The STW Ski and Snowboard thread – 2011/2 Edition

CFH and DD – Early March. I suspect most of the time we’ll be heading over the pass if the lift at LG is open. Or bootpacking off the top of the lift system at Serre Che. And I’ll have my skins with me… Nice getting away from the hordes…

Not last March, Darcy? 😀

I like Serre Che a lot. Especially now the new Cucumelle lift is open. Means I can go play on the Col du Vent and Monetier side of things as well. The Briancon side of the hill gets a little soupy in the sunshine of an afternoon, but the rest is ace, as well as being a mahoosive skiing area.

*Edit for Stoats – Plenty of fun stuff to be had over at l’Eychauda peak and the Pic de l’Yret. Also, very few hordes at Serre Che, especially if out of school holidays. Never had more than one person ahead of me in the queues.

Top tip – The Piano Bar in Chantemerle. A properly drunk old man of the village plays superb French chansons on the piano and they have a cracking wine list at very reasonable prices. Nice bike shop next door, too. They even had an Arantix in the window last time I was there!

Going to whistler for christmas, can’t **** wait!!

hexhamstu – pack an umbrella… 😉

We’re off to Les Gets at the begning of Feb 😀

Where do you find the best deals for st anton for late jan/feb? I think I deserve a holiday!

No, a good few years ago flashy. Tbh, I found the resort a bit tired but hear it’s picked back up again recently. Maybe worth another visit.

I’m going to Serre Che with NBT and Stoatsbrother 😀

+1 for Glen Coe and Nevis range… no money to go anywhere abroad.

re: all the tech. just get yourself an nice normal cambered board, I have been riding since 1994 and the reverse camber thing isn’t new. TBT as mentioned is pretty good i reckon but best used in conjunction with normal camber.

the best application of reverse camber is in freestyle boards specifally rails. half pipe and kicker is still best ridden on a norml cambered board.

Signal OG would be my choice for general mountain bit of everything deck.

K2 slayblade is also very nice, salomon have a whole range of boards as do artec, DWD, Ride, YES, Endeavour, weekend, Lobster, APO, LIB, etc….

Bindings…. BUY UNION! the force model are really nice.

Everyone pretty much makes nice boots but i like slaomon and 32 cos they fit best. all about the fit when it comes to boots…

most of all! Have fun 😉

Stoatsbrother – was gonna do something different this yr. ended up doing something different *and* the BB (subject to actual planning actually happening 😉 of course).

edit: still trying to figure out something in PdS. either on skis or bike. Not been there for years, and fancy staying over the Chatel side for a change.

I’m hoping to grab a couple of days next month, am out in Austria for work. Haven’t skied since 93 and fancy going those new twins a go, but in the meanwhile I’m going to try the new fangled camber thingies, see how it goes.

I’m off to Niseko for the season, leaving five weeks tomorrow. Just need to sell a kidney and pay for some proper fat skis! 😀

Rhubarb – you bucky lucking fastard….

looking at a bit of Alp D’heuz action with the family in the new year, not been for 15years+. Had a bit of snow dome action last week just to remind myself, bring on the mountains!! 🙂

I think we can all agree on one thing. We all hate rhubarb.

😉

Got one of these waiting for its first run.

Salomon Official

Just need to book a holiday or two!

Fair enough chaps. Fingers crossed for some snow here before I go, Scottish skiing is good for the soul!

What’s with the British obsession with fat skis? Dare I venture that narrow skis are more fun in powder? If the skis don’t sink you may as well be on a groomed piste. Euro powder is rarely light enough to be a problem with GS skis.

For some proper fat pow-munchers. Have tried these two
Rossi Super 7
Atomic Chettlers (If you can cope with the silly graphics, these are awesome!)

Two I’d love to try
Line Mr Pollard’s Opus

White Doctor TW10

They look so good, I only hope they could live up to it!

@ ranger… thats a lovely stick you have there…! I had a salomon prospect which was similar to the official.

@ edukator.. seems you need educating about japanese powder, makes euro powder look particularly lame fat skis essential 😉

I’ve been on Pocket Rockets for years. I’m thinking of replacing them with Prophet 98s. Will get as much as possible in the Cairngorms this year and hopefully a week in the Alps. Being self employed has its benefits but time off for skiing isnt one of them. I used to get 2-4 weeks a season 🙁
Those canoe profile thingummy blobs would be good in pow but can’t see they’ll be any use in Europe. Not a good enough pow/piste ratio in most places.

