Sean

Perhaps we need to revisit the whole boot flex topic, preferably over a couple of frosty ones at SES, yes? I have seen some pretty dramatic changes in peoples' ability to work the board, both heel and toeside, when we opened up the ankle flex more than we thought was necessary. Also, it seems to me toeside is more challenging than heelside in the walk mode because you have the leverage against the rear spoiler/cuff of the boot going heelside whereas when you go toeside the ankle can overly flex forward (excessive dorsiflexion for you geeks out there...) without creating enough pressure on the edge. Looking forward to Aspen-as you can probably tell, I've been thinking alot about the ankle lately...-Sean C.

Agree wholeheartedly with everything Kent has to say. Did a rotator cuff some years back running GS ski gates at a SB race when I hooked my arms in. If you are riding a decent line, don't worry about the gates- they will take care of themselves. Crossblocking is great for Bodie, unproductive for most racers and downright silly for riders. Good luck with the gates- press for triangle panels when you can- and happy new year! -Sean

Just to clarify things, our style of teaching is to look at each rider and, if necessary, tweak their setup with respect to boots, binders and deck that allows them to ride efficiently and effectively. The reason we messed around with alot of peoples' boots at this particular camp was because we had alot of folks riding with extremely stiff flex and stiffness settings which didn't allow their ankles to flex. To add to what Mike was talking about with regard to ankle flex: our goal was not so much to have everyone max out their ankle joint but rather to allow for a more natural "soft" stance over the deck with evenly flexed knees, ankles and hips. As I think all who attended would agree, this is great for all day and all terrain riding. -Sean

amen brother:cool:

What do I do on powder days? Ride my alpine deck of course- the fc171 or axis 172 is swell all over the mountain. Really-it is. :)

John, Fair enough. Think I misread the intent of your post, and probably came off as a bit too defensive in the reply. There are alot more of us out here in the "cold dark" PNW who are doing this alpine thing in pretty enjoyable weather. There is also an abundance of awesome carving terrain within striking distance, especially if you include the inland B.C. areas. And not nearly as butt ass cold as New England ( born and raised there- started skiiing at Bromley in 69). Interested in wandering out our way next year to help run a camp? Perhaps when you heal up we might be able to combine forces, maybe even shoot some vid- been talking to Fin for a while about that one as well. -Sean

John, Have to take exception to the comment that there is noone who can do what you are talking about in the PNW, much less the west coast. While I don't claim to be the best rider in the world, I have spent an awful lot of time trying to further the training aspect of the sport because there are very few places one can go to get solid coaching, especially if you are a newbie. Consequently, we do in fact run multiday clinics that focus on all the items you were talking about. We spend a ton of time tweaking gear, seeking the ideal stance/angles/lift etc. , and pretty much cover all the bases listed in your posts. We also have a full fleet of demos, a custom bootfitter and footbed maker on staff, run digital video and nightly feedback sessions and generally offer IMO as good a training experience as you will find anywhere in the alpine world. I think what you are doing is great because it furthers people's understanding of the sport and how best to hit the ground running. Now lets work on getting a bigger network of trainers that can get folks introduced to the alpine world. Regards, Sean Snowperformance

All, Just returned from some fantastic early season carving at Sun Peaks. A plentiful arctic blast has left the place looking like a winter wonderland and the groomers have been working doubletime to get the hill buffed out. If you are still working out your schedule or haven’t yet contacted us but plan to attend the camp, please do so very soon as we are making final plans. Again, the dates are December 17th thru 20th and the camp will feature: Top notch, client focused training with maximum ratio of 6:1 client to coach. Basic intro to carve as well as more advanced freeride and race oriented training – you decide which area you want to focus on. Excellent slope side accommodations with fitness center, hot tub and wax room, as well as kitchenette options. Private hill space with our own course with snowboard gates. Extensive digital video analysis with debrief sessions every evening. Evening board tuning clinic. Demos from Donek and Bomber. Complete setup provided for first timers. Lots of socializing including a welcome party and mid camp dinner. Additionally, one of our coaches is a professional bootfitter so he will be building custom footbeds by appointment every evening. I also just replaced my tired liners and worked a deal out with the local intuition rep to come up to the hill and fit anyone up with custom intuition thermo liners (very similar to Raichle thermofits) for $150 CDN (this works out to around $130 USD and includes the custom fitting session) Complete information and registration info can be found on the new updated Snowperformance site. Hope to see you on the hill next month! Sean www.snowperformance.com 253-569-3713

Sun Peaks. Great snow and grooming, no crowds, abundant carving terrain and cheaper than Whistler.

