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#1
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
I mentioned to some people here that I had sent an abridged version of my
message, "Our snowboarding misadventure at Seven Springs," to the resort, but that I wasn't expecting a response. Well, I was wrong. Today I received an e-mail from the director of the ski and snowboard school at Seven Springs. He said that he was disappointed that our first experience at the resort had not been enjoyable, and to make up for it he offered me free lift tickets, equipment rentals, and a private lesson for my son and me, which I accepted. I'm not sure whether the moral of this tale is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease or that a big company can sometimes be responsive and helpful to its customers -- maybe both -- but I respect the gesture and I'm pleased to get the complimentary private lesson. Actually, one part of Seven Springs' offer that I did not accept was the free rental equipment. Yesterday we bought our own. I considered the option of renting from a shop in advance, but it just seemed to add too much complexity to the snowboarding process. Most of the retail ski/board shops in the city area don't rent. (As I said, the shops in the mountains near the resorts rent, but I couldn't really rent "in advance" from them.) There is one local rental shop, near the Boyce Park ski area. I believe they rent either by the day, or for a longer term, but I ruled out the option of a long-term rental because I thought it would be fairly expensive. Why not just buy? I ruled out a series of short-term rentals as just too much trouble. I don't want every snowboarding session to require an ancillary trip to the rental shop both before and after. When you have your own gear, you can engage in a sport on the spur of the moment, but when you are renting, everything turns on the hours of the rental shop and the availability of the equipment you want. One rental experience was plenty. I want to be fitted and measured once, then be done with it, at least for the season. Also, spending the money on new equipment will provide an extra incentive to stay with the sport until we learn it. Sometimes it's best to grit your teeth on your pursestrings (not that I carry a purse, of course g). So, yesterday I visited three shops. First I went to the two shops closest to home. (Both are ski/board; I don't think there are any pure snowboard stores in western Pennsylvania). The big shop had lots of big name gear -- Burton, Ride, Rossignol, etc. They had Burton step-in boots and bindings, which were nicely made and seemed to operate pretty smoothly. The clerk, who was a skier rather than a boarder, but who seemed reasonably well-informed, suggested a board package consisting of a Ride Control board and Ride's entry-level LS strap bindings for about $350. Not bad, I thought, but maybe a little more than I wanted to spend, since I'd need two packages. The store also had a nice selection of boots. The small shop had a mix of name brand and "generic" equipment, but a smaller selection, as you would expect. I knew the guy there because we had previously bought gloves, goggles and a pair of pants from his shop. He suggested a package of an entry-level board by a company called Bond, from Austria, plus Liquid strap bindings for about $250. A good price, but the board was ugly (plain black) and I knew my son would not be crazy about the bindings. He's from the Velcro generation and has no great love for straps, laces or buckles. I think the shop also carried Switch step-in bindings, but I didn't price them. Though I found the step-in bindings we used at Seven Springs to be very convenient, step-in boots seem clunkier. I tried on a pair of Burton boots (regular, not step-in), size 11, which were too small. In the evening, my son and I both went to shop number three, near Boyce Park. This store also had a selection of well-known and less well-known brands. The manager was very attentive and really seemed to know his stuff. We tried on and purchased SnowJam Matrix boots that fit well and were reasonably priced. He also recommended a SnowJam Zuma Wave board for each of us, size 158, with basic strap bindings, for $250, but we decided to splurge and get Flow bindings. They felt just as snug as the strap bindings and seemed about as easy to use as the step-ins, or even easier in some ways (e.g., the Burton step-ins required two hands to release). The manager measured our stances (both distance between the feet and the angles of each foot) and made sure the bindings fit the boots we'd selected. For my son's size 10, the Flow L worked fine, but for my size 11 (although the 11 Burton boot had been too small, the 11 SnowJam was fine, so they must run larger), the XL was better. Price for each Zuma Wave and Flow bindings set was $325. Is that a good deal? I hope so, because it's a done deal. g So, we are set to continue, and will no longer have the excuse of recalcitrant equipment if we screw up. g I would describe my son's current attitude toward snowboarding as unenthusiatic but coaxable, which may describe much of a 14-year-old's outlook on life, come to think of it. Oh, and the shop we bought from is organizing a great trip to Lake Louise and Banff in early April. It's super cheap and includes four nights at the Chateau Lake Louise and three at the Banff Springs Hotel. We gawked at, but did not stay in, both those resorts when we were in Alberta ten years ago. My wife is seriously interested in joining this expedition -- this could be the one part of the snowboarding experience that she will really enjoy! Joe Ramirez |
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#2
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 05:15:15 GMT, "Joe Ramirez"
