32 Replies Latest reply: Jul 11, 2010 12:06 PM by Bill Hunt RSS

    Skiing

    jeremy d. Adobe Employee

      It's the middle of July, so naturally I'm thinking about skiing. I'm about to pick up yet another pair of skis, and while I was clandestinely shopping, I mentioned offhand that it's winter below the equator -- specifically, South America. The Andes Mountains.

       

      "Well, you should go then."

       

      I'm still waiting for the punchline, but there is none. No let down has developed, no wind has been knocked out of any sails.

       

      So, where?

        • 1. Re: Skiing
          Stan Jones CommunityMVP

          How about New Zealand, south island?  Who do we know down there....?

          • 2. Re: Skiing
            Dag Norum Community Member

            Maybe not this year (a bit too warm up there), I would go somewhere like this:

             

            http://gfx.aftonbladet-cdn.se/multimedia/archive/00160/RESA-04s26stryn_368_160387w.jpg

             

            It's a picture from Strynefjellet (a mountain in Norway) taken in June or July (some year, not this). It's possible to go downhill skiing there also

             

            Dag

             

            EDIT: Oh, the road up there (not looking the same every year):

             

            http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/inns/stryn-lodging-strynvandrerhjemohmotell.jpg

            • 3. Re: Skiing
              jeremy d. Adobe Employee

              I considered New Zealand, too, but I think it's even farther away than Chile -- though not by much. Funny thing about the southern hemisphere -- it's not in California.

               

              Maybe I can drop-off the wife in Hawaii, and continue on to NZ for 5 days or so. Maybe I can stare at my computer all summer and complain about it on a forum.

               

              I see, Dag, that you found a picture of my 3rd cousin, twice removed, who is a champion Nordic skiier.

              • 4. Re: Skiing
                Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                Though it will be hike up/ski down, Arapahoe Basin usually has pretty good snow through July. Now, the lodge will be closed, but you can always go into Breckinridge, or over to Dillon/Frisco, for that apres-ski action. The Moose Jaw in Frisco is usually good for some laughs.

                 

                In many years, Arapahoe Basin has had skiing and boarding all year long, though the lifts have to shut down in about early May (will fluctuate by when they officially open), as they are on National Forest land.

                 

                We've also skied Loveland Pass, and also Independence Pass (East of Aspen) in July and early August.

                 

                Probably not what you are looking for, as you could do Mt. Hood, up near the top.

                 

                Now, I have about 8 pair of great Head racing skis with Tyrolia RD+ racing bindings, and most have only had 1 - 2 runs on them:

                 

                1 pair Downhill 220cm

                1 pair Super-G 213cm

                2 pair Slalom 203 and 205cm

                1 pair Slalom 195cm (wife's)

                2 pair Slalom 200cm (wife's)

                1 pair Giant-slalom 207cm

                 

                As you can see, those are pre-parabolic models, but were in the $600/pr w/ $350 bindings. Head/Tyrolia sponsored us, so we ended up with their latest (way back then) equipment, at below dealer low-net, with mounting included. Guess I need to cart them over to Goodwill, and someone can use them as a picket fence?

                 

                We gave away all of our training skis, but shipped these down to AZ - what WERE we thinking?

                 

                Hope that you find a good spot. If you do go to NZ, stop by the North Island to see Craig, ShooterNZ, when flying into Auckland, on your way to the South Island.

                 

                Hunt

                 

                PS - as hot as it is in NYC, I think that Rod will tag along with you, just to cool off.

                • 5. Re: Skiing
                  Community Member

                  can you guys just " beam me up" or sideways or whatever...

                  so I can just lay down in some snow -----no need for ski equipment....meet you in the chalet later on....for some refreshing icy drinks and funny stories about, " What amazingly funny stuff I saw on the slopes today ".....    ( with video ? )

                   

                   

                   

                  ps...like that time the speed racer went over the back of my skiis...and did a human pinwheel imitation ...

                  • 6. Re: Skiing
                    Bill Hunt CommunityMVP
                    .like that time the speed racer went over the back of my skiis...and did a human pinwheel imitation .

                    I've seen that up close and personal. We had completed a race at Keystone, CO, and were coming back down from the course. On that part of the mountain, all trails fed into one, just above the base area. It was not THAT wide, and everyone of every level pretty much had to come down that way. My wife and I each had our racing skis on our shoulders, and were skiing along at about the speed of the "masses," since it was congested. Suddenly some kid in a tuck came flashing past me, and nailed my wife from behind, without one word of warning. He went off the trail into the trees, but my wife was knocked down. In the process, she tore the tendons in one thumb badly, and I attended to her. Everyone just went past us, as I had X'ed one pair of skis above us. Got her sorted out, and then heard a voice from the trees, "hey, what about me?" Though tempted to do something else, I hiked over and pulled him from the deep tree wells. I kept my cool, and gathered up his gear, and just told him to slow down, watch where he was going, and to let skiers, being overtaken that he was coming, and which side he was going to pass them on.

