Tabatha

Thanks - as an FYI, including Aaron, we still have three spots available. Looks like it is starting to snow!

I have never had skis on my feet. When I moved to Canada it was cheap to start soft booting because all my friends did it, had gear and were instructors on the weekend. I was never that great, but always had fun. Then I started hanging out with IanM and would watch him carve. It was like watching art on the snow - he made it look beautiful and effortless and I wanted to try. So, after I got a little faster, IanM found a second hand Oxygen Proton, threw on some old bindings and I rented ski boots. I couldn't stand up, kept falling over, but through the whole thing I had this ridiculous grin on my face. I loved it. A few weeks later we went to Tremblant, again I rented ski boots, and I just couldn't get enough of the board. The following year I bought boots. I was going to buy a board and bindings the following season, but at SOS that year the perfect board found me and I knew - this was where I was supposed to be, carving (or attempting to). It is my drug, I can't get enough. I have not been on my soft board since. And I still have never skied!

Looking forward to riding with everyone at MSM again soon. Think it will be open for Christmas? And will I still be welcome if I pull out my new Donek? I still have my Coiler, and it will always be my first love, but I am eager to try my new ride!

And Canadians; make sure you have a passport too so we can play at Jay.

Hey guys - excited that more of our American friends might be joining us. I will keep this thread updated with accommodation notices regarding space. I am not sure what else is close by, but I am pretty sure there will be stuff at Owl's Head including motels and hotels. Would be so cool if we take over a mountain for a day, they will never know what carved them! In other news - my "new" Donek should be arriving in about 45mins! Is it snowing yet?

A quick up-date; with the first flurries in Ottawa we are now up to 15 people in the Owl's Head chalet. Only three spots left!

We are now at lucky #14! Welcome to the Owl's Head Cottage and our mini carving session.

... and then there were 13! Welcome to the Magical Palace! Looks like it is going to be an awesome week with some really cool people. I am excited. There are still a few spots left (read: five) so if you are interested, please let me know ASAP.

Hey everyone, So after a short break to sort out details - we booked the lodging. Chris located a beautiful chalet close to Owl's Head and I put a deposit on it. We have space for 18 people with check-in on Saturday 23, February and check-out on Friday March 1. Want in? Simply send me your deposit ($160.00). Spaces are on a first-come first serve basis. Details: The mountain Tickets at Owl's Head are $45 most days, but Tuesday and Wednesday are only $20! Lots of people have expressed interest in a day-trip to Jay peak, which is less than an hour away. FYI - Ski Extreme members from Ottawa get $39 tickets any time at Owls Head. The magical palace Chris Hampton found this awesome chalet, which perfectly suits our royal standards because it has a hot-tub, wifi and space for all our boards. Look through the photo gallery using the link above this picture! Prices including tax:$4,373.65 (or $243.00 per person / approximately $40.00 per person per night) The main chalet sleeps 12, and three additional rooms in a guest house are available for capacity up to 18 people. We're asking for a $160 deposit to secure your spot(s). This won't be refundable if you back out, unless you provide another person to take your place. Once the deposits are received, we'll know what the price per person is, and will collect the rest at check-in/out. Deposits can be made to me (Tabatha Soltay). Payments can be made by cash, cheque, or e-transfer to tabatha.soltay@gmail.com. If you'd like to secure your spot. Let it snow! Ian, Chris (the real organizing committee ... even though they say they hate organizing stuff) & Tabatha

For anyone who has been following the Northeast Session posts, you know that the AMAZING people in Quebec have managed to get Joerg up to Mt. Blanc for a weekend (Feb 9-10). This is not the official thread for that event, it is just for Ontario people to know that it is going to happen and to see if the Ottawa group wants to car-pool down there / stay the night. When the official thread for this event starts, I will post the link here (for those of you who never stray off the Ontario thread). Just want to see what people are thinking (apart from being excited that this is happening).

So - what is the verdict? Where are we going to buy our season passes? I know - beautiful long weekend and I am thinking snow ... but I can't help it. So? Where are we going?

So much more to happy dance about! Pureboarding at Mt. Blanc? I had a fantastic day there last year and already have the dates in my calendar for 2013. Why is it not snowing yet - so much great stuff, I can't wait!

I am in too! Need to practice my happy dance.

I said coaxing our American friends north to see what Canada has to offer, not tempt them to stay here with the fantastic food in Quebec (the cheese, the duck, the beer, the poutine). We need friends south of the boarder so that we have people to visit!

