The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2013-2014 season

Dianese gloves were too cold in Serre Chevalier 2 weeks ago so resorted to the mitten version of those Hestra lobsters, almost too warm! Always use wrist loops to avoid chairlift catastrophes when digging for sweets.

I had a previous version of these for 13 years, still going strong – never got wet or cold. One of the best purchases I’ve made – no idiot strings.

Don’t you just hate it when it dumps as you’re leaving a ski resort. 😡

Can’t really complain though. Been lucky to have fresh powder days on every trip in the last few years. 😀

Is there a good snowboard rental/demo place in Les Gets, or are they all Twinner type chain stores?

Ideal would be something like ZeroG in Chamonix with a good range of interesting boards, that would take your rental price of a board if you bought one. The missus is in line for a new board, and it would be great if she could try out a few and get a good deal on the one she likes.

Don’t you just hate it when it dumps as you’re leaving a ski resort.

I’m on the opposite foot: it’s dumping hard in Slovakia at the moment (70cm in 2 days) but I’m not due there for another week. Gah!

*crosses fingers and toes, touches wood and salutes a magpie*

grum, it sounds like you had your fair share while you were there, though? 🙂

I’m looking at Hestras too, they are nice, I’ve tried them on a bunch of times, but I’m not sure how they’d hold up to being dragged in the snow and carrying snowboards.

Besides, I’ve got some level gloves that haven’t even entered their duct tape period.

grum, it sounds like you had your fair share while you were there, though?

Yeah mustn’t grumble. 😀

I’m on the opposite foot: it’s dumping hard in Slovakia at the moment (70cm in 2 days) but I’m not due there for another week. Gah!

At least there will be some snow then – it was pissing down with rain when I was there.

Time to give my board a wax. I was thinking that to spare the kitchen table I might look at a proper tuning vise. But blow me they are expensive for what you get. The cheapest I can find is:

Ski Man Board Stopper, £60 from Maverix[/url]

Which seems a bit steep. It’s not much more than a couple of g-clamps with rubbery bits on top and a G-clamp from screwfix costs £4!

Does anyone make their own?

Couple of blocks of wood and some rubber matting would probably do the trick. Like this one:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portable-Snowboard-Tuning-StandVise/?ALLSTEPS

it’s dumping hard in Slovakia at the moment (70cm in 2 days) but I’m not due there for another week. Gah!

Hmm.. then again.. perhaps just as well:

😯

We watched a fairly big slab go off from across the valley yesterday. Some skiers set it off – looked like they got away safely off to one side but it was hard to tell. You could see there had been three big slides already on a steep face loaded with snow, and these guys were skiing the one bit that hadn’t gone. 😕

They didn’t appear to be taking it in turns either.

I’ve got a set of Hestra guide gloves. On their 3rd season* and still going strong.

*And I do mean season, not week! 😉

Aha! Cheers stevo, that’s worth a bump for them for me! Still some duct tape time to go yet, though.

@GrahamS – I’ve got something very similar to the snowboard vice in your picture – it fits nicely to my Black & Decker Workmate for a ‘Pop-Up’ Snowboard Workshop in the shed. 8)

They really do make a simple job so much easier, but I’m liking the DIY version very much – I might have to have a go at that as my splitboard is too chunky to go in my vertical slot! *cough* 😳

I’m liking the DIY version very much

Looks alright doesn’t it.

I was thinking a much simpler approach might be to just stick some bolts through a bit of 2×4 and into the binding mounts. Then you can just clamp the 2×4 in a workmate.

Though I suppose that doesn’t solve the vertical issue and means you are waxing with the binding bolts in which folklore says is bad.

Casey Neistat keeping it real in New York City:

Though I suppose that doesn’t solve the vertical issue

My current workaround to the vertical issue is to clamp the splitboard in the ‘jaws’ of the Workmate with some protective rubber (old DH inner-tube). I’m less bothered about edges on a splitboard anyway

I reckon a quick wax/top up is ok with the bolts in but for a good service would always prefer to remove the binding hardware. That being said there’s loads of bolts in a splitboard for touring mode etc and I’ve never bothered to remove them when waxing … I reckon your idea would be pretty peachy & robust – look forward to seeing the results and ‘scotch-brite’ pad finish! 🙂

Conditions in Scotland were not too bad at the weekend 🙂

Nice. Nearly as deep as Raise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-26218581

Think it’s about the same andy, about 5m. What a winter eh? 🙂

They’ve even got a buried rescue hut too!

Conditions in Scotland were not too bad at the weekend

Which hill is that? Looks pretty quiet?

My mate was heading to Glenshee with his kids on Sunday – but the traffic was backed up for two miles and the car park was full, so they just played on the foothills instead.

Glencoe.

Saturday wasn’t too bad at all. A wee wait at the tows, but nothing unusual, particularly given that it was a weekend in half term which exceptional snow conditions and good weather!

Is there a good snowboard rental/demo place in Les Gets, or are they all Twinner type chain stores?

Ideal would be something like ZeroG in Chamonix with a good range of interesting boards, that would take your rental price of a board if you bought one. The missus is in line for a new board, and it would be great if she could try out a few and get a good deal on the one she likes.

There used to be a cool little shop called magic board, I’ve not been out to Les Gets for far too long though, so cant confirm if its still there or not. They were good guys when I used to pop in, did me a good price on some Drakes I seem to remember.

Been too scared to visit this thread! Don’t want to know how good conditions are now 🙁
Gloves: Been impressed with these:

£30 from Boardridersguide (down from £60)
Replaced some Level gloves that I got from eBay for £15 and lasted years, so hope they have a similar life!
(ps. they don’t have Idiot strings 🙂 )

(ps. they don’t have Idiot strings )

I’m out 😀

I was in Serre Chevalier last week. Rode powder every day!

I hate this thread!

Nice fresh powder in the Vercors yesterday 😛
Saturday’s ski tour in the Chartresue wasn’t so great though.We’ve had rain upto around 1500m at the end of last week, which turned the snow to wet and heavy. Still with the dump on Saturday night and Sunday morning hopefully it’s back to being good now.

Just been to town to get some broken screws on my Plum Guides replaced so now hopefully back to business. Although I do have to go and ride my bike (strange idea…)around the med next week….

can I just mention that I am off on my lads trip to Bormio on Saturday!
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

Bormio? Isn’t that all rainforests and monkeys?

I’m off on my lads trip to Slovakia on Saturday. 😀 Ski pass arrived this morning, which was cutting it a little fine!

One from a over Christmas and NY in Morzine:

Bormio? Isn’t that all rainforests and monkeys?

kin hope not! Although its an easy mistake to make in the Travel Agents.

Peak to Creek run of 1800m drop……BANZAI!!!! 😈

So I’m in La Plagne this week for my first ever trip to the mountain. I’m currently getting absolutely trashed in a bar with a guy from Lebanon on a girl from Hong Kong…. mental stuff!

Bluebird pow day yesterday:

*and a girl not on a girl!!! Christ I’m drunk!

Are you sure it’s a girl from Hong Kong and not a ladyboy from Thailand ? Standard advice in Asia is to be very afraid of the beer goggles !

Tom B later that night:

Sure it’s not a lesbian, rather than from Lebanon?

Easy mistake to make…! 😉

Well today was rough! Amongst other things, I managed to lose half a toenail lastnight which made the 2 hours on the slopes that I managed very painful!

Apparently we went through 400 euros at the bar between 10 of us and John the guy from Lebanon (top guy!) ended up having a pretty guilt ridden 3am Skype chat with his girlfriend after pulling some Mexican au pair 🙂 no more alcohol for me this trip!

I’m starting to get to grips with halfpipe though….almost made it to the top today!!

I used to snowboard Grum, if that helps? Did so for about 10-15 years but won’t be going back 😉

I used to snowboard as well. Tried it, was rubbish at it, went back to skiing!

🙂