More SES thanks

[kjl]

Well, I spent the week after the SES carving in Tahoe, trying to keep everything I learned from the incredible riders at the SES in my head, and now I'm back finally at a computer - hence the late thanks. I only have one complaint about the SES: everything else sucks in comparison. Our local runs don't have good grooming, they aren't steep enough, they're too narrow, and our snow is terrible.

So, thanks to Fin and Michelle for totally spoiling me with Buttermilk. Also, thanks to Bob and Chris and Lowell and anybody else out there who was taking pictures and video.

Also, thanks to Patrice and Nils from extremecarving for showing up and showing us their brand of riding. Man, they are way more graceful in real life than on video. Thanks for the tips and letting me tag along for 3 days in a row.

I can't believe how much I improved just from following really good riders around for a week. I came back to Tahoe to the runs I usually have a hard time with and destroyed them, moved up to the next steepest/narrow ones, destroyed them, too, and finally got beaten down on a really steep run, but only after it got moguls all over it later in the afternoon. Awesome. Anybody looking to break out of that damn "terminal intermediate" trap needs to hit the SES and follow the pack around. Instant jump in ability (and some bruises, but what the hey...). I didn't know skills grew through osmosis, but apparently they do.

I had a total blast - thanks and see you all next year.