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MNSurfer

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  4. UMD Alpine Snowboarder

    in Great Lakes

    Posted

    I have nothing on racing, but welcome aboard! It's early in the season, but thought this was worth a Bump.

     

    Plates are the CD-vs.-Vinyl of the alpine world. Personally I have a love/hate relationship with them. I have Bomber V2 and Donek AF plates, interchangeably riding them on a Proteus and a REV. The level of "fun" seems to really depend on conditions; Too hard, and it feels dangerous, too soft and it's really easy to pearl. Which is just as dangerous. If conditions are right, I'll spend half-a-day on a plate, but inevitably I find myself back in the safety and comfort of bindings-to-board. You just have more to think about, with a plate, and that can be mentally tiring. 

    Racing with a plate might be an entirely different subject. 

    Also, my aversion to plates comes from all the hardware. We put a lot of stress on gear, and stuff breaks. Adding 12-odd more screws and a bunch of sliding/moving parts to the mix makes me happy to be put the plate away, and thankful nothing got broke. Myself, mostly.

     

    -Brian

    • Thanks 1

  9. What Happened to Helmets? - An Observation

    in The Lodge

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Corey said:

    Look at popular snowboarding media - no helmets. That's where it starts. 

     

    Well that makes some sense. I'm admittedly oblivious to any sort of ski/snowboard media. My observation didn't only pertain to 'boarders. I can't give a ratio, but I'd guess that skiers easily made-up half of the numbers.

  10. What Happened to Helmets? - An Observation

    in The Lodge

    Posted

    Okay, so maybe 'mandate' isn't the right way to approach this phenomenon/backwards-progression-in-safety. I get that requiring guests to wear a potential life-saving device is a slippery slope, but wouldn't it be in the resorts' best interest to reduce injuries?

    My main question resides in that after years of helmet usership, why does this suddenly feel like people are opting-out? Any yes, where does it all end. Nobody wants to see a mountain full of body armor. It just seems off that something that is simple to use, comfortable, keeps your head warm, and could save your life, would be a no-brainer.

  11. What Happened to Helmets? - An Observation

    in The Lodge

    Posted

    During this last season, I have noticed fewer and fewer people wearing helmets. Granted, I've only been to MN/WI and Summit County. However at places like Breck, my wife and I we shocked at the number of people we saw with just beanies (or less) on their melon. We would start counting, and by at 100 be 10am. A few years ago, seeing someone without a helmet would have raised a flag. I would estimate that some 1/5 of folks were without. Compare that to MN, where that rate is more like 1 in 50. What is going on (in Colorado?)?

    After a week or two of observing this, I was riding-up with Ski Patrol. She was saying that this year, they brought more people off the mountain for concussions, than at any time she could remember.

    This got me thinking; Can't helmets be mandated by the resort? And if so, would a resort be worried that some people won't ski/ride there, if helmets were required? Which makes me ask, Why would you want those people at your resort?

     

    My points-of-reference are few. Has anyone else noticed this startling up-tick?

  14. Afton 20/21

    in Great Lakes

    Posted

    DSC_0370.JPG.0d5990c9986b228a77efa440cbf17d60.JPG

    Shockingly good conditions, yesterday (Tuesday Mar 02). You could really put a rail into it. We partied like it was the last day of the season (and weren't the only ones with that idea). Now, with gear washed and stowed, a guy is tempted to give it one last go. For reals this time.

     

     

     

    DSC_0375.JPG

    • Like 2

  15. Afton 20/21

    in Great Lakes

    Posted

    Mother Nature giveth, Mother Nature taketh away. Looks like the season is headed for an abrupt end. I'll be at Afton Monday (1 Mar) and Tuesday, to soak in the last of it.

     

    Come on Fate, prove me wrong.

  16. Hardboot Carving worth watching

    in Carving Central

    Posted · Edited by MNSurfer
    me not spell good

    Just Saturday morning ranting here. Please move along.

    Ok, I have a rub with European carving videos, which is the same as that is with Euro Surfing videos. They're all in slow motion! Even if you don't know where-in-the-world it is, if the whole video is in slo-mo, there's a solid chance it's in Europe. Personally, I think carving (and surfing) is a far more impressive watch when viewed 'normally'. You just miss that sense of speed, gravity, and intensity, when slowed-down. Sure you get to see individual chunks of snow flying out of a rut, but then what? Perhaps there's something proper cinemagraphic about an entire video shot at 1/4 speed, and I'm an uneducated rube, longing for something different.

    Europe has some amazing mountains (as this video proves) and waves, fabulous carvers (Loddo rips!) and surfers. It's just really painful to watch every video in slow motion.

    End of rant.

     

     

    • Like 1

  19. Afton 20/21

    in Great Lakes

    Posted

    Great day, today at Afton! Ran into Trent, a guy named 'Mike', and most surprisingly, one of the bar keeps (Stacy) from McCormick's in Wayzata. Mike (50-ish) was riding a Burton Asym (regular), with Burton plates. Super, super good dude, for sure. Stacy was ripping on two-sticks. As of course was Trent.

    Crowd factor was minimal, decent snow and groom, and you couldn't ask for better weather.

    DSC_0357.JPG

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