bigwavedave

Carving yesterday, I was surprised to come across remnants of our trenches from the day before on several runs I'll be back

Today, Friday... Deja Vu, Ditto (minus @rwmaron , who came only for the Thursday session). Same weather, a few more people on the hill, but not enough to make a lift line or to get in my way. Like yesterday, the knoll at the bottom of Chippewa was still hard as ice and uneven─a real knee rattler. A small issue, because everything else was as good as yesterday, snow being just a bit firmer (more like "Minnesota firm" with 1-2" deep trenches). Rode from 9-2:30 then shot over to Blackjack for a few runs before hitting the road. Blackjack seems to attract a higher caliber of skier, probably for the varied and challenging terrain. There were plenty of carved-ski tracks. It's a place where you'ld want a smaller radius carving stick (maybe under 11m scr). They also leave a generous portion of ungroomed terrain on the sides of many of the runs, where today there was about 6" of well tracked, but soft powder. At Indianhead a highlight is coming over the lip into the steep section at the bottom of Winnebago and FIS with speed and trying to hang on to link a few carved turns to the bottom. Feels like what it looks like to catch one of those giant Hawaiian waves.

Well, we ( @rwmaron and I) finally made it up here! Cold temps (started out below zero and warmed up to ~10°F?), it's hard to tell, most Duluthian riders called it mild. Still, it may have kept the crowds thin─never had a lift line─never had to alter course for others on the hill. Rode from 9-3:30. Delirious from how figgin' great the carving is here!! Great groomed snow on all runs (think Aspen 3rd-4th day groom with 2-4" trenches). We left our mark on everything from Winnebago to Voyagers. Winnebago, FIS, Leelinaw and Sundance had us hollering as we hung on for dear life. DeliriousLotta snow up here! No good pics today on the hill. Took a drive down to the lake, Superior. The clouds off on the horizon are frigid air gathering moisture over open water and will produce "lake effect snow" when they get over a colder land mass. This stuff is probably headed for the Keweenaw and the eastern shore. We had light snow flurries here for a while this morning.

Yes to the first part, not necessarily to the second part. You can have a large taper with a single radius sidecut. They are independent, but it gets complicated, because there are other factors involved like the amount of decamber, which affects how quickly the edge engages in the nose. I've had 2 Coilers and one Donek built with "race construction", but with a near radial sidecut. A Donek Rev with a 11-12m sidecut ended up with 2cm taper (same as the standard REV), a 179 Coiler REVelation with 13-14m scr has 5mm taper, and a Coiler SL 165 with 9-10 scr ended up with 1.6cm of taper. I left it up to the Bruce and Sean to work out the formula (there are a lot of design factors to balance). I just wanted the performance characteristics of a race board with a near radial scr so it was easier to complete turns. I've had Kesslers, SG, REV standard race boards and loved everything about them except how much focus it took to make them complete a turn. I like going fast in the turn, but like to use the carve to bleed off some speed before rocketing off into the next one.

At the time pot was not on the banned substance list, certainly not generally considered a "performance enhancing substance", although it was illegal in Japan. Rumour has it, for years Robin Williams told a joke related to Ross having his medal stripped and given back, saying how the only way pot could have been considered a performance enhancing drug was if there was a giant chocolate bar at the bottom of the hill. Apparently he paid Ross royalties each time he used the joke.

Webcam at Indianhead this morning...Surprised to see them making snow when the lake effect has been so generous all season. It's gonna be good! They must be addicted to daily lake effect and now their supply is shut off with Lake Superior being mostly frozen over.

Yup, pretty sure it's on its way to Minnesota soon to be known as New Coilerlandia

From the chair behind me a kid yelling, trying to get my attention, " Hey, is that a clip-on board?" um...yes?... At the top as I was about to go, a patroller taps my shoulder from behind and tells me I have to stop railing my board so high 'cause the skiers are trip in my trenches. As I lift my goggles to look him in the eye and thinking what I'm going to say, he starts laughing and says he's been trying to catch up to me to see who's been making all those great carved tracks. They don't see many carving boards at Wild, but folks that work on the hill seem to appreciate seeing what a carving board can do!

Rode all 3 boards, good carving to be found on most runs, especially on Bear (8 turn hill), Expressway (~10 turns top-bottom) and Competition( 6-7 steep turns) and Challenger (6 steeper turns). Gotta make every turn count on these little hills! Hard at work, 10-4 today. ½ price Tuesday. I'm sure I got it down to well under $1 per run, but who's counting, I was too absorbed in my work. Be the Turn

@Algunderfoot Hey Al, Planning to come up Thursday & Friday this week.

I didn't say that.^ Can't say that mine is any more difficult or slower than any other carving board when riding flat and straight, but then straight line speed is not a quality I'm really looking for in a board.

The USASA site should have all the info you seek https://www.usasa.org/

sotan, had to look that upmade me laugh, I am so out of it Hope you get some soon.

