since she was a little kid. She is lucky to have parents and means to allow her to develop it. But her parents are not what you describe - and this kid has best sportsmanship, happiest kid and always cheering on racer mates. I think there may a bad parent every now and then, but from my view they are rare and it's the kid with the passion. To say what you observed with a parent giving tips is pretty judgemental - you don't know the kid. Maybe all week long he analyzes tapes, asks how to improve, etc etc... and if he messed up - there is a reason, and parents know their kids best. I know with my kid if I went up and said "ohhh...it's okay, you'll do better next time, I love you sweety"...she'd probably give me the nastiest look ever lol.

My Son is also a Freestyle academy kid. He is a senior now it was a great experience for everyone. The cost, well it is huge and some may say crazy, but that's my choice to work hard and support my kids.