Phil

Get a good look while we are in the lift line, it will be the last time you will be able to keep up.

Thanks for all of the replies, guys. This is pretty much in line with what I was thinking. B2 - love the "recruit stronger muscle groups" comment. That will be my new buzz phrase - along with "does the tail wag the dog?" (You can read about that in a different thread later. Thanks again for the input gentlemen.

First of all, Boris, I am glad that you feel alright in softies and I hope that it consoles you a little. Still a raw deal. I apologize if I assumed incorrectly - I do that sometimes. I recalled that you have only been on hardboots since January and that you had to take a lesson out in them by accident one time and hated it. I guess that is what I was thinking. There are still politics involved that someone who has not been in the industry would not understand - as stated by myself and others above. In any case, I have no desire to call you out in public any more, Dave. I have PM'ed you, so if you are interested in continuing the conversation in private, let me know. To me, the bottom line is that if you go to a mountain that has this policy, you have the choice to work there or not. If you have worked there on plates already and they single you out, there is something wrong.

Nice edit. I will let my post stand even though some of it makes less sense since you edited.

You are not rubbing it in to me - I am allowed to teach on both as well. I did not mean to lash out at you, but I DID mean to call you out on what seems to me like comments made out of inexperience and lack of understanding. Boris is in a situation that is a real bummer. Your opinion was kind of like "hey suck it up and go with the flow" which was followed by your opinion of teaching on softies vs. hard. I was calling you out because I don't believe you have the real life experience or understanding to support your opinion. Please, feel free to explain why I am wrong. I asked you a few questions that you have not answered. You already answered the big question that I did not have to ask - How many lessons have you taught on hardboots? None, so how could you possibly know anything about the effectiveness of instructing in them? I did call you out, but I don't believe that I was uncivil. If you believe that I was, I am sorry. It is O.K. to disagree with someone. Now, if you care to, explain yourself, and try to do it amicably.

If it were that simple, you would be right, but usually, there are politics involved. If it was not already a policy and all of the sudden they thought it was important, one of two things is happening: there are hardbooting instructors whose skills as instructors are questionable (not implying this for Boris AT ALL), or there are politics involved where someone has an axe to grind. I never would have changed the policies for hardbooters teaching, but I have recommended that a couple of hardbooters teach and/or take an exam in softies because of their lack of ability to show important movements. Cheat? What are you talking about? Carving is just as easy in softies as it is in hardboots. Hardboots foster high performance carving, but they are not "cheating" when learning to carve. I would like to know more about where you get your perspective - it does not make any sense to me. This shows me that you have not taught on hardboots. These are merely assumptions that you are making. I have taught thousands of people while on hardboots. Most beginners don't even notice the difference. Those who do notice rarely care. BTW, I do have a means of comparison, because I have also taught thousands of people while on softies. If you are teaching good movement based teaching, it does not matter what kind of snowboard you are on, they will get it. I don't feel that it has ever hampered me. Here is my question for you, Dave - what is your training backround (who has trained you)? How do you employ movement concepts and performance concepts in your lessons? This is not the be all and the end all of teaching, but under our system, it is what is accepted. Man, I am really sorry that this has happened to you. I have no suggestions. You do what feels right. I am all about taking the high road whenever I can, but I also teach in softies quite a bit, so it is different for me. I can sympathize with you, though. At the last mountain I worked for, it was a no brainer - I was in charge of the snowboard program. We also had a race team and several other hardboot instructors. At one point in the late '90's/early '00s, we probably had twenty or so instructors who rode hardboots. The snowsports school director's son was also a hardbooter and former instructor, so I had all of the support that I would ever need. Last season, I started my transition to a new mountain while still working full time at the old one. I took the job as Freestyle Coach (both ski and snowboard) at the mountain that I knew I would be working FT at this year. Of course, I did all of the snowboard FS coaching in softies. This year, I transferred to the mt. that I am currently working at. At the same time I transferred, they hired a new lead snowboard trainer. His first conversation with me was straight to the point - "What makes you think that you are qualified to do the Freestyle Coaching?" I told him about my certification and that I had done the AASI freestyle accreds. I could tell that I was "in the way - maybe stepping on someone's toes", though, and since I was now FT, FS Coaching would just be taking time away from the fam., so I stepped down. I told the snowboard super. that I would not be doing the FS Coaching. He understood (he is a family man as well). The next day, the Technical director came to the super. and told him that there have been "some concerns raised about Phil doing the FS Coaching because he is a hardbooter". You could probably guess who the concerns were from. I was so glad that I stepped down when I did. Since I stepped down, I would not have to put up with the politics I spoke of earlier. The bright side of my story is that the snowboard super. was very cool and has no problem with hardboots. His response to the tech. director was something along the lines of "Well Phil coaches FS in softies, so I don't understand where the problem lies. Would you like him to stop coaching skiing FS as well since he is a hardbooter?" The tech. director backed off. He obviously did not have all of the facts. Why would he? He was just repeating what he had been told by a "concerned citizen" I am sure. Boris, I feel for you. I wish that there was something that I could do. Obviously there is not. Keep us posted.

