Allee

Have been at Sunshine for the last two weekends and it's been excellent. They have been picking up a few cm of snow overnight a couple of times a week, just enough to keep things fresh. Last weekend was a bit springlike (mix of soft and firm, you couldn't see it, only when you rode over it), yesterday the ski out was looking pretty icy at the bottom and some parts of Goats Eye were swept off and pretty scratchy, but plenty of good riding there yet. Only bitch was the crowds got pretty thick after lunch, between 12.30 and 3pm. I'm hoping to get up to Louise this weekend, I spoke to some people on the gondola yesterday who said it was pretty icy on the lower and front (surprise surprise), but OK over the back still. There's a fair amount of snow in the forecast for this week going through until early next week, it's snowing in Calgary at the moment. There's also snow in the forecast for Fernie for most of the week - I'm keeping an eye on that, it might be worth an early morning start ... Hope you can make it out here!

It doesn't say where you're based, but ... is that a picture of Jonah in your avatar????? A voice from the wilderness!!!! (aah, it's Supoer 12 season again ...)

Because you're a girl, you can get away with that! ;) There's a 154 Hot Spot on there that might be worth looking at too - the auction ends today but you could probably pick it up for $70. I have a Blast which is a blast, and Hot seem to make a nice board. I think that one's from around 97? but it's brand new.

For just starting out, your ski boots will work fine. That's all I used for years, and some of the other guys on here were the same. Cant them forward as far as they'll go and they'll be great. And I would say yes, get to Okemo - you'll be inspired. Boards can be really cheap for starter gear - something like a Burton Alp or similar goes on Ebay all the time for sub $100. Go to www.raceboarders.com and click the Ebay link, there's a nice one with bindings that will fit your ski boots, listed right now.

I've looked in a few shops around here and haven't been able to find Snowboard Journal #6 - I found one copy of #5. I'd really like to read this - is somebody able to scan it and post it up, maybe? Or photocopy it and snail mail me a copy would work as well ... Thanks guys!!

I always thought curling was like watching paint dry, but now I might have to check it out! That's one of the good things about tenpin bowling - the beer is always plentiful and cheap. I think petanque might be my game - anything that is customarily played with a glass of wine in your free hand has to be good for you!

Hey Tim, what a shame about your accident. Hopefully you're feeling better and on the mend. How to ruin a perfect vacation - I'd have taken a gun and shot the little s@#$%&^%. I'm DYING to come play with you old crocks, and see if the rumours that you rip are true (I'm sure they are!). I am saving already for SES next year, I don't care if I have to quit my job, I'm gonna be there!

I have NO idea what that is ... but better out than in, I say ... You're all a bunch of old crocks - I've never hears so many aches, breaks, pains and gory stories!!

My old gym training partner had chronic issues with discs in her back (not sure which ones) that almost caused her to have surgery. Some days would be good and others she could barely walk. She was in her late 40's when the problems started. She has been going to yoga for a year now and has never felt better - she absolutely raves to me, and after postponing the surgery twice, now feels that she doesn't need it (at least for now). Obviously a HUGE improvement.

by this weekend all the snow in Calgary will have melted, we have lovely +12 to +15C days here at present, it's definitely more April weather than the beginning of March. There's no snow in the forecast at all for the next week. Sunshine still has reasonable cover but I'm not going anywhere near Lake Louise, or any o the other hills around here. This weekend is going to be my last on the slopes until some more snow arrives. Like Al, I suspect that we will be short of water this summer.

Seems to be there's more than one thread on here giving the bum's rush to softbooters ... :D Who cares? I like being different. I actually read a Transworld for the first time at the gym last week. I was hard pressed to find any editorial in it among the 200 or so pages of ads. I got the impression that it was more for people who like to look at the pics and ain't big on da words ...

I find that after a few hours on the hill, I don't ever hurt anywhere specifically, I'm just "all over" tired. It's probably my core that goes first, but I know I'm done for the day when I start to catch edges and stuff, just as a result of the delay from brain to tired limbs. I did three days end to end at Stratton in January and found that on day 3, my legs were just toasted - again no specific pain, just slow in the reflexes and not at all inclined to bend. I know a lot of people seem to get thigh burn and stuff, is this more common? or do you guys just get tired, the kind of tired where you head off down the hill and think as you go, yep, the next stop is the bar ... a groomed green run called Margarita ... Dudley, I'd say that you're right on with the tension thing ... lots of concentration and holding the upper body rigid would cause that sort of pain the next day.

I bunked off last weekend because they said we were supposed to get snow midweek in Banff, now they say no snow, just sunshine and highs of +12C = melting snow.