I tired to book something at Jay last year for a group of 12 people and it was a NIGHTMARE. Granted, we didn't get our act together until November, but it was really hard to find something nice and close to the hill that wouldn't require us mortgaging everything we owned and be big enough for the group. We ended up at Ice-Face, which really lived up to its name. I like the idea of coaxing our American friends north to see what Canada has to offer! We are friendly up here! Honnest.

Dam you ... now I am thinking snow and trolling Bomber on-line. There are still months between now and snowfall. How are we going to make it? Maybe we need an Ottawa pre-season opener.

I am there! Heck, there may even be bells and whistles. Not picky at this point about the week. I just need some groom for my new Donek. I like the idea of Owls or Gore, get out and see new places. Let me know what needs help with.

Thanks everyone for your input. Sounds like I am just going to need to suck it up and put my board away or the season. Noted regarding the moutain biking, maybe I will pack my bike helmet instead of my snowboard helmet.

Just as I was putting my board away for the season ... I have just been invited to a friends wedding in Redstone Colorado in late May (May 26th). I am thinking of going ... should I come a week early and bring my board (from Canada)? What would the conditions be like and where should I go? Aspen is an hour away ... thoughts / advice / ideas? Never been to Colorado!

Wow! Learning so much. About interesting threads, what other woman think about boards and now tagging. Lets see what mischief I can do with all this new found knowledge, espcially since it looks unlikely that snowboarding is in my future - it is raining. Lots of threads to troll over the long warm summer.

PS: Can't make it to Tremblant mid-week this week, but if things aren't too bad; still toying with one more Sunday trek down there if anyone is a) interested or b) has condition updates

I am going to say it (please don't hate me) ... I think we might be done. I am watching the snow melt from my office window and realise that there is almost nothing left on either of my decks. Huston, we have a problem ... Winter 2011-2012 might be over :( But it has been one heck of a season and we have had some great road trips, some stories, some new boards, lots of video, and (unfortunatly) a really bad injury. To share our stories, reminice and wonder what the summer and next Winter will bring (because it is NEVER to early to plan the next snowboard season) we should have an end of season closer. No bikes, no boards, just beer, BBQ and board-buddies. Would people be interested in a season closer? Does the last weekend in March work for people? Let me know your preferences. Details to follow.

Wow - I just found these threads. I think there should be a woman's specific section so that all the information isn't hidden from us. Wish I had weighed in earlier and read your reviews before I went to ECES 2012 (will share thoughts on boards demoed at ECES 2012 later). About me: I am short (5'2) and curvy, mondo 23 with F2 bindings and Deeluxe boots (no BTS). I have just wrapped up my third season on a hardboard. I usually ride nights after work, and try to get to bigger mountains with better conditions on weekends. So I don't have as much time on the hill as I wish. Am now starting to consistently link carves and feel comfortable on tighter and steeper stuff. Quickly to the Classic. I ride one (160 custom made for someone else) and LOVE it. I started on an Oxygen Proton which was nasty, and then Andrea (YYZ Canuk) let me borrow this and it was love at first ride. I ride in Southern Ontario and our conditions are challeneging to say the best. I find this board really allows me the flexibility to ride in icy conditions and not feel like I am being kicked around. I also rode it very comfortably in slushy spring conditions on Sunday, but in powder this board SUCKS. Having said that; I do hear you about the chatter. My Coiler is very forgiving and will let me get away with stuff I probably should not be doing. My first season I demoed a Donek and it kicked my ass - too much board for me back then. The Coiler really was a nice intro to carving. I ride with a bunch of guys (we are really Club Coiler - the benifits of being Canadian) and they can really flex these boards and push them around, they have been really helpful with tips, but sometimes they just don't get that they are twice my size, and with a higher centre of gravity can do some really dynamic turns and wieght shifts that I never will be able to achieve. I agree, we need to start talking about what works for girls and sharing these thoughts with Bruce, Sean etc. Actually, at ECES, everyone seemed interested in what I had to say about the boards and what was working for me. For the first time, I felt I could actually answer and let them know how I felt about boards. Sean spent some time at our table at the banquet and asked us for feed back on boards. Promise to write up about the Donek metal FC, the Donek Salom race board and the Jasey-Jay board I demoed soon.

Just as an FYI - Vorlage has moved to their "spring schedule" already which means that night skiing ends next week. You may wish to check your night passes as well. This also means that the night passes are now good on weeneds during the day. Last night the conditions were not that bad. Very first and slow, a nice quiet night working on body position and just enjoying being outside after a few days off the board. Anyone up for Thursday night?

So it is no Stratton, but I am going to be at Vorlage tonight ... before the rain starts later this week. Open invitation to anyone who feels a few runs might be just what the doctor ordered to help with the come-down from ECES.