Hi Al, @Algunderfoot Thought I'd move the conversation from the new board thread. So we never did get over there in January (I think the weather warmed up then). It's been looking good lately. Most likely planning a midweek trip, when it's less busy and also trying to pick a sunny day forecast, if the snow ever takes some time off. You ever there during the week? I'll post here when I'm on my way regardless. Dave

I find it pretty easy to keep speed under control compared to the SG or Kessler SL boards. Easy to do nice round turns and bleed off speed or get bigger faster turns by not railing the board as hard, much like a single radius board. I often had to skid to slow down on the SG & Kessler SL boards if I didn't stay on top of them (wt. forward). The faster they go, the more likely your balance gets back on the tail, and the faster they go. So, I think the answer to your question is yes, it's pretty easy to kill speed with a big turn. Of course it all depends on the snow, like ice might be a different story, but you don't ride on ice, do you?

Forced to hike & ride today (Spirit Mt closedfor cold). Made my first powdery turns on a vintage (never ridden) Fish I found last spring. It's a woody from the waist down, so is technically "new board porn". Al, I'm gonna get up to da U.P. soon, hoping to make some turns with you. Ron, not trying to rub it, I feel your pain, this is the first "normal" winter we've had in years.

Nevermind! Yup, quoting myself. Spirit reducing hours to 12-5 tomorrow!! The only ski area in the region to routinely shorten hours or close when it's cold? First "normal" winter in years too.

162 Kessler $400 shipped A custom build for a 155-180lb rider. 19.4cm waist. I'm guessing a ~2011-12 build? *SOLD* Base and edges are in very nice condition, close to 90+% of edge left and still some base structure left from a race grind. There is some minor cosmetic "gate rash". Original owner raced for a "season or so". I don't believe this board has seen much use since the original owner sold it. Minor discoloration of ptex top from where a plate and bindings were mounted. 4x4 (19.5 inch stance) and UPM inserts. I found out after buying this board last spring that it was made for a lighter rider. I weigh 185lbs and the board rides great for me on cruisers, but I am pushing its limits on steeper runs. This is the original post...

Looks like nice snow! Wow, 5-6 turns top to bottom? Need that XXtra tight. Glad your gettin' some.

Let's see...Sunday... Temps start out below zero (cold enough to discourage many), but It will sunny. 2-3" new snow on Saturday will refresh slopes, but it's superbowl Sunday so many will not come out and play (it used to be better when they had the game earlier in the day). Races will likely occupy Gandy and Blue Ruin, but that means that Spirit will be less likely to close for the cold weather like they did yesterday and today. That sounds like a recipe for a good Minnesota carving day!

A little overhang is likely insignificant on typically soft snow in western US, but I can't imagine why one would put any overhang on a board meant for EC. On hard snow any overhang can cause boot-out when you get the board up on edge. Cory's description is pretty much how my bindings & boots get set up. Toe and heel blocks moved to get toe/heel of boot over the edges, not centering boots over the bindings. In theory the binding bias thing makes sense, but I couldn't tell the difference, and prefer to have maximum and even edge pressure (toe to heel) without boot-out. One way I test for edge to edge balance at home is when I think I've got it where I want it, I mount one boot at a time and feel the amount of leverage it takes by hand to tip the the board side to side. Not a scientific measurement, but I can feel when it's harder one way than the other. Then I try it with both feet in boots (carpet carving) tipping the board side to side and see if it feels balanced. Then go ride. You can tell a lot by analyzing your tracks on a day with firm groom and it will be obvious if your boot/bindings are plowing through the snow. You should have nice thin lines on both heel and toe side turns. It's nice if you can carve under a chair where you can have a view of several turns from above for comparison.

What a contrast to yesterday! A solo SES today starting with subzero temps and a significant windchill (facemask and hand warmers day). Snow was squeaky and hard (felt like styrofoam, but very slippery fast). Snow must have been a bit warm when groomed. Carves produced mere lines on the snow. (no trenches today) Out west they surely would call this ICE. Olympic had big divots, milk & cross were okay but big traverses were pretty bumpy. I gradually worked down to my smallest board so I could use less of the hill and avoid getting thrown by the bigger bumps between groomer passes. Warners was best and the sun softened the snow a bit later on. Railyard was closed for construction of a BX course. The kids finally got their big jumps built on the rope tow hill, big piles of snow! Me and a skier were the only idiots out riding for the first hour or so. Have you seen "chubby twirly guy"? ─short skis, tucking his arms in and spinning like a figure skater? Looks kinda silly, but he seems to be having fun. I've seen him the past couple of times at Buck.

Average couple of days a week from mid Dec-March plus a week somewhere. A day is at least 4 hrs or more on the snow and it's all carving or I'm not riding. Very few pow days here. When I grow up I want to be like SBS

Thanks for the fun everybody2½ hours of bliss...or Nirvana? A couple of photos (I didn't take many)...looks like Mr purple pants?

Baby POW!!!