okemo

lal_truckee wrote:
On 12/21/13 11:02 AM, downhill wrote:

Aiming for Downhill race at Okemo in March

DH is extraordinary. Those long, stiff boards feel like 2x4s until about
45mph then they relax, become smooth, and feel like they're attached to
tracks. Hope you can find some real DH boards to use - will make a world
of difference to your state of mind to have real stability under foot as
you approach 70.

Try to find somewhere to train SG and DH before March. Big mtn ski teams
often train speed races at first light (coaches set the course by
flashlight.) Sometimes with proper chat-up they will let you run the
course. The kids always laugh at the geezer.

I have done a few SG but broke my leg in SG training one week before
downhill. So it in the bucket to be done list.
I have a few different including a 195. One of the reasons I get coached
is to properly prepare for SG and DH and try to improve.

On 12/21/13 11:56 AM, The Real Bev wrote: On 12/21/2013 10:36 AM, Bob F
wrote:

Deep powder is life. Anything else is just groomers.

Groomers are life. Anything else is instant exhaustion.

Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.
Don't push, arc. Let the ski glide through the powder.

Of course weenies with wide rocker boards will rocket past you, missing
the whole point of being buoyed by the powder, but ignore them.

lal_truckee wrote:
Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.

It can also mean you had hard runs.
Starting at the top of a trail and doing a speed drill GS turns with
exaggerated hand motions down the whole trail to the lift at speeds
above 35. Most people would not find that run boring. The drills can
seem dumb at times and my son finds them boring and hates to practice,
but often you will learn something useful.

downhill wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:
Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.

It can also mean you had hard runs.
Starting at the top of a trail and doing a speed drill GS turns with
exaggerated hand motions down the whole trail to the lift at speeds
above 35. Most people would not find that run boring. The drills can
seem dumb at times and my son finds them boring and hates to practice,
but often you will learn something useful.

It's the waiting around for your chance to take a run that's particularly
boring.

I'd much rather be floating softly down the hill, linking impact free turns
through open steeps and gladed trees without stopping from the top of the
mountain right into the lift at the bottom. With good powder, it's the easiest
and most enjoyable way to descend the mountain for this ageing body. I'll skip
chattering edges any chance I get.

I pay close attention to the forcast when scheduling my trips to the mountain.
If it's snowing, I'm going.

I can have fun on the groomers when there is no new snow, but it can't compare
to the 3 dimensional zen of smooth turns on powder.

On 12/22/13 12:18 PM, downhill wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:
Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.

It can also mean you had hard runs.
Starting at the top of a trail and doing a speed drill GS turns with
exaggerated hand motions down the whole trail to the lift at speeds
above 35. Most people would not find that run boring.

I was addressing Bev's aversion to powder.

I agree high G GS turns are exhilarating;
as is crud and pow - it's ALL good.
We apparently have a disconnect on the second observation.

You may not yet have observed that GS turns are next of kin to powder
turns; proficiency in one feeds into the other. Developing a delicate
touch in powder will improve your GS; working out in powder and crud
develops race technique.

The drills can seem dumb at times and my son finds them boring
and hates to practice, but often you will learn something useful.

After 4 years on the race team my boy announced he was going to spend
the year off piste when he was 9; he just wanted the mountain pass. He
went back to race team the next year, refreshed, and raced another 10
years. Something to consider.

Bob F wrote:
It's the waiting around for your chance to take a run that's particularly
boring.

Most of the time I cycle the nastar course/ lift and often I am catching
my breathe and waiting till I am ready to go a minute or two.

I rarely wait unless it is a big race ASRA or Masters but they post a
schedule and go according to age and with a little counting you can
reduce your waiting time to a few minutes.
The one that kills me is being next to go and having sent your coat down
to the finish. When the racer before you crashes and needs to be moved
by sled, it gives you a long time to reflect on how f''ing cold it is.

Then when I take a lesson it is a free pass to speed and cut lines. If I
go with the instructor and there is crowds we use closed trails or the
race arena. Otherwise like Friday it was empty open trails, one maybe
two people. I GS the whole way down side to side full tilt, then
standing at the lift waiting for the instructor my thighs just throb.

My knees are killing me and stairs are pretty funny to watch me climb
but I am plotting my time to do it again....

downhill wrote:
Bob F wrote:
It's the waiting around for your chance to take a run that's
particularly boring.

