Cypress Diaries 2009-10

[BlueB]

Woooo-Hoooo!

Hot of the press:

Cypress opening this Friday, Easy Rider only.

http://cypressmountain.com/

I think I'll try to get few turns in!

[BlueB]

Mission accomplished!

Roy and me made it to the opening day. Nice snow, a lot more then expected. Conditions: very soft groomed. Only Easy Rider open, but they were grooming all over the place. My guess is that Midway/Lower Bowen will open tomorrow and Lions Express/Collins on Sunday.

Roy pulled of some of the most dynamic turns I've seen from him so far. Well done Bro!

On the pics you have our rides for the day and winter landscape down the Easy Rider with the main lodge and ollympic "monstrosity" stands under construction at the bottom of superpipe/SBX/PGS.

[Cousin of Beagle]

See you at the T-Nut Garage!

[BlueB]

Workshop session at the most exciting garage in the Lower Mainland

Achievements:

- Waxing workshop

- P-Tex workshop

- Distribution of the latest group-buy Protons

- Convincing Jairo to wall-hang his board with unsafe screw-on bindings, or at least T-nut them...

- Destruction of large quantities of coffe, hot chocolate, cookies and chocolate bars

- Usual snowboard BS talk

- Good entertainment for everyone

Thanks everyone for stoping by!

[CarvingScooby]

Workshop session at the most exciting garage in the Lower Mainland

Achievements:

- Waxing workshop

- P-Tex workshop

- Distribution of the latest group-buy Protons

- Convincing Jairo to wall-hang his board with unsafe screw-on bindings, or at least T-nut them...

- Destruction of large quantities of coffe, hot chocolate, cookies and chocolate bars

- Usual snowboard BS talk

- Good entertainment for everyone

Thanks everyone for stoping by!

Thanks to BlueB for hosting and lend his garage for the gathering, another warm up session for the winter season. Glad that most of the YVR Carvers can come. Happy carvers with the 2008 OXYGEN PROTON, new toy for this season, thanks to our fellow dedicated carver DWM to pass his private collection. WELCOME TO JAIRO into the alpine, hope he can decide board to ride. Glad that CRUCIBLE take his daughter to introduce to the fun carving world, hope she will use her New 138, soon. Thanks to Tenorman & Ruwi for the goodies. Hope the boots will suit for Speedtrials. Cousin of Beagle hope he can do fun carving on Cypress with new waxed PRIOR.

HAPPY SNOW :D

[jonbass]

I'm completely jealous. I hope you enjoyed the riding for all of us. Boris it is great to see someone support the community so much! I wish I lived nearby!

[wakeupjohn]

Hello all,

I was trying to find a chance to say hi at the mountains, Cypress, Grouse or somewhere else, but finally I realized here is the best place to leave my hi to everyone.

Since I used to be an alpine racer in Korea, I moved to here and made the club, Vancouver Alpine Sports International Club, "VASIC" for athletes and kids who want to involve in more carved riding at Mount Seymour.

Maybe some of you want to join our club and to train with some gate runs for fun sometime.

FYI, the gate training days at Mt. Seymour will be held on every Wednesday and Friday, 4 to 9.

And I'll go to Cypress, Grouse and Whistler from time to time and see you guys and run together for sure.

I already went to Cypress on last Friday afternoon and to Whistler on the Saturday, but never seen anyone on a hard plate.

Oh, I have met Ruwi at Grouse last year, but I think I lost his number.

If anybody knows his number by any chance, please let me know.

See you guys later.

John

[CarvingScooby]

Hello all,

I was trying to find a chance to say hi at the mountains, Cypress, Grouse or somewhere else, but finally I realized here is the best place to leave my hi to everyone.

Since I used to be an alpine racer in Korea, I moved to here and made the club, Vancouver Alpine Sports International Club, "VASIC" for athletes and kids who want to involve in more carved riding at Mount Seymour.

And I'll go to Cypress, Grouse and Whistler from time to time and see you guys and run together for sure.

I already went to Cypress on last Friday afternoon and to Whistler on the Saturday, but never seen anyone on a hard plate.

Oh, I have met Ruwi at Grouse last year, but I think I lost his number.

See you guys later.

John

BlueB & me were deep trenching from 12 to 3

Welcome & Good to have you here...

