TrenchKnife

Try changing your binding angles first, being as its a hole in the cartilage, as opposed to full thinning. You might be surprised at how many alpine riders are able to bypass continued knee trauma by simple binding angle changes and canting adjustments. At this late point in the season (even in the PNW) you may consider switching to a soft setup and then simply work on anciliary muscles/groups over the Summer on a bike. Binding cants can really exacerbate knee issues. Try trading cants for angles, as doing so can significantly reduce focused meniscal stresses and erosion.

?!?! GS/DH Race stockers still have plenty of shape, still "shaped skis" by any standard. (I ski on 2010 race-stock {full-sidewall/temp-rated} Racetiger 216s & 168s.)

Initiate with hop turns, this teaches correct extension/retraction for clean initiation and timing.

I'm heading back up to Vt. tonight.

? Are you serious? What about Stowe or Stratton?

Try to familiarize yourself with a very short alpine board first. Longboards allow a lot of latitude for sloppy balance, and many riders' skills suffer as a result, often with the board riding them, as opposed to vice-versa. This is all-too-common in hardbooting.

Had the sickest experience yesterday: Two local ex-racers too me down a psychotic pipeline trail for a few runs yesterday. Just 3 minutes down the road from Mt. Peter, two cars, hike in from the Appalachian Trail at the top of Mount Peter. Never knew there was anything so steep and rideable so near NYC. I'm at my desk in the city and my legs are still shaking.

We may have met. I was teaching there for Pete Ruschp, Lowell was AD and Bud did a lot of the snowboard school training. I certified quite a few riders then. Back then, Bud and Lowell were hard-to-miss in the North face mountaineering pants and bright randonee boots. We used to spend our off days on Mansfield's North face, we'd hike up from the Troll hut on the chin and ride the steep & deep of the face. Long hike back, though. That was the season when Rick Dryfoos from Smugglers' was starting the first PSIA manual over at Stowe, without Pete Ingvolstad's (Or Sherm White's) knowledge. We tried to help him as much as we could.

OK- I'm outta here for Burgers and Beers. Wish we could continue this conversation over brews and some wings. Sound like a great bunch of folks here, and this discussion would undoubtedly go better in that light. Believe me when I say I'm smiling when I post here. I'd like to have a few cold ones with you guys. Truth: your next one's on me.

Excluding Mansfield's "Front Four", of course, ;)

Stats can be massaged to say whatever we like- you're taking averages into account, not individual trails. Stratton is definitely one flat resort,for the most part, BUT: it's race trails made for world class downhills. I've run DHes at Wengen and Kitz, so, without sounding like Mr. "Been there, done that" , I can speak to real downhills. I lost it on the Steilhang on a big wide ole 204 safari (not my beloved 210), and i lost it there years before on my Fischer 223s. The US Open DHes at Stratton were gnarly.

Why do I think I was speaking to you earlier today on the snow? Sounds like a forming concensus, as this is very much what the crossover guy was saying today. I agree about watching the olympic footage too. It seems the two sports are beginning a return to one another

Try skiing with much of the same movement progression. That's what the guy i spoke with today says he does. pretty interesting. I may be looking into a set of skis!

Reread the posts: I'm referring to 1980s DH events. they were NOT set differently then. I competed in those.

Gosh. Thanks for the education. I bow to your "been there seen it and done it" statement. what could I have been thinking? Clearly, you're a superior snowboard racer.