Kent

True..another good point. I think that kinda supports my position. At the time I was instructing 20 hours a week, I was also working at a shop 20 hours a week (in addition to my FT job), there is certainly a gap b/w the advice that is requested from a store and that requested from an instructor. Just my opinion. Perhaps in a Level II or III class it might be a topic of discussion and would be worth of a hard boot demonstration, but in a Level I class where all students are riding softies...I'll stand firm. :) I'd go so far as to require it if I were in charge of the ski/snowboard school.

Are you just racing each other or part of a larger league? If just each other.... My opinion is that you need some sort of third party or means to benchmark/rank the difficulty of the course. Example. Have someone "bomb" the hill. Time that. Or..have everyone "bomb" the hill and take an average time. That time now becomes the perfect score. On any given night, you can handicapp to the perfect score...or then create a difficult scale, either with the night's average time or one racer in particular. I was a NASTAR pacesetter for a few years....and it was more about being consistent rather than being fast. Of course, being fast was good too...but not at the risk of not being consistent.

It's beating a dead horse.... If you're convinced it's the most effective way to teach, then go nuts. I did for most of the 90s, but have since changed my mind on the subject. There is quite a bit more history...PSIA, AASI, Demo Team, Examiner Courses, blah, blah. Regardless, have fun.

Depends on the class. If a group class with mixed riders..I'll ride regular stance. If a private lesson and they are ponying up $, then I'll ride however they want to ride. This thread suprises me. Guys..the war is over and soft boots have won. Let it go. The bravado is nice "hey, I can ride switch and do a 360 in my hardboots". Big ****ing deal. I understand why people would want to teach in hardboots (comfort/ease of entry/etc) but don't understand why people do it to promote hardboots or their own agenda. Give it a rest..it's not a sales job, you're teaching snowboarding. The 1st thing Joey Parkboarder is going to think is "dude, the instructor is lame and wearing ski boots".

Post of the day!

At the music store last night, they had Guitar Hero in the lobby of the lesson area. 3 kids playing guitar hero....1 practicing a real guitar prior to his lesson. Nuff said.

A typical plastic toecap wouldn't fit (literally), so I cut the toes off of 3-4 pair of socks and wore those under my ski sock for the fitting. As you could imagine, my foot didn't exactly want to go in the boot. It was a fairly painful 5-10 mins. The toecap didn't create much/if any length, but does provide room (vertical). The buckles were merely "snug", not tight as if I were going riding. No idea weather ther Thermo manufacture would consider that best practice.....but I certainly would not over-tighten. Duct tape. Only used to create a slippery area. I wouldn't advise most people to do this. I just like wiggling toes a bit and dict tape was the only idea I had at the time....

x2 on most of what Bob said. I hate to say this...but TR is right. Unsure why you guys are upset. Most of the good snowboard racers started as ski racers. Up until all the PGS bologna, it was more like ski racing...heck, you can even go back to the PSL long poles. Let's go back to the roots. BX was supposed to be a freak show and a way to promote snowboarding as a bandit sport (Remember Warren Miller?). It wasn't a legit sport until NBC aired it in the mid-90s...and Rippey went on to do a back-flip in the finals. No one remembers who won the race, but EVERYONE remembers Jim's backflip. Banked Slalom was a legit event and rec'd coverage in the magazines, but isn't TV friendly. At the same time, halfpipe terms were hard to understand. (McTwists?) BX was easy enough for the couch potato to understand. BX is certainly "fun" and I love to do it...but not a fan of it being anything larger than a Chinese Downhill/freak show/have fun. Yawn. SkierX is more exciting than BoarderX and certainly more competitive as there is a larger margin of error allowed which creates a tighter race. Terje Haakonsen is (IMO) the greatest technical snowboarder of all time. CK (RIP next Wed, btw) would be next. TR might make my top 10, but the dude SUCKED late in his career, mostly due to injury. JJ would be the highest ranking alpiner in my books....but when was the last time he actually rode hardboots? Just my 2 cents...look at the history and TR is on the money.

Very good question. I can measure tonight both weighed/unweighted with and without support of the insole to show how pronation plays into boot fit. Of course..there are MANY caveots with the pix and my set-up. That liner was short lived and the BioSkate insole is thinner than most. But the lesson is the same...the shell is the most important factor, insole is the 2nd. The liner and stuff can all be modified after you have the foundation and basement constructed. k

I had a rather lengthy post....but decided to delete it and let the photos do the talking. Several thread on boot fit lately, I rec'd a PM last night from a BOL member and the kids on the race team are curious how I can use a boot which is nearly smaller than my foot. This isn't a bravado thread...this is simply an example of a race/performance fit. My knowledge of current alpine boots/technology is dated...but more than happy to answer questions/PMs from people who have difficult issues. A few key points. - 27.5 mondo foot / 25.5 boot shells / 25 liner - High instep / Arch - Peterson BioSkate Insole - foam posting - Sorry for looking at my feet - but toenails are VERY short - Lightweight (not thin) wool socks - Duct tape on end of insoles to wiggle toes - Buckle boots from bottom to top - Never buckle too tight, esp on lower buckles - I never unbuckle for lifts or break - very comfortable - Warm toes (Just started using Boot Glove under 10 degrees). The measurement with the meter stick was done with stick/foot backed up against a wall and slightly weighted.

