| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!!! | ||
| Tramp |
Gscjuette: Bear in mind that when you watch Bode on course, he's typically in ruts that dictate his stance width, and he's riding the outer edge of these ruts in any given turn. That being said, his feet are much more than "a few inches" apart. Optimally, for obvious, geometric purposes of stability,a skier's feet should be hip-width or more apart. A great rule of thumb is to have someone abruptly push you from the side- see how you spread your skis/feet to maintain stability? That's where they should be all along. The 1970s "clamped" style of skiing w/the feet together came about as a variation on the Arlberg technique, as a response to wearing low, softer, leather boots with which to attempt to transmit energy to very long, straight skis. Both feet, by necessity, had to work in concert, given the limitations of such archaic equipment. Thankfully,Those days are long gone, now. | ||
| Tramp |
Bill- The later-the-better in Tahoe, typically, as the runs (and the liftlines are far less crowded at that time, the temps are noticeably warmer, there are more sunny days (although sunny days are a common phenomenon in Tahoe)and the residual snowpack is such that there's still plenty of base to hold the dumps that still keep coming in off the Pacific. There's NO bad time to ski Tahoe, but, as with most ski regions, Springtime lends itself to more optimal conditions. April, in fact, can be amazing up there. Some of my very best Northeastern ski days have been in April, as well, at places like Stowe and Stratton ( Stratton, that is, back before it became a McMountain) | ||
| Reepicheep |
I got a set of snowblades, and while a "feet apart" stance will definately get you through more places and faster, putting both feet side by side and using the blades more like a monoski with two edges was no end of fun. I could just about drag elbows on a nice wide packed run, and on bad runs could carve a nice little slalom along a 8" wide edge by the woods. Of course, I was 10 year younger and 30 pounds lighter then  | ||
| Tramp |
Allowing your feet to spread several feet apart, on 'blades, allows a nice 4' stance width that gives you one knee into and ahead of your turn , and the opposite foot a long trail back, both at opposed angles, allowing you to drag more than your elbow in a turn; you can lay-out much farther in this manner | ||
| Tramp |
In Central Europe, where I do the bulk of my Snow Sports education work, "funcarving" is, unfortunately, the fad of the day:  | ||
| Tramp |
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| Dbird29 |
Man, that looks fun! Snowing in the Cascades down to 2500 feet tonight, Whoo hoo!   | ||
| Reepicheep |
Wow! Never leaned that far. I'm sure just being on snowblades (actually, atomic funmachines, which I like better) deeply offends all the purists anyway. They are a nightmare in deep powder, but that's not much a liability in Ohio | ||
| Lightstick |
At least those yahoos are wearing helmets. There should be a mandatory helmet law for skiers. Just think of how much the public burden would be alleviated. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Tramp, we need to have a snow day this year. I'm still using my •••••• 205 planks from yesteryear. I'd definitely have to rent a set of shaped skis to try them out. I was viciously indoctrinated into skiing by grumpy Alpentrolls who preferred the Stein Eriksen style.  | ||
| Etennuly |
Ahhhhhckkk! Back in the late seventies I worked at a ski resort and skied all I wanted on my days off. Many times I leaned further than those guys did. I usually didn't get back up on the skis, but I could lean 'all of the way' with style. A friend of mine yelled to me from a chair lift one time, I looked up and crossed my tips on the first mogul at the top of a short steep slope. I did a header and flipped, spun, crashed, and ate every bump on the way down. As I got to the bottom my skis were in the right position that I came right back up and continued down the slope as if I meant it. I never lost my hat or anything. A group of ski patrol guys and instructors saw it happen and awarded me the 'smooth move' of the weekend award. Skiing, what a great full contact sport! | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
If high speed open trail carving is your thing, nothing I have ridden even comes close to these: http://www.monoski-skwal.com/ http://www.skwalzone.org  Its basically a extra narrow downhill snowboard with both bindings set to 0 like you would find on a mono waterski. I rode one at a demo day at Jay Peak VT and bought a used demo that day. I usually take it out early for some fresh tracks, then switch to the traditional snow board when the crouds/trails get ugly. The damb thing carves so well, that with enough speed, you can start a turn on the fall line and CARVE a complete circle(half uphill) and continue down the trail. There almost as addictive as Buells, try one and youll be hooked. Seth Wasn't this thread about a riot or some thing?? | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
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| Edgydrifter |
Johnnylunchbox--yeah, that's the way I was taught, too (both style and method). Knees locked, and boards long, stiff & straight-edged. After years on Atomic red sleds, the first time I tried a set of shaped skis was a real horror show. You can't muscle those suckers through moguls and trees, I discovered unpleasantly. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I guess I'm in for a rude awakening when I try the fat skis huh? | ||
| Tramp |
NOt really- they make it easy to be lazy. Obviously, I was trained Arlberg, and I d crossed over with no problems. Sethbuchbinder- Skwals are certainly a blast | ||
| Tramp |
JLB- Nice shot of Stein. He was one of my own instructors, growing up- he and my dad were pretty tight. Here's Stein and my dad back in '69 (or /'0?):  | ||
| Slaughter |
My brother was the most BIGOTED person on the planet. He insisted that snowboarders were the most self-absorbed, weird group of people on the slopes. There was NO reason to snowboard. 2 skis was the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIGHT. Until he tried it for the first time. Now he never goes "skiing" on 2 boards anymore and he doesn't want ANY of us to remind him of his previous prejudices. (Message edited by slaughter on November 04, 2008) | ||
| Tramp |
...and here he is with me (Dad had him some in and work with the young racers once a season):  | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
VERY COOL STUFF THERE TRAMPSKI! | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XT1SZl1wE4&feature =related | ||
| Tramp |
JLB- Lemme know if you ever get out to Deer Valley and you'd like to take some runs with him. Seth- Any proficient alpine boarder can carve 360s on a standard alpine board ( or freestyle, in many cases), and many of us can do them on skis, as well. You should catch up with some of the alpine riders still in your area- Let me know if you'd like to meet up with a great bunch and put some turns in up at (I f*cking hate the place) Mtn. Creek. | ||
| Court |
I stayed at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley a couple years ago on the way to Bonneville and it may have been one of the nicest accommodations I have ever seen. Three huge fireplaces and about a 1,200 SF room . . . .very cool places. Spent the day in your neighborhood! . . . it's spectacular! | ||
| Tramp |
...and if I'm not mistaken, Stein's place is STILL off limits to 'boarders, which is a stance I think more resorts may want to consider, frankly. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Tramp, it is a fact that boarders helped revitalize the northeast's ski industry in the last 15 years. Elitism only works as long as the elite are willing to fund their exclusive playgrounds. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
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| Tramp |
OH, they didn't just help revitalize it, 'Boarders were the primary vector of same. Point is, from a numbers standpoint, being as there are SO many disenfranchised skiers who'd like to get away from the baggy-pants poser kids with the faux-hawk hairstyles, any resort that offers this selectivity will bring in a huge and wealthy segment of the population, thereby boosting the resort's numbers and making a PR buzz | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Yes as long as he elitists agree to keep paying... | ||
| Tramp |
Are we, as Buellers, then, elitists? diffrn't strokes, i says.... what you talkin' bout, willis |
