Grand Junction Carver

Yes, this would be great for next year's shirts (long sleeved)!

I just wanted to thank everybody at Bomber on behalf of Doug M and I for holding another terrific session this year and helping to improve our carving skills. Special thanks to Jorg and Anna of Pure Boarding for helping me keep my knees bent on toeside. A big thanks to Angie helping me on toeside by pretending to hold an orange between hip/rib. Thanks to Norm for riding with me and teaching me to flex my board more on heelside by attempting to tuck my back knee into the front leg. Thanks to Sean and Kenny for changing my stance (went from 20 inches to 19 inches) and for changing the cant/lift discs to be more in line with the boots rather than the long axis of the board. I know wider is suppose to be better, but the narrower stance allowed me to flex the board more making my turns quicker and slowing me down a bit. Finally, a big thanks to Fin and Michelle for helping me tune my new BTS springs which allowed me to flex and enjoy riding a hell of a lot more. Guys, I have only been carving for 2 1/2 years, but felt that this year I made some quantum leaps. On behalf of Doug, I know he will be extreme carving the slopes of Powderhorn for weeks to come due to EC clinic taught by Paul (Superman). Again, thanks for the great session.

I will be there with my wif (who doesn't carve but skis) and bringing two buddies i carve with from GJ. Third year in a row for 4 days. Pure carve clinic was the best in 2011! You guys do a great job!

I was at Buttermilk yesterday. It only had a 19 inch base with a lot of sticks/debris in the tiehack area (new lift is nice though). Best area in my neck of the woods is Powderhorn with a 31 inch base. No snow in the forecast for next 7 days. Temps are running 10 degrees above normal.

Just ordered 3 issues, one for me and 2 for Christmas presents for my fellow carvers on the Western Slope.

Powderhorn looks like the place to be the next couple of days. 13 inches in the past 48 hours with a 34 inch base. Bills to Peacemaker. Dog and Doug are carving it up today.

Thanks, Might have to take a day off this week (maybe Thursday) to avoid the crowds and get some turns in.

Has anybody carved some turns at Loveland since they got dumped on last week? Looks as though they will get more snow tomorrow and Wed. The only groomed runs open are Lower Richards and Spill Way (intermediates) and Mambo&Homerun (beginners). Let me know if it is any good. Thinking of trying out the demo I bought from Sean (all metal FC).

How about Powderhorn. It was just purchased by new management and should be improved (maybe a new high speed quad). The old Wildwood is ski in/ski out plus other condos not far away or you can stay in Grand Junction (45 minutes away and sip Colorado wine and enjoy our downtown restaurants). Its a great mountain on the side of Grand Mesa with great views and a few of us that carve (3 or 4).

Yea, hopefully the monoplate will keep us carving for another 20 years!

I think I am covered for all my boarding needs as well, but I did break down and ordered the Donek monoplate with UPM mounts (Sean had one demo left) for my Metal FC. Being an older rider it should help with leg fatigue.

My Axxess is a glass 177 that was my first alpine board I bought from Fin a couple of years ago and is a great All Mountain board. I have used in all conditions (a lot of powder in Colorado this past year). Like I said it is about 1.5 cm wider in the middle than the FC so the lesser angle you ride at will be compatible with the axxess. I am not sure about the metal axxess, but if it performs like the metal FC (which I demoed at the SES) it should rock!

I do have the yellow E rings and TD3s. I have only a 1 degree front toe cant and 3 degrees rear heel cant (does your greater toe cant help your heelside). I do have greater angles (60 degrees in the front and 55 degrees in the back which help with my heelside carves plus I am going from a Axxess to FC which is narrower). I am getting psyched thinking that riding is only 4 months away (when most Western Colorado Slopes open). Heck with the fly fishing, maybe I will go hike Saint Mary's Glacier.

You are probably right, I should try out the FC first before buying a plate. I was wrong that it wasn't a boiler plate that Sean was using, but Donek's monoplate. I checked Donek's website (link below) and there is great Youtube video (first one on top) on Sean describing how the plate works. Check it out, makes perfect sense (less vibration and torque on the body). http://www.donek.com/plate_alp.html

Check out this link where Sean is demo-ing the board I bought from him. Its in the last minute of this YouTube video. He was using a boiler plate as well. Maybe I should invest in a boiler plate, it's got all the holes predrilled on the board. He is really cruising. If you can't link to the video, look it up in YOUTUBE under SES 2011 Day 7 Copper Bowl.

It had to be tough to ride with so many people in the way. My daughter and two of her friends went and did 2 runs with lift line waits of an hour. Glad I decided to fly fish instead.

I just bought a demo 175 metal FC from Sean a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to use it this winter. I tried it out during the SES 2011 at Buttermilk and even loved it in 6 inches of light powder.

I am still torn whether to go or not. The Donek FC I would be trying out is a demo I bought (so not brand new). Maybe I will pack my Axxess as well (I have rode in slush before and actually enjoyed the slower speed). Maybe I'll just go fly fishing at the frying pan instead (whoops forgot this is not a fishing forum).

Does anyone know if A Basin's conditions this weekend would be worth trying out a Donek all metal FC? Looks pretty sticky and dirty on the A basin webcams. Maybe the very top runs.