Somebody has to say it..... Suck it up. If the students are in softies, you should be on softies..along with a standard stance position. Just my 2 cents, mostly for the reasons already given. I will agree my hard set-up is more comfy and easier to use (step ins). But it just isn't the best learning experience for the student. Sorry.

I have a race stock 188 with 1 year's minimal use. It has slight delam on the top sheet around the rear inserts, but isn't a structural issue. I'd fix it (certainly easily done) but would rather sell "as is" so the buyer is aware. It's just sitting in the basement as it's more board than my old weak ass needs these days. Sold it 3-4 years ago here, but the buyer wasn't comfortable, so I gave the money back.....took it out the next day and rode it. That all said...if anyone wants a 188 Burner in prime condition, I have one. K

"Race" version (alum baseplate) = nice binding. Just use some Loctite on screws. If you have the older plastics discs, you can always make your own via piece of aluminum and base rubber.

When I was in my 20s...I worked PT at a shop, coached a snowboard team, set the local USASA courses, was a NASTAR Pacesetter and taught ski/snowboard lessons. All while having a 40-50 hour/week "real" job. I typically worked 80 hours a week..although I never really considered work-work, it's usually pretty fun. No free time to spend money on crap, received all sorts of benefits along the way, learned a hell of a lot, met some really fun people and had a good time. Up until around 2000ish, I don't recall ever paying for a snowboard, boots, clothing or lift tickets. It all came from the shop, local reps or sponsorships. I did proform one set of bindings when a very generous up and coming company had them on the Rossi deal. When travelling "out west" for a race, I'd call up the local Midwest Sales rep and get comp tickets or use my PSIA discount with some added coupons. When going to a neighboring hill where my pass didn't work, I'd usually offer up some tuning or related services (set gate training, etc). If I had to pay for all this, I simply couldn't have afforded it and wouldn't have ever gotten into snowboarding. Makes me sad...which is why I now contribute to helping youngsters get access to sports. The greatest snowboarder who ever lived probably hasn't been on a snowboard yet. That all said, I'd recommend getting more involved. Give back and you'll receive. You'll give more than receive...but that's the point in order to do something that you enjoy.

http://www.gamaniak.com/embed.swf?file=http://media.gamaniak.com/vid/descente-cote-buggy-rollin.mp4ℑ=http://www.gamaniak.com/pics/3625.jpg&showdigits=true&controlbar=over&link=http://www.gamaniak.com/video-3625-descente-cote-buggyrollin.html&displayc <div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.gamaniak.com/video/3625" width="512" height="384"><param name="movie" value="http://www.gamaniak.com/video/3625"><embed src="http://www.gamaniak.com/video/3625" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="384"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.gamaniak.com/">Video</a> - <a href="http://www.gamaniak.com/video-3625-descente-cote-buggyrollin.html">Descente de cote en BuggyRollin</a></div>

Any more intell on your Mini? Problems? Issues? Snow Tires? I'm certainly an SUV guy, but still have a warm place for my old GTIs. 0% chance I'll own another Volkswagon (I've owned 5 - 4 GTIs and Vr6 Jetta), but still "miss" having a rear hatch. Of course, I have one now with my 4Runner, but looking for a 2nd car with better gas mileage/character.

All good stuff....just do something. This is perhaps the 1st time I've actually recommended it as I'm usually surrounded by roadies and trigeeks, but IMO CrossFit would be great training for a alpine boarder....along with more cardio and plyometrics.

This is where I need to be careful with my words. Mobile 6.5 is still a v6 release. Some pretty cool phones: http://www.htc.com/www/product/hd2/overview.html http://www.htc.com/us/product/imagioverizon/overview.html As for what's next. I dunno..lots of talk. I'm still heartbroken over the 1st Zune. Surprised that Zune was an end to end solution, albeit with several hiccups. The current Zune (device/service/marketplace) kicks serious serious ass. 10 out 10 friends who have used my Zune prefer it over their iPod. Toss in the subscription model and it's A LOT cheaper to own a Zune than an iPod. But....as you're aware, the numbers don't lie. What does that mean for a phone? I dunno. Really depends on what you call a phone these days. An iPhone isn't a very good "phone"...but a pretty cool tape measure or gaming device. What is the role of a phone? The value of having a phone is about having a number (or ID). Yet, it's more about where you are and what you're doing (presence) rather than what device you could be reached at. Of course, sometimes you don't need to be reached....but rather have the abiliy to access information. That is why many people use Twitter and Facebook rather than send emails. The same will hold true for voice in the future. ;o) From a technical perspective....All of the "popular" devices are one key flaw: they are not based on the company's core technology (i.e. Android vs. Chrome). Was Google nuts? I think so.

