npgraphicdesign 2 #1 December 11, 2011 So which one are you? Once the winter season is in, I like to take a break from jumping and enjoy the white stuff. I use these little badboys (see attached photo.) Been using them for so long that i forgot how to ski on full-size skis. I'll actually need to take a few lessons this year... So what kind of equipment do you have, what's your favorite type of terrain to ski on, etc? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heatmiser 0 #2 December 11, 2011 I've only ever skied. I love every quad burning, lung searing second of it! What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenR1 0 #3 December 11, 2011 Snowboarder. Still using the same equipment I bought 15 years ago. I did replace the bindings when they broke with a set in Germany that was on sale for $10. The board is losing its edge but I can't justify buying new gear until it either breaks or I start going more often. I like a mixture of everything. Haven't tried the wide open fresh powder though. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver30960 0 #4 December 11, 2011 I currently only ski but would love to snowboard. I dunno if it's just bad luck but I have had a lot of friends who have broken their wrists snowboarding, which concerns me: I wouldn't be able to work in an arm cast. So, if I were to hit the slopes today, I'd probably stick with skis. You know, so I can ski out of control into a tree or some REAL injury like that. If you're going to miss work... Elvisio "NOT how I want to ride in a helicopter" Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 2 #5 December 11, 2011 Quote I've only ever skied. I love every quad burning, lung searing second of it! We're still talking about skiing, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #6 December 11, 2011 QuoteI currently only ski but would love to snowboard. I dunno if it's just bad luck but I have had a lot of friends who have broken their wrists snowboarding, which concerns me: I wouldn't be able to work in an arm cast. So, if I were to hit the slopes today, I'd probably stick with skis. You know, so I can ski out of control into a tree or some REAL injury like that. If you're going to miss work... Elvisio "NOT how I want to ride in a helicopter" Rodriguez As I tell all my friends who board (as do I, though only occasionally and not in a couple of years) ... PLFs work almost as well on a board than they do after a skydive. The fall's just a little less graceful, but you can still essentially tuck and roll."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenR1 0 #7 December 11, 2011 K2 HC 161. Same as attached board but more stickers and different bindings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bio-Missile 0 #8 December 11, 2011 QuoteI currently only ski but would love to snowboard. I dunno if it's just bad luck but I have had a lot of friends who have broken their wrists snowboarding, which concerns me: I wouldn't be able to work in an arm cast. So, if I were to hit the slopes today, I'd probably stick with skis. You know, so I can ski out of control into a tree or some REAL injury like that. If you're going to miss work... Elvisio "NOT how I want to ride in a helicopter" Rodriguez That is my primary concern also, I would not do it with out Wrist guards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heatmiser 0 #9 December 11, 2011 Quote Quote I've only ever skied. I love every quad burning, lung searing second of it! We're still talking about skiing, right? What happens in Pagosa Springs, stays in Pagosa Springs. Isn't that the way you heard it?What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 2 #10 December 11, 2011 Quote Quote Quote I've only ever skied. I love every quad burning, lung searing second of it! We're still talking about skiing, right? What happens in Pagosa Springs, stays in Pagosa Springs. Isn't that the way you heard it? I thought it was 'what happens in Vegas stays on YouTube"? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandi 0 #11 December 11, 2011 I'm a skier, but I tried snowboarding once at the end of last season. It seemed to have potential to be fun so I'm looking forward to learning more. I bought new skis over the summer and I can't wait to ski them!! I've been counting down the days until I get to ski again. Since I don't skydive anymore I live for winter. I really need to move someplace that has actual mountains and a real winter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #12 December 11, 2011 Quote So which one are you? Once the winter season is in, I like to take a break from jumping and enjoy the white stuff. I also enjoy the white stuff but I am the cross-country type. Here a pic of my wife and me. It's a lot of fun, good exercise for a lot of muscles you'll need for the upcoming skydiving season, less expensive (even if you go for skating skis) and - very important to me - far less risky than downhill. We usually spend a week in Davos (Switzerland) in February and have never seen any cross-country skiers airlifted to hospital but sometimes several a day from the downhill areas. Some much for risk assessment. Not that I want to patronise, it's just my decision. Cross-country can be quite fast, though. There are several ski trails (loipes) that run up some of the valleys and when you return after a demanding but satisfying two-and-a-half hour climb (500-700 meters) you go down pretty fast on the same way back. Cross-country people are usually older ones so most of them pay attention to the rules, e.g. yielding or sticking to the right