Still working out the details. We ran intro to carve and skill builder clinics during last year's SES day at A Basin day at no cost. It would be nice to at least get comped for the lift tickets, but my primary concern is to ensure that we get a release form signed for liability reasons. I have to talk to Fin, Michelle & Sean about that. Plan is to have the info placed on the SES page NLT mid December. Very cool- the more the merrier. That makes it nine and I hope we will have an even dozen. Actually, its alot better on snow. I am admittedly a bit biased but really believe the hill is great for us alpine types. -Sean:cool:

All, A reminder that we are a little over one month out from the Sun Peaks carve camp. So far we have 8 folks registered with skill levels from newbies through all mountain rippers, so we will definitely have at least two coaches. We also have had lots of inquiries, so if you are interested in attending, please let us know as soon as you can so we can get a good head count for coaches, accomodations, etc. The camp includes: * 4 nights accommodation slide in- slide out hotel. * 4 day lift pass * Coaching in highly personalized groups * Freecarve and race training * Private course with timing and snowboard panels * Daily Digital Video analysis * Stance and alignment analysis * Free demos from Donek Snowboards and Bomber bindings * Evening tuning clinic * Italian night out dinner Again, full details can be found on the snowperformance site. If you have more questions please call Gavin at 253-569-3713 and be sure to ask about the early registration discount. Hope to see you on the hill at Sun Peaks. Regards, Sean

All, We are very pleased to announce the new snowperformance site is up and running just in time for winter. Our first carving event of the season brings us once again to Sun Peaks. The camp runs from December 17th thru the 20th . This is our 4th season at Sun Peaks and this is always a favorite. The camp features very enthusiastic and experienced trainers, fantastic terrain and facilities, complimentary demos and lots more. Also, Gavin is offering an early sign up discount for those who register by Nov 1st as well returning camp clients. Hope to see you at Sun Peaks. Regards, Sean

-that's one of the great things about the village. There are two village markets as well as pubs, restaurants, ski shops etc very close by so once you get up there you can hang up the car keys. Kinda nice that I can crawl home from the pub to my doorstep if I need to. The next carve camp runs right thru my 40th b'day, so I may end up exploring that option... Sean:cool:

Skategoat, There are plenty of hotel type places with limited cooking facilities, but if you are looking for decent sized condos with great hill and village access, the best locations are Snow Creek Village and Timberline. (In the interest of full disclosure I must note I own a rental townhouse at Snow Creek). The other condo sites (Trappers, Crystal, McGillivray..) are all very nice, just a few blocks further away from the hill and not truly ski in /out. You can call Ryan at Sun Peaks Accomodations at 1-800-337-3257 and tell him we talked and he should be able to steer you in the right direction. There are also a number of homes up on the hill on Sunburst Drive which look great on the map. Nothing there is incredibly far but some of them can be a long uphill walk in the snow from the village, especially after a night on the town. If you want more info feel free to email me and I'll give you my phone # so I can answer any Q's. Regards, Sean

Hmmm.... Beer is good. Carving is good. Ergo, we should do this.

As many of you probably know, I've been banging that carving drum in the PNW for quite a few years now through our camps with Snowperformance (had 20 alpine riders in T-Line this summer) as well as hooking up locally for fun days. I again will have a nice selection of Donek carver demos (have around six at any given time) as well as Bombers and Raichle boots, so hopefully we can do a few more local sessions as well as drum up more business for the 3 and 4 day alpine camps. BTW we do have more than 2 alpine types around the neighborhood. At last count I had an email list of over 100 contacts, many of which live between PDX and Seattle. -Sean:)