People just wanna be cool. Mobile phones drive me nuts and I'm not very passionate about them. To me, it's a comodity and should be a voice driven device. I've been given numerous (over 20) touch phones and simply can't use them (I need buttons). The Treo 700w was cool, IMO. People get so hooked on devices rather than the services which they provide. I am passionate about cloud services and the longer term impact on device agnostic technology. I don't want to be tied to a device, but do want access to my data/information/services across all my needs. It's funny. We have double digit unemployment and skyrocketing bankruptcy, yet people will go toss down $199 on an iPhone at the drop of a hat with a fat contract....when they could get a FREE phone and a lower cost provider. I was pissed when Apple lowered the price (I'm a Shareholder). That all said, the numbers speak for themselves. The iPhone gravy train is pretty long... The Android is certainly more interesting than the iPhone with a more robust roadmap. Who cares about apps anyway? Gimme a service!!! If you've seen a Zune HD, you're in the ballpark for what's in the works.

I agree with Bob (finally) You're post #11 kinda tells the story. I read the 1st few wondering what the problem might be..... My take is slightly different. They are family. Like it or not, they deserve a chance....at least in my book. I know there is history, emotions, etc...yet I try to look at the sunny side. That said, I wouldn't put anything is writing other than YOUR PLAN and process in regards to the future of that house. Sounds like you never had one until they moved in and now its a priority. Who cares? You didn't. (Sorry to be blunt). It's a kick in the ass for you to address some of your situations, but don't project your problems on them. Think of them totally separate. In some regards, you do owe them a favor now.....not legally, but emotionally. That all said, I'd map our your "exit strategy" which hopefully involved some improvements. aka: "Hi BJ, what ya doing over here today" "Ah, I figured the bathroom needed some updates when the market clears up" They will get the hint. After that, just ask a few questions on what their process is for getting out of the bankruptcy and where they want to be in 1, 2, 5, 10 years. Ask Larry to help get the place ready to sell and offer them a % of the proceeds....

http://blog.laptopmag.com/ubuntu-confirms-linux-netbook-returns-higher-than-anticpated http://blogs.computerworld.com/study_windows_clobbers_linux_on_netbooks_with_over_90_share Clobbers? Quote "The game is over" http://www.microsoft.com/opensource/

Vista and Windows 7 do not have start buttons. Completely my fault to taking your bait in this whole thread as you're just creating noice. My apologies to all bystanders who had to watch the trainwreck. This is the internet equilavent to protesting at the university. http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html Quite interesting. You may want to talk to your rep about their roadmap. Me thinkie someone is making certain you stay current with their software....

Yes..my Acer runs the full "aero" on 1GB, but you can turn that off if you want. Some would say a Win 7 machines like 512 rather than 1GB as it will run aero at 1GB. If that machine supports a 2GB chipset (1 chip or 2x?), then IMO make that upgrade. My upgrade cost $25 on newegg. I haven't done any formal performance testing, but for $299, it's pretty damn cool....

I hate to break the news, but Windows 7 is Vista. I could go on and on and about how Vista is superior to XP (and other OSs), but that's a dated conversation. XP is nearly 8 years old and needs to be retired. As for upgrade. XP to Windows 7 = clean install Vista to Window 7 = upgrade, although I'd personally recommend clean install Takes around 2 hours. Before folks start taking jabs...let's look at the alternatives. Open Source - uh...I won't discuss that upgrade/install process. Painful would be mild for an average consumer. For the Mac fans, I would challenge any Mac user to upgrade from Mac OS X 10.1 "Puma" (released around the same time as Windows XP) to Snow Leopard in less than two hours. Uh-oh...but wait! Puma ran on PowerPC machines, and Snow Leopard requires Intel processors. In other words, we'd challenge the most expert Mac user to make that upgrade at all. Tee hee...yet people never take the jabs at the companies which aren't helping customers get value out of their hardware (which is the majority of the cost of a computer). Windows 7 is a great OS and the dinosaurs and developers whom are not keeping with the times will love "XP mode". K

Then you would certainly be a prime candidate for a ridealong. I can organize it if you want. Yes..I ride along with my cop friends (male and female) every few months. You sign a waiver and it's a fun time..esp the night shift.