The Skiing Thread

[maunahaole]

The boarders have their thread. What do the skiers got going on? Where do you like to ski? What conditions do you prefer? Let us know how much of a gear whore you really are!

I lived in Norcal for a long time. I have skiied numerous days at Alpine Meadows. Due to my current domestic situation, I only get back to the mainland for a short time each year. I've been lucky enough to have had some great powder days at Alpine. Spring conditions there can be great as well, particularly if you are willing to hike a little bit and ski the back side of the mountain. The view from the top of keyhole cant be beat.

Current quiver is Volkl P50 F1 worldcup GS ski in a 193. Super fast and stable, lots of grip and rebound. A good hard snow ski. I also have a Fischer Big Stix 84 in 190 length for soft snow, crud and pow.

[PoppaWheelie]

Gear whore? Me...? Phsst, you must have me confused with someone else.

I have a set of yet un-tried Gotamas sitting in my garage just waiting for that special day at Kirkwood...yum. Fat is the new black.

[saab2000]

I suck at skiiing. But I love it.

I went first time about 4 or 5 years ago in St. Moritz and was hooked.

If I had to do it all over again I might well just learn how to be a skiier and be an instructor in the Alps in the winter. And ride my bike in the summer.

Really. Seriously. Too old to start that now I think. But I love the whole thing about it, especially in Europe.

[Karin Kirk]

Originally Posted by maunahaole

Current quiver is Volkl P50 F1 worldcup GS ski in a 193. Super fast and stable, lots of grip and rebound. A good hard snow ski. I also have a Fischer Big Stix 84 in 190 length for soft snow, crud and pow.

Wow, you like long skis, eh?
Your description of the Volkl is spot on - those are fun skis.

Poppa - I hear those Gotamas are sweet too. Fat rules, indeed!

I am a big fan of the quiver approach (that's just another way of saying gear whore).
I usually keep a stable of 4 pairs - one for tele, and three sets of alpine in the 70, 80, and 90-ish mm waist widths. All of this is supported by the fact that I work at the ski area and have an convenient locker room right there so I can be selective with gear for every task.

I find it quite hard to get skis that I like. Lately I have not had a great track record. But once I find the right ones, I tend to ski the cr@p out of them.

[Karin Kirk]

Originally Posted by saab2000

If I had to do it all over again I might well just learn how to be a skiier and be an instructor in the Alps in the winter. And ride my bike in the summer.

Based on your pic in the 'who are you' thread, I'd say you definitely have "the look" to be a European ski instructor! After you master that, the rest is easy.

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I suck at skiiing. But I love it.....

+1

Didn't start until I was in my late 20's....then got a girlfriend who didn't ski....then decided I sucked so much I didn't want to get hurt cuz I was so old. No downhill skiing for me nowadays....a little X Country...but I kinda suck at that too.

Mt. Baker & Whistler / Blackcomb were my favorites.....

[maunahaole]

I like the big skis because I'm a fatass 6'4" guy. I had a pair of 215 Rossi SuperG a few years back that were just unreal as long as you were going at least 30mph.

Kirkwood is a great area that is impossible to get to when the weather turns. Best to be there already when the snow flies. I was up there several years ago in October mountian biking when it snowed. My buddy and I rode up the cat walk through about 2" of fresh to the top of Caples crest lift. Kinda cool seeing the single tire track in the snow...I had a great powder day there once, it was blowing so hard that everything was filling back in each time down - it never really got too cut up or skied out. Multiple laps on the old double chair on cornice. Nice pucker factor coming over the top of the lift to unload.

[Tom]

We were out for the JOs in Truckee in 2005 (was it that long ago?!) and hit Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley. I much preferred Alpine Meadows - Squaw was way too Killington for my tastes.

The only times I've skiied out west I've just been killed by how much mountain there is and how few people there are. You can start thinking you're a really good skier when you're not trying to avoid a million squid.

I own one pair of skis, Rossi Bandit XX, I believe 183 could be 185 back before they added the extra X. Decent skis but I believe that I want something shorter and more like a stick. They really flex under my weight now. Could be I need to learn how to use them, I still ski like I have straight skis when I'm not thinking.

[DarrenCT]

i go to Deer Valley Utah every year in March for a week to ski it up.

anyone around the area then? this year i'll go by myself...

cheers
-d

[alembical]

I absolutely love skiing and will likely get more than 50 days in this year, which says a lot about someone with a job and living in a city. Most of my days are spent on G3 Reverends (telemark), Head Supermojos (alpine), or Head i.m. 88 (alpine/bc). I am just stoked that the snow finally started falling and the local resort (Mt Hood Meadows) just announced they are opening more lifts for Friday

Have a great season everyone!

Alembical

[Birddog]

I'm not really an equipment whore even though I am a PT Instructor. I have an older pair of Volkls, Carver Motion or something like that and a newer pair of Dynastars, can't remember that model either, but they are a slalom cut and my current faves. I ski in Technica boots that have had about $300 worth of modifications (canting), and I use Leki poles (carbon). I was raised Catholic so Telemarking doesn't do much for me. I get in about 20 to 30 days a year, not bad considering that the mtns are over 500 miles away in NM. I have been an instructor at Angel Fire for 20 years but this year I'm switching over to Red River. My favorite is Taos of course.

Birddog

[chuckred]

Currently a CO front range skier/ I70 traffic sitter. Mainly Breck or Vail. Previously lived in Park City and SLC (1980 - 1995). Helped open Deer Valley (the lodging company) in the resort's first year open. Used to know pretty much every stash in every nook and cranny at PC and DV. Also could get around Solitude and the 'Bird pretty well.


Skiis: Rossi Bandit XXX 178's - a few years old. They do it all - pleanty fast for me. Bandit XX's - 184. Fun, but don't handle crud nearly as well as the XXXs. Fischer RC4 GS 205's from around 1990. Like a classic steel bike. Haven't used them for 5 years though...

Daughters are both on the dark side - boarders... oh well, I tried.

9 inches of new snow yesterday, but still very thin base, may not get up until after the holiday rush unless it starts to dump.

[slowgoing]

Season pass holder at Mammoth and June the last 10 years or so, but head up to the Tahoe resorts just as often. Once I tried Volkls, I never tried anything else. The stability is outstanding.

I also started boarding about ten years ago. Love it. Much more of a natural motion for me.

[scrooge]

Frontrange as well--have a few 4 packs at Keystone since my pal has a condo there I can crash at.

I really don't know what I'm doing or if I bought the right skiis when I started last year, but I have a pair of 182 "Salomon Hots" (Stupid name) that I bought on a whim (and are probably too short for me?)

[manet]

fischer RCS skate