Cheers

Roy

[BlueB]

This is the best place. All the Grouse guys read it, most of them ride at Cypress too. Ruwi will find your number, right here.

It is very nice to hear about organised race training. I would love to participate but it is absolutelly impossible for me at those times due to child care obligations.

Interesting that you didn't see us on Friday afternoon, as only one run was open. We had freeride boards, but still plates and hard boots and were leaving monster trenches in rather soft groom... Anyways, looking forward to riding with you.

Hey, how about doing a real race sometimes, maybe in conjunction with Cypress Club? It is also a chance to introduce some of the ski racing kids into snowboard racing.

[wakeupjohn]

BlueB & me were deep trenching from 12 to 3

Welcome & Good to have you here...

Cheers

Roy

Thanks for the tip, Roy.

I was riding from 3 to 4 that's why I couldn't see anybody.

This weekends would be the good time to enjoy snow.

I have an appointment with CSF at Whistler on Saturday, so would anybody come Cypress on Sunday?

[BlueB]

Yup, I teach every Sunday, but get lots of hours off.

I can bet that Scooby is in too!

[wakeupjohn]

This is the best place. All the Grouse guys read it, most of them ride at Cypress too. Ruwi will find your number, right here.

It is very nice to hear about organised race training. I would love to participate but it is absolutelly impossible for me at those times due to child care obligations.

Interesting that you didn't see us on Friday afternoon, as only one run was open. We had freeride boards, but still plates and hard boots and were leaving monster trenches in rather soft groom... Anyways, looking forward to riding with you.

Hey, how about doing a real race sometimes, maybe in conjunction with Cypress Club? It is also a chance to introduce some of the ski racing kids into snowboard racing.

If you think you can make it during those times, please let me know in order to offer you discounted tickets or season passes.

And I'll arrange the RBC Riders event at Mt. Seymour probably mid of March.

This is the entry level competition race which Canadian Snowboard Federation offers nationwide and anybody can join to enjoy and to compete friendly.

I'll talk to Cypress ski club sometime if we can share some idea to introduce the sport of snowboard racing.

Thanks BlueB.

[ruwi]

Yes, we met at Grouse last season and I still have you cell phone. I'll text you with my number if you still have the same phone, otherwise you can always contact us through BOL. Our little group of carvers is growing and we are all excited again for this season. We all got some new/used toys to play with from boards/boots/bindings you name it. Late this summer, we got duped to longboarding by Doug (tenorman), you should join us too next summer. How's your family? Best regards to them..I used to ride Seymour years ago. I will teaching again at Grouse.

Ruwi

[mr_roboteye]

Hello all,

I was trying to find a chance to say hi at the mountains, Cypress, Grouse or somewhere else, but finally I realized here is the best place to leave my hi to everyone.

Since I used to be an alpine racer in Korea, I moved to here and made the club, Vancouver Alpine Sports International Club, "VASIC" for athletes and kids who want to involve in more carved riding at Mount Seymour.

Maybe some of you want to join our club and to train with some gate runs for fun sometime.

FYI, the gate training days at Mt. Seymour will be held on every Wednesday and Friday, 4 to 9.

And I'll go to Cypress, Grouse and Whistler from time to time and see you guys and run together for sure.

I already went to Cypress on last Friday afternoon and to Whistler on the Saturday, but never seen anyone on a hard plate.

Oh, I have met Ruwi at Grouse last year, but I think I lost his number.

If anybody knows his number by any chance, please let me know.

See you guys later.

John

Hello John, we usually have several group rides that go to Whistler each year, just keep your eye on the British Columbia ride board here on BOL. I don't do a lot of local riding, so it's unlikely you'll see me at the small hills.

later,

Dave R.

[colintkemp]

Sorry to thread hijack, but Boris - or someone else - can you provide some details/specs on those Oxygen board?

Thanks,

[BlueB]

Protons 2008 model. Pretty much standard Proton specs...

We compared the 172 with a slightly older one that Roy's got. New ones have less camber and slightly more nose rocker, maybe 1/2" lengthwise. Titanal is part of the game, as it was with Protons for many years. Part of it is now exposed through clear topsheet (gold wings). Flex is about the same as the old ones.

[big canuck]

Where'd ya get em?

