The skiing thread

[2knees]

For HPD

I used to ski bumps on 195cm-205cm skis. Now i'm on 171cm skis. I havent used a ski that short since i was in grade school. I'm taking the easy way out.

The first time i went to killington in 1984, i skied Big Dipper and thought it was the craziest most incredible thing i would ever do on skis.

Outer Limits used to be my favorite run. I could ski it all day and not get bored. now i can barely handle 2 runs down it cause the bumps are always so screwed up. Maybe i've gotten worse or maybe bumps just dont form the same as they used to.

I really want to get to Mad River Glen this year. Its been on my to do list since i can remember.

Bromley on a warm sunny day is the tits. If you can get past the short vert on the east side and general lack of pitch, the mash potato bumps and inevitable suntan are something you just gotta experience once. Its like going to the beach but skiing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I use to ski in lace leather boots when I was little. I guess I wanted performance even back then cause I use to go in the lodge at Hunter and have my mom lace them tighter every couple of hours. She passed away 3 years ago. I have a picture of her and I standing in front of the lodge at Hunter in our ski gear that I keep over the sun visor in my car. I’m getting chocked up as I type this.

When I was in my 20’s I thought Killington was the promised land.

I’d like to get to MRG this year too. Maybe I’ll go when 2 knees goes.

The Slides at Whiteface on a warm sunny day is the best spring skiing I’ve ever known.

 

[deadheadskier]

Are you a weekday or weekend skier primarily 2knees or HPD?

I should be going twice this winter provided my ticket pre-orders went through with the ski club. When I do go it will either be Saturday or Sunday and would love to meet up with some fellow Azers

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Are you a weekday or weekend skier primarily 2knees or HPD?

I should be going twice this winter provided my ticket pre-orders went through with the ski club. When I do go it will either be Saturday or Sunday and would love to meet up with some fellow Azers

Weekends and school holidays for me, although I'm never opposed to taking a day off mid-week from time to time.

You wrote you're only skiing twice this season?

 

[Philpug]

I osed to float 6' helicopters on 204's Now I barely can get 2' off the ground. I do weigh about 200, when I weighted about 170 back then too.

Hmm there is a sig...

I used to weigh 170 and ski 200's now I weigh 200 and ski 170's

 

[bvibert]

I really want to get to Mad River Glen this year. Its been on my to do list since i can remember.

I’d like to get to MRG this year too. Maybe I’ll go when 2 knees goes.

Are you a weekday or weekend skier primarily 2knees or HPD?

I should be going twice this winter provided my ticket pre-orders went through with the ski club. When I do go it will either be Saturday or Sunday and would love to meet up with some fellow Azers

Weekends and school holidays for me, although I'm never opposed to taking a day off mid-week from time to time.

Count me in for this trip. I'm definitely going to hit MRG again this year and it'd be cool to do so with some* fellow AZers.

*I say some because MRG wouldn't be a good place to have a large group.

You wrote you're only skiing twice this season?

HPD, I think DHS meant that he had two prepaid tickets to MRG, so he'd be skiing there twice. I'm sure he's skiing more times elsewhere as well..

 

[severine]

I missed out on MRG last season. I definitely want to go next! Though if I have to pick, returning to Abasin is a higher priority.

 

[Geoff]

I skied 207 SL boards for many years. I learned to ski in the lace boot, wood ski, and cable binding era when you measured ski length by putting your arm up and the ski tip hit the palm of your hand. Later, lengths shortened to where the tip of your ski touched your wrist.

The bumps on OL were much better when everyone was on long skis. Short shaped skis create incredibly choppy bumps. I remember skiing in the west as a teen at resorts that had trails posted "Minimum ski length 200 cm". That kept the turds on Olin Mark IV's from destroying the mogul fields. I'm now skiing on 184 cm skis and that's considered long.

I really enjoy big mountain skiing on longer unshaped or lightly shaped skis. I have a pair of 190 Volkl CMH-label heli-skiing skis. I've never bothered to use them in the east. I've had some very memorable days on them in South America and in the west. I was at Mount Baker last December skiing a big powder day on long Dynastar Legend Pros. The same ride. Huge fun.

I remember having arguments with lift attendants about ski brakes. "No safety strap, no lift ride". I had fake runaway straps for several years. Once in a while, you'd get a lift attendant with more than a single digit IQ who would actually give the thing a yank and yell at me.

I grew up skiing Stratton as a kid. As a teen, I thought I was a good skier. I remember my first run down Goat back when I had Stowe student passes in college. Steep, narrow, double fall line, one line of bumps the whole way down. Holy crap! After four years of skiing it, I still rarely had many clean runs down it.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Short shaped skis create incredibly choppy bumps.

Very good post, I just don't buy this one part. I've heard this argument before, but I really don't see any difference in bumps formed from natural skier traffic today v. 30-40 years ago.

Snow conditions being equal bumps are bumps.

