The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2012-2013 season

you’ll need to dress the part…

Holy fershizzle! Thanks for the warning. I have a three man tent I could wear if that’s the look.

Hey Digby. Sounds like you have a great lifestyle sorted going for a month every year, you lucky git! I’m hoping to use this trip to make my mind up about getting out of the ratrace. I think I already know the answer. 😀
See you there if you’re going in 2013.

Zesty, does it come in garish colours?

Can you wear it unzipped and flapping?

Fuh shizzle, braw!

(For clarity, almost all of these people are certainly better than me on skis!)

zesty7 – next season will be the first winter since 2007 that I won’t be heading to Fernie 🙁 … I haven’t even bought my early bird ski-pass this year!

Hoping to head out there in the summer next year though as I hear the summers are fantastic

Hope Fernie helps you make your mind up about leaving the rat-race!

Have a look at the following book by Lisa McGonigle :

Snowdrift

Thanks for the fashion tips Cap’n. I’ll go with the orange tent and flaps open. 😳

Book ordered, thanks Digby.

Small children mean I’m not getting away every year like I used to, but I HOPE I can get ANYWHERE with snow this year. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE…..

New Year in BC again probably.

Bardonecchia mid season to visit a few friends (I lived there for a wee while)

bi monthly trips up to Nevis Range or Glencoe/Glenshee if the weather is decent.

Plus….a descent of Ben Lui if I can find someone daft enough to climb it with me once the conditions are right 🙂 Definitely going to need a GoPro for that!

peterfile – Ben Lui Central Gully has been on my list for YEARS. Not likely to do it now as I’m full-time resident in the Alps. Did get Tower Gully on the Ben done though!

Following on from “the way we were, the stuff we wore” comments, here’s a “then and now”.

A silly one from yonks ago and a pic from what you love doing now.

cling-film speed suits for uni races in Val D’Isere, 1998/99? Me on the left, with the lion’s share of the cling film.

Sunset stroll from camp, Sodal valley, last April.

Ned – BUSC!?

Don’t think so, crispo, It was some Daily Telegraph Uni thing. I won it, so it can’t have been very well attended. Certainly Gary Ford, who beat me every time out, wasn’t there.

*shakes fist shake into the clouds shouting “GAR-RYYY!!”*

Got flights booked to Innsbruck in the February holidays. The mini greasers passed their initiation test on Cairngorm this Winter so they’ve earned a trip to Oetztal.

My wife need new boots and been thinking about trying Alain Baxter in Stirling. Anyone been?

Just to let everyone know – I went to solutions4feet today to pop in and talk about boots – it’s closed until 30th August but I believe the internet side is open.

I spent a week in Kuhtai, in Austria back in feb due to work. All expenses paid, But was driving instead of flying. Really good venue, hoping to be back next year.
As far as new kit goes, some scarpa maestrale boots.
With regards to skis, undecided between some ski-grab volares skis.

http://skitrab.com/en-jp/c-9-piuma-evo/15-volare.html

Or something from black crows.

http://www.blackcrows-skis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=359&Itemid=60&lang=en

Lots of berries on the Rowan trees here en ecosse…

Fingers crossed for a snowy winter here because 3 weeks abroad just isn’t enough skiing.

Conditions permitting this winter in Scotland I shall be mostly combining climbing easy(ish!) routes to access quality backcountry descents.

Bring it on.

My plan exactly spin! Climbing with ski kit to access the best terrain!

Spin – we were still skiing in Scotland on the 5th and 6th of May this year.

had my first lessons today (learn in a day at hemel snow center) and im slope ready even let me do 2 blasts from the top..
loved it so blood sore now though and have a swinley ride tomorrow ! – hooked ..awesome day –
they are doing a deal at the moment £50 for unlimited sessions till the end of the month BTW if anyones interested . Friend who rides with me gave me a board and im now booked to St anton for Jan .. mountains in summer on bike mountains in winter on board .. more things to spend my money on !

Spin – we were still skiing in Scotland on the 5th and 6th of May this year.

Amatures 😉 I was skiing on Braeriach on the 26th of May, although it did involve rather a lot of walking.