lane (even English tourists do ). OTOH, friends of mine who do downhill told me they always have to look out for f*ckers who do not obey the rules and/or are even drunk. My brother - quite good a downhiller - got crashed into by someone who didn't yield (though there even was a "traffic sign"!) and, on top of that, the turd made a runner, leaving my brother in the snow with a torn ligament in his right shoulder (and a lot of bruises and a mild concussion) So skiing yeah, but downhill is too risky to me - I'd rather go skydiving The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mircan 0 #13 December 11, 2011 Quote So which one are you? Once the winter season is in, I like to take a break from jumping and enjoy the white stuff. Quote So skiing yeah, but downhill is too risky to me - I'd rather go skydiving I`m a ski fan. For me, going really fast downhill is like swooping. Zooming so close to the ground so fast, got to think fast, adrenaline, rush etc... Second thing I like is that you get effortless lift up the hill and have all the fun going downhill. Like skydiving isn`t it? Still, it looks to me that if you want to be cool you just got to do snowboard. You know, all the cool kids are doing it Baggy pants, hype graphics on boards, young and free. Hm, almost like freeflying Oh yeah, Abedy, cross-country is definitely for fossils Like classic accuracy (in jumping) Sorry, couldn`t resist.dudeist skydiver #42 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abedy 0 #14 December 11, 2011 Quote Oh yeah, Abedy, cross-country is definitely for fossils Oh yeah, have a look (OK, some are biathlon folks, but that's X-country + shooting, huhu) - Magdalena Neuner - Kati Wilhelm - Kaisa Mäkäräinen - Virpi Kuitunen - Anna Dahlberg - and just two guys :-) - Petter Northug - Dario Cologna And yes, I also meet lotta young people when doing XCountry, even hotties. But heck, you're right... most XCountry skiers are beyond 30 Quote Like classic accuracy (in jumping) I don't do any accuracy. Too demanding to my spine, I suppose Quote Sorry, couldn`t resist. No worries, it's understood The sky is not the limit. The ground is. The Society of Skydiving Ducks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #15 December 11, 2011 Skier ... I used to ski patrol at a major resort (Lake Louise) and I did some racing (nothing hardcore, just club level stuff). I got pretty good at Giant Slalom, but could never get the hang of slalom which is now a case of running at the gates and bashing them down with your poles or your shins. While I prefer skiing, I do believe it does not take as many years for a snowboarder to be able to ride the Black and Double Black trails as it takes a skier. Not saying snowboarding is easy, but being able to run the hard stuff takes more effort and more experience when you have two boards versus one. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #16 December 11, 2011 Quote kWhile I prefer skiing, I do believe it does not take as many years for a snowboarder to be able to ride the Black and Double Blacas it takes a skier. Not saying snowboarding is easy, but being able to run the hard stuff takes more effort and more experience when you have two boards versus one. Really? I grew up water and snow skiing, but have a little time on skateboards. It seems easier to stay upright when my feet aren't locked in relative to each other. I know every snowboarder talks about falling constantly when they are learning. Any other opinions on this? I really don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #17 December 11, 2011 Quote I know every snowboarder talks about falling constantly when they are learning. I am not talking about when snowboarders are learning to be "Knuckle Draggers". Obviously there are plenty of dark stains being left on the trails when people are "Knuckle Dragger" wannabees. I am referring to once they have plenty of calluses already built up on their butts and are trying to progress to the harder slopes. In my opinion it is much more challenging for "Two Plankers" to actually do a good job navigating the Black and Double Black trails than it is for "Knuckle Draggers" who are past the butt smear phase. But what would a former ski patroller from a large resort such as "Lake Louise" know about how people use the trails and where the accidents are and where they are not. It's not like we didn't have a reason to rename the "Juniper Jungle" trail to the "Juniper Death Pitch" for a reason. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #18 December 11, 2011 Note: I'm a solid mediocre intermediate kind of snowboarder, so take this for what it's worth. When I was learning to snowboard, I'd always heard that in the very beginning, snowboarding has a steeper curve than skiing, but that once you get the basics down, getting truly proficient is easier on a board than on skis. Having never gotten past rank beginner/intermediate in either, I would agree on the first part - that learning to stay upright and go down a not-terribly-steep hill without falling was easier on skis than on a snowboard. As I've never gotten past blues in either sport, I've no idea whether the other part is true."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #19 December 11, 2011 QuoteBut what would a former ski patroller from a large resort such as "Lake Louise" know about how people use the trails and where the accidents are and where they are not. Thanks. And not dissin' your opinion either. I was sincere when I professed my ignorance. I really don't know squat about snow boarding. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #20 December 11, 2011 Quote So which one are you? Once the winter season is in, I like to take a break from jumping and enjoy the white stuff. I use these little badboys (see attached photo.) Been using them for so long that i forgot how to ski on full-size skis. I'll actually need to take a few lessons this year...So what kind of equipment do you have, what's your favorite type of terrain to ski on, etc? Oh my goodness, another blader! my husband and I fell in love with these a few years back, and they are so much fun. We rarely see anyone else with these on the slopes. We are skiers, but someone recommended these as learning tools, actually, and we just couldn't stop using them. As for learning tools, they are absolutely spectacular, as you pretty much have to have perfect balance, which of course then carries over to full-length skis. Fun fact: I am a 30-something woman who never really skateboarded at all, and i am proud to say that I ran my very first half-pipe ever, in any sport, on a pair of blades a couple of years back. I felt so hip. Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #21 December 11, 2011 Quote When I was learning to snowboard, I'd always heard that in the very beginning, snowboarding has a steeper curve than skiing, but that once you get the basics down, getting truly proficient is easier on a board than on skis. My comments were in reference to navigating the Blacks and Double Blacks. Of course not every Black and Double Black is created equal. Some are deemed expert trails because they are steep with many natural hazards and some are deemed expert simply because they are steep with lots of traffic and they are never groomed where moguls develop and stay as moguls all year round. Two Plankers have an easier time in the moguls than Knuckle Draggers and it's easy to spot a mogul field that was created by accomplished Two Plankers versus a mogul field created by others (Winter Park's "Mary Jane" mogul fields in CO are prime examples of mogul fields created by accomplished Two Plankers). So in that regard my original comments were wrong. I guess I should have been more specific. Black and Double Black trails void of large mogul fields are often easier to navigate for the Knuckle Draggers. A few years back I was with a group running the trees in Steamboat Springs where the chewed up powder had turned to crud. There was myself and another accomplished Two Planker as well as a group of Knuckle Draggers who had not been riding the trails as long as we had. But the Knuckle Draggers were able to power through the crud easier than the Two Plankers. It was a fun day by all, but at the end of the day the Two Plankers had expended a lot more energy getting through the crud in the trees than our Knuckle Dragging counterparts. I guess I should have said there are parts of the mountain where the Two Plankers have the advantage and other parts where the Knuckle Draggers have the advantage. That would be more accurate than saying one is easier than the other. My bad. At Steamboat Springs the Two Plankers in our group always had to wait for the Knuckle Draggers to catch up whenever we traversed laterally from one part of the mountain to another. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #22 December 11, 2011 QuoteOh my goodness, another blader! my husband and I fell in love with these a few years back, and they are so much fun. We rarely see anyone else with these on the slopes. Not saying they are not fun (LOL ... I never even tried them), but one of the things I don't like about Ski Blades is this perception I have that you skid your turns as opposed to carving your turns and nothing destroys a slope faster than Skidders (people still learning to Two Plank as well as learning to Knuckle Drag are Skidders). If you know what to look for it is easy to observe an accomplished Two Planker as well as an accomplished Knuckle Dragger carving their turns. But that is just me being a "Snow Snob". The bottom line is "Did you have fun and did you stay safe". If you answered "Yes" then it does not matter if you are a Two Planker, a Knuckle Dragger or a Blader. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #23 December 11, 2011 We swing both ways in this house. (just don't tell my freeheeling mountaineer buddies I have gone to the dark side and locked 'em down) jon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,116 #24 December 11, 2011 Not that I have any expertise, but I have noticed that not all black diamonds are created equal regardless. Some mountains I've been on, I've been pretty comfortable with them at the end of a ski trip (particularly if I started off with a lesson), and others, I wouldn't even think of most of them. The only big mountains I've been on as an adult are Taos and Whistler, and those blacks scared me. OTOH, the littler ones (Red River NM, Sunapee NH, Wachusett, MA) I'll generally go for the blacks if I'm feeling frisky and energetic. Most of the time, blues keep me quite happy. Note: if there's only one board attached to me, it's because the other one fell off uphill. And cross-country is way harder Wendy P. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoogeyMan 0 #25 December 11, 2011 Skier...... Way, way, way too many boarders in the aid station from my observations. Vermont Tenn. No. Carolina Colorado Lake Tahoe, Nevada Utah Calif. So far, Squaw Valley is my fav. Copper Mtn is a very close second, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, Utah. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