allegedly wrote: I would describe my son's current attitude toward snowboarding as unenthusiatic but coaxable, which may describe much of a 14-year-old's outlook on life, come to think of it. I wish my Dad dragged me snowboarding at 14! Tsk, kids today, don't know how lucky they are, mumble grumble, bah humbug. - Dave. -- The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky. http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow - Securing your e-mail The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/ |
#3
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
I would describe my son's
current attitude toward snowboarding as unenthusiatic but coaxable, which may describe much of a 14-year-old's outlook on life, come to think of it. I wish my Dad dragged me snowboarding at 14! Tsk, kids today, don't know how lucky they are, mumble grumble, bah humbug. no ****! i would be waaaay better than i am now! hucking massive 540's and generally rocking. uh, anyway... joe, i'm glad to hear that you presevered! buying your own gear *is* a good way to commit, and having previously read the soon to be massive "experience" thread, thats the one thing that stood out to me.... you and your son just needing to commit to the whole thing. snowboarding sucks the first two times, but then on that magical third or fouth day, it clicks and suddenly... you understand how cool it all is! i know that you've heard that, but rest assured, its true. i have a personal policy that i will *NOT* take people snowboarding unless they absolutely commit to going three times. and i've since expanded that to include the pre-purchase of three lift tickets for my newbie friends. and you know, it works! it really does. if i bang into peoples heads that the learning curve is a minimum of three days, and that the first couple are gonna hurt, people know up front and don't wash out. good luck joe, and i wish i could be there to help and encourage you. its too bad that you don't have any snowboarder friends. if you only came to utah, you'd have more help than you'd know what to do with. i look forward to hearing about your next adventure! paul |
#4
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
"Joe Ramirez" wrote:
I mentioned to some people here that I had sent an abridged version of my message, "Our snowboarding misadventure at Seven Springs," to the resort, but that I wasn't expecting a response. Well, I was wrong. Today I received an e-mail from the director of the ski and snowboard school at Seven Springs. He said that he was disappointed that our first experience at the resort had not been enjoyable, and to make up for it he offered me free lift tickets, equipment rentals, and a private lesson for my son and me, which I accepted. I'm not sure whether the moral of this tale is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease or that a big company can sometimes be responsive and helpful to its customers -- maybe both -- but I respect the gesture and I'm pleased to get the complimentary private lesson. Hey, that is really what I call customer service! I wish we had the same here :-) And congratulations to your new equipement...now you'll probably going to stay on that great sport! Hope your learning will be much fun! Martin |
#5
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
Joe Ramirez wrote:
Oh, and the shop we bought from is organizing a great trip to Lake Louise and Banff in early April. It's super cheap and includes four nights at the Chateau Lake Louise and three at the Banff Springs Hotel. We gawked at, but did not stay in, both those resorts when we were in Alberta ten years ago. My wife is seriously interested in joining this expedition -- this could be the one part of the snowboarding experience that she will really enjoy! Go for it, you won't regret it. I only wish I could afford to stay at the Chateau. Your wife will enjoy the trip even if she never sets foot off the Chateau property. And I have always said that you can learn the technique of riding or skiing at your little local resort, but it takes a place like Louise to make you fall head over heels in love with the experience. Even skidding sideways down the beginner trail is glorious when you look up and see the Bow Valley laid out under your feet. If you have a bad day, just sit on the deck in the lodge and soak up the vibe and the scenery. It is a seriously beautiful place. Neil |
#6
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:15:15 -0500, "Joe Ramirez"
wrote: So, we are set to continue, and will no longer have the excuse of recalcitrant equipment if we screw up. g I would describe my son's current attitude toward snowboarding as unenthusiatic but coaxable, which may describe much of a 14-year-old's outlook on life, come to think of it. Oh, and the shop we bought from is organizing a great trip to Lake Louise and Banff in early April. It's super cheap and includes four nights at the Chateau Lake Louise and three at the Banff Springs Hotel. We gawked at, but did not stay in, both those resorts when we were in Alberta ten years ago. My wife is seriously interested in joining this expedition -- this could be the one part of the snowboarding experience that she will really enjoy! Joe Ramirez Good job Joe...my only bit of advice would have been to buy the best boots you could afford and either rent a board or buy at the end of the season when they tend to blow out gear for a lot cheaper... Chances are you wont outgrow the boots, but will the bindings and board... Its awesome out here in Alberta...Since you are going in the winter time, its alot cheaper for accomodations (its considered the off-season..haha). I was out at Lk Louise last weekend...not bad conditions...a base of only about 3ft but enough to keep things buried...Dont count on being able to board some of the black diamond runs due to the thin snow cover... Banff Springs and Chateau Lk Louise...you must be royalty... Spiff |
