The STW Ski and Snowboard thread – 2011/2 Edition

It’s just occured to me that “virages coupés” is “carving” but I’m thinking in a race context where there’s a very fast transition from edge to edge with most of the pressure going into the first part of the turn to drive you down the hill rather than slow you down.

+15/-15 for me and as wide as they’ll go.

Now THAT is what I’d call a true duck stance.

That’s my stance too. Pretty sure there’s no way I’m gonna manage to touch my hip down

Never mind technique as long as you can talk the talk….

😀

“Les Bronzés font du ski” is the French cult ski film

Wow! The first few seconds of that are like documentary footage! I was walking up to the lifts and some French bloke (could tell he was French as he was polluting the lovely mountain air with a fag) swung his skis a few mm from my head. “JEEZ!” says I and he gives me a look like I’d just stuffed my board up his wife’s arse!
Another day I left my board in the free locker area, came back to find a load of skis in the rack and my board sitting in a puddle on the floor! Needless to say the skis didn’t stay in the rack!
😆

Anyone got any info on US run grading?

I’m looking at a map and can’t see any red runs. Also, how do the gradings stack up compared to the French alps? I seem to recall that a Chaminix black was (in general) quite a bit more ‘interesting’ than one from Andorra.

phinbob – US gradings go Green, Blue, Black, Double-Black. Some places even have Triple-Black because they’re just so gnar.

These are roughly equivalent to the European Green, Blue, Red, Black.

Double and triple blacks will almost always be ungroomed, often couloirs/chutes, etc.

80s brightly colored jacket
Skiing with your legs really close together
Very stood up style
Really relaxed and non-plusses by everything
Stopping for a ciggie after each run
And carving everywhere at 1billion miles an hour

Extra points if he’s a monoskier. I love those guys. J’adore le monoski.

“Les Bronzés font du ski”

Awesome!!!

These Karl Pilkington muppets may amuse anyone who has had the delightful pleasure of using a backcountry “toilet”.

WARNING: some swearing. (Slow start but stick with it till 1:40)

Just come back from a week in Austria (well, last saturday) – **** awesome, last day was one of the powderiest I have ever encountered. It wasn’t busy in St Johann either so loads of fresh bits to go at. Want to go back NOW. Shame we didn’t get stuck there like some people apparently did. More snow in a week than in the whole of last season apparently!

By the way, has anyone posted the ‘don’t do it in the park’ video yet? Can’t be arsed wading through 13 pages. 🙂

Not seen that Grum, linkie please

nbt,

That’s the one – pure gold! 😆

‘Shaun White…… if he had a tight little vagina, I’d **** him too. I’m a whoremonger, trust me’ 😯

this has everything: skier intolerance of snowboarder and snowboarder macho ghetto posturing

Yikes! Less cocaine for that guy.

They should have settled it on the slopes:

this has everything: skier intolerance of snowboarder and snowboarder macho ghetto posturing

@2.20 in – the Nihilists from the Big Lebowski Go Skiing.

Anyone got any info on US run grading?

Stevomcd is correct.
However the blacks are single diamond or double diamond and in some resorts I’ve skied in America they don’t have green.

Also every resort is different, very much like hard resorts in France, where a red may feel like a black in some parts of Italy or Austria.

Nice to have you back Grum.

Also every resort is different, very much like hard resorts in France, where a red may feel like a black in some parts of Italy or Austria.

Indeed. I was on a little gentle blue in Italy a few years back when all of a sudden it got all steep, narrow and icy. More black than blue.

At the speed I hit it, I was the one that was black and blue. 😳

Been LOL’ing at this recently.. lol.

Anyone else here in Canada??

I heard parts of Europe are getting dumped on.

Just booked for Pila in Italy for second week in Feb. This will be my second snowboard holiday = utter beginner. Anyone been? Looking forward to a break from you lot for a week

Ive done 1.5 seasons in Pila. Really nice place, its small but once you get to know all the off piste spots most tourists don’t know about its ace.
Cous 1 and 2 probably have the best skiing and boarding there.

Haven’t been there in two years so im a bit rusty on the names of places but if you have any questions fire away!

Snowfighters…..Skiing, Boarding and the Dropkick Murphys

Great combo
? 😀

Sauntered in to Snow & Rock on High St Ken a little earlier. My wallet was straining to get to the till!

Watea 94s for £325! Was sooooo tempted!

Watea 94s

Never heard of em.

What skis are everyone on by the way?

I got some Line Prophet 98’s. Really nice all mountain ski. I’d like something a bit wider for deep powder though.

having second thoughts about the boots ive bought:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/mission-id_8188819.html

they are comfy but having done 2 trips should i have waited a few more trips and then got something genuinly good rather than just getting entry level boots.

what do people think? (i could still take them back)

Those are categorised ‘advanced’ skier boots- do you have the exact model number? How good are you after two trips?

