Ski

I had mail today!

Duane, give us some help...what years were you at NSA? What races did you win?

I didn't go through my photo files, but through a bunch of start lists from downhill races during the general time and couldn't find a Duane. I found a start list that went back to the very start of NSA and Dan Stripp is a DNF...that's the guy that was the reason US Ski Teamer Kristina Koznick quit the team over 'cause she started dating him when he was her coach, then the team wouldn't allow him to stay on. No Duane, though. I had start lists for everything I shot, so unless he skied under another name, I have no pics.

After your screwed me out of a headstone discount? In your dreams, 'Bum.... Actually, they are 10.5US and I'm psyched about seeing how they feel. My Salomon's are killer stiff. What size boot are you?

I got ya beat on a pair, 'Bum... Lange L10 Race Fit $50 $11 shipping ------- $61 Five minute ago on eBay...I didn't need new boots, but it was hard to pass up at that price:

Yep. I wasn't trying to insult him. It could have been 21 or it could have been 31...I was just going by last season, which was a fairly average looking year. Top 30 for downhill is easily top 3 in the East and this was at a time when AJ Kitt may have been a classmate. Am I the only person interested in hearing first hand accounts of someone going head to head against a classmate who was one of the best skiers in US history? I wasn't trying to diss Duane. He brought it up and I opened a thread to hear more. I must have missed that...Not even 45 posts and you collected a time-out? That's gotta be a record for 1st grade teachers...you really don't sound like a first grade teacher, though. I try to imagine Mrs. Applegate calling 'Bum a p*ssy and I get nothin'....

We just got word that a great friend and fast ASSRA racer, Alison Murphy, lost her life in an auto accident. Alison was my first ASRA friend.... I met her at Blue Mtn. in February, 2004. It was my first ASRA race on a big course and I was freaking out a little, looking down at the offsets on Razor's Edge. Alison came over to were I was sitting among 150 racers I didn't know and took one of my headphones to listen to music with me. She just barged into my nervous little space in the start area and made me feel at peace. She told me a dirty joke that I wish I could remember. I loved her for caring about some strange guy just because he was a ski racer. She'll be missed a lot. Especially when it starts snowing. A service will be held

27m????? The return of the straight ski. Almost. It'll be interesting to see how many gates are broken in the first few GS races.

TP4, sometimes you shouldn't even bother trying to figure out 'Bum...

"Belting out his true colors", eh? That I consider Nastar a fun, recreational program not to be confused with the competitive USSA program? That I dislike 'showboating' and would kick a kid off a team for being disrespectful of fellow racers, competitors, or coaches? That I have zero tolerance for the crime that is hazing? That I believe in positive reinforcement coaching? That I believe if a parent has a problem with a coach, he/she should take the issue behind closed doors instead of trying to publicly humiliate the coach and his staff? Imagine this scenario, Rob: Imagine Bode Miller crashes in a slalom and does some damage to his ACL (I'll use ACL because it has been Bode's problem in the past). He ices it, gets an MRI that shows some damage, but they can't tell the extent without surgery, then rests it for a week. Then Bode drives 100 miles to a tiny, short little public race course to take a few runs. He takes just a fraction of his pain meds and gets on the chair and heads to the course. The purpose of his night is to see if his season is over. The doctors have told him he's taking a big risk, but he has to know. He has to see for himself. He pushes out of the wand okay, but every gate impact sends a jolt of pain through his body. He literally sees stars and the pain takes his breath away. But he also sees some hope. By his third run, he thinks there's hope that he can deal with the pain; it doesn't get worse and he thinks that with some ice and rest, he'll be back in a couple of weeks. Oh, and I fogot to mention a kid and his dad standing on the side of the remote, empty course, unknown to Bode at the time. During some of the gate impacts, Bode cries out "Shit" or "F*ck" or "Damnit" into the night as damaged ligaments are stressed. Keep in mind, though, that this is a father that promotes the nickname of one of his young sons as a sexual reference to a female body part. Some people might see what Bode was doing as a positive, perhaps inspiring display of competitive character. A little stupid? Wreckless? Sure. But anyone that ever saw that Ironman Triathalon woman stumbling and crawling toward the finish would understand. Some people, however, are so self-involved and hypocritical that they grab onto the fact that Bode said "Shit" as he crashed a gate in agony. The dad jumps up and down on the side of the race course, shouting "He said 'shit', he said 'shit'..." We're from different worlds, Rob.

It's great that you cracked open a thesaurus and a dictionary for that post. And you somehow claim to know what is and isn't good for the growth of US skiing? Let's set aside the bullsh*t rhetoric and approach that practically. Bear Creek has an opening for a head racing coach. Did you prepare yourself to step up to the role? Or are you another unprepared dad sitting on the sidelines all set to complain that 'it isn't going well'? Like you do at Camelback and your fishing tournaments. A NYSEF kid that gets a top 30 USSA point profile in DH puts him on the level of an Andrew Weibrecht, who is from NYSEF and is now on the USST's B Team, I believe. And combine that with 27 points in GS? That's legendary stuff, Rob. Let's hear some cool stories!