                     

                    Unfortunately, we still had 4 races in that season, and my wife was in a close race with another lady for the season standings. We got her to her ER, and they called in one of the Orthopedic Surgeons, who did some quick stitching on those tendons, and fitted her with a cast. As he did many of the US Ski Team members' work, he understood what she needed, and made the cast so that she could still hold a pole.

                     

                    She made the next race, but did not use a pole on her right side, and still did a pretty good job, finishing about 3rd. Next race, she tried the pole in her cast, but the start was just not that good. Still, she was holding her own for the season. Next to last race, she went back to only one pole, and did her start in the manner that a snowboarder does now, when racing. That worked pretty well.

                     

                    Got to the final race of the season, and she was back to two poles. This was a tough course on the lower-face of Winter Park, where the pros race, but without the jumps. It was a long GS course, but she was still several points back from the lady in the lead. The organizers had already had the 1st place trophy engraved with one for my wife's impending 2nd place. On the first run, her competition beat her by only a few tenths of a second, so it looked like the 1st and 2nd place trophies were pretty intact. This ski series awarded points for 1st place and one down. If one finished down the pack, their points were based on how many racers were in between them and 1st place, so it was not a constant. Also, each of the two runs counted towards the points. On the second run, wife blew everyone off the hill, and by a wide margin. Her main competitor had a lousy run and finished about 15th overall. There were enough differential points that my wife squeaked out a season overall win, though by only about 2 pts. The organizers found some surgical tape and a sharpie and covered up the other lady's name. It was not until about two weeks later that the trophy with the proper engraving appeared. She was the fastest woman in the 30 - 40 age group that year, and she was about 38. Even with the cast, she won the Coca-Cola Cup that year, and made the final 16 against a pro racer, back at Winter Park for the Skol Championships. Now, she did get her "clocked cleaned" by that lady, but that was expected. She still competed well with that cast, designed to hold her pole.

                     

                    Do not think that she was every over 3rd place in any of those series afterwards, but still did well.

                     

                    Best that I ever did was a 2nd place for the season in one series, and two wins of the Coca-Cola Cup, but never, never even made the final 16 in the Skol. At least she did that, and skied very well, especially for a gal, who grew up in New Orleans, LA.

                     

                    Gotta' watch those "speed racers" at all times!

                     

                    Hunt

                    • 7. Re: Skiing
                      Mitchell Lopez Community Member

                      Dag,

                       

                      You live in Norway? For some reason I thought you were in Cuba.

                       

                      I’ve been skiing for 30 years. I think I started when I was 5, or was it 2? (I’m no where near as old as Dag)

                       

                      Like Bill, I have a quiver of pro skis. I really need someone to follow me around with a golf_bag_type_thing full of my skis. So when I am looking down that double black diamond, I can use my ski of choice.

                       

                      But I can wait until winter. It is now summer in Southern California. My favorite time of the year when the women are wearing their finest. (Or wearing their minamest). It’s just that the weather is not cooperating. We’ve had a marine layer the past week and the temperature has been in the blazing 60’s with drizzle.  Oh, and an 5.4 earthquake yesterday, centered 60 miles away.

                      • 8. Re: Skiing
                        Community Member

                        -----------

                        Suddenly some kid in a tuck came flashing past me, and nailed my wife from behind, without one word of warning

                        ------------

                         

                        ouch....poor her !

                        Was same for me, but he just went over back of skiis and didnt hit me...then he flew head first a while, and then did the human pinwheel thing for about 50 yards....LOL...

                         

                        Sorry your wife was hurt....  .....    but good thing she is a trooper and carried on !  

                         

                        ----------

                        He went off the trail into the trees

                        ------------

                        Reminds me of another episode...There's this MT. ( Hunter ) north of NYC. Horrible conditions usually...very icy mostly ...never never powder around here. Need to go to Vermont at least for "possible" powder.  Anway, Hunter, being notorious for ice...is something you skii with one eye way ahead and with razor sharp edges.

                        There is one trail that goes around the outside of the MT ( sorta like down the back and then around the side and meets other trails toward the front.) called the "Belt Parkway" ( named after A highway in Brooklyn NYC ). If there is ice this is the trail where it would be the worse.

