jnshapiro

My 5yo is learning to ski this year. He's logged 6 days now and is having a blast! I really enjoyed the runs we took together today. He's not ready for snowboarding. He doesn't have spacial awareness to know that there could be something going on behind him. I don't know if he'll be ready for it next year or not.

An internet based newsletter for the insurance industry here in CA. My wife has quite a lot of experience as a business reporter, over 13 years. We're not ready to launch just yet, but the market looks primed for the info that we're planning to deliver. Very promising right now

They sound like they fit just like mine. I've now got 11 or 12 days in mine and they're finally getting around to fitting right. Still have a few small bugs to work out, but they're really minor.

I love the feeling of my knee dragging the snow! I've had that happen the last couple of times out. Well done!

JH has got to be my all time favorite mountain! Haven't been there since '98. We usually stay in the hostel. Is that still there? Been over the pass a few times to Targhee on some truly epic powder days. WOW!

For me it was a matter of channeling my energy into other pursuits. Competitive shooting (I can do a lot of dry-fire practice [that's no live ammo] at home), this also gives me a good way to teach the kids a healthy respect for firearms. They also tag along to matches on occasion, and are sure to wear ear and eye protection. I also do some woodworking (I make smoking pipes) and sell them through a shop here and on a web site. Then there's snowboarding!!!! Or bicycling during the summer. We had to put the kids in day care for 1 or 2 days a week so that I could get some time to do other stuff. I think I would have gone out of my mind otherwise! Now, my wife isn't working and we're starting up a new business. This is consuming quite a bit of time, but we're also able to spend more with the kids and I'm able to get out to the slopes once during the week for some carving. Prospects look really good right now. The gist of it is to develop some more hobbies. Some things you can do at home and things that you need to NOT do at home. Stuff to do with the family and stuff to do by yourself. You need a good healthy mix in there.

Being a stay at home dad is a LOT more work than any job I've ever had. Very rewarding too.

Now that was uncalled for. I was going to post something and thought better of it. I'll go ahead now and say it. Gators don't get much bigger than 19 feet. The largest one ever recorded was a hair over 19 feet and found in LA (easily verified with a google search). Aside from that, the picture in question has been doctored to make it look like the gator is bigger than it is. You can see that in the belly of the beast that is against the blue truck in the background. There is some intentional blurring of pixels there in order to mask the change. There are other indicators as well. Frankly, after posting that originally, I changed my mind. And so edited the post to say what it says now. I decided that posting that would perhaps have thrown a damper on the entertainment value of the picture.

Never mind. No need to spoil the fun

Oh, never mind

Whoever made the decision to allow political discussion, well, I'll just say that I think it's a really bad one. If folks want to talk politics, there are other fora for that. The potential for really ugly confrontations is high when politics comes into the mix.

Jack, I'm wanting to get one of those machines. Funds aren't there right now though. They also have a little filter you can use your own coffee in and don't have to get the k-cups.

I've only had about 7 days carving, though 14 days on the slopes this year. I figured out how to carve early in January and am getting better at it. Even managed a few real EC type turns yesterday. Anyway, I'd find a wide open moderate blue slope. You are right about having to trust your board. That was a real eye opener for me. Just put it up on edge and hope it sticks. It will. Read the articles posted here: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/tech_articles.cfm. Some of them are likely to help. They helped me, more so as I've started actually carving. See if you can find someone else in hardboots in your area. Seeing it happen helps a lot. I'm still a beginner at this, but I hope this was of some help. Others will have much better info.

I think that's a wise choice.

Maybe I'll have to forego my trip to Mt. Rose until next week so I can get up to KW.

A full face helmet? Personally, I have a really thick neoprene mask that I use.

I've noticed the same in other sports. Rock climbing for example.

I do (or did before I was married).

I'm reaching down with my toes first, then driving my knees.

My first thought is to wonder if you have the lateral cant on your boots adjusted to your legs correctly? That has to be checked on-board. I had all kinds of strange pains until I got that adjusted right. EricW is that you? I'm planning to make it to Mt. Rose sometime later this month for a day trip. Maybe I can hook up with you and James?

I only wear hardboots. I rode softies just once and didn't care for the lack of edge control. I guess it would help us if we knew what it is that you are after. Then we could be more help.

I've always called the toeside frontside and the healside backside. Must be from surfing before I started snowboarding.

Quiet upper body infers that you're well balanced and in control. It's good.

I was paying particular attention to this yesterday as I was learning to throw myself down and trust the edges. I noticed that my weight is pretty evenly distributed throughout the carve, though I do tend to have just a tad more up front at the start.

100% grade is a 45 degree angle. Grade is figured by dividing the vertical change by the horizontal change. On a 45 degree grade, 1 unit down moves you 1 unit over (feet, m, doesn't matter). That gets you 1/1 = 1 or 100%. Or a 22.5 degree angle is a 50% grade. 1 unit down moves you 2 units over. or 1/2 = .5 or 50% Some definitions use the same definition for both slope and grade. Others don't.