 

[wa-loaf]

My first skis are what you see in my avatar. Moved onto some leather buckle boots and cable bindings after that. My longest skis were 205s and I'm down to 178, although the racetigers I picked up are 185s.

I'll try my damndest to make an AZ MRG day.

 

[Greg]

I fart when I urinate.

 

[o3jeff]

I fart when I urinate.

But do you urinate when you fart?

 

[Greg]

But do you urinate when you fart?

On occasion.

 

[deadheadskier]

Count me in for this trip. I'm definitely going to hit MRG again this year and it'd be cool to do so with some* fellow AZers.

*I say some because MRG wouldn't be a good place to have a large group.


HPD, I think DHS meant that he had two prepaid tickets to MRG, so he'd be skiing there twice. I'm sure he's skiing more times elsewhere as well..

correct

I have prepaid on (2) MRG, (2) Pico, (1) Stowe, (2) Smuggs and (1) Burke

psyched to be doing some skiing in VT again after not skiing there at all last year and only once at stowe the season prior

 

[deadheadskier]

I am now an old fart that urinates.

Greg,

at least try and enjoy your birthday and look for the silver lining in your advancing age

 

[kingslug]

I used to think Zero G at mountain Creek was the most insane run...until I could straight line it.
Belleayre is where I really learned to ski until I discovered Hunter.
I used to think Killington was the biggest place in the world...until I went out west.

 

[MRGisevil]

I love Magic Mountain, but I have to say I was a bit dissapointed by the amount of terrain they groomed last year. Part of the challenge was that everything was a challenge? Or perhaps I've grown in the past year and what was challenging a year ago no longer poses a challenge? Holy hell that was a lot of challenge. Either way, I really dislike groomers.

I used to think my mother-in-law was a pain in the ass. Then she bought me bump skis for my birthday. Now I think she's a pain in the ass who bought me bump skis which entitles her to at least one Sunday dinner this summer. I'm not sure how much good they'll do me seeing as I just started skiing moguls last year, but it will certainly be fun to find out.

We're going to Vancouver in March of 09. Timmy still seems to think this is a "tentative" plan. It's not. We're going. We're also going back to Sunday River for Thanksgiving Weekend again. Happy Birthday, Tim.

I'm not good with technical and gear related questions about skiing. I just know that I've been doing it for a few years and it's fun. The funnest part for me is trying out a trail you've never tried before because you thought it was too difficult for you, and doing ok on it. That's about it. I think I'll go back to focusing on summer and warm weather activities now, because I like enjoying various activities during different seasons.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

For me...

4th grade 1989..I skied Big Boulder for a first time on skis half day lesson..I enjoyed it..but in 5th grade I didn't ski because my Dad must have been really busy with work..

6th grade...middle school ski club..two more lessons and I skied 7 days totalall at Blue mountain.

7th grade..middle school ski club and a day with a friends church group.plus 3 days at Rocking Horse Ranch with family.

8th grade..Windham NY with my Dad and Blue mountain with school..12 days total..

9th grade..Whiteface with school..Blue mountain..Jack frost..Killington..17 days total..

10th grade..Okemo, Stratton, Camelback, Blue mountain, Elk mountain, Doe Mountain(now Bear Creek)...17 days total..

11th grade..turning point..I got my drivers liscense..first season pass...Blue mountain, Stowe, Sugarbush, I wanted to go to UVM, and various other resorts..48 days,,

12th grade..66 days..Blue mountain, Stowe Sugarbush, Hunter, Windham Camelback..

College for 4 years at UVM..Sugarbush/Stowe pass first year..Stowe pass last three years..trips to Whistler/Blackcomb and Crested Butte...Jay Peak, Smuggs, Bolten Valley, MRG, K-Mart, Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Camelback, Montage, Blue..

First year out of college..only year with no season pass between 1995 and 2008...skiing at Blue, Hunter, Stowe, Jackson Hole, MRG..

Second year out of college..moved to Montana..no ice coast skiing..season pass at Bridger Bowl..Frequency card at Big Sky...skiing at Red Lodge and BC skiing in the Bridgers, Spanish Peaks and Hyalites..

Third year out of college...ditto of 2nd year out of college..

2004-05...back to PA..season pass at Blue, Jackson Hole, Okemo, Grand Targhee, Belleayre..Sugarbush

2005-06..first 100+ day season..Blue, Jackson Hole, Tanglewood, Montage, Camelback, Stowe, Belleayre, Hunter, Targhee...110 days..

2006-07...record 119 days,,,record 61 days in a row..Blue, J-Hole, Targhee, Big Boulder, Killington, Stowe, Belleayre, others..

2007-08...measly 98 days..Blue, J-Hole, Targhee, Sno, Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo, Killington, Belleayre, Camelback, Snow King..Mount Snow...


Skis owned..

Hand me down K2s, Elans, Pre-m5as, Pre-M6-as, K2 El Caminos, K2 Kreitlers, Rossi Vipers, Saloman X-screams, Elan S-12s, Atomic LT11s, Rossi Scratch Sprayer BCs..