Ski

Okay, everyone is equally confused...Jeff is joining next season; 'Dude is going to kick ass this weekend; and, I'm continuing to ski ASRA and root for you guys. What's the worry?

All I'm saying is that I think it's a cool idea that Jeff is considering giving "the show" a shot as a real J1. A lot of us envy what you're doing right now, 'Dude. Your races count; they are real. The opposite of NASTAR, so to speak.

And as every junior racer knows, it's not the same. Does it matter that Brad or Johnny beat you? Once you hit senior, Master, adult, or anything else---it's just different. I'm not dimishing the older guys abilities AT ALL and props to them for sticking it to you guys, the competition is among your peers.

Jeff may need some time in slalom gates first. Just a thought. But, 'Mom, I think it's cool that Jeff is considering USSA next season. It should, of course, have absolutely nothing to do with 'Dude and have only to do with Jeff taking advantage of the one year he has left of eligibilty. I always forget he's still a kid. What would you be doing next season if you were turning 19 and had seven weekend days free? Why take a chance on regretting not doing it? And now 'Dude has spoken for himself.

"And we'd like you to meet our very wealthy uncle in the backseat."

'Dude, think of all the early season point races you could show up in driving a BMW, if you stay on his good side. "Hey, Baby," you'll say to those New York babes in the lot. "We're from Pennsylvania!"

That 's!!!!!! Props to CAT coaches, too!

Jeff: I think 'Dude took some offense to the thought and nearly beat Brad (a true 8HC pacesetter) and crushed any young upstarts by nearly 2 seconds, today. But I see a clash coming sometime in the future...the 'Dude vs. a guy on Atomics...

How did the kids do yesterday?

Not that we don't welcome you, Zaldon, but did CB kick you out?

We won't get more coverage of alpine events because of Bode, just more snipets and tabloid-like crap rolled into what is already scheduled. Like, they'll use Bode's controversial stuff as a teaser into some highlights. We'll see Bode's slalom run, for example, but they won't be showing us Kalander, Pranger, and Matt, for anyone that cares. Bode is like the drunk, naked guy that runs out on the field at an NFL game. It's amazing how fewer of those guys are now that the TV cameras don't show them. Lance never failed a SINGLE drug test. He is an American sports legend in a league of his own, yet in a sport most Americans don't give a crap about. It was the strength of character and will and everything else that makes Lance who he is. Surviving cancer after being written off, then dominating his sport year after year. Attacking Lance Armstrong is pathetic and makes Bode sound like a rotten little kid that isn't getting his way. I can't even fathom someone would seriously believe this.

After crashing out of a night slalom, Bode left the WC Tour to relax and "get grounded" by spending time at home with his brother, missing races for the first time since 2002. He also spent some time with a Rolling Stone reporter and called Lance Armstrong (who has never failed a drug test) a cheater. http://skiracing.com/news/news_display.php/3187/ALPINE It's one thing to bash Barry Bonds, since Balco was practically founded on his behalf...but attacking Lance with NO evidence other than some French scumbag tabloid newspaper articles, is totally f@*ed up. Bode is such a disappointment.

You guys hate when I say stuff like this, but props to Jeff for absolutely crushing tonight's pacesetter at Blue. And tonight's course was as unNASTAR-like as they get, with some tight offsets and a tough rythm change. Good job again to Blue's Race Dpt. for putting in the effort and, for the most part, earning their $15 per racer...

I just got back from Blue, Brother Skitzo, and I'm still a little shaken from all those people. People were happy that the lift lines were only 10 minutes for the quad! And when the line traffic cop walked away, there was madness and chaos. How do people live like that?

This place is $11.50 (includes shipping) for the first 200g bar, then $7.50 (includes shipping) for each extra bar: http://cgi.ebay.com/7-oz-200-gram-BAR-SKI-...1QQcmdZViewItem

You are totally a guy. Anyway, my 2 cents on Belleayre vs. Plattekill? It's been a few years since I've been to Plattekill, but it's always an interesting experience. Not a lot of grooming or snowmaking make the steeps pretty much impassable by a typical intermediate. And I know, since I've taken intermediate skiers there. To me, Plattekill is either a really cool place to live near (we almost bought a farmhouse near there), or a cool place to visit once or twice, just for the experience. Belleayre is also a page out of the '50's when it comes to atmosphere, with some faster lifts and better grooming. Belleayre is one of my favorite places to ski---sort of the anti-Hunter: friendly people and a layed back style. If you haven't done either, I'd try Belleayre first. If your skiing abilities vary, then an expert can ski the front diamonds and meet you midway down the mountain (for the most part). If it's going to snow a lot, then you might want to give one of Plattekills Powder Daize a shot. But I'd strongly recommend Belleayre over Plattekill.