I’ve heard a lot of positive buzz about Black Crows stuff, but never tried them.

White Doctor skis look lovely, though…….

NEED!

I work in the outdoor/ski industry. So the week abroad was the British industry ski test! Although I’m out to show product still get plenty of time to ski. So spent a couple of days on the black crows. Problem is, unlike on the bike I’m not sure which one I want. Price will probably help determine things…

Picked up some new Salomon BBR’s 9.8’s with NTN
Awesome skis / bindings !!

And a cheeky january trip to Plagne organised

Might get some new goggles / gloves if there are bargains about

Snowinn.com was a gold mine for skis
Got new K2’s for my son dirt cheap along with the BBR’s

Oakley bargain’s dab:

http://www.freezeproshop.com/brand-oakley-oakley-goggles-a-frame.irc?&gclid=COeC6aaU9LECFYQhtAodyDEANA

Awesome Controversial skis / bindings !!

FTFY!

Did you try before you buy(bought)? Bit of a love/hate ski is the BBR.

I loved them for an all rounder piste basher, but hated all the attention I got when trying them out! Every single blighter had to ask me all about them!

😉

Every single blighter had to ask me all about them!

So are they any good or what???

Grrrrrr!

But overall, yes they were pretty good. Nice edge hold on cord, pretty forgiving despite that. However, I doubt they’d really rip it in the phattezzzt of teh pow.

More of a middle aged dad-ski, I’d say. Fast and fun on the piste, good enough to play on the slack country.

Are you sure you’re all mountain bikers?? 😕 I find it hard to think about skiing/boarding when its still very much summer.

I did watch Retallack again a few days ago though, by far the best ski film I think, for those who haven’t seen it! 🙂

PSA for those that are interested:

http://www.bigbang-show.com/ (Flash-based 🙄 )

(Flash-based 🙄 )

None of that around here, Graham…! 🙂

Why are none of those in Civilisation, then? (Another 😉 needed!)

Don’t you get some kind of little snow related show thing in Earls Court?

http://www.skiandsnowboard.co.uk/ski-and-snowboard-show/

Indeed we do.

Sadly, I may not be able to attend this year. Something else is arriving around that time. 🙂

Scotland hopefully

Unsure where I’ll be heading off to – have done Tignes for the last couple of years which is amazing on a board – did Les Arcs this year but was a bit disappointed TBH – the snow parks and boarder cross were a bit lame next to Tignes and Val and 1950 was like a ghost town in the evenings!

My sister has a place in Tignes so I’ll probably head there for a week in March. My board is a rather lovely Salomon Special which still rides like a dream and my pants and jacket are Burton AK which I’ve yet to see better.

Think some new boots might be in order as my Salomon Dialogue boots weigh a ton compared with the new Malamutes.

and a snapshot from a GoPro vid where my ‘friend’ wiped me out!

Can’t wait!

You’ve got me digging out the old pics now which is making me smile a lot! Unsure if I prefer biking or boarding in the Alps – think the latter as I just love the crisp fresh winter air.

Start ’em young!

Home (Pyrenees) and away (Alps) possibly. Atomic Race GS D2 and Slalom skis ordered for junior so I’ll get my Omeglass slalom skis back and borrow his Atomic superG things when I want longer curves.

Start ’em young!

FEEL TEH STEEEEEEEZE!

🙂 Love it! Shame about the board, though! Should be skis, really…!

(The eternal blue touchpaper of STW Ski/Snowboard Threads remains firmly alight, smouldering with the good willed banter of it all!)

Just because you’re too old and easily damaged to ride a board Flash – like me I hasten to add.

Hell no! I board in the summer. Behind a boat.

Wakeboard in the summer, ski in the winter!

CaptainFlashheart – Member
Start ’em young!
FEEL TEH STEEEEEEEZE!
Love it! Shame about the board, though! Should be skis, really…!

I’ll start em off on skis – think snowboarding might be a bit too physical until they’re 10ish. I used to ski to a reasonable level but had an 8 year break and came back starting on a board. To me it’s like comparing road biking and mountain biking…….

To me it’s like comparing road biking and mountain biking…….

They’re both ace!

Unlike recumbents telemarkers.

😉