To a ski shop owner in Delaware? Yeah, that's it genius. Did you mean to NSA? I have a friend who is a member of the BOD...because I don't buy from The Ski Bum probably doesn't have much consequence as to whether or not Ty attends NSA. Duane hasn't spent much time with us here, but then offhandedly divulges that he was a top 30 USSA downhiller, which is just outside the sites of the USST. And competing out of NY, he would have won at Whiteface, Sugarloaf, and Mount Snow. If you recall, I spent the mid/late 80's working at Mount Snow and we were regularly recruited to help with races. I have tons of pics stashed away and I'm sure I could match up some bib numbers for him. And for further perspective, a top 75 SG skier is about 53 points, which is FAR better than US Ski Teamer Chip Knight (63.76) and Tom Rothrock (76.09).

If at some point in my life I was a 27 point giant slalom racer, I'd have T-shirts made up. Just how fast is a 27 point racer? US Olympian Marco Sullivan is a high 27 point racer. It's not his specialty, but he's raced the event his entire career. The current Vermont J2 State Champ has 36 points; former PA champ and current CAT coach Randy D. has 75; and, our favorite Masters' racer JohnnyP has 90. Former World Cup racer and Nastar National Pacesetter (and NSA alumn from the class of '86) AJ Kitt had 62 points in GS when he was ending his international career in '97-'98! We need some cool stories, Duane. Who was at NSA with you? Any dirt? Pictures? What did you race on? What DH's did you win? What kind of recruiting did you get from colleges? And a top 30 DH ranking while skiing out of NY is amazing. Did you ski Intermountain at all? If so, tell us about some of the venues. Did you race FIS? This is a helluva lot more interesting than griping about fishermen...

It'll be a shame if they can't find a certified race coach. Seems like they are either looking for someone at minimum wage or it's a problem getting a committment from someone to spend their winter at Bear Creek.

We Montage people can be pretty spooky to the outside world.

It's possible he's jumping ship as a Bode fanatic, but it's probably more likely that he just had Bode sign his skis instead of a trail map or scrap of paper and now wants the cash. It would be crazy to buy an item BECAUSE of the signature, since it's not authenticated. I read an article that, at some point, about half of the signed collectable items out there are forgeries. Also, I've seen quite a few skis, speed suits, and ski jackets being auctioned that have signatures from NASTAR Nationals. I have a speed suit I bought for Amy that has a Picabo autograph on it...it was a detractor as far as I was concerned. I sorta lean toward the idea that getting some money for the used skis is more important than the autograph, but only one person knows for sure.

Signed by Bode...why would you bother getting someone to autograph something you're going to sell, unless it's to increase the value (like a ball or a baseball card)?

Denton is definitely a unique experience. We had a great time, though... There is a full lodge, with tables and food, but the race department had taken over the garage near the race slope and held a barbeque. We rented a cabin on their property for the weekend. It slept either six or eight people and was just $100/night midwinter. Runs are short, but the pitch is steep. A ton of racers crashed out of the slalom. Most weren't used to anything that steep. It's steepest run is steeper than anything else in PA or Greek Peak, for that matter. The CAT coaches had hoped to hold annual early season camps there and rent the bunkhouse, but they never follwed through.

A little jealous 'cause you're not invited to see the donkey lady?

Hahaha, you're such a dick. No wonder Rob doesn't like you. Oh, hey, do YOU have any good Mexican trip stories, 'Bum? I'll bet Sexkitten does....

Ha, that's ballet skiing, Stevo. Where were you in the 70's? Freestyle comps used to consist of moguls, racing, and ballet. Perfectly heterosexual guy skiers used to do the queerest tip rolls and one footed spins...it was a whole movement away from the rigid racing and teaching techniques. And I think 'Bum will be sporting 140cm ballet skis next season at Blue. A tight sweater and fancy stretch pants. Why do you think he was dieting? He needed to get back to ballet weight.

2006 ASRA RaceCamps

Maybe you do and maybe you don't. Has anyone actually seen you snowboard? Did you snowboard today, theprogram4? Hmmmm? I'm starting to think your claims are a little sketchy...maybe you are a snowboarder hater...

You join Masters through USSA: http://www.ussa.org/PublishingFolder/235.htm You simply pay the membership fee and whatever local fee there is where you plan to race (there are 8 geographic regions in the US). BUT, there's a temporary weekend membership that allows you to race in two events each season. They promote it to get more new racers hooked. Heck, 'Bum if you get an FIS Masters license, you can travel all over Europe to race... There's no qualifications (other than health insurance or a waiver, paid dues, a helmet, and 'suitable' equipment). It's basically just fill out the paperwork and go do it.

Ha, Jolly just wants to hang with rich, white skiers and none of you hoodlums that are out to jack his wallet in the lunch line.