I don't see what's so good about it...? ;)

"You either give us your names or none of you will ever ski here again."

I was just reading this thread: http://www.extremecarving.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3556 That was my first visit to that forum, so I am not going to post there. I have two questions. In my mind they are the same, but I think that a lot of people see them as different - feel free to see them either way. 1. What makes the board turn? 2. What movements (in order if possible) do you make to cause your board to turn? Have at it...

Have you checked the library of SNL clips at www.nbc.com ?

I always thought these things looked corny. Yesterday I had the opportunity to ride one in a big open space and I really liked it. It seems to me that it would be a great training tool for short radius turns. Specifically, it teaches independent leg movement that many people seem to have a hard time learning. It also teaches use of ankles that we, as hardbooters, could really use. Has anyone else had experience with these?

Do a search.

The new F2 site is up: www.f2-snow.com

This really sucks. I don't have time to invest in a good response right now, but here is an old thread where this was discussed: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=8568

I was having a conversation with a race coach today about binding angles. It is my understanding that guys who are racing, especially at the upper levels, are going with a little wider boards and lower stance angles. This makes sense to me for the better use of your ankles and for leverage. Is there a general concensus?

Really, Bordy? I thought you guys would have snow out there by now..? Even in the Mid-Atlantic we have already had one place open a couple of runs. I expect to be open in two weeks if the weather cooperates. I'll be out tomorrow for your shovel beating! ;)

I want to hit someone with a shovel. Any volunteers? ;)

The details are here. Hope to see everyone there!

Where you look is where you'll go. If you look at the snow, that's where you'll go. (my line for beginners) If you look at the guy in the neon for too long, that's where you'll go.

To ski powder...is to waste it.

Inca Snowjam I recently had a thread about Block Pro snowboards. After talking to the shop, I think that the Snowjam and the Block Pro boards may be the same. Then again, I don't "know" anything, this is just speculation.

There is an instructor search on Bomber, so I am not looking for a list of instructors here. I am looking for those of you who return to the same hardboot instructor time after time, or are planning to return to the same instructor to tell me who your instructor is. I would like to hear whatever else you have to say about them as well. I would prefer to keep this thread to professional instructors only please - I am not looking for the guy at mountain X who you can hook up with to learn a lot. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just not what I am looking for. It would also be great to hear what level and/or style of riding you employ and how your instructor has helped you with that.

I have separated this from the "Who is your instructor?" thread because I am looking for different info here. I am looking for those who consider themselves to be "trained" by a professional instructor and/or coach at some level. Is this something that is ongoing? How have you benefited (or not) from your instruction or coaching? If you have done it in the past, but have stopped, why have you stopped? BTW, I am not looking for names in this thread - I do not want to incriminate anyone. For those who are interested, there is a similar thread here: How did you learn to carve?

I wear a R.E.D. Skullcap under my helmet when necessary. It has a warm "earband" and a mesh top. If I go inside for a little while, I can usually leave it on because the mesh top lets my head cool off. On the other hand, if I take my helmet off outside, the earband still keeps me warm enough.

I put in eight hour days 5-6 days a week. I have tried as many waxing ideas as I know and have been advised. What I have found is that at my size, hard carving on man made snow for 8 hours means waxing every day. There are some man made conditions that will burn your base near the edges in a few runs. I have just learned to live with it. I try to ride different boards and wax the other ones on their days off. BTW, if you do a search on base burn, you will get all of the info from when this topic has been touched on in the past.