                        Sure enough I'm tooling down the belt and taking it easy, keeping my speed down, and this guy comes FLYING past me, straight, tucked, no clue what's coming up....   solid ice and a sharp right turn to the front of the MT...and the merger of several trails....Where the trail makes the sharp right it is a CLIFF...almost a dead straight down drop of about 300 feet or so to boulders and rocks...but studded with big evergreens... some of which have their tops sticking just above the bank of the turn...

                        This was like watching a cartoon, and it was so funny I almost fell down laughing so hard !!!!

                         

                        He hits the ice and loses it, and he's going about 60 MPH straight toward the dogleg right...and he's screaming , " AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"...the whole time...as he FLIES straight off the MT......and now the "AAAAAAAAAAAAA" gets gradually further and further away...along with the sound of big branches breaking and you see bits and pieces of PINE branches flying up over the lip of the turn...some tree tops swaying violently ...and still you hear ( but much lower volume now...." aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ".

                         

                        hehe....pretty darn funny !   That was the best " flying idiot " episode I ever witnessed....  In the end I don't think there was a piece of skii bigger than a baseball card....and the ski patrol guys managed to get the guy out of there and to the hospital...   If he had flown another quarter mile or so he woulda landed in one of the parking lots and coulda got to the hospital faster....

                         

                         

                        • 9. Re: Skiing
                          Community Member

                          ------------------

                          But I can wait until winter. It is now summer in Southern California. My favorite time of the year when the women are wearing their finest. (Or wearing their minamest). It’s just that the weather is not cooperating. We’ve had a marine layer the past week and the temperature has been in the blazing 60’s with drizzle.  Oh, and an 5.4 earthquake yesterday, centered 60 miles away.

                          ------------------

                          Are you near Bellflower by any chance ? I lived there a year in late 60's...when it was NICE...was a dairy with cows behind backyard ! 

                          Nice sorta country setting with the pleasant " Mooooo " of cows, birds twittering, bees buzzing...very rustic...

                           

                           

                          • 10. Re: Skiing
                            jeremy d. Adobe Employee

                            Well, I feel better; I just took my frustrations out on my MasterCard -- and bought those skis I mentioned at the top.

                             

                            After 35 years of skiing, I have whittled my collection down to 4 pairs of skis (and now 5), 2 pairs of boots, and 2 sets of poles, which seems reasonable to me but excessive to The Wife (so I had the new pair shipped to Adobe). She only recently accepted my explanation of the season pass.

                             

                            All of the horror stories I have involve my own OE. I don't get ravaged very often by other skiers/riders, but I have sustained some painful lessons (what should have been lessons, anyway). It is now possible to hear clearly the squishing sounds coming from my knees and ankles as I walk.

                            • 11. Re: Skiing
                              Community Member

                              --------------

                              It is now possible to hear clearly the squishing sounds coming from my knees and ankles as I walk.

                              ---------------

                               

                              Those things you can put in freezer ( or hot water )...and use ace bandage to tightly wrap to squishy areas ....helps a LOT !

                               

                               

                              • 12. Re: Skiing
                                Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                                Yes, I understand. I had a complete ACL rebuild some years ago, plus enough surgery on the biggest pieces of my meniscus to keep my orthopod busy for hours. One shoulder has never fully gone back into the socket, and the tricep is still partially torn. I have 20 stitches in my head, where I took out a 4 x 4, in the finish area of a race course (luckily, that 4 x 4 had been placed there many years before and the CO Winters had not been kind to it!). What shocked me was looking back at the base of the 4 x 4 after I took it out. There was a giant sliver sticking up, and my face had to go right over it, but it must have flexed completely and then sprung back up - only to terrorize me. Each and every one of these was OE on my part.

                                 

                                Yeah, I really love skiing, but have not gone, since the move to AZ. Gotta' get back to it, but now need an entirely new wardrobe, and it ain't 'cause of style...

                                 

                                Hunt

                                • 13. Re: Skiing
                                  Community Member

                                  -----------

                                  Yeah, I really love skiing, but have not gone, since the move to AZ. Gotta' get back to it,

                                  ------------

                                   

                                  Just try to keep in your mind's eye a nice pattern of easy skiing, kinda like the pleasant "sidewinder" pattern in snow....rather than being a human dart with sticks on your feet

                                  • 14. Re: Skiing
                                    Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                                    I gave up being the human "dart" some years ago. Did a couple of seasons of downhill, and decided that it was for someone other then me. I do not think that I ever finished within the top 50 out of 100 in any race. Still loved super-g, but giant slalom was my race. Liked slalom, but never was quick enough, though I did win a few.

                                     

                                    Now, my greatest fear was snow snakes - Snakes on a Lift!

                                     

                                    Hunt

                                    • 15. Re: Skiing
                                      Community Member

                                      LOL

                                       

                                      Snakes on the Gondola !