I'm also very interested if anyone out there has any experience with his bevel tools- kinda look like sideways roller sanding blocks. The fabric roller wax burnisher sounds pretty cool but I still think a good set of file guides with sharp files and a couple of diamond stones are better for establishing base and edge bevels and keeping them fresh through the season. As far as waxing goes, FWIW I always thoroughly chalk the wax on the base before my iron ever touches it (if you quickly dab the wax brick onto your iron before rubbing it on the base it helps it to chalk in even better) . This assures an even coat of wax on the whole base, helps the iron glide better, is less wasteful than dripping on, and protects the base. Putting an iron onto a dry base is a really bad idea as you can easily burn the base material and permanently mess up that very thin layer of p tex, not to mention the internal layers. Clothes irons aggravate the problem as they tend to pulse and vary quite a bit in temperature. My $.02 worth. -Sean

All, Two weeks to go until the Snowperformance summer carve camp at Timberline Oregon. We currently have 17 riders committed and are putting in the finishing touches, so if you are interested we need to hear from you ASAP!!! Regards, Sean snowperformance

All, A quick reminder that we are a little over a month out from our Snowperformance summer carve camp at Timberline Oregon. The three day camp runs from Friday July 30th through Sunday August 1st and features: *Top notch training from full certified snowboard coaches who specialize in alpine riding. *Small group sizes including a new intro to carve session (call for details). *Freecarve as well as race focused training. *Private training lanes as well as our own snowboard course complete with SB panels. *Extensive use of digital video with daily afternoon debrief sessions. *Free use of demo gear courtesy of the great folks from Donek and Bomber. *Lots of socializing and after riding activities around the Government Camp area. Sean Martin, owner of Donek Snowboards, will be in attendance, so this is a great opportunity to meet, ride with and give feedback to one of the biggest supporters of our sport. Complete information including registration, pricing and lodging details can be found on the Snowperformance site. If you are interested in attending or have any other specific questions about the camp, please check out the site then call Gavin at 253-569-3713. Hope to see you on the hill this summer. Regards, Sean Snowperformance

Well said Art. One board or two, its all good. -Sean "sleepless in Tacoma" Cassidy

We have been getting alot of early interest, so I believe we will have around a dozen or so riders and will go to three coaches if the numbers get much bigger than that. What is especially encouraging is that so many new alpine types are calling up and asking for intro to carve lessons. I will be posting some more info as the event draws near and am also in the process of revamping our web site. In the meantime, feel free to visit us at snowperformance if you have any specific questions. Regards, Sean

Just got back from the Timberline carve session- had a great time riding with the Hood locals and making some new acquaintances. Mike and Bonnie Tovino especially deserve a big thank-you for taking the time to organize it as well as hosting the BBQ. Hopefully we can make this a regular late springtime event. For those of you who rode the demos, please take a moment to email Sean Martin from Donek and thank him for providing the awesome demo quiver. See you around the hill, Sean

1.Count me in for Fri thru at least Sat, and probably Sunday if conditions are decent. 2. Yes for the BBQ 3. Just me 4. 253-906-6823 (cell) I will have a tidy quiver of Doneks for demo use from the Freecarve and Axis lines. As far as the video/riding clinic goes, I was thinking about Sat afternoon unless a bunch of folks want to do something on Fri as well. See you next week, Sean Cassidy www.snowperformance.com

Actually Al, We already (at least most of us) live in a 1g world so you are in fact already pulling 1g or simply whatever you weigh. If you weighed 200 lbs and were to add two more g's you would be adding another 400 lbs of gravitational force for a net of 600 lbs. So rather than looking at it as squatting a 400 lb weight think about it as gaining 400 lbs distributed throughout your whole body. If you went to zero G you would be weightless and doing the moon walk thing ( Neil Armstrong, not Michael Jackson that is). Negative G's are the most uncomfortable of all- the guts in the mouth kinda feel when you are going over the apex in a rollercoaster or pushing forward hard on the flight controls on a plane. Now what was the topic of this thread? Oh yeah- 70's vintage Bogner suit flame boy. ;)

The Snowperformance camp is July 30th thru August 1st. The price is $440 for a three day session ( lodging packages also are also available). Given the increasing interest and early bookings, we also may do another date this summer. Please check the web site and feel free to email or call with any Q's. Regards, Sean