Cindy Kleh

Cell phones aren't totally useless at the Basin. The higher up the mountain you go, the better they work.

I agree. Jason (USASA director=only paid employee) works way too hard for all the non appreciation he gets. I was one of those "soccer moms" that was in his face about qualifying for Nationals this year, and he responded politely to each of my e-mails. Multiply the grief I gave him times the total number of problems and personalities he deals with, and you have to wonder why he keeps doing it. I'm amazed, anyway.

Wow! Great action shots! Ya know, I don't have many heroes, but Bode Miller is definately on the list (and the Dalai Lama). I'd have to put Lindsey Jacobellis on that list, too. BTW, if you're drinking Long Trail Ale, you must be located somewhere near Burlington Vermont, my home town. I've downed more than my share of LTA. It makes me smilier but hardly controls the pain. I've found Tuaca shots to have better pain numbing abilities. Now I've got to send this thread to my mom! And thanks for sending the healing vibes. I'm already much improved since I'm off my boards and back on my bike. Ride on! BTW, this is the story that the local paper did on the Nationals::D http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20080410/SPORTS/423879464

Pat, Sorry about you bruised body and pride. It could have been worse. I'm going to invest in a mouthguard and always wear my BX protection in the park and pipe. I haven't eaten it on a rail yet, and I'm not looking forward to it. I've done pretty high ones with gap jumps to get on (it's my background as a balance beam queen in HS and college). I feel your pain, and then some. Me and icebags have been close buddies since January. Usually it's my knees and my right thumb giving me grief, but this January, I fell backwards over my cat and dislocated my left elbow (badly, it was dangling backwards and I had to set it myself). Then I fell in a BX course that had double kickers in a bank turn (WTF?) and ripped up my right shoulder. That shoulder got so bad that my dislocated arm became my strong arm and the only one that could pull out of the gates. (I'm regular.) I used flourocarbon wax for a fast start and hoped for steepness. BX and slopestyle scared the crap out of me because I didn't want to fall and reinjure it. My mother keeps asking me why I put myself through this every year (I even promised her that I would quit BX when I've won the gold). Maybe I should introduce her to you and she will understand. Rock on old dude!

Thanks, Pat. I may be getting older and creakier, but I'm not slowing down. I hate to admit this to the Bomber community, but I found out this season that I LOVE rails and halfpipe!

Pat, You're a Renaisaance Man ... a master of all! What could be cooler than winning national titles in snowboarding AND skiing? the snow goddess

We have quite a few really solid snowboard mogul masters at Winter Park and Mary Jane. I constantly see riders on bump runs here. I think it's like any other skill. The more you practice, the better you get. Bruce Isakson, in his mid 40s, manager of powder Tools in WP, rules the bumps. His upper body hardly moves except down the fall line. It's realy beautiful to watch. There have been quite a few riders doing the Arapaho Basin Enduro in recent year: 7am to 5 pam nonstop Palivicini bumps (think Volkswagon size). Wish I still had knees .......

Your daughter just has to win her regional competition to be invited to Nationals. National Ranking points are only used for the next round of invites. There is a prearranged number of girls for her division that are allowed to compete at Natls, and if any of the regional winners decline the invite, the others are asked. It's kind of complicated and never consistent, but that's USASA. If she made 2 competitions per event, it's a good chance she'll go to Nationals, which will be at Copper Mtn. again next year. I agree that shoving too many disciplines at her at the beginning might be a turn off. At 8, competing should still be just for fun (although winning is fun too).

Stan, I was thinking that you had an operation recently, but that was Mark. ooops. Glad you're getting out in the pow. Some of my most memorable days on my board have been in my forties. Rock on! SG

Happy birthday, Stan. Hope you're healing and back in the plates soon. snow goddess

copperseries.com or write Paul Krahulec at paul@usasa.org.

Oh. Ooops. Well, never mind. Gotta go ride .....

What the heck is that supposed to mean? Since when did loving your fellow man and nature become passe? I thought the greed decade of the 90s was over and that today's society is finding new value in volunteering to help less fortunate and to save the environment. I mean, free love and psychedelics may have gone out with the advent of AIDS and better drugs, but a lot of the Dead's message is even more relevant today than it was 30 years ago. Sorry to get off subject, but I hate it when greed-and-lust-for-money types make fun of hippies. It's a good thing some of us freaks are still around to say something while the Bush Express preaches that the strength of stocks and the GNP are more important than global warming and the dissappearance of half of the species in this world in the name of a strong economy. OK, OK. I'll calm down now ... give me some untracked powder and it will all be fine .... the snow goddess

:lol: Tie dye is making a comeback! Where can I buy the matching speed suit?

Try the Alpine Inn in Frisco (behind Best Western) or the Super 8 in Dillon. There are also some reasonable hotels in Silverthorne below 1-70. Or try the Arapahoe Inn in Keystone.

I just bought the gold level accident insurance from adventureadvocates.com. $30 per month, $37 for the family. It's a nonprofit that donates any earnings to environmental causes. They take it out of my checking ea month. I don't have any health insurance, so this makes me feel a little safer when I slide into the gates.

Skatha! LOL! I [I]know[/i] I need to get into hards but: 1. cost. I can only afford so many toys. I make do each season with such an incredibly low budget that I should write a book about how I make it work ... Adventures in Duct Tape or something. 2. I'll need to learn to ride all over again in the middle of racing season (which is every season) I can only ride a day or two a week for a few hours. Crappy knees. (I could also write a book about winning national alpine championships with no on-hill training.) 3. I have very delicate joints hanging on by threads and I don't want to give them any more torque than I already do. If I have so much control on my foot and ankle will the force move up to the knees? 4. I will be carrying alot of gear around if I have to have a SL, BX, GS and park board.

I've always loved Nitro boards because they're light and maneuverable in pow and bumps but can really rail a turn. I have an old 163 Samurai that's my GS board. That's long for me, I'm 5'5" and have a bad hip flexor and 2 bad knees. This board turns easily but holds its edge. It's an ancient model. Probably impossible to find. I have a 157 Supra Team for slalom. It's great in the pow, teaching, just about anything but freestyle (since it's so directional).

I'm considering a pair of soft boots that have remoldable liners. I'm thinking these are similar to hard boot liners, and was wondering if a socked foot will slip around inside the liner. Also, when the liner is first heated and formed around the foot, does it conform to your foot in a shrinking fashion or does it just indent where your foot out-dents? Does it conform with enough power to keep your heel down on toe turns? Thanks!

You're never too good to make a fool of yourself in a liftline. I once projectile vomited Red Bull in front of a whole liftline. Didn't hurt but it was pretty embarrassing to see that orange splot all day.

How about the cheapest way to eat a a ski resort? Winter Park sells hard boiled eggs for $1.50 each .... free ketchup and saltines and you have a complete meal. Also, most resort give away free hot water or offer a microwave.

I don't eat breakfast, but sometimes I make a big batch of pancakes with raisons, bananas and nuts and stick a few in a ziploc. Usually iI bring a Met-RX Big 100 with 31 grams of protein, but I keep it next to my boobs so it doesn't freeze. Candy doesn't do it for me. Just makes me hungrier.

:( We got about 3 inches and PHROOOOOOM the storm is in Montana! WTH?

I've been dancing for snow and throwing Jagermeister to Ullr all week. the snow goddess

welcome To The Bomber Community!