I had some Carrier bindings and hated them. Apparently they don't like Raichle boots, and every time I crashed they let go on me. Supposedly there was an easy fix, but by that time I was so freaked out I gave them away... if you get step ins, then you'll have to get Intec heels if the boots don't already have them, and mess about installing the cables. If the boots from the same seller match, then they'll already have all this, hopefully. Don't forget too that the Burton boards are a 3 hole pattern for the bindings and everything else on the market is 4 hole. If you get another board later on, you'll have to get some 4x4 disks for the Burton bindings if you want to swap, or if you buy something like TD's you'll have to get 3 hole disks to start and then a set of 4's later on. Not a big thing, but extra money and hassle. Rock on the snowblades ... my choice for mess-about days on the hill as well ...

I've been a manufacturing accountant for 18 years and I could pony up a zillion reasons why Bruce would want to keep things just the way they are. Not the least being, he wants his summers off! Good on him. He's turning out a high quailty product for a niche market at a great price, and bigger is not always better - I've worked for three companies who have taken that route and paid dearly for it. I'm bummed, however, that if I demo a Coiler at next year's SES and want one, I'll have to wait another year for it ... looks like the guy who bought the one on E-Bay for $585 did pretty well, he'll be riding this weekend and not in 2007!

Funny, I was wearing one too, and the first aider that saw me said the exact same thing about the extra mass. As for me, I'm glad I had it on. Believe me, Fleaman, ya can still crash pretty hard even through a helmet ...

This is sad but true, but I think that for most people, we're the ones in the wrong. Luckily I don't ride on really crowded or narrow hills very often, and when I do, I tend to ride like everyone else is riding. But I have learned that if you're carving, you are totally out of most people's expectation zone. They simply don't figure you to come back across the trail. Even if, as you say, they're bombing down from above you and can see what you're doing, all it takes is for you to run a carve a bit wider, or as I sometimes do, catch a bump and land a bit hard on a edge which takes that split second more to come back. And WHAM - they've taken you out. The other thing that people don't get is how you can pick up speed across the trail. And this makes sense - skiers and jibbers get speed from the fall line, but from going ACROSS the hill? that's just completely crazy. I was thinking about this as I rode down to the lift on Sunday, the end of Angel at Sunshine turns into this pretty funky natural half pipe. It's a green zone and full of newbies, and I watched this kid ride up the side of the pipe on my left, and i just KNEW he was going to come right back across the trail at me. And he did. Never even saw me, just cut me off. I wasn't going fast and I'd anticipated it anyway, but it made me think - that's what we do to other people, and while they're technically in the wrong, one can understand how they may be a little septic when they collide with you. It's just a fact of life - that everyone else on the hill goes down it. As others have said, we have to learn to live with it. I liken it to a pedestrian crossing the road - you always have the right of way, but if you value your life, walk like everyone else is gunning for you ...

I had a concussion last year, and I just loved how every time I stood up, pointed the nose of the board down the hill and slid off, I'd go sideways and fall on my back. That's about when the other half decided it was time for me to quit for the day. I wasn't up to arguing. The nausea that followed wasn't so hot either, hung around for a couple of days. Chill out Baka, enjoy the downtime.

Bummer on the conditions. This has just been a bad year all around, apart from Sunshine (which was just in great shape yesterday) all the hills around here are having a really marginal winter. I'm going to get in one more away trip this season, I would have loved to have gone to Panorama, but unless they get some serious snow, that's not a good option ... I already spent the weekend at Kimberley undertaking some ritual board abuse. Fernie might be better IF they can hold a snow base, it's so warm there and no snow in the forecast for this week. If you come up to Banff drop me an email and let me know, I'd love to meet up with you.

I know you're browsing, so thought I'd just ask what you thought of Panorama and what the conditions were like...

Jutta, the first thing might be to try getting a good base grind on it. I had the same problem with my board after being in storage for a few years. The guy said he had to grind the hell out of it, and probably took away a fair bit of it's useful life, but at least it rides again.

I changed the bindings over on my boards on Sat, and yesterday when I hit the snow I knew straight away that the front binding wasn't as far forward as I usually ride. But because I'd left the tools at the lodge I kept riding with it anyway. And after one run, it was WAY better. I had a primo day, so I'm leaving it like that!

Hi Glenn! You might want to read about Scott's adventures in softies and his start in carving here : http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4731 As for the gear, just keep your eyes open. E-Bay has some good deals - if you go to www.raceboarders.com and click on the Ebay link the search there is great to keep an eye on. Boards go cheap all the time. bindings seem to be the thing ... they can get expensive and people tend to hang on to them, but again, just keep the eyes open. Sometimes you can score them with the board for a reasonable amount. For starter kit, I'd be really surprised if you couldn't source for around $300-$350. Good luck!

Jutta, Mark Andersen has a set of Blax for sale on tahoecarvers.com - thread is http://www.tahoecarvers.com/riders/forum/read_TC.php?f=2&i=847&t=847 They look OK and at 125lb they'll probably be fine, and $60 is more your price range I think ... I think Mark also posts on here?? might be worth sending him an email?

Scott, those pics are amazing. I'm going to show them to my other half, to show him how carving is really done ...