skategoat

Don't be too quick to take credit here gents. I clearly recall certain people here being adamant in previous threads about any flex or play being the domain of boot engineering and not binding. I recall certain someones being very firm in their position that bindings should be rigid and introducing flex would be dangerous and a dumb idea I have a long memory and I'm just saying.

And to think she could be behind a desk, in a cubicle, driving a spreadsheet instead of a Kessler.

I suggest you try out TweetDeck: http://tweetdeck.com/download/ Set up columns with Boolean search entries for all the topics you are interested in. The search will feed you with hits. If you find a Twitter account of interest, you then follow them.

If you had anything to do with Alexa's new site - good job. I find Canadian snowboard racers to be modest almost to a fault. They have to be shameless about self-promotion. Take a lesson from Klug and Ross.

A few suggestions to make your Tweets more interesting and compelling: - make them real-time. Post with your smartphone from an event, not hours or days afterward. - photos. Again, use your camera phone to post "insider" pics and post them up to Twitpic. - satisfy our thirst for insider info on gear, setup, courses, training, injuries, etc. Do this and you'll get every hardbooter following you.

Looking good for Canada. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Jasey. I really hope he can hit Gold at Whistler and put the Nagano/Ross/second hand smoke debacle behind us, once and for all. Check that: Cypress, not Whistler

Fawcett was so far ahead at the split that the only way he would have lost is if his binding exploded. Okay, it was his first run but still. Mark seems to have moved on nicely from the Nagano experience whereas Ross just lingers over it. Move on Ross, move on. http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/winter-sports/Fawcett+coaching+gives+back+snowboarding/2261442/story.html

Is it the fact that they're called "followers" that bothers you? Try as I might, I don't see how Twitter threatens someone's identity. What if Twitter called them "subscribers"? I suspect that would be more palatable. If you follow blogs, following a Twitter feed is no different. It's actually better. Think of Twitter as 140 character RSS feeds. Years ago, I used to pay for news feeds. Remember those push news clients? Twitter is the same thing except now I can get news from friends, colleagues and media sources. I train businesses on how to use social media as an information and marketing channel. I find if someone already has their mind made up that Twitter is drivel, then it's no use trying to convince them otherwise. But, if they're on the fence and open minded, they often are amazed by the usefulness of Twitter.

You know he's got a book deal now? Funny stuff.

It's really no different than any other information medium. Do you watch TV? 90% of that is dribble. What I like about Twitter is that it's much like a newspaper. The Tweets are 140 characters and a lot like headlines. If the Tweet is interesting, I click on the link and dive into the article. The misconception that non-Twitter users hold is that the 140 character Tweet is all there is. That's not the case - the Tweets lead to more detailed web pages, photos, etc. If there's news or info that I'm interested in, it comes to me. I don't have to go chasing it. A lot like RSS feeds but a hell of lot easier to find the stuff that's relevant. Let's say you're in the technology business. It's your job to stay current. So I follow nyt_tech, silicon valley insider and various Mac and Apple tweeters. For entertainment, I follow a few comedians. For sports, I follow ESPN, TSN, Chad Ochocinco, Will Carling (rugby). I follow guys who's opinions I respect (industry and otherwise). MUD, if you're truly interested and not just a naysayer, try it for a month. Download a client like TweetDeck, follow people from your industry, your hobbies, etc. Honestly, everyone I know who thumbs their noses at Twitter has never really tried it.

That's exactly what I used to hear in 1994 when I was out there pitching websites. "Fad", "For Kids", "Nothing but porn". Twitter is a game changer. It makes blogging easy and accessible. In the old days, like 2006, you had to be literate and somewhat tech-savvy to own a blog. Now, all it takes is an SMS phone. And with only 140 characters to work with, it doesn't even matter if you can spell.

Depends on your viewpoint. If you're curious about people and the world around you, it's another channel. There are two things I like about Twitter. 1) It's near real time and 2) the elimination of intermediaries. I get a direct channel instead of getting my news filtered by the media. See the Iran Election Protests to see the power of both: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html

My dumbest concussion was on a water slide in Quebec. They didn't give you mats and I found that if I cupped my shoulders just right, I could create a cushion of water underneath me that would make me really fly. So I just booked it on one run. I have no idea what happened but apparently, I flew out of the slide on a corner and came down on the edge of the slide, slamming the back of my head on the lip. Hit the pool at the bottom and i remember feeling very dreamy, like I was back in the womb. Lifeguard pulled me out. Anyways, I guess it's comforting to know that I won't be alone in the drool ward in 30 years.

I'm a bit addicted to it. It's the best way to get breaking news. I follow the CBC, New York Times and CNN. I'm not a real celebrity follower but Chad Ochocinco is quite entertaining. He's very open and has done a great job of showing that he's just a regular guy. Twitter: http://twitter.com/henryinTO

I have something he might like. Please Email me. Seems your email is not set up.

Oh man, I hope I did not jinx Kevin Pearce with this thread. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/sports/olympics/05pearce.html

egibbons: I would rate that a tad more serious than a concussion. I'm worried about hidden brain damage that might manifest itself in later years. Wonderful recovery story though. john deere: That's some major head trauma. Kinda sad that it goes along with a hockey career. Here's a list from 2007 of NHLers who had to retire due to concussion: http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/287833 The saddest for me are Lafontaine and Steve Rucchin. All: Carving is a great feeling but not knowing where you left your car or even what kind of car you drive is not good. I had a little scare on the first run of the season when I stuffed the nose in soft snow, went over the handlebars and slammed the back of my head on hard snow. It definitely rattled my brain a little bit. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it.

Helmets actually have little to do with preventing concussions. This is what my research tells me. Concussions are caused by sudden deceleration and a helmet does almost nothing there. This is about hockey but I'm sure the same reasoning applies to snowboarding: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/ourgame/goalsassists/asktheexperts/story/2009/03/30/sp-qanda-helmet.html

I figured you'd be all over this one. And at $449.00, you didn't need that second kidney anyways.

Me - about 5 or 6. My memory is a bit fuzzy on the exact number <G>. My first one was in a high school football game. The coach sat me out for a quarter and sent me out again after my head "cleared". I can't remember a thing about that day. That's how ignorant we were about brain injuries 30 years ago. Most recently, a crash two seasons ago. I didn't even lose consciousness but I knew I had a problem when I couldn't remember how I got to the hill that day. With all the news coming out about the long term effect of brain injuries, at what point do you say enough and give up risky sports like snowboarding?

I'll take the jacket if you throw in that crappy old snowboard beside it.

I'm interested. Turn on your email.

I'm thinking about going up on Saturday.

I should have guessed there would be a cowbell.com Thanks for all the suggestions.

Need about a dozen of them for the Olympics. Where do you get these things? No cowbell stores in the Yellow pages.