#7
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
In article ,
Joe Ramirez wrote: reasonably priced. He also recommended a SnowJam Zuma Wave board for each of us, size 158, with basic strap bindings, for $250, but we decided to splurge and get Flow bindings. They felt just as snug as the strap bindings and seemed about as easy to use as the step-ins, or even easier in some ways i use flows and i think they are ok. personally, i still like straps more but b/c of convenience (the mountains at big bear (my local resort) have short runs). i've taught a lot of people how to snowboard and i always start in the following order: 1) walk up a few yards and practice pushing the snowboard with one foot strapped. when comfortable, glide a little at a time (similar to pushing a skateboard). 2) practice the scootch with both feet in. just buckle in and slide left and right. 3) practice gliding down a slight incline to practice getting off the lift. look straight ahead (not down), relax, glide, and stop with your free foot. about 45 minutes passes at this point. 4) go up on the bunny lift. about 1/2 of my "students" (i'm not a pro) get off the lift without falling their very first time. 5) practice falling leaf. i usually don't want them pointing down the hill early on because they will just get out of control and get hurt. falling leaf on their heelside and then sitting down and doing the same thing on their toeside is great for teaching edge control. 6) do falling leaf all day. once they master both edges, try introducing the J turn. linked turns usually don't come until 2-3 days of boarding. it's basically falling leaf-J turns-garlands (just a bunch of j turns)-linked turns i usually find that falling leaf takes the rest of the first day to master b/c the student has trouble with one side. some can do their heel side but not toe side and vice versa. Dan. -- RVD...The Whole F'n Show i was bored one day and ended up making http://www.hanguk.com/~danpaik "you pencil neck geek" - Classie Freddie Blassie RIP |
#8
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
"Spiff" wrote in message ... Good job Joe...my only bit of advice would have been to buy the best boots you could afford and either rent a board or buy at the end of the season when they tend to blow out gear for a lot cheaper... Chances are you wont outgrow the boots, but will the bindings and board... Its awesome out here in Alberta...Since you are going in the winter time, its alot cheaper for accomodations (its considered the off-season..haha). I was out at Lk Louise last weekend...not bad conditions...a base of only about 3ft but enough to keep things buried...Dont count on being able to board some of the black diamond runs due to the thin snow cover... And then there's the problem of not being able to board them due to a thin skill set. g Banff Springs and Chateau Lk Louise...you must be royalty... Far from it ... the ski shop appears to be getting an excellent group rate for the package, and as you say, these places are cheaper in the winter. In fact, the region is being promoted as a budget travel destination. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3752015/ That's one of the reasons this trip is so attractive. We've talked about returning to Banff since we were there in the summer of 1993, but I think we've always assumed that if we did go back, it would be summer again, when the majestic resort hotels are priced sky-high and we'd probably avoid them again. Joe Ramirez |
#9
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
"Daniel Paik" wrote in message
... i've taught a lot of people how to snowboard and i always start in the following order: 1) walk up a few yards and practice pushing the snowboard with one foot strapped. when comfortable, glide a little at a time (similar to pushing a skateboard). 2) practice the scootch with both feet in. just buckle in and slide left and right. 3) practice gliding down a slight incline to practice getting off the lift. look straight ahead (not down), relax, glide, and stop with your free foot. about 45 minutes passes at this point. 4) go up on the bunny lift. about 1/2 of my "students" (i'm not a pro) get off the lift without falling their very first time. 5) practice falling leaf. i usually don't want them pointing down the hill early on because they will just get out of control and get hurt. falling leaf on their heelside and then sitting down and doing the same thing on their toeside is great for teaching edge control. How do you do toeside falling leaf? Do you stand backward on the slope, i.e., facing uphill? Or do you just lean over more while facing downhill? Thanks for the tips, Joe Ramirez |
#10
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Seven Springs comes through/New gear!
"paul m" wrote in message
... joe, i'm glad to hear that you presevered! buying your own gear *is* a good way to commit, and having previously read the soon to be massive "experience" thread, thats the one thing that stood out to me.... you and your son just needing to commit to the whole thing. I am pleased to report that the "Our snowboarding misadventure at Seven Springs" thread, with 57 articles so far according to Google, has broken the rec.skiing.snowboard record for most messages in a thread started by me, previously held by the "Snowboarding or skiing?" thread with 54. And no cross-posting to the ski groups! If I had an hour of snowboarding experience for every message I've posted to this group, I would be -- to use the vernacular quoted verbatim from the February issue of Transworld Snowboarding -- "the ill ****." Joe Ramirez |
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