Ski

Missy, you know I love you, so you know I mean it the nicest way when I say you are one smart college chick ass clown.

We had a thread regarding acreage...Sno is slightly bigger than Blue and CB is smaller than both. Bigdaddyk: Montage was down to just 20 guns that were in bad shape, along with broken pipes that needed replacement on skier's right. In hindsight, maybe they could have rolled the old guns out and gotten the green circles open, like they have done in past years, but there plan was to "wow" us all with top to bottom skiing on opening day. Who knew it would be 60 degrees the last 3/4 of December? Sno gets a total pass from me for what happened. Our ski hill really doesn't bother to try and open before XMas week unless it's an unusually cold winter and we're just now getting any serious snow made.

I drove past CB at 4:30pm today and they were only blowing on the two off the top on the west side...that was pretty damn pathetic...and on my way home, they only had limited, west side lights on... anyway----- phillycor: Sno is about 30 minutes north of CB, out 80, up 380, and down 81. Since you are a PASR, you are welcome anytime, but just don't tell anyone else. We really try to keep the crowds down.

Firstly, most Pocono ski areas have pretty good ski programs for kids, since they rely on lots of beginner/intermediate families...an amazing number of kids that we teach at our small hill are kids whose parents don't even ski/board. So if price is an issue, you can use the links to the ski areas on this site to shop around and you'll probably have a good experience no matter where you go. That said...I'll share my personal knowledge that comes mostly from friends that have had kids in them.... CB has a reputation of a very good system, with very friendly instructors. A friend took a very shy 1st grade girl to them and she ended up loving her instructor and went back four or five times. The only complaint was they were a little overwhelmed by the number of people and said it felt a little like a Saturday at Sesame Place. Bottom line: she graduated to being able to make it down green circles pretty fast. Shawnee: Also a high volume program, we had friends that weren't thrilled with Shawnee. But they also went during a scout weekend, so it may not be a fair critique. Bottom line: their two kids had fun, but the parents didn't feel they improved much. Montage/Sno: I have first hand knowledge that the instructors are a mix of Willy Wonka and Mary Poppins...eh, I mean that in a good way. If you drive the extra distance, you'll find the least crowds---so the most personal service---and some of the most fun instructors in the region. The only downside was the lack of a magic carpet lift, which I believe the new owners are installing. Alpine Mountain: the entire hill is about families and kids programs. Maybe not known for a cutting edge system---friends rented really crappy 80cm skis at the mountain---but if you can get there when it's non-holiday, you'll probably have a great time at a great price. Elk: I don't know much about Elk's program, but you'll probably get an instructor that's been doing the same job (and loving it) for 20 years. JF/BB: again, I don't know much about their programs, but their junior race program is first rate. In fact, their J4/5 are always among the best in PA, although the limited difficult terrain holds back the training for the older kids. Maybe someone else can throw in their 2 cents regarding Blue, BC, Twood, and any other places...

....Sno Mountain, especially since the delay was TOTALLY due to Asshead Mike Washo, but I'm starting to think they are screwing with us a little: "Breaking News, January 9, 2007; Sn

Thanks, Sno...that "Sno Grille is Open" thing on their mainpage just gets to me...and I wonder if the Coyle family is getting hate mail?

You've been right so far....so what's your opinion on the opening date?

I remember a lot of us talking about the Alpine accident...wonder what MB we were on back then? The groomer backed over the kid as it was making it's way back into the garage after finishing work. I guess we were on the CB MB, 'cause DaveK said something about that being an example of why CB doesn't do much daytime grooming. And what Jordan said is the main reason we don't get middays...there's only room for skiers/rider OR groomers.

Sib, some people like to argue or trash talk or have heated discussions involving their favorite athletes or teams. And some people don't. Bode is a unique and fascinating subject. It's next to impossible to say why Bode's ski came off on that run. I'm sticking with my guess that he hit the rut at just enough of an angle that the loaded ski overpowered the binding. Nothing to do with booze. But if someone is drunk, there may be fifty other reasons why they run a stop sign and kill you----and an alcoholic that's drinking will find all of them. The videos I watch are password protected and I'd happily PM it to you---if it were mine to share.

I was a ski instructor at Mt. Tom, Mount Snow, Hunter, and every once-in-a-while at our ski hill. As far as ski race coaching goes, I've been attending race camps and racing ASRA to be able to coach my youngest through her race career. Being a certified race coach isn't very complicated...just take a clinic like the one at Okemo and then get a job someplace. But I want to be a great coach that understands more than just technique---technique is relatively easy. I want to be able to coach kids on what to do when you've won the first run and how to deal with the pressure of a reverse 30 start...and I want my advice to be from real experience, not out of a book. I've been racing for almost 30 years, but there are still 2 seconds I can't seem to get rid of in an ASRA course. Way more info than you asked, but that's the way it is. I stopped rooting for Bode the season he won the Overall World Cup title. I'll start rooting for him when he isn't drinking. Tomba's antics were mostly written about...his legendary boozing wasn't part of a weekly TV show. So even though your tonic water answer is funny and smart, Bode's been taking hits right off the bar room bottles a little too much for that to be the case.

