skategoat

A entertaining little snowboard race game: http://www.cbc.ca/kids/olympics/games/snowboarding/ My best time - 2:36:58

Kitchen knives is over. We're moving on to the topic of "why can I meet a nice, normal guy?".

Glad you weren't hurt. That's crazy that both bindings would completely fail like that. You might want to check your brake lines before you jump in your car. How old were the bindings? How much do you weigh? And what is that light brown stuff? Particle board?

I always thought that a low level of skill usually equated to more reckless, dangerous skiers but it's not always the case. The most hazardous place I've ever skied or boarded in was Mt. Ste. Anne, Quebec about a month ago. There were very few snowplowing beginners. The level of snow skills was high. But then so was the level of recklessness. Both skiers and boarders. The worst offender was a guy on snowblades who was basically bombing the hill, lying on his back. He missed my daughter by a foot. I went to chase him down (not to punch him out but to slow him down) but he did not understand my English or pretended not to. I wonder if other Quebec resorts are like this. I know Tremblant is not.

Those photos have me weeping. May I ask where the shots were taken? What resort and what slope? I need to make a pilgrimage.

With regard to socks and liners, one day I was all out of ski socks and since I like thin socks, I grabbed a pair of wool/lycra blend dress socks. The kind your Dad wears to the office. They worked great. Noticed no difference from ski socks. A bonus for me since I have a dozens of unused pairs from my days of working for the man.

Have you seen how ugly the USA team gear is for Torino? Feast your eyes: http://www.roots-direct.com/dept.aspx?WT.svl=10&dptid=10 Kinda reminds me of my Adidas gym bag from Grade 9. Maybe the Canadian-based Roots company is trying to psych job on the US Team.

Great pics guys. Love the PSA on Cateks. I like my OS2s but dread having to move them to another board.

I'll tape the good coverage from CBC and post it somewhere. If past Olympics are any indicator, NBC coverage will suck. Tape delays, pretending events are actually happening in primetime, coverage of American athletes only.

For those who receive CBC, full snowboard schedule here: http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/eventschedules/snowboard.shtml You're gonna have to get up pretty early for the qualifying events.

Out East, we call slush "hero snow".

Actually, I have, I think, 7 snowboards. But I only ride 3 of them with any regularity. I think an online garage sale is coming. The times I have asked for instructors on plates, I either got a puzzled look or a chuckle. The one lesson I got 4 years ago in softies, he recommended I switch to a duck stance. Basically, I paid some young guy to ride with me for an hour. Hey, I can do that for free with my own kids.

Yes, technique is an issue. I consider myself an intermediate snowboarder at best. However, even intermediate skiers can jump on a pair of all-mountain skiis and charge through powder, groom, bumps. The fact that I, as an intermediate snowboarder, cannot do this on a board speaks volumes as to the limitations of our sport. I'll continue to carve the Eastern groomers with my Coiler and Volkl and I plan a heli-trip for next year with my Fish but if I get to Fernie again, I'm bringing (gulp) skiis.

Yes, Fernie is one heck of a mountain. Five bowls full of whatever terrain you're after - wide groomers, steep tree runs, open powder fields. The best part - zero lift lines. I never waited once to get on a chair. Highly, highly recommended.

I just got back from Fernie BC where we were hit with the full gamut of weather conditions - heavy rain, heavy snow, yo-yo temperatures. We ran into a bit of everything - smooth, heavy powder, crust with deep soft snow underneath, groomed hero snow, frozen cord., you name it. I brought a 156 Fish with softies and 174 Prior 4WD with plates. The Fish was great at the higher elevations but not so fun on the groom. The Prior was a blast when surfing the untracked snow but when I hit bumps, I was getting thrown all over the place. Then, when I hit the hard cord, most of it frozen, I was wishing I was on my Coiler Race Carve. So what's a guy to do? I'm getting tired of packing multiple boards, bindings and boots. The skiers in my group thought I was nuts. Every night, I was screwing around with setup, swapping bindings, angles and boots. I'd trade everything I've got for that perfect, do-anything, go-anywhere snowboard. Does it exist? Maybe I should try an All-Mountain Coiler or Prior with a narrower waist and slightly softer flex. Any opinions?

Nope. I just know about the program from working in the automotive industry. I hear it's a good one. Good luck with it and I hope to see you carving.

I never thought I'd see an alpine snowboarder as a centrefold, but here he is: Jan/Feb 2006 issue of ChickaDEE Magazine: Large resolution image is here for those of you who would like to pin Jasey to their bedroom wall beside Justin Timberlake and Bobby Sherman. http://www.taylorkim.com/images/jasey.jpg

Blue Mountain is an extra 45 mins to 1 hour from Barrie. It's worth the drive during the week but not on weekends - too crowded. Are you enrolled in one of Georgian's automotive programs?

Thanks Gabe. I'm packing the Fish, the 4WD and a freeride Volkl. Soft and hard boots. I recall fondly the days when I packed one pair of skiis and one pair of boots. Now I have to bring a "quiver". It's all your (BomberOnline) fault. I hope Air Canada turns a blind eye. Have a great time at Big White.

I'm looking at the trail map and I see a lot of nice open bowls. Are these groomed at all? I'm trying to decide on what boards to bring. My Burton Fish, for sure, and my Prior 4WD but do I bother with a pure carving board (Coiler, Volkl)?

Bruce did two complete front flips after stuffing his nose. I was impressed by the fact that he maintained good riding form even while upside down. Get well soon Bruce.

At the risk of stepping on your listing here, I should point out that there should be two other pieces to these bindings. The first is a red, plastic ring that has teeth that interface with the binding. The second is a canting ring that goes between the red ring and the binding. I can't remember how the pieces go together exactly. FWIW, I weigh 190 and I've used those bindings without any problem.

From what I understand, Jake rides 100 days a year, shows up at the office once in a while to shake hands and give pep talks. That's a lifestyle I could go for.

I can just picture my kids doing that - NOT! One bad thing for you guys in the States - one rider in PGS means zero TV coverage. Maybe this controversy will stir up interest.

When you exit Hwy 400 at 26, take it slow until you hit the 80km zone. The Barrie cops are there just waiting to pick off skiers as they head up in the morning. I got nailed there last season.