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What makes me want to puke about Transworld is their clear anti-helmet theme. All those crazy mountain airs, concrete staircases with metal railings and practically noone has a helmet on. If that magazine paper was not so shiny and glossy I would take great pleasure in using it as my favorite toilet paper. How could any responsible magazine print a pic (promote a pic) of a helmetless young rider doing a backside rail slide down a 60 foot long concrete staircase? One slip and that young riders brains will pour out of his skull like paint out of can. Hardboot bias is far from the only problem that mag has. Sic

Of riders I have actually WITNESSED freeride on the mountain: On hardboots: Chris Klug (jaw dropping, big mountain, big speed, big natural airs) But Zcarver gets it if we eliminate godlike Klug from the mix. On softboots: JTSlalom (style and precision to die for) Hardboot switch: 55 year old me Bye Sic

Oh, my other sport started last Sunday already. . We go every Sunday and wednesday) now until Nov 1. So I'm pretty much skunked for the rest of the year. By all means stop by if on the lake. I'm on the east shore about 1,000 feet south of Chapel Island. Geez,, I feel so bad about what happened to your wife. I hope recovery is a lot quicker than anyone anticipates now. Sic

Nah, I'd say whether the slope has a positive or negative bevel at the edges. If the slides turn up a bit it gives an enormous help to soft boots. Mountain Creek's racer hill, granted very short, has a considerable negative bevel on the edges (at the top) making it one of the hardest runs for me to carve (but JT can do it). And it doesn't need a winch cat to groom it. But some at Hunter (even whiteface and killington) require a winch cat but are easier to carve. Its really the cross profile more than just the sheer steepness of it. But we all knew that anyway. Sic

I hope your wife heals up fast. This is such bad news. Yes, please hold onto the plates. I'm thinking about getting rid of the Donek Incline since I always reach for it instead of my alpine board when I'm looking for something different at Mount Creek. And that's not good since its virtually reduced my alpine riding to zero now. Say, it will be a long, hot summer. If you are on the lake with the bass boat please stop by the house (here's your navigation charts. ). We can have a beer on the deck. Bring the wife. Some swimming would be good for rehab. Just tie up and bring the beer --- and your mornings "catch" to fry up ! Or maybe we'll all just go to Eric's restaurant in Bellvale one Saturday night and have a nice summer night out with the wives and talk 360's. Sic

Yeah, I wish there were a lighweight, low profile (bottom of foot to top of board) boot. And modern version of the old burton race plates (low profile, light weight and simple). I really don't understand the concrete shoes either. Nor the skyscraper high bindings that make the whole situation worse. I'll deal with a bit more board width to stay low on the board. But still have the steep angles and lateral rigidity ( that is the most distinguishing difference between hard and soft riding anyway ). Someday the next generation equipment will arrive. Sic

Well, JT is no troll. Its the real deal. JT is a is a top notch hardbooter, right up there with any I have ever met. Probably a style like Zcarver. Low, down really low and dragging all the time. Same enthusiasm too. A pisser to ride with. But this soft boot thing is the real deal too. Its utterly amazing to watch what he can do on them. And yes, he has the steeps too. Its funny. I'm probably to blame for all this. I met JT when he was on his RT and I was in softies on my Burton Balance. We got to riding together that day and he got to taking a liking to my switch carving and started asking about the soft boot gear. I told him flat out: "I wouldn't do that if I were you". You can see he didn't listen. But I have to agree with Eric. He sure likes to "stir this pot" !!! Sic

Eric, You certainly put Mountain Creek on the map !! Awesome riding. We need to get JT up there next year. Sugarloaf will have 500 feet less elevation after you two are done with her. Sic

Anybody know more about this? It seems almost unbelievable that something this bad could happen within course limits. MSNBC Whiteface

High speeds: its easier over terrain that has a bit of chop to it. Enough to get the board dancing around a bit. then edges don't seem to matter so much anymore. Low speeds, especially on dead flat runs: torque steer. skis can't do this. pin the rear of the board level with your rear foot and then twist the front foot in the direction you want to go. it will warp the board and it will turn like those flexible flyer sleds we used to have when we were little kids. very graceful. Sic

