Ski

Regarding crankers, coaches are actually instructed to set courses with "surprises to challenge the athletes". Some surprises are bigger than others.

A cranker is a term you couldn't quickly look up on the internet to pretend to know about ski racing. AKA, a gate that's a little more offset than the rhythm called for and/or a gate that's thrown in at a minimum distance....you have to really "crank" your skis to make the gate. Just like it sounds. And now you know.

Hey, Metzy, are you a 10,000 poster Doug-like guy on a pool message board?

Like 'Dude said, the more aggressive you are in GS, the further your skis are from the gates. I bet 'Dude used to hear this in his sleep: "GET YOUR FEET OUT FROM UNDER YER BODY!!!"

Yeah, 28th, but the Corchnoy wasn't a Cup. You can nail a top 10 at Blue, but not unless your ready to risk it. Did you see the Buck Hill story in Ski Mag? The little girl imitating Coach Sailer "Ski like the Devil is chasing you"---or something like that. That's a great saying. And the story about how he'd swing a gate at the passing racers, trying to get them to go faster. The faster they were going, the less it hurt... This is your shot, 'Dude...take it...

Man, PA races get beaten down with those penalties. I was looking around at some midwest races on crappy courses, with high point kids, and they were in the 60's. And even with Randy and Dustin last year, you guys were in the 80's...that really sucks, but oh, well. I sure never broke an inside lens...so now it's new poles and a new lens...hope you don't need a new leg, too.

And, btw, wasn't your best Cup finish 41st last year? I see a top 10 by Finals

Congrats on three solid runs, 'Dude...a 20th will definitely drop you under 200 SL points...Saturday's race was probably somewhere between 150 and 185 for 20th. Great job, 'Dude!

Did any of you guys notice the three 12ish year old girls, mostly wearing powder blue, that were snowplowing around the jumps half the time and then ducking the rope to ruin race runs? Equal opportunity gaping was going on. Except for a dozen race kids and a pretty big group of patrollers, most chairs were empty all day today. And the snow was f*cking awesome. Boomer and Canonball can't get any better...having Upper FT and Upper Runaway open really spread out the extra people this year.

Wow, did Doug sign on as Jeff? I didn't know Jeffy could be so funny. Great story, whomever wrote it....

Great report, Metzy! Bernie's gotta take Dave Moore, though, to get his fastest guy on the planet status back.

I think it pretty much mirrors Upper Fast Track over there. Maybe I'll take a walk tomorrow. The trails would definitely get gnarly on the bottom half, though. They could make an amazing headwall that drops to the right...maybe a steep S turn. The furthest skier's right trail would probably be a top to bottom blue square that runs along the ridgeline. And I know they want to offer TTB to intermediates.

Yeah, Sib, and the same one that broke his leg really badly during football season in his senior year. He and BJ were two of the best linebackers in PA...amazing athletes.

This is the actual event schedule, so anyone getting feeds can avoid PASR (for obvious reasons) when needed: Saturday, Feb. 3 Men's Super G Sunday, Feb. 4 Women's Super G Thursday, Feb. 8 Men's Super Combi Friday, Feb. 9 Women's Super Combi Saturday, Feb. 10 Men's Downhill Sunday, Feb. 11 Women's Downhill Monday, Feb. 12 Men's Giant Slalom Qualifying Race Tuesday, Feb. 13 Women's Giant Slalom Wednesday, Feb. 14 Men's Giant Slalom Friday, Feb. 16 Women's Slalom Saturday, Feb. 17 Men's Slalom Sunday, Feb. 18 Nations Team Event

Are results in the header? No. So it would have been welcomed. Jesus, you are thick. You'll still get your chance to screw everyone over at World Cup Finals, though. Those aren't broadcast live.

Sno That new lift should cut down on the 22 minute lap time...

It's really hard to picture what they are planning, but here's their 'rendering' again: New Trails

Cool, 'Dude!

About a decade or so ago, Vermont ski areas were battling over acreage claims when Killington finally commisioned an aerial survey to once and for all say just how much bigger they were. IDK, Nick, if you really take a look from a distance, I can see where Sno is bigger, especially now that the lower trails have snow on them. It's just that there's a lot of unused skiable acreage...like, you can't ski from edge to edge on Upper Fast Track without skating. But that's also the case with bowl skiing at huge places like Vail. But it's true that Sno doesn't have an answer to the sustained headwalls of Blue's Razor's or Challenge. We'll have to see what they come up with over the summer.

Hopefully, they'll really try to work in some pitch at the top of the new trails. Upper Runaway is fine, but Upper FT is really flat. It must take a ton of snow to cover those two upper trails, since they are so freaking wide and get hit by a lot of sun. We did a few laps on them today---the lower sections were great. It'll be really interesting what they decide to do. Anybody know the liftie that was working Iron Horse? Wow. She has a great personality.

On the conditions page, it says: "162 acres of skiable terrain open!" Just Easy Street and the pipe are still not open. Montage had 140 acres. So the trees they cut were at least 22 acres? CB is now claiming 156 and Blue says they have 130... And the two new mile long trails scheduled for next year will put Sno well over 200---maybe twice the acres of Blue. Coooool (Just had to point this out after Jeffy dissed our little hill in a pm last night )

Where's the trip report on this? Yesterday, our own little 'Dude raced in the NASTAR Regional Pacesetting Trials at Bear Creek and came within 1.25 seconds of knocking off former Olympian and USSTer AJ Kitt. C'mon, 'Dude, 37 of the top racers in the area get together and you finish fourth, but we don't get to hear about it?

NTD and the rest of the boys are just all cocky and sh*t that our mountain now has a beginner park and one that strikes fear in newbies.

Heheheheh...okay, just NTD....

Bummer, Method...sorry to hear...come back hard next year.