Stan

Still looking . . . :(

Not for me - for a buddy of mine. Give me a holler at Stan_Popov@comcast.net Thanks!

No, over a year alerady - the aniversary's in September. As far as ECES - I pretty much decided to NOT go the moment the location was announced, and the decision was only reinforced with us bying a house in December . . . Between the house and my wife's broken foot (a fairly recent development) - I have been on the slopes a whomping total of 6 days this season :( Hoping to make it seven by the time the season's over (Hunter Mountain Pond Skimming event - I REFUSE to miss it)... Have good runs (and take some for me too!)

I voted for "Forever like a bald eagle". For those who don't know me personally - and those who haven't seen me in a while - I LOOK like the damn bald eagle . . . :D

Easy siwtch at easy speed for me. I can lay out a nice carve switch - but find it a bit difficult to GET OUT of it . . .:rolleyes: Another thing to consider - someone riding a carving board switch probably impresses viewers MORE than someone throwing a 900 spin on a soft setup . . . :D

In general - the longer the board - the LESS maneuverable it will feel, but will provide you with more stability at higher speeds. If you want more maneuverable - go to SL board rather than GS. Just don't expect to make TIGHT turns on a GS board, go for the LONG, DRAWN-OUT carves - and you'll learn to appreciate it . . . And get an SL board (shorter one) for your quick-turn fun. I have - 168 Oxygen Proton GS for lay-them-out and a 157 Burton Factory Prime (SL) for I-need-all-the-maneuverability-I-can-get-so-that-I-can-avoid-hiting-people-on-a-too-crowded-slope . . . :D

Stan here, a Hunter Mtn. instructor for the past 4 years. Ride Hunter in hardboots all the time. (This season I haven't really been out that much due to personal reasons). What can I tell ya - try Belt Parkway. See if you like it. Also try taking the D lift (a triple chair) - it goes about 2/3 of the way to the top, comes out to the top of the Broadway. Take Broadway to Kennedy - two of the WIDEST trails at Hunter, and most carver-friendly. Also see if the Madison Ave (off of the B lift) is open - not long, but perfect for a beginner carver. A lot of times they close that trail for various races and stuff, so before you take the B lift - stand at the bottom of B - and you'll be looking straight up Madison and you'll see whether or not they have a course set up or not. If you want to take a hardboot-specific lesson - call them and find out if Ivan will be around, he's the only one there who teaches full-time and in hard boots. Have fun!

So . . . how many guys talk to your FACE, when they talk to you? And how many guys talk to your BOOBS? You do the math!!! :D

I got one word for ya - Ropetow !!!

I'll call him myself, if I can make it . . . I'm also planning a "Huntah attack" for either this or next Thursday . . .

Definite "Maybe" for me as well . . . If I come - it will most likely be Sunday... Cheers all!

Yes, it is Ron. And YES, he IS a "Huntah" boy! As a matter of fact - I'll try and catch him at Huntah a week from today (even though he's USUALLY there on Wednesdays) . . . Hey SteveP - you up for a day of riding next Thursday? . . .

Awesome!!! Thanks yet again, Arthur!

EDGE PRESSURE is a must. Advise your buddy (or buddies) to stick out their bellies on toeside carves, and to stick out their butts on heelside carves. and to get their bellies / butts CLOSER to the ground. It doesn't look OR FEEL as good as a good carve on a proper carving board, but it will get them as close to the "perfect carve" as they ever will on a softies setup . . . Stan

Traslation for our non-Russian-speaking carving brothers and sisters - "Hundred dicks" . . .

Keep the stickers . . . Send the girl!!! :D The envelope will be on it's way in a day or two (once I'm done unpacking all my crap after the move). Thanks!!!

Ski Patrol is like a cop - when you get pulled over for speeding - you get all pissed off and you curse the whole profession. But when you are in trouble - car wreck or getting mugged or what not - you are PRAYING for one to come and help you out. Having worked for a number of years now as an instructor - and having called ski patrol number of times to help someone who's hurt (including once in my own lesson, unfortunately) - I know better than to think that Ski Patrol is all glamour and first runs privilege. These folks earn their first runs ten- or even hundred-fold. No doubt. Do they over-step their authority every now and then and yell at you for riding too fast? Yes, they do. But it's mostly because they have a VERY clear picture in their heads of WHAT you are going to look like if you make a BAD mistake at THAT speed . . . You may not think about it, but I'm pretty sure THEY do . . . From me personally - mad props to anyone who chooses to volunteer their time and go out there and mark the dangerous spots and deal with people in various stages of injury and what not. I'll rank these folks right up there with the firefighters and EMT's. JMHO.

Bindings look a lot like Burton's CFX's . . . Although a lot of bindings look the same these days. The 4-hole pattern suggests that the BOARD is most likley NOT made by Burton . . . After the Hello Kitty board (my wife promised to try boarding if I got her one) - nothing much surprises me. Considering how many Hollywood stars are snowboarding - it was only a matter of time... And a board has MUCH MORE room for advertisement compared to skis . . . :rolleyes:

To somewhat echo MellowYellow's post - sometimes people ask me what happened to the tail of my board (Oxygen Proton). For thoise not riding it - the tail is square with a half-circle cut in the middle of the tail - think SEVERELY flattened-out "Omega". I tell them (as deadpan as I can manage) that I BARELY escaped a hungry bear . . . and that the encounter was close enough to cost me a piece of the board . . . :D

322.9 - after an hour or so of trying . . .

Some more ideas. If your regular ride is FR400 163 - and your alpine board is 157 - it will most likely feel too squirrelly(sp?). I originally went from Salomon FR300 152 to a 157 Burton FP, and it felt VERY squirrelly. This is just to say - expect it and deal with it. AVOID bunny slopes. One of the hardest things on an alpine board is to control it going SLOWLY (I personally find it HARDER than riding the damn thing switch). Go to a nice WIDE blue square, preferrably groomed and empty. Yeah, you'll take a couple of falls, but you'll get the hang of it that much quicker. Last point to remember - when you WIPE OUT riding an alpine board (and you will, we all do) - DO NOT try to use it as a break right away. It behaves QUITE differently from a regular board. Your best bet (at least initially) is to get the board IN THE AIR as soon as you can after you fall . . . Slow down with your hands, ass, face - THEN use the board . . . Cheers and let us know how it went! Stan

Go. Meet lots of people on alpine boards, there are SURE to be demo's and people willing to show how to NOT to fall flat on your face every time you try to turn the board. Not only will you get to try it out before investing into a whole new setup, but you will also be able to try different boards and decide what you like. And that's the best advice I can give ya!

Take a lesson. That's what the instructors are for. Believe me - an average instructor LOVES teaching someone who has SOME idea about riding and just wants to work on improving the technique or working on a problem. Do it - get a good instructor, and you will improve your riding more in one or two hours than in 5-6 days otherwise. Freestyle board - not too many people on this forum remember what THAT looks like... And yes, it WILL vibrate and chatter at higher speeds / in crud / on ice / anywhere outside the terrain park... Try one of the stiffer freeride boards. Cheers!

Burton Step-In Race . . . Watch your fingers!!!

Way to go!