Ski

Timing is everything. Taking a lesson on any given Tuesday afternoon will give you a choice of instructors, while XMas week will get you squeezed into whatever slot is available. But, really, you just have to be clear about what you want. Group lessons tend to be taught toward the weakest link in the group. Nobody at the mountain would ever be pissy at you for leaving a lesson because you were put into a group that was too elementary for your skills. It may be hard to get a refund, but I'm sure they'd bump you up to a higher level lesson. I think there's benefits from small group lessons, with a max of six people. It removes some of the pressure on the 'students', which also makes it easier on the instructor. If you're really interested in a series of lessons, PM skimom about the Adult Masters Program at CB. I just got back from race camp at Sugarbush and the entire first day was spent videotaping runs just trying to match racers into groups for their special needs.

Just ask at the desk for ANY of the experienced instructors that give private, advanced lessons. If you just show up and don't ask specifically, then you are put in the next available group that matches your general ability. Works the same way at most areas. Consider that new ski instructors are just everyday skers/riders passing along the very basics of skiing. If you want to rent a Porche/BMW/whatever performance car, but don't tell the person at the Avis counter that you want something special, then it's def not their fault.

Congrats, Badass! Oh, and yeah, I've never seen a boarder falling on his/her ass, acting like a dork.

And that's one of the reasons I think it's pretty brave of any ski area rep to be on an MB they don't control. DaveK would have lasted two hours.

I finally just sent her inside and grabbed a quick run alone...well, with the hoard of bunny skiers. And it's not the newbie's fault, since it's a green circle and we're in their domain.

Yep.

Okay, it's still really early, but I can sum that up in one word: watchoutforthenewbieswearingcamohuntingsuits.

Cool, just get her USSA dues in the mail! The price is worth forerunning a perfectly clean course (I can only imagine), especially at MC.

Stupid powder snow...at least you get a break until 1/7/06.

"That offer was for the person who didn't think Bear Creek was a valuable mountain and didn't believe that we would have 95% of our mountain ready on opening day." So was 95% of the mountain open as BC Chick promised, but just not THAT part?

Still only Mainline...aaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh We're heading up from about 1:30 to 4pm, so say HEY...the only orange helmet on the hill...

That is, when they decide to make the trip up from the Poconos

I agree, although watching people ski The Chute under you can be pretty comical on a Saturday afternoon.

Ha, I hate that chair, but it sure makes for an empty slope.

Which leaves me wondering why they let the e-commerce option slip away. So, Phil, did you have a yea or nay vote on the single chair upgrade at MRG? I heard it caused a couple of divorces and several fist fights up in the Valley...

Speaking of "poor" ski shop owners, wanna take a guess at what Dave's net worth is? That store is a great place and has a really good selection, especially for a 'lowlands' shop. Pricey as hell, but so is everything in that area. People griping at the price of Yankee tickets should try going to Sesame Place. For the wholesale price of one set of skis, a shop owner can have a merchant web site...and I can't come up with a single reason not to have one. Well, I hear great things about their slalom skis...

At least we have the quality, if not the quantity...

Here's the pic of the GS course that's posted in KMart's photo gallery today...talk about flat light:

I used to live close to Langhorne Ski Shop, which was a big retailer in the area. Out of curiousity, I Googled their web site and came to this: http://www.langhorneski.com/ It's now December 2005 and the Poconos are open and the best they can do is be "Under Construction"? And here's a shop close to me, Guenther's Ski Haus, in Honesdale...their site is a bunch of broken pictures and lists their September hours as their main page: http://www.guenthersskihaus.com/ Tough to feel sorry for businesses that completely ignore the internet. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

She's fine and chomping at the bit for tomorrow's race.

I'm always available to help with that stupid sense of responsibility thing, Think...

Skimom was ripping it up this week at a race camp at Killington, culminating in a 5th place finish in GS. Go 'Mom! In today's opening ASRA GS, 'Mom cut a headwall gate on the Highline course headwall, but didn't hold an edge on the shear face and had an epic crash that left her bruised and sporting an ice pack or two. Anyone else a little envious of a 'Mom like that?

I'm not sure how they could possibly limit advertising methods to newspapers only...I mean, if you think about it, online presense is just a form of advertising. And how can you tell some shops it's okay, but not others? Could Atomic really dictate what forms of payment a shop may accept, such as online or over the phone credit cards? I've bought skis from this place online: http://store.emiliosskishop.com/index.html My first set of Atomic GS:11's for $325, or so. It's just such an odd situation. My friend---who is a race coach at Montage---now reps for Nordica and sent out catalogues and said he'd get anyone special discounts. It just seems so Mary Kay or Tupperware-like to me; to get a good deal, you have to know someone. Oh, well... So if anyone is looking for killer deals on Nordica gear, drop me a PM and I'll pass his number along.

Just keeping the lift lines short, Schif...

Pelican Ski Shop started in Whitehouse, NJ, and he made his fortune prior to 1980 selling ONLY skis and ski apparel...there were no benefits, no freebies, no discount lift tickets, just minumum wage AFTER you'd shoveled rocks and been treated like a dog all summer working at his house. I don't care or ever think about it other than here, but my friends and I were around in the early days of his success and were all treated like crap. It's one of the reasons I'm more than happy to shop elsewhere, though I have no clue as to who runs/owns the business now. 300% is the exception, not the rule? IDK about that...I see a lot of $4 mill files selling for $15.99. And $15 underwear going for $60.