Tommy D

+1 Find yourself a good shop that WILL do specific angles. I rarely leave my gear with a shop, but if I do, I find one with a good rep and form a relationship with that shop.

Wow. I've never heard of doing that before. For me, 1 and 1 has always worked out great, and is easy to tune by hand. This year, I'm rolling with 0 and 0 on my snowboard(Factory setting), but will likely keep the 1 and 1 on my skis. It sounds to me like the goal of running different bevels is similar to detuning the tip and tail. I love taking the gummi stone to my skis, but I don't detune my snowboard. I've noticed carving the icy New England slopes, that edge angles less than 90 degrees (IE: 0 base, 2 side) don't stay as sharp as long as as say a 1 and 1 or 0 and 0. Were you tuning by hand, or with a machine to get those bevels? I'm not sure if the time spent isn't greater than the benefits. Let us know how it works out!

WOW. Ski Dubai is truly a "Modern Marvel." I'd carve a few turns there, given the opportunity. It looks sliders aren't let anywhere near the ski slope without knowing how to stop, link turns, and control speed. The snow is probably very consistent and predictable all day long. Wierd, but I get the impression of night skiing in a snowstorm looking at the pictures. Funny that a lot of the pictures on the site are taken on real mountains under blue skies. :D

I'll be up that way, probably Stratton Friday, maybe Saturday. But more than likely, I'll be on my rock skis.

My friends and I always use 13-31FRS.

While I think the photo of Ms Renntiger is great , some action shots are definitely needed! Here's one of me (as seen in my avatar: http://webpages.charter.net/williatd/heelside.jpg I might have a hi-res somewhere, but feel free to use that one. I really need to have more shots taken this year! That pic is two seasons old, and is the most recent!

F1 high-profile tires are a convention of the rules, not of performance. I'm not sure when (Might be as soon as '06, but probably '07) but the wheel size limits are changing, and we'll be seeing lower-profile tires and larger wheel diameters on F1 cars. IIRC, wheel size limitations was intended to limit brake rotor diameter. Also, if I'm not mistaken, there must be a certain amount of "meat" on the sidewalls to help withstand high-downforce applications. (IE: F1) If you look at GT or Touring cars, they all have low-profile tires. There are plenty of race cars out there running low-profile tires in 16" and 17" diameters. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup is very popular in 17" applications, and is a fantastic track tire. One of the benefits to a low profile tire is a smaller slip-angle and greater responsiveness. The pictures above of the Audi shod with the prototypes ... It looks like the tires are retro-fitted to two-piece Fikse wheels ... but without the second, outer piece.

I'm all about burying my friends under a good wave of snow while they are parked, and I've taken my fair share. There are times where it just isn't fun: One day I was sitting on the trailside recovering, and a friend sprays me. If it wasn't 0 degrees out, it would have been funny, but that day, it HURT! When some unknown snowslider aggravates me, I let it go. I've never been accosted or assaulted, so I can't say how I'd react. But given the choice of chasing someone down for a slight, or carving turns, I'd rather go carve more turns. But don't slam into me and run off; That's just not cool. Stay safe this season!

I wonder how they would mount up to existing rims, or if special rims will be needed. It probably won't be too difficult to manufacture those tires with a protective membrane to prevent debris/snow/ice/water from getting inside. (and it's probably how they will arrive to mass-market.) Where's the number dispenser? I'll take a set or two! I got "screwed" the other day, and actually had to use my donut. :)

Forgive my international ignorance: What is a "Stat" holiday? I have to work today. Boo.

Yes! Most appreciated.

I'd take a good look at the Doneks, too. Stay away from K2 enemys: I got a free pair, and they are noodles. While OK in the bumps/trees (And probably park), they are horrible everywhere else and even looking at them too quickly causes them to chatter. Forget about icy slopes. It's a huge assumption on my part (Az of Ewe and Me) but I wonder if most park/pipe specific skis are noodles. Probably anything marketed for Skiercross, or all mountain would be good. You say he's a beginner looking for a whole package? There are probably some really kick-butt package deals out there right now, with beginner-oriented gear (Scratch my skiercross statement for beginners.) I'm not in the market for new skis this year, so I'm way out of the loop on specific brands, etc, but as I said above, those new Doneks are very appealing, and would fit the sweet spot in my quiver between my noodles and GS skis.