[BlueB]

Scooby had the hot line connection to "da Man"...

We still have a 156 and 149 that are not spoken for. Might be a bit small for you, though :D

[jonbass]

Do they still make Oxygen boards? I was trying to look them up seeing as how I'm now the proud owner of one! :D

[BlueB]

Scooby and BlueB made it to the semi-deserted Cypress again!

Soft pack, relativelly poor coverage (very skatchy Midway!), windy, cold, foggy in the morning... Then someone turned the switch and it started snowing like crazy in the afternoon, coming down at least 1/2" per hour. As it was quite cold, fresh had than nice silky quality. It is supposed to carry on all night, as it was -5C at 4pm. I might hit it in the morning again for the sake of pow!

Rides for the day were Pure Carve Maverick under my feet and "cruel" Roy brought his metal Prior 173! He shurelly is starting to love that stick.

Maverick performed like a champ on soft pack, and it floated just fine later on in the fresh. Definitelly fun on flatter runs and softer snow. I noticed a bit of "wandering around" when running straight and in transitions and realised that previous owner has put quite a bit of base edge bevel to it. That's probably why I didn't like it last year on the steep runs...

One potential HB student aquired.

Roy took few pics, he might post them later...

[BlueB]

40cm over night took priority over everything else!

Scooby couldn't make it so it was just Lone B...

40cm of powder turned out to be more of 40cm of chowder. Pretty wet, but still fun. All the steep runs were still closed but everyone was ducking the rope, so did I :D

I managed to find couple of deep holes, even streams, just to the left of Midway. That section contained the most untouched stuff, as everyone was chasing after higher hanging fruits?!

It snowed lightly in the morning, then heavilly in the afternoon. Forecast is calling for dramatic rise of the freezing level, so we might see some rain in the evening and tomorrow morning :( However, it should cool down again tomorrow afternoon and dump is to carry on until Tuesday.

My toys for the day: 4807 and Maverick.

Zipfit liners stiffened up my boots big time. I'll either have to do more routing, or revert back to the old Dalbello liners...

I spotted Rod the Softbooter from the chair, but couldn't get into sequence with him.

I had few positive and curious comments about the gear, again.

[tenorman]

Maverick performed like a champ on soft pack, and it floated just fine later on in the fresh. Definitelly fun on flatter runs and softer snow. I noticed a bit of "wandering around" when running straight and in transitions and realised that previous owner has put quite a bit of base edge bevel to it. That's probably why I didn't like it last year on the steep runs...

hi BORIS

maybe try setting up the board differently. i remember reading about CLIFF AHUMADA about 10 years ago. i'm pretty sure his angles were 69 front and 58 rear with rear heel cant but no front toe lift. maybe you could try similar angles or at least the big 11 degree splay. also, i seem to recall he only rode a 17 inch stance which surprised me at the time because that was what racers rode at while freecarvers generally were 18 and over back then. it could be the board was designed for this type of binding setup?

another factor is i think he is about your size too as i remember reading that he was 6'1 and 175 pounds (he probably gained about 5 pounds since then and is now the same weight as you as that was his weight over 10 years ago lol.)

you may be able to verify the info above through bomberonline member PAT DONNELLY as i remember he used to sign off all his posts on bomberonline about 10 years ago with the phrase "PURECARVE STYLE" so he probably knows some of the original purecarve crew--specifically CLIFF AHUMADA.

[jonbass]

I just wanted to say that you guys have a very cool scene! It is great that you support the sport and local carving community the way you do.

I really appreciate the help that people like Boris And Carvingscooby have given to help me get back into the sport. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to head down for spring break to do some carving! :)

Cheers!

[BlueB]

Jonbass, that would be funn, if you can make it! Just remember, this is coast, snow is not guaranteed at the Springbreak, or it can carry on dumping to the end of April...

Doug,

Thanks for the tips. I rode it with 55f 50r. That has put my front boot in some underhang and rear foot to the verge of overhang. While I can easilly ride (and still carve) with the splays up to 25 deg, I do not really wont massive underhang up front - hard to initiate toe side turn.

I might as well be that I'm done with the Maverick untill the spring, as the cover is becoming good now, so better boards will come out to play...

[BlueB]

New School meets Old School: