Guest Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) How big is your "carving bubble"? How close to other skiers/riders can you tolerate before you just abandon the run and wait for the pack to pass by? I think my bubble has gotten smaller as I've gained more control and experience, but I still feel like I give a ton of space to everyone else on the mountain. On crowded days I often see packs of skiers and riders cruising down blues without any speed checks within literally 5 feet of each other. I just don't have the stomach for it.... Especially when I see Mr or Ms Ski racer with the bent poles (pro-tip, btw - a sure sign of your impending death) flying down the trail I don't even take a chance, I immediately pull off to the side. Anyone else have my cautious nature or am I the odd one out on this? If so, any tips for navigating crowds and not incurring the wrath of ski patrol? Edited January 8, 2015 by NickG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If I can hear their turns behind/beside me, I break into downhill skidded turns and turn away from them and over towards the side slowly. I had one guy pass me in roughly a superman position (arms/head first) about waist-high just after I did this once. I assume he caught an edge or something. Scary to think of what might have happened had I finished that previous turn directly into his path. He was ok, just embarrassed. I've started wearing a light spine protector (this one) this year after too many close calls. A nice bonus is that it makes crappy chairlift backs more comfortable! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aracan Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) I rather feel my bubble is getting bigger over the years. Maybe it’s just age, but it seems to me that the number of out-of-control skiers and snowboarders (usually semi-skilled softbooters) grows from one winter to the next. Isn’t ski patrol supposed to take care of that phenomenon? I often find myself thinking that our mountains could benefit from a ski patrol (there is none in Austria). Edited to add that I have also taken to wearing a back protector because I started feeling naked on heelside turns. Edited January 8, 2015 by Aracan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 My personal bubble is quite large. That is why I like Sun Valley. Even on 'crowded' days, with a couple or a few minutes wait I can be happy with the run all to myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Survival to ride another day without someone else causing you bodily injury has been my goal since I was cut off on a very icy run (a chronically and habitually icy spot created by making wet snow in exactly the same way in the same spot for 50 years ). Instead of killing the other person I made an abrupt turn across said ice and for my efforts received a bruise the size of a large porter house steak. Two weeks of wearing bubble wrap on my butt allowed me to sit on the chair lift. The purchase of padded bike pants makes me ready for anything ! (so I keep telling myself) Always helps to have someone ride shotgun. And a handy witness for ski patrol to interrogate should something happen. My advice; pad up. The down hill person has the right of way not the fastest person . The guy with the most protection hopefully wins. I think that patrol sometimes assumes that if you are a more experienced rider you are capable of avoiding situations and therefore you should attempt to do so. Don't necessarily agree with it but I think it would help if more riders voiced their concerns to patrollers about their near misses so that they are aware of how many situations alpine boarders actually encounter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 No matter how paranoid you think you are, I guarantee that I'm more paranoid. I'm a very timid rider and have an overriding goal of simply surviving unhurt to ride another day. I can't "open up" on a run unless I can first get comfortable with the various aspects of the terrain, intersections with other trails, and traffic patterns of people. My bubble is pretty huge, but I will allow myself to get a little more complacent on terrain that I know so well that I could do it with my eyes closed. My bubble also gets smaller when I'm riding tight boards. If I am riding a tight board on an easy trail, whipping fast short carves in a straight line while still being one of the faster people on the run, then I might not have a bubble at all. But on a steep trail with a big board when I'm taking up most of the run and turning uphill at transitions, I have paranoid visions of getting hit. I should go to a sports hypnotherapist, or start drinking heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) Your fears are real ! My recommendation is half a shot of brandy per run till the feeling subsides. Sports therapist sounds like about 6 lift tickets. Bubble pants do ease the fear a bit. Where Corey rides it's so cold you break in pieces when you fall. Edited January 8, 2015 by lowrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Wow it seems I'm not alone in needing my space! I should add that I do wear a spine protector ever since I got hit from behind by a female skier two or three years ago. After we crashed and I asked if she was alright (we were both OK) she just said something like, "you just...turned so quickly I couldn't do anything." Obviously the response is (I didn't say this) "why weren't you watching how quickly I was turning when you were 100 feet behind me," but w/e. It sounds like a lot of people are paranoid because they were in a collision at some point. We could debate about the Skiers' Code, but regardless of who is right, I still assume everyone is going to hit me from behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 No matter how paranoid you think you are, I guarantee that I'm more paranoid. I'm a very timid rider and have an overriding goal of simply surviving unhurt to ride another day. I can't "open up" on a run unless I can first get comfortable with the various aspects of the terrain, intersections with other trails, and traffic patterns of people. My bubble is pretty huge, but I will allow myself to get a little more complacent on terrain that I know so well that I could do it with my eyes closed. My bubble also gets smaller when I'm riding tight boards. If I am riding a tight board on an easy trail, whipping fast short carves in a straight line while still being one of the faster people on the run, then I might not have a bubble at all. But on a steep trail with a big board when I'm taking up most of the run and turning uphill at transitions, I have paranoid visions of getting hit. I should go to a sports hypnotherapist, or start drinking heavily. I'm with you! I am a very timid rider and if I had to ride on crowded slopes all the time I probably wouldn't ride. Even on our slopes here in CO, if I ride past 10am it's a miracle because of the super crowds that we get here. None of them turn, and all are going WAY too fast to ever stop. My bubble is HUGE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darko714 Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Other boarders and skiers are a HUGE consideration whenever I ride. I usually like about 100 feet of space. Slower riders in front of me aren't really a concern, since I can usually carve or slarve around them keeping a safe margin. It's the faster ones coming up from behind that I worry about. I try to look uphill at each edge transition, and if I see (or hear) someone, I'll narrow my carves and check my speed until they are by. It's good for us to keep in mind that carving an alpine board is unusual, in that we are riding fast, especially across the fall line. Even good skiers can miscalculate us when they're flying down the hill. I go on full alert when I'm sharing the hill with someone going down at equal speed. In the words of fellow carver Bob Zing . . . "criss, cross, crash!