We co-own a small, private community ski area in the Poconos---one double chair, one surface (and now a tubing hill)...we'd love to be open seven days, but we'd only get four or five people during a weekday afternoon and a handfull of kids at night. So we have a Friday night through Sunday evening schedule, including holidays. The same schedule as Eagle Rock, which you'd mentioned. Very few people skied Montage weekday mornings. If you cut CB's skier visits by 90%, they'd start opening at noon, as well. Just business. We specifically picked Montage as our home hill, though, because we hate crowds. After several years of having to be at CB every weekend (my oldest raced for the CATs), I couldn't wait to start buying season passes at Montage. The busiest weekend day at Montage is emptier than the slowest weekday at CB or Blue. What trails that are covered by snowmaking, still have corduroy marks sometimes open to close. Not to harsh on Blue's amazing success, but I've been skiing there Thursday nights and often have to stand at the top of a diamond for 10 minutes just waiting for an opening to be able to ski fast for a small section...then I have to hold up and wait again for another opening. This entire season, I haven't waited behind more than two people in a lift line. And I ski all the lifts, because of my 5yr old. So Montage may be the worst 6 lift, 21 trail resort ever---but it's the best 5 lift, 15 trail place I've ever skied. Elk may claim to have the best snow, but I've never seen perfectly groomed corduroy there at 4pm. Right now, there's a real tradeoff for a family to ski at Montage. The upper mountain lifts are really slow and the terrain is limited. But it's also totally safe to bring little kids and give them some space because of the lack of crowds. Is it Montage's fault that people aren't skiing at Montage? Yes, but at the same time it's people's own laziness that has them missing out on a little gem. It's there, it's open, and people drive right by on their way to long lift lines and crowded slopes. Their loss.

I bet terminal velocity on that course was 17.68 seconds.

I've actually read the budget reports for the last seven seasons and Montage lost money three seasons ago, but has made money six out of the last seven---since they installed the snowtubing park. The $60,000 loss is tied into the vendors with the Lackawanna Stadium. They had budgeted money from the ski resort to pay off baseball season vendors, so it shows up as a shortfall. The profit they made last season was spent on upgrades inside the lodge. They purposely disposed of profits so the baseball stadium vendors didn't get them instead. There's no dispute that Lackawanna County is a horrible ski resort owner. The upside to County ownership is that they feel a responsibilty to employees, so they will continue to operate at a small loss. Do you know of any parks in your town that operate at a profit? The guys that mowe, clean up, patrol, etc...all get paid. The downside is the incredible slowness at any change or upgrade. They spent thousands of dollars for a website that I would have done for free. For having so little money to spend, they sure seem to find a way to throw it away. Like spending $20,000 to advertise in US Today and the Wall Street Journal for twice the appraised value. So we are at the brink of either a great company like Snow Time (which owns Round Top and Windham) coming in and sprucing things up...or closing. But WTF? Why worry? Tomorrow seems okay...so does this coming weekend and the one after that. In the meantime, Montageskier and the rest of us get the use of an absolutely deserted mountain with tons of snow on the North Face. I never took the Long Haul lift...I'd take Phoebe Snow to Iron Horse, then skate over to Upper Fast Track or Runaway. I miss those runs, but spent 95% of my time on the North Face anyway. So if Shannon Elizabeth says she'll be your girlfriend for two weeks, would you take her up on it? Or would you bitch that her hair isn't cut just right and that she was eventually gonna leave? I say just have fun and her while she's around.

That's just an incredibly ignorant thing to yell at someone for these days...

And he was only 11 years late in coining the phrase

I wonder if the coaches will name Bode to the slalom team...he DQ'd again in last night's slalom, then left the tour to come home and rest before the Olympics. Lindsey Kildow, btw, will be an American hero after these games...

Ha, I remember the Elk coaches picked him out to assign gatekeeping duties at PA Cup Finals...there were no doubts as to why.

It's just Montage's way of reducing lift lines. 1800GOTSNOW is generally pretty accurate and updated like most snow phones.

That's funny. Brother Skitzo's assessment is correct...and the driving force behind any lack of change. Montage was pretty empty on Sunday. The race crew didn't rope off the NASTAR course, so people could ski down the side of the race slope. But they did put up huge orange warning signs that said "Race in Progress" and there are a whole bunch of very obvious gates running down the race course. Nevertheless, people would ski past the start shack, then wander into the course, around a few gates, then back off to the side. Beginners as well as intermediate skiers and boarders did this...equal opportunity 'stupid'. But if you clipped or marked any of their tickets, they'd feel picked on and probably not buy another ticket at Montage; that's the thought process. So we wait at the top and then hope for the best, which is not hitting someone at 40mph.