In my case, I did learn how to carve in under a week.(But not very well!!! It took me a lot longer to get proficient, mostly self taught.) However, I came from an extensive skiing background, and already knew how to carve on snow. But it sounds like you are already moving around on snow quite well, so you won't have the problem I did of figuring out how to snowboard first. That said, you should be able to figure it out if you read all the articles you can find on technique, etc (Most of which are in the welcome center HERE ). Watching a lot of carving vids found on the web helped me too. Don't let others put you down about your first carving board choice: My first board was a Volkl RennTiger SL. Did a race board hinder my progress? Maybe. Did a race board force me to learn proper technique? I'd like to think so. There's other stuff that may be easier to learn on, but once you figure it out, people on the chairlift will be pointing at and admiring your carving sklls! Regardless of how fast you pick it up, the idea is to have fun!

Nope. It was rather basic: I wore an ankle length black hooded cape, black dockers, black tee, and black ninja jacket. Then I took some makeup and tried (I'm not very good with makeup, and neither is my girl ...) to create a 'sunken eye' effect. I happen to have a toy lightsaber, so I removed the 'blade' and stuck the pommel in my belt. My catchphrase: "Die Jedi scum!" :D

If I recall correctly, all the ski areas within the Green Mountain National Forrest are required to shut down operations by a certain date for that exact reason. When the bears start waking up all-hungry-like, it's not a good idea to be around.

+1 I'm a Volkl snob too...

Groton. Gosh! That is a hike, but I think you are equidistant (Timewise?) from VT and NH? Hey, what's long and hard and full of Sea Men? :lol: Sorry, I new a submariner who used to be stationed at Groton. Stratton has nice groom. I haven't been to Okemo in a while, but I recall Okemo has good groom, too... just get there EARLY! In NH, I'm a fan of Sunapee and Loon, but for grooming, the nod goes to Sunapee. I love Wildcat(too far for a day trip) too, but I've never carved there, only ski. This year, I have the Stoks pass for Stratton/Okemo/Sunapee: http://www.stratton.com/tickets-and-passes/smartpasses/pass-info/stoks-pass.htm and will likely get another one for next season.

Heh, I was at the 'Bush a couple years ago too .... In fact, that's where my avatar is from. I was on a 163RT. The weather was particularly warm and rainy most of the week, too.

I've never done it; But skiing the Glen is awesome! If you get a chance to poach on a board, do it after a good storm, and take someone who knows the terrain as a guide. The terrain is phenomenal. I had a guide when I skied there (After two feet of fresh dreams!) and MRG now ranks in my top 5 favorite places to ski, including the 'Bush and Big Mountain.

I've got a pet door! :D Once you have one, you'll never need to pause your movies again! (The dogs love it too!)

Porsche Cayman Xbox 360 LiPolly RC warbird (P51 or Corsair) Bomber RAB and on and on and on ... Oh, and a money making machine.

Boba Fett! (Or is your son Jengo Fett?) One of my favorite Star Wars characters. I was a Sith Lord for Halloween this year.

Was that the industrial strength or regular velcro? That sounds like a safe board protector.

I agree in that they don't mean to do it, usually. From my point of view, if they mean to or not, it's still inconsiderate, and it irks me to no end. (I'll be the first to admit I've accidentally bumped other skiers in front of me in the line, but promptly back off.) Usually, I'll take your approach and ask them to back of a bit; it works most of the time.

I'm glad I'm not alone! Actually, I was just thinking about those studs used as stomps: They aren't very sharp, but look scary enough to be a deterrance. That said, there have been times I would have loved a saw blade or nails for ripping up some p-tex. For now, I'll stay away from anything that will destroy bases; sometimes I look back and see a 3 year old grom sliding over my gear, and wouldn't feel right about wrecking the groms gear. For now, I'll just keep my board on edge in the line. Yeah, it's not too comfy, but it works. :rolleyes: