Foo - Pcad's 2011/2012 Official Ski Thread ®

So I'm ready to go skiing. Didn't do any downhill skiing last season. Eff that action. I picked up new boards to incentivize my bike weenie ass back out on the slopes:

http://skis.findthebest.com/sites/default/files/786/media/images/Volkl_RTM_84_2012.jpg

Plus a helmet so I won't die from a brain injury after one of my yard sale crashes:

http://www.buckmans.com/store/images/cart/giroseamhelmetbrownurbanityfrontm.jpg

I still have my boots from 2006, I really like them.

http://www.sportsgearguide.com/picture/alpineboot/salomon2004/large_salomon_bo_48.jpg

I may be a Cat 4 on the road, but I'm a Cat 2 on the slopes. If I could get those Nyack Ride idiots on a ski slope I'd shred them all. Up to a point. No more hard core bumps for Uncle Pcad. But I do enjoy the 40+ mph multi G GS turns and the high speed non stop blasts down the mountain on the world cup Hunter ice and hard pack. These new boards would be very adept at handling the occasional powder/junk shot we get around here, they're so much fatter than any ski I've ever had. But they are supposedly Volkl's frontside mountain carver. They sound reasonably high performance but also forgiving and fun. I really like a high causality ski I can load up, that usually makes them easy to do quick turns with as well. For years I raced Nastar and had 205cm GS Rossis. Now I'm on 176 cm Volkls. I had 175 cm Volkl Superstar 5 stars for the last 6 years. Those latter skis are actually in great shape, I have them up on eBay now (with the Marker bindings).

Cool helmet and goggles.

Those ski boots are a little light weight for my ability I suppose but they're so friggin comfortable. I can generally crank them down as tight as I need them and they're warm and easy to wear all day.

Most old guys I know ski rather than cycle in the winter.

This old guy skied in the Winter when he was young. Friday, somebody gave me a $475 season pass to my local hill. They were buying a Subaru that came with two ski passes deal and they didn't know any skiers other than my wife. They called her and she said "Give the other to Simon." Sooo stoked!

Most old guys I know ski rather than cycle in the winter.

I have to stay in shape on the bike, but I'd like to get 15 days on skis this winter. That should be doable. I may do a couple of escapes to New England to hit places like Stowe with my sandbox pal Dave E who lives in Burlington.

I have to stay in shape on the bike, but I'd like to get 15 days on skis this winter. That should be doable. I may do a couple of escapes to New England to hit places like Stowe with my sandbox pal Dave E who lives in Burlington.

Nice! You have access to decent hills there. When I moved to Toronto from Vancouver 10 years ago, I skied the hills in Ontario and lost interest. Not much vertical and when the snow is best, the temperatures are nasty. I just go skating and ride the trainer these days.

I have to stay in shape on the bike, but I'd like to get 15 days on skis this winter. That should be doable. I may do a couple of escapes to New England to hit places like Stowe with my sandbox pal Dave E who lives in Burlington.


I was about to come here and brag that Buffalo is awesome because I got way more than 15 ski days last winter. Then I checked my records and as it turns out I only got 16 in last year. Odd. It certainly seemed like far more than that. 29.59 hours though, so I averaged 1.8 hours per outing. Seemed like a lot last year before I got into the habit of 4-8 hour bike rides :D.

Oh well, I'll shoot for 30 days this winter.

Just for your edification I post the following link to an article in this morning paper. http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Cypress+Mountain+opens+early+thanks+snowfall/5671885/story.html

^^^ Nice!

Between cross-country, backcountry, and in-bounds I get in way more days on skis than I do on a bike. Bring it on!

^^^ Nice!

Between cross-country, backcountry, and in-bounds I get in way more days on skis than I do on a bike. Bring it on!

I ride my bicycle at least 330 days annually.

Use caution for slower moving trees.

Use caution for slower moving trees.

Whenever I skied the Rockies, a disturbingly high percentage of the bad skiers planting their heads all over the place were from Texas.

Did you really mention yourself and brain injury together?

Did you really mention yourself and brain injury together?

wut

So I'm @ Grand Targhee in 1995. We're Cat skiing. The top of the mountain is useless, it's all windslab. Everybody takes a raincheck except for me, I'm flying out the next day. The guide says let's try down in the trees. It's me, the guide, and a local lift operator snowboarder dude. We spend the rest of the day shredding amazing champagne powder down in the trees, beating the Cat to the bottom every time. The guide later said it was the most vertical feet of Cat skiing he ever accomplished in a single day. He says to us it's 'because we don't have all those Texans here planting their heads every run'. One of the more memorable days on skis in my long career.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/patentcad/powderskissmaller.jpg

Hey pcad, I have the same friggin' boots. Though the strings on the liners broke, I still like them. And what about the BF smackdown at Hunter this year? I'd love to smoke you in those high speed GS turns.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/HuntHollow2010003.jpg

Hey pcad, I have the same friggin' boots. Though the strings on the liners broke, I still like them. And what about the BF smackdown at Hunter this year? I'd love to smoke you in those high speed GS turns.


How can you smoke me in the GS turns if I'm 100 meters down the slope from you and pulling away?

I read one write up on those boots that called them 'beginner' level boots. Whatever. They work for me. Very comfy, reasonably responsive.

By the way if any of you Freds want to arrange a Fred Skifest @ Hunter, I'm there. Midweek only please. God help you if you go near that place on a weekend.

All this talk of Hunter Mt ice reminds me of why I moved to god's country. I can't wait for the first powder runs on the teles. Not to mention hiking for some serious turns.

Hey pcad! Old ski equipment is much better than it is today! Stuff was way more real back in the day!


This must be the downhill skiing version of 'steel is real'.

All this talk of Hunter Mt ice reminds me of why I moved to god's country. I can't wait for the first powder runs on the teles. Not to mention hiking for some serious turns.

Colorado is ok, and the skiing is great, but let's face it, it's still Colorado.

Hmm. This thread hasn't gotten very exciting yet. What to do... Oh! I know!

Hey pcad! Old ski equipment is much better than it is today! Stuff was way more real back in the day!

Hey pcad! You sound like a fair-weather skier to me!

Hey pcad! Blah blah something something snowboard yada yada!

There, that oughta do it. *sits back and waits*


Has anyone invented electronic shifting for skis yet?

Has anyone invented electronic shifting for skis yet?

I like the cool GPS goggles.

http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/recon_zeal_transcend_gps_goggles_2.jpg

When you ski in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, etc., half the skiers are off piste. When you ski @ Hunter (arguably the official NY City Ski Resort) half the skiers are piste off.

I'll be there for Occupy Hunter.

I'll be there for Occupy Hunter.

You mean OH.

Or in this particular instance OH no.