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I just try and ride faster than everyone else. Usually does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I just try and ride faster than everyone else. Usually does the trick. You are blessed with a brain set for speed. Going fast does indeed keep the bubble ahead of the pack. I would freak out and crash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I like it completely clear ahead and behind. If it's not, I use a narrower lane. We don't turn like other snowboarders. Alpine equipment is so rare where I ride that I can't reasonably expect skiers to understand how they turn, especially how quickly we can reverse and come across the hill. So I take full responsibility for my own safety. And theirs, frankly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I should add that my bubble gets bigger when riding with other carvers too. When you're doing your best right turn and your buddy is doing his best left turn, the closing speeds are frightening. Fin always talks about giving lots of room to your fellow riders at First Tracks at SES. He means it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 mine is pretty small, but it has to be on our slopes else i'd never get the runs in. perversely, i've only ever been hit when i've been stationary at the side of a run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabatha Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I have become a total princess and HATE riding on weekends. Easiest way to avoid people is to not ride on days when they are out. I also never ride with music so I can hear what is coming up behind me ... because even when you look around, things can sneak up on you! I like the run to myself - muppets on the slopes make me nervous. It is great that so many people are getting into winter sports and teching their buddies, but it means that few people have really heard of the skiers code or understand that there is etiquette on the hill. I live in fear, but part of the rush is returning alive and doing it again the next day. And Lowrider is right; it is so cold here that if you hit someone (or something) you would break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) As big as possible! Not only are we unpredictable for most other snow sliders, most of us spend a lot more time on the snow than an average rider, so the onus is on us as more experienced riders to anticipate and avoid possible issues. Someone who rides 40 days a year is going to be a much better judge of distance and closing speed than someone who rides 2 days a year, and the 40-day rider is probably looking more than 20 feet ahead too... Outrunning all possible danger is always a good approach too, but not always compatible with making ribbon candy turns. Edited January 8, 2015 by Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If the other snow-sliders around me look to be reckless / unaware - I try to keep as big a bubble as possible. I'm usually not travelling down the slope fast enough to stay ahead of straightliners. If the other snow-sliders appear to be competent and aware, I can live with a smaller bubble. If I see some that are getting ready to bomb the slope, I pull off & wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Like a lot of the above stratagies, but the best is having the luxury to arrange my schedule as to get out and ride early on weekdays and leave when it starts to get busy. Mention of the "skiers code" reminds me of a pet peeve, and it's more often a group of skiers that, after stopping mid run, fail to look up the hill (and see me coming), before starting out. You would think that anyone who knows how to drive a car, wouldn't pull out from the side without looking for oncoming traffic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkoonyMcGroomer Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 My personal carving bubble varies, with the size increasing proportionally with the steepness of the slope and the potential speed of a straight-liner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) I like it completely clear ahead and behind. If it's not, I use a narrower lane. We don't turn like other snowboarders. Alpine equipment is so rare where I ride that I can't reasonably expect skiers to understand how they turn, especially how quickly we can reverse and come across the hill. So I take full responsibility for my own safety. And theirs, frankly. Absolutely this. Weekend riding means I have to have all the senses switched on, and if someone else is coming down the run then I'll pull out and let them pass, rather than risk a collision. I always assume that I'm the one being weird and going against the traffic, so I'd rather take responsibility before something happens. I saw a vid last year of my riding, and the first thing I noticed was it looked like I was going SLOW. Even though I wasn't going as fast as the guys I was riding with, I was on a run I knew well and I wasn't hanging around. I'm very quiet on my board - I don't tend to flail arms and legs like some riders, and I usually carve a controlled line - and I could instantly see why I've had a number of close calls with uphill traffic, because it simply doesn't appear that I'm covering ground. So given this, my bubble has become even bigger this year ... eye opening for sure. Edited January 9, 2015 by Allee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Big Bubble for me. I always make sure no one is dropping above me. I try not to overtake (at least not like an a-hole) so i will ride more controlled when there is no way im getting around someone slower or less experienced. People are unpredictable and dont realize that even though you are not going straight down the fall line, you are still going 30+Mph... When it gets too thick, I grab a Bloody Mary and some Chili fries. Just ordered a true twin Donek to try to fit in with the masses. friggin gapers... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I try not to overtake (at least not like an a-hole) Riding unpredictably has given me a healthy respect for other people's unpredictable riding. Nobody switches directions faster than a snowplowing beginner skier. I ride pretty fast (too fast according to my wife) but I slow down whenever there's a potential for a sudden stop or if there's a drop-off or other blind-spot issue. I try to leave plenty of room when overtaking, preferably on the other side of the run. You can startle a beginner and cause a crash if you are anywhere near them riding fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I ride at Killington were all the water-cooler heroes from NYC are displaying their skills after their 9AM pops at the bar. Fortunately there is usually a space if you wait to drop in. If I am on a good run and pass a group of boarders on their asses I will have to stop after 4-5 more turns. They all get up at once to straight-line down to show how they are faster than a "race board". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icebiker Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) Big bubble to start (e.g. all clear down, up and sideways before I start), then (being on the ice coast) I assume the bubble will close in as few as 60 seconds as uphill straightliners will begin to descend, so I stop on the side and evaluate/re-set the bubble before proceeding. Idea: You know those orange/yellow vests that vision- or hearing- impaired skiers don to warn uphill skiers and riders? Would be nice to have some of those for us that say on the back something like " This rider makes wide turns", or "If you can read this, I have right of way". ;-) Edited January 9, 2015 by icebiker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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