JT, Hang onto the plates for next season. I'm done with the Creek (now that south is closed) and my other sport is firing up now anyway. I'll definitely be knocking for the plates when next season comes around though. Great riding with you. Except that .... I thought I was the king of softboots until I rode with you. Now I know I'm just another spode ! Pull up the bassboat and say hi if you are on the lake this summer. Sic

Almost all aspects of freestyle riding should improve DRAMATICALLY after a stint in alpine. Particularly monster air off natural terrain, and big straightup airs in the pipe. If this doesn't happen then I'd really have to observe the rider's alpine skills first hand; because I'd seriously question whether they had aquired any at all before returning to soft boots. My personal observations is that the best soft boot riders on the mountain are riders with quality alpine experience. It makes all the difference. Sic

That was Gardner with the split tail board. Saw you riding malymis (full face black helmet right?). Pretty impressive. Nice body drag every toe side. I was incognito on soft boot gear. Annoying day though. Lift lines out of control. Sic

Binding angles are way too high. Personally, I would rather ride carve 0/0 than 52/42. You got to calm that way down. Your current board and binding choice is excellent. Keep in mind: board stiffness will make no difference, except maybe to make your situation much worse. Also, I find a 9 sidecut (at Mountain Creek) to be a bit much in softies too. Again, you are on excellent "soft boot" mountain creek carving gear. It really cannot get any better so keep in mind that any deviation will cause you to have even greater difficulties. As for style, you can't carve unless you have a high angle of attack. You are just not lifting up the board high enough in the turns. Nothing more. Think ballerina. High up on your toes for toeside. Then high up on your heal for healside. Your ankles should be working to their absolute maximum. Practice this by doing "cross unders" in a really flat section. Go perfectly straight. Then roll the board HIGH onto toeside. Then quickly snap it back into HIGH onto healside, then snap back to toe, and back to heal, etc. etc. (do this as fast and wild as you can until it practically becomes a blur). From this meager beginning it will all start to come together. Sic

JT, I rode Hunter yesterday (Tues) and today I did a full "bluebird" day at the Creek. Epic carve conditions. Epic Tequila too. I've been trying to emulate your style. I feel I can do it on my Burton Balance if I increase the forward lean a notch. That is key. And the hand out in front is VERY KEY. I went to Hunter with those settings and it devoured me in one run though. High speeds, rough terrain don't take kindly to a that much forward lean. Well, if you expect to keep up with skiers and last more than 2 hours anyway on a major mountain anyways.,, But for the Creek the setup is way cool. Flows do not allow me to emulate your style. The backs can't be leaned forward enough. When I crouch down I just don't get enough healside response to pull it off convincingly. Hot Creek South move (during the week) is coming off the racer hill and when you meet the common intersection (right above the lift line area), burn a circle aroud the "SLOW SKIING" sign they keep in the middle. I can't carve 270 degrees but then I have to drop flat to complete it. But I at least get it. I'm still way behind you on the 360 action. I may not be riding Creek again until next week. Thursday I will sit out and Friday I got Hunter in mind again. Do want those plates though. We'll hook up. Later, Ken..

I'll be starting at South around 9.

JT, Saw you at South today (Monday). But I guess you left early since I waited at the bottom but no JT. I noticed something from the lift in your riding though. And that's the extended left hand with upper arm parallel to board and elbow at a 90 degree and perfectly vertical. You seem to be using that as a reference that as a centerline to draw carves when you are doing crossthru carves in the flats. I tried it. It works good ! BTW, still interested in borrowing the plates. Well to anyone; I'm off for the next 3 weeks so anything goes, anytime. Let me know if you guys are riding there this week. Weather looks perfect. Sic