@titusrider – 55 flex? Are they like noodles? I ski in 120s! (OK, am quite a well built chap, and ski hard so the stiffer boot works better for me, but still. 55s?)

To be honest, a 55 flex boot is only really good for a few hours of playtime, not really for a week (or more) of all day skiing. They might seem comfy, but I’m really not sure they’ll help you progress.

*Edit* @woody – That’s “expert” in Decathlon speak. As above, a 55 flex boot isn’t anything expert at all. In fact, far from it.

Get thee to a proper boot fitter! Solutions 4 Feet are highly recommended. I can also point you to the best boot fitters in Snow and Rock, depending on where you are. It’s really worth the time (and money!) to get comfy boots that work with your skiing.

For example, someone I ski with often had used hire boots for a couple of years and said, “I will never go skiing again!” because her boots were so uncomfortable. I took her to Snow and Rock in Kensington where Chris (Awesome boot fitter, and a top chap!) spent two hours on her boots. She now has a pair of custom footbeds in some lovely Atomics and can’t wait to get back on the slopes!

having second thoughts about the boots ive bought:

The most important thing about boots is getting the right fit, more so than looks, cost, or whether they are “good” or not. If you’re lucky enough to find an off the shelf boot that fits well without any modifications to the shell etc, then I’d stick with them.

thats decathalon writing naff decriptions, they are pretty much as simple as boots go.

in terms of my level i can pretty much ski parralel on blues but not tried much steeper stuff yet (only a couple of reds)

If we’re talking about good boot fitters then I have to give a shout out to ProFeet in London. The best money Ive ever spent for skiing! I was in a world of pain before giving them a visit.

Also I didn’t notice the 55 flex. That does sound quite soft, it depends what type of skiing you do though.

in terms of my level i can pretty much ski parralel on blues but not tried much steeper stuff yet (only a couple of reds)

That flex should be fine for you then until you progress more and want someting stiffer.

Those are categorised ‘advanced’ skier boots. How good are you after two trips?

An advanced boot with 55 flex 😆 ,

That is naff of them to say that lol…

hummmmm i no nothing of flex, looks like i might not have done as well as id hoped 🙁

I dont have the funds to do a proper fitting/ non- budget boots

In terms of type of skiing a tend to approach each hol as an opportunity to push myself and learn and concentrate on improving. I want to be able to progress to alot of reds this hol and try and start
carving

I dont have the funds to do a proper fitting/ non- budget boots

What’s your budget?

Given that you say; ” I want to be able to progress to alot of reds this hol and try and start carving”

I’d suggest you look at getting some proper boots. £2-300 should cover it. My Salomon Impact 120CS (heat moulded, custom footbeds) would retail at about £350 or so. Now, you may not need to spend that much, for example, S&R have a Salomon Quest Access 80 for £165 (before footbeds) that looks awesome as a developer boot.

Best advice? Go to a proper shop and get sorted! Suggestions are, Snow and Rock, Solutions 4 Feet, Profeet, Edge and Wax, Bartletts (And there may well be more…!)

*Edit – I’ve used Salomon as a brand here as you had a pair and said they were comfy. They also fit my feet perfectly. However, a trip to a proper boot fitter may well throw up another brand that is better for you. If it is a better fit, buy it! Ignore brand, ignore colour.

Ah! Just had a look at the Salomon website too and didn’t know they were the basic model. Depends how long you want them to last but I would think after another couple of weeks you’ll be needing/wanting something a lot stiffer.

Having said that, I have a mate who has skied for years and has been very happy on a similar boot but he is very light and not a ‘hard’ skier.

Yeah I’d suggest going to a proper boot fitters and see what they say about your boots. If you dopn’t have any comfort issues then count yourself lucky and maybe stick with the boots you have.
But I would definately recommend a foot bed anyway.
Are you sure you can’t change the flex on your boots at all?

A good boot is a boot that fits you well, thats the most important thing. A boot that has an amazing fit on one person might be swimming around another persons foot.

Cheers guys i think i might see if i can return them and see if i can either budget for something ‘proper’ (high street ken snow and rock is just down the road from work)

or maybe just rent for another trip 🙁

Week booked for Meribel at start of March. Really looking forward to it and looking forward to taking my 18mth old son sledging properly again. He loved it last year. Boarding this year but may have to break out the planks in a couple of years when he starts to learn as much easier to get about on them.

One for the boarders

[/url] 190309 In Peak 2 Peak Gondola[/url] by BJ Ray[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Titusrider, you have teh emailz.

😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Aaew1NSzc

Chetler. Auclair. Japan. PowderPron!

And in other news, looks like snow at the end of the week in Serre Che. 🙂