timinor

You guys have too much time on your hands. ;)

Here's a video link of Mike going 360 degrees. http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=25a2b424a586523d2a1c620de64a1731.1216779&vback=Studio&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%2Fstudio%3Fei%3DUTF-8

Blue Flames

Mike, I did the Ski Bowl series a few years ago. There were a few boarders. The courses were set for skiers but were excellent for snowboards too. I think they were on Friday nights for about 8 weeks. It was a mostly positive deal. The negatives were: It's night skiing. It's cold, visibility is less than desirable. It's Ski Bowl, which is at a pretty low altitude. Sometimes it was raining...or was it snow...or was it rain. Often they had to salt because the base was not firm enough to hold together. The area does a commendable job making it the best they can but it's a far cry from running unlimited runs of Nastar in Aspen on perfect snow and clear sky. Tim

I have Mike Jacoby on video doing a 360. He makes it look very easy and smooth. I don't have that video on the web though.

Hi Bryan, Shirley graduated and got a job here in PDX so we are here in LO lovin life. I'm ready to ride...are you? Tim

Mike, Are these snowboarders joining in with the skiers? What are the formats? How many races are there? Will they even happen this year? Tim

Hi Bernhard, Did you get the video clips I sent you?

Seems like Bode Miller has worked hard to cultivate an image as the "Zen" ski racer who lives in the country with no modern conveniences and rejects such mundane things as fame and publicity, yet before the Olympics he cashed in with every journalist who would pay for an interview so he could expound on his purist, athletic philosophy and now he's signed with the highest bid and he's unavailable for comment because he's on vacation at an island getaway. Now, I'm all for money and island getaways. I totally respect his skiing and how he approaches training, being coached and racing attitude but, maybe he should learn from past champions like Ingemar Stenmark and Marc Girardelli about how to keep his mouth shut when within earshot of the media.

I think the F2 silberpfeil is the right board to begin on. The choice between 156 and 162 probably comes down to how agressive you are. If you are already carving on your freestyle board and you are more agressive and you learn fast and you ride fast...then maybe the 162. You are right to worry about "outgrowing" the 156.

The Speedster changes direction like a tennis ball thrown against a wall. They hold and rebound very well. The Silberpfeil holds and rebounds beautifully also. I would say it is a bit milder and smoother to ride than the Speedster...which makes it a very friendly board yet with high performance. I tried a Donek, a Madd and a Silberpfeil on the same conditions at SES and I liked the F2 the best.

Joel said: How easy is it to rent an apartment in Aspen? It doesn't have to be slopeside but It would be nice to be located so you can use the bus system. What do they run?

If money was no object, would you spend the winter riding in Summit County or in Aspen? Compare carving conditions and the carving community as the criteria but feel free to comment on other aspects of the two communities.

Educating ourselves (and then doing it daily) about stretching, yoga and strengthening the core with exercises like pilates and throw in swimming is far better than going to a chiropractor. I would trust a good physical therapist who would guide you to such a program before I would trust a chiropractor who tells you he will solve all your ailments...all you have to do is come 3 times a week for...uh...ever. We all know this but most of us are too busy or lazy to do it.

How's the groom there? Is it pretty carver friendly and how are crowds mid week?

You and me both Dr. D.

The PSIA and their, "you must ski the final form" coupled with their robotic lack of imagination 20 years ago is what set the stage for the explosion in popularity of snowboarding.

So in June, what are the conditions at Val Senales? How many lifts will be operating? How many runs will be open? Are the slopes easy, intermediate or advanced? Is there room to freeride or are the slopes all roped off for gate training? What time do the lifts open and close?

What kind of snow conditions do you have at Val Senales in mid June? Has this been a heavy snow year in the Alps? As I recall, lack of snow was an issue before the Olympics.

I rode an F2 silberpfeil about 170ish and it was sweet. I have a 172 Oxygen Proton and like it a lot.

That is one great photo...my imagination runs wild wondering about the circumstances that led up to that near perfect position...and I assume giving it your all for the camera is part of it. You have my vote.

On my soft setup, 27front and 12back. That is how I like it for powder. If I was on groom all day with that same soft setup and wanted to play around making some carves, I'd switch it to 40/40 or 45/45....but I wouldn't enjoy those angles in powder.

Dave, I finally got to see your video. I have a slow connection so I go to the library for big downloads. The video came out well. I like the music. It really works. Good job. I saw some flaws in the camera work though :D I hope you didn't pay that guy.

I see Kevin Delaney doing commentary on TV but does anyone know which ski area he calls home?

It looks like when you ride, you are torqueing your boot over to a more canted position or a different angle. In other words, your body's balance system wants to be in a different foot stance position than the binding is currently set in. Over the year, this torqueing has bent the bale. When you ride, be aware of what that foot is doing. Is it torqueing against the binding on toe side or heel side? Are you doing it at initiation? Maybe adjusting to more cant or a different angle will put your foot into it's "natural position."