                                       

                                       

                                      • 16. Re: Skiing
                                        jeremy d. Adobe Employee

                                        Is this 6 Degrees of Snakes on a Plane?

                                         

                                        Triple word score if you can get this all the way back to Rodan.

                                        • 17. Re: Skiing
                                          Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                                          Snakes_on_a_Gondola.jpg

                                          This will be ready for the premier.

                                           

                                          Hunt

                                          • 18. Re: Skiing
                                            Community Member

                                            6-degrees.jpg

                                            • 19. Re: Skiing
                                              Community Member

                                              6-degrees.jpg

                                               

                                              Rodan new MGM mascot !

                                              • 20. Re: Skiing
                                                Community Member

                                                whoops...losing my mind.... using copyrighted material for jokes !  Yikes !   Sorry about that  

                                                • 21. Re: Skiing
                                                  Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                                                  I think that most US courts would rule "Fair Use."

                                                   

                                                  Now, I hear that there is a sequel in the works, Snakes in a Yugo.

                                                   

                                                  Hunt

                                                   

                                                  PS  - if I was not such a lazy sot, I'd have rummaged around the Hunt Dusty Archive of Ski Area Images, and found the Vail, the Aspen or the Steamboat gondolas, and just scanned them.

                                                  • 22. Re: Skiing
                                                    Community Member

                                                    hmmm, nice idea...with snow and stuff in background....skiis sticking outta the windows... maybe a snake or two creeping along the top...

                                                     

                                                    ---------

                                                    Now, I hear that there is a sequel in the works, Snakes in a Yugo.

                                                     

                                                    ---------

                                                     

                                                    That made me think of a REALLY scary thing....Snakes in a Clown-car !  Full of Clowns !

                                                    • 23. Re: Skiing
                                                      Bill Hunt CommunityMVP

                                                      Somehow, I imagined some really rude dialog from inside the clown-car, but will not share. Just use your imagination...

                                                       

                                                      Hunt

                                                      • 24. Re: Skiing
                                                        Community Member

                                                        snakes in a clown car ....would make a good illustration for the NY State legislature in Albany.  whoops....sorry ....no politics !   

                                                        • 25. Re: Skiing
                                                          jeremy d. Adobe Employee

                                                          snakes in a clown car ....would make a good illustration for the [your state here] State legislature in [your capital here].

                                                          • 26. Re: Skiing
                                                            Community Member

                                                            could label the snakes....

                                                            Public Opinion

                                                            Latest Election Poll

                                                            Private Donors

                                                            Criminal Charges PR

                                                            Budget

                                                             

                                                            etc....

                                                            • 27. Re: Skiing
                                                              jeremy d. Adobe Employee

                                                              heh

                                                               

                                                              we also have the High Speed Rail snake, it's long enough to reach from LA to SF

                                                              • 28. Re: Skiing
                                                                Community Member

                                                                train4.jpg

                                                                 

                                                                 

                                                                • 29. Re: Skiing
                                                                  Community Member

                                                                  hot, humid, bored, stuck in house with snakes

                                                                   

                                                                   

                                                                  new snake train.jpg

                                                                  • 30. Re: Skiing
                                                                    Dag Norum Community Member

                                                                    Mitchell,

                                                                     

                                                                    function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}

                                                                    You live in Norway? For some reason I thought you were in Cuba.


                                                                    Finally you are getting close, the musical part of my heart is in Cuba. The rest of my body is sitting here enjoying the green part of the winter. Were I live we just have winter, one white and one green.

                                                                     

                                                                    Everybody:

                                                                    (Warning, rant is coming)

                                                                     

                                                                    Skiing is not about taking some kind of lift up to the top of a down-hill slope, and then use steel edged skis getting down. Skiing is CROSS COUNTRY!

                                                                    Using the same skis to get up a hill as well down with no help of stiff shoes or steel. Man/woman close to and mastering the nature as it is. And, preferably, the skis should be made of wood (more danger of braking the skis if not mastering a curve down a hill (saying a close hello to a pine tree that is)).

                                                                     

                                                                    Did I sound like an old fart now?

                                                                     

                                                                    Dag

                                                                    (born with skis on my feet)

                                                                    • 31. Re: Skiing
                                                                      Bill Hunt CommunityMVP
                                                                      (born with skis on my feet)

                                                                      And a Saab in the garage...

                                                                       

                                                                      Hunt

                                                                       

                                                                      PS - yes, I know where Saabs come/came from, as wife had a 900-T for many years in CO.

                                                                      • 32. Re: Skiing
                                                                        jeremy d. Adobe Employee

                                                                        Nordic skiing - slow death by hypothermia and exhaustion

                                                                         

                                                                        Alpine skiing - sudden death by tree