Just got a new job in Chamonix! Moving there in 3 weeks time! Can’t wait.

Going to try for an Alps trip this year. Mostly Weardale ski club and the mighty Yad if the snow falls and falls in the right place this year. As above some Scotish trips to Glen Coe and Nevis Range. Might even get round to going to Raise.

No new gear or toys this year, but going on a lads 3 dayer to cairngorm and Glencoe in december. Then going to Selle Ronda in Italy in January for a week (me and the mrs) Then Val disere in March again me and the wife, but this time with freinds of ours.

Cant wait, bring on da snow. love Val D, go every year and cant wait to get back there

Never bother with summer hols, me and the mrs prefer to go on winter hols. And i am to busy biking in the summer to be botherd to sit on a beach 😮

oap – we must join you (if the snow fairy plays ball).

Never bother with summer hols, me

I like doing both! 8) Wakeboard and sail in the summer, ski in the winter! 8)

CFH if you’re in SF head for Squaw & Alpine. Very different scene to Heavenly. Also Tahoe is a generic term for the whole lake area so IMO those who say Tahoe is rubbish don’t really know what they are talking about..

If in Tahoe then Heavenly OK for mileage and the double blacks ou tthe back on the nevada side, kirkwood in fresh snow is incredible, squaw very good as well. I enjoyed Sierra@tahoe a lot as well.

Yeah Kirkwood… Known for ‘The Wall’ IIRC?

Well this will be my second season living in the French Alps in the Portes du Soleil, pretty much learnt the basics of falling over with a snowboard on ice last season so looking to hopefully a bit more snow and a bit more progression this season! My new toy will be a full season pass and being able to do a bit more exploring. Same old second hand board, don’t even know the make but its got a cool Ninja chic on it with a sword looking like she’s about to about to castrate me….

[/url]Lib Tech T.Rice

This is mine. Off to Tignes in Feb.

Raymond in rear entry binding system shocker…. quicker? no! heavier? yes! more bits to break? definitley! flows and K2 cinch, apo expresso style bindings are horrid. some of the newer designs have ratchets too.. but just NO.

all based on my stick in the mud opinion and should be mostly ignored.

http://www.serre-chevalier.com/Webcam-Serre-Ratier-en

SNOW! 🙂

Off to Fernie for a month again in February. Hoping for a repeat of last years epic conditions and then heading to the Northern Norwegian Fjords for a week in April.

No new toys this years apart from a new pair of bindings as last years new pair were cannabalised to try and improve the performance and response of my splitboard bindings.

Have just watched ‘The Art of Flight’ and ‘Twelve’ so really looking foward to the coming season! 🙂

flows and K2 cinch, apo expresso style bindings are horrid. some of the newer designs have ratchets too.. but just NO.

K2 Autos are awesome.

http://k2snowboarding.com/bindings/ever

Advantages of a step-in/flow system with flex and feel of “real” strappy bindings.
Perfect for old blokes that struggle to reach over their belly to do up toe straps. 😀

Flows: quicker; yes (can clip in while moving) heavier; yes, but does that really make much difference? (how heavy are your boots?)and I’ve had no breakages in 10 years of using them.

I hate sitting on my ar5e for 5 minutes at the top of each lift straping on my bindings and theres very little difference in control compared with normal bindings.

They may not be sick, phat or gnarly but then neither am I!

Toying with going to Jackson Hole over Christmas or maybe just Italy, then Kaprun in March if all goes to plan (maybe another cheeky few days somewhere in between if I can too).

On Tahoe – Heavenley is an impressive operation, but you pay for it, Alpine meadows and Kirkwood both had a nice vibe, and good riding. I wasn’t so keen on Squaw but it was a flat light day. I got tickets in the UK which were redeemable at all of the major resorts. South Lake Tahoe town was OK, but not much of a party vibe, Truckee might be better?

…then heading to the Northern Norwegian Fjords for a week in April.

Whereabouts, Digby? I REALLY want to visit Lofoten and the Lyngen Alps. Torn between midsummer lolling, boating and biking and spring touring.

I hate sitting on my ar5e for 5 minutes at the top of each lift straping on my bindings

There’s a very, very easy way to solve that…. 😉

Yup, it’s called learning to get your foot under the straps and strap in on the move!