Flow verses Carbon Fiber 900 I have the 2006 Flow Pro 11 FR ($190 and my first pair of Flows ever) and have put in about 20 days on them so far. I also ordered the Nidecker upgrade straps from Catek and bolted them to one of the best bases I know of: The Ride all metal LS/LX/EX base in an attempt to create the best strap setup east of the rockies. Well, I rode them for the first time today but I find that the straps are pretty lame. I actually like the base Ride straps better than the Catek upgrade straps by a small margin. Definitely not worth the money and the bother. As for the Flow verses the Ride/Nidecker-900-strap hybrid I created. Well, there really isn't any. The Flow is halfway to a hardboot. You can't compare a flow to a hardboot, of course. But neither can you compare a Flow to a strap binding. Its between the two. By the way, my friend at work bought the high end Flow Pro XFR ($300). Oddly enough it is the same base as the PRO 11 but has a lighter highback (same stiffness though) and a different instep pad. But this is the odd part. That instep pad is softer than the lower end Pro 11 freeride. I haven't ridden it but it sure feels like a flexier setup to me. Be careful buying Flows though. You got to get a perfect fit AND you got to have a compatible boot. For example, my daughter's Ride BOA's are totally flow hostile. Not a chance you are getting that boot into a Flow binding. My '99 Burton Rulers fit perfectly. So be careful purchasing Flows. Its not a slam dunk. You could get skunked bad if you don't purchase very carefully. Hope this helps a bit, Sic

I think I saw you walking in the distance, on your way out. I was on Flows and a Gold Donek. If I'm there I draw the large radius 270 degree turns near the beginner treadmill shack at the bottom. If JTSlalom is there look for a tight radius 360 turn that is growing increasing tighter in radius (near the entrance to the lift line). If ERICJ is there look for the same basic radius (in the same spot) but without the decreasing radius at the end of the loop. All you need is one quick look, as you board the lift, and you can tell who is there ! Sic

I rode South for a while today then it got so slow I went to north and did those mini mogul fields they got there. Not bad really. But the crowd on that side is really aggressive. You really got to size up which gondola your going to ride in. I'd say 1 out of 5 looked like big trouble today (and/or annoying) and its best to pass for another one. And as hot as the weather was everyone looks like a bank robber on that lift. Goggles down in the lift line with a full face kerchief. Like what's that all about? Everyone has to have that Shawn White image even if they can't breathe in there. Even the hitler youth natzi, that checks for those extra passes into the park area, has to wear goggles to stand under a tent in this heat. You just don't see that weirdness anywhere else but MC. (( tough to carve most of today. two turns and you grind to a stop )) Sic

tomorrow (thursday 2/16; south, 9 a.m. ) ride till about noon at least. Sic

I jumped both angles another 6 degrees, after you left, and it helped a lot with edge to edge response. Switch is a lot eassier too. I'm now at 33/24. Up from 18/9 when I rode with ERICJ a just few days earlier. Big changes. Anyway, I rode till 3 yesterday. Probably ride again tonight but it will be a mogul night on the steeps. Looking forward to it. Ken d34web@yahoo.com

Killer web coverage of this event. Again, your format and presentation is the best there is. Newsworthy too !!!!!! Can't decide if my favorite pic is the "water ski rooster tail" or the "atomic turn". sic

You do nice web work Scott. Great layout and you always try to put things in context. Makes you feel like you are almost there. Just the way a web report should be. Sic

Ah, its noones fault but mountain creek's own. They only blow the thinnest base and then they cry "weather" when the January thaw comes. My feeling is that there is nothing mountain creek hates more than snow. Their goal, the moment they open, is to close again. This is obvious from their behaviour every March. And what little is left now is barricaded off. Bear peak always partially closed for racing. Bottom blocked off for the beginner area (the 360 carve area). Vernon peak has lost lots of great trail now to the dedicated park (and manned by skinhead park nazi's requiring another special pass). So every one is funneled into beat trail. Then the open area at the bottom is restricted with barriers again. Built that stupid hotel and now parking only across the road. But the level area is "preferred" and you have to park in a hole. And then there is the clientele. Some of which should be in reform school. I mean twice there I have had an altercation in the lift line because I asked "you double" when the lines merged. Holy moly!! Some don't know what that is and they freak out on you. Its getting really, really unpleasant there. Been going to Hunter, Gore and Whiteface. Gore rocks for carving ! Sic