Most of the time I cycle the nastar course/ lift and often I am
catching my breathe and waiting till I am ready to go a minute or two.

I rarely wait unless it is a big race ASRA or Masters but they post a
schedule and go according to age and with a little counting you can
reduce your waiting time to a few minutes.
The one that kills me is being next to go and having sent your coat
down to the finish. When the racer before you crashes and needs to be
moved by sled, it gives you a long time to reflect on how f''ing cold
it is.

LOL! I hear you on that one.


Then when I take a lesson it is a free pass to speed and cut lines.
If I go with the instructor and there is crowds we use closed trails
or the race arena. Otherwise like Friday it was empty open trails,
one maybe two people. I GS the whole way down side to side full tilt,
then standing at the lift waiting for the instructor my thighs just
throb.
My knees are killing me and stairs are pretty funny to watch me climb
but I am plotting my time to do it again....

I go up mostly on weekdays when there are no crowds except, unfortunately, on
really good powder days. But even then, It's usually no more than 5-10 minutes
waiting. Lessens are an expensive way to get past lines. Even when I taught I
didn't get that perq, as I worked for a concession ski school, not the ski area
school.

You don't get the knee thing going down the stairs? That's usually worse for me
when I get to that point. I've been babying a sore knee so far this season, but
might be making progress. On my 4th day up this season friday, I finally worked
hard enough to get the "burn". Gives me hope I'll get past this one.

Bob F wrote:
I go up mostly on weekdays when there are no crowds except, unfortunately, on
really good powder days. But even then, It's usually no more than 5-10 minutes
waiting. Lessens are an expensive way to get past lines. Even when I taught I
didn't get that perq, as I worked for a concession ski school, not the ski area
school.

You don't get the knee thing going down the stairs? That's usually worse for me
when I get to that point. I've been babying a sore knee so far this season, but
might be making progress. On my 4th day up this season friday, I finally worked
hard enough to get the "burn". Gives me hope I'll get past this one.

I do weekends & holidays with the kid, which can be a killer with the
crowds. Mon & weds night is Tuxedo ridge about 90 minutes away. Thursday
nights are Sundown in Ct. Some times if we are not going away for a
weekend I would do a Thursday night race at Sundown and then do Friday
at Hunter running NASTAR with a coach. But now I will go to Windham.

My knees start to hurt when I think about skiing, normally getting out
of a chair or out of a vehicle after a few hours of driving I look
seriously handicapped until everything gets back in place. And if it is
winter and I have banged up the body even more it looks even worse. In
HS/college I would limp into skating rink skate like I was on fire and
limp out when it was all over.

But I can fly down many sets of stairs, never miss a step. We lived on
13th floor on 72 street so often for exercise I would take the stairs
down. Going up only when the elevator was out.

In powder my knees get screwed as they are the point that raises and
lowers your mass to give you grip, my knees get over worked and can not
deal with it. In racing and that I basically lock the knee and do not
have to blindly adjust for changes in terrain.

On 12/22/2013 11:50 AM, lal_truckee wrote:

On 12/21/13 11:56 AM, The Real Bev wrote: On 12/21/2013 10:36 AM, Bob F
wrote:

Deep powder is life. Anything else is just groomers.

Groomers are life. Anything else is instant exhaustion.

Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.
Don't push, arc. Let the ski glide through the powder.

It's a physiological thing. I'm resigned to skiing in 1-minute chunks.

Of course weenies with wide rocker boards will rocket past you, missing
the whole point of being buoyed by the powder, but ignore them.

You speak of powder. While I am acquainted with the concept, I have
never actually experienced it :-)


--
Cheers, Bev
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The Real Bev wrote:
On 12/22/2013 11:50 AM, lal_truckee wrote:

On 12/21/13 11:56 AM, The Real Bev wrote: On 12/21/2013 10:36 AM,
Bob F wrote:

Deep powder is life. Anything else is just groomers.

Groomers are life. Anything else is instant exhaustion.

Exhaustion means you're trying to push snow around.
Don't push, arc. Let the ski glide through the powder.

It's a physiological thing. I'm resigned to skiing in 1-minute
chunks.
Of course weenies with wide rocker boards will rocket past you,
missing the whole point of being buoyed by the powder, but ignore
them.

You speak of powder. While I am acquainted with the concept, I have
never actually experienced it :-)

Ahhhh! the Joys of SoCal skiing! :-(

You also do have to drive in the snow to experiance it.