I actually did like Bode. And I remember watching Tom Brokaw interview im after his huge Olympic failure and he was pretty cool to acknowledge Ligety and Julia's medals. But then he goes off on these crazy tangents about not caring about medals and finishing races. This is after he posed for Newsweek and Time Mag covers and hosted his own Nike-sponsored website. Bode went on to talk about how much he loved the movie "Miracle" because his own Olympic dream had been to win from the underdog position, but he now felt like the Russian hockey team---the evil favorite. Bode went on to talk about having an Olympic experience and how much more important that was than medals. Message to Bode: anyone with the ability to buy a plane ticket can have the Olympic experience. Bode isn't the Jamaican bobsled team, no matter how much he may envy their, uh, poverty. Personally, I had a hell of a lot more respect for speed skater Kim Derrick, who ran her entire race with tears streaming down her face because her biggest supporter, her grandpa, had just died and she was so sorry he didn't get to be there to realize 'his' dream of her racing. BTW, 1st Grade, Coach C is a nickname I have from soccer. I didn't think I was hiding it and pretending to be something I'm not. Does it bother you? I hate the Red Sox with a passion. I am an avid Yankee fan. Bode 'discussions' are little league compared to those fights.

Did you mean "You can't just finish and expect to be in the lead"? The "new" World Cup point system favors racers that win, over just being consistent. The best strategy is to go all balls out and grab a win, even if it means blowing out of a few races. Okay, but here's where there's a problem, 1st Grade: Bode blew out of more than a dozen straight slalom races last year. And this year? Bode is DEAD LAST in the world in slalom...on the bright side, he's tied with lots of others for last. Do you get it, 1st Grade? To be the Overall World Cup Champion, even Bode has said that he needs to collect slalom points. I'm curious as to whether Ski1027 ever took his coach's advice and skied a slalom with alcohol in his system, or with a hangover? And, if so, how did it go? BTW, 1st Grade, I wonder what percentage of your 335 posts are things you bitch about what I've posted? I'm really sorry I have this effect on you.

He was being sarcastic when he said Bode was washed up. Nobody believes Bode is washed up. He's in his prime and just needs to dry out. I'll let you in on a formerly carefully guarded secret about Tomba: his drinking and womanizing was 95% hype. In his own book, he described drinking tonic water while everyone around him was drinking vodka...Tomba was a great character and it was hard to watch how his career ended, face-first on a slalom course. Then, he was indicted on tax evasion charges. How did he beat it? He claimed he was too stupid to know what had gone on with his money. Ski Mag referred to it as the Tomba Twinkie Defense, as I recall. It's amazing to me how people are so willing to swallow bullshit hype...like Bode not giving a shit, yet every dime he has is tied to the wins he had. Your ski camp coach gave you serious advice to drink a lot before a slalom race? What do you want to bet he was kidding? Good luck rooting for Bode on every run. How 'bout those Olympics? Did you wear out your hands applauding during those two weeks? Well, there's always 2010, right? Maybe the SuperCombined will be a separate new event and he can go 0-6! Otherwise, he seems pretty happy to be drunk and hangin' on to third.

Yeah, third place behind a Norwegian guy that has had success in parts of some seasons and behind Cuche, who is a grandpa on the circuit... Are you saying that Bode is living up to his potential? Do you think that behind the 'too cool' attitude, he's happy being in third place? If he'd just finished his races, he'd be 200 points in the lead for the overall. The greatest ski racer ever born and he's in his prime years...and he's hanging on to third place. Maybe you guys all all 100% right...maybe the new school definition of being a champion means being a drunk and finishing third.

The cleaning lady should be pissed that you don't have a self-cleaning oven.

Bode has a history of premature ejection...remember his first few tech races in Rossi? I've read that they believe it's not equipment failure, but that Bode simply loads his skis more than most people and when he comes across the rut at just a certain angle he loses his ski. I would be skeptical that it only happens to Bode, except for what they discovered was happening with his slalom skiing. Many of Bode's crashes happen because he's too good---he shins lower than anybody and the Break-A-Ways are coming down and nailing his skis at 600mph. Bode destroys his skis, plus loses balance because his tips get slammed. I'm not sure of your point, Sib...are you and DH suggesting that there's no link between being drunk at 3am and having athletic performance suffer at 9am? Doctors perform surgery drunk every day; pilots fly 747's drunk daily. The majority of alcoholics continue to do their jobs long after most other things in their lives have totally f*cked up.

Bode is the greatest natural talent I've ever seen race. Friday night, he helped close a club and you can barely make out his slurred speech in a video that ran on Eurosport. Bode DNF'd in the first run of Saturday's GS at Adelboden. Bode DNF'd in the second run of Sunday's slalom at Adelboden. I just don't think doing that is cool.

To fill your spam folder even more.

It came out harsh, but it was directed at the weather...my two home mountains haven't been open for a day, yet....and RT was a possible alternate site for one of our races.

Each day further away, forecast temps are weighted more and more toward seasonal averages. Even if it was 90 degrees today, with no predicted shift in the upper air patterns, the 15th day of the forecast would 20's for a high and teens at night for up here. One of the local weather guys even did a report on how they do it and just how arbitrary long range forecasting can be.

We went for a long hike on a trail that has a view of Tanglwood, where we were supposed to have races today and tomorrow.

Ha, that childhood stage where you pulled the wings off flies is coming back.

Not being open XMas week guarantees a loss for the season. The question becomes how much of a loss.

Okay, that's it...that is the worst post I've ever read. I'd rather read every post ever made by Dranow than about a ski area having to hide it's snow. I know you're just the messenger, k2Skier, but I think you need to be killed for telling us this.

"Closed Until Snowmaking Weather Returns Next Week Well, we put up the good fight and stayed open as long as possible but Old Man Winter has won this round. Ski Roundtop will be closed until snowmaking returns the middle of next week." Returns? It was ever here? They closed their two bunny slopes...jeez, this is unbelievable.