Papasteeze

Nipples the True Legend - you Roundtop guys created the little monster Schedule, yeah you should see it, I have one racer and one freestyler. We are "booked every weekend until 4-15. It will be his decision to make on where to go. It is a tough one for me as a parent, The Mountain Creek qualifier is only open to 35 participants and he got the invite and I have paid the fee. MC is well known for their park (not that RT isn't) and we haven't been there before and we are planning for a PASR day on that date. I'd like him to look at the bigger picture however I think, he'll choose you guys. Plus it is more of natural for him to rep RT in the event he does win since most of his skiing friends from COC are at RT. This weather sucks!

No - he is non-conformist in my eyes because he speaks out and up at times contrary to the general opinion. All the sudden, I feel like a Bode there may be a possibility that Nastar will be setting snowboard gates at the Nationals. I know the idea is being tossed around That point is one of the major ones, from a big picture point of view, that is driving me to continue to reply.. As for having Ridge leave the team, no way, not unless he wants to. Overall, joining the team has been a positive experience. Don't take my questioning of training regimines, the way everyone here who has responded, the way you do. My type writing prose rarely comes across the way it was intended. I personally just see it as very different and worthy of questioning and worthy of receiving mature answers. To tell me to shut up and respect all rules with all questioning is a path to mediocrity, what is the point of that in a competitive sport? Be it "right or wrong" doesn't matter, it is only opinion. Keeping it fun and interesting, challenging and a host of other things, is all I would like skiing to be, for my kids and myself.

Uhhh - are you saying that on the first time out on skis that were trying 360's....

Thank you!! When Ridge wants to spend time training then thats what I am going to support, if wants to just run gates, then thats what I will find for him to do. It's all good in my eyes if he his happy, keeping it fun now is the important thing in my eyes. I am not trying to raise a world cup skier or an olympian. but if that is the route he wants to go then I will support that. Until that time, all of my comments are my observations and opinions on what I view as a very antiquated outdated way of handling a sports team that deals with individual performances. I feel strongly that it took a non-conformist like Bode for the whole US Ski team to all of the sudden be notched up. Everyone else is chasing him and subsequently it is improving the whole team. It took an individual like Bode who asked his coach when he was going to set gates.. Everyone who is interested should read that chapter. It's very interesting.... so stereotypical.. Think of this analogy. A pianist who practices chords, knows how to sit at the piano, foot placement but is never allowed to play the whole song until the night of the recital. It doesn't make sense, I tell you. I am talking about young kids, who want to go fast around some flags against a clock. they should be allowed to do that and do it frequently. The last caveat. With the other threads on parks - imagine, if there were gates accessible for kids to race around similar to the way terrain parks are accessible. Think there would be more interest in racing? Ah yep.. for sure.. racing a clock, there is no argument about who did what. It would inspire kids to find out how they can go faster. All this monkey business about proper training and this and that is fine for the kids who are serious about racing, like on a high school level, but not as an adolescent. Ski999 - what did ridge say to you that you took offense to? Sib - there are parents of kid I have been watching out of Sweitzer sp? Scott Snow..

Thats cool, if any other tidbits come up or if you have any questions. Don't hesitate to jump in.

I am considering it, but we have to bag trampoline class... I dunno - could be a huge mistake with traffic issues.

Cool, do it! You won't regret it when you start running nastar at Blue regularly.. Ridge makes the first run like it was race day on training skis fully dressed, then at the end of the race session we experiment. It was very enlightening and continues to be. Have fun, go fast!!

Ski - I hugely disagree.. the same skier (RIDGE) in a speed suit shaves a second off his time consistently on a 20 second course. Waxes are tough and the differences are barely noticeable, but we have consistently proved that they do make a difference using Nastar as a proving ground last year and now already this year. Cheack out ridges first day results. you can clearly see the change in gear. The spread between 12 and 17 is about 1/2 a second on 20 second course, correct?

It has to start somewhere. Park passes will only help, they can't hurt. When you say "you shouldn't be doing that" then add, didn't you watch the video? You have then done your part. the video gives you credibility. There are always going to be smart mouth haters. The park can self- regulate itself but it needs examples to be able to follow, not much different than this message board self regulates.

Welcome to the board. There is new management and ownership in town. I know that alpine sleds are still being marketed and sold to hills. Who knows? maybe they will rehab and reopen, that would be so cool if they did. But for now, you win the bet with your friend. Stick around! How did you find us?

You are missing the point. If all those years of race training make you good at gates. Then why isn't Ridge at the bottom of the class? Besides, who said anything about world cup and who said anything about going independent? This thread is about gates and when do they come in training?

I totally agree.. When I think of the exclusive regimin of ski racing gates comaparitively to playing in the park? (aside of Nastar and the Mountain Dew thing) I think it is reprehensible that parks are a free for all, but kids can't run some lousy gates freely with out some kind of huge multiple days of training before they are even allowed to see a gate. all under the auspice of good form... blahhhhh bla bla I say. no wonder everyone is in the park.

I think seriously that if Ridge was in a ski team program from the whenever he could have been, that he would not have the interest that he has in racing now, nor would he be as fast. Knowing him the way I do, I think he would have gotten bored to death with a ski team program. You have to remember, that a lot of thrill of skiing for us has been going to different places and just freeskiing - first on, last off. It's just conjecture and the point can be argued all day long by you USSA drill sargents about whether his racing progression would be better or worse. Ridge never mentioned racing until his brother was encouraged to enter some freestyle competitions. Ridge entered those same comps with steven and didn't fair so well since he didn't want to do rails and only liked to straight line jumps. It was then he said he wanted to race. I can't stress enough, the stuff I learned last year while trying to find gates for him to race around. You may remember that we spent the 3rd week in January at 6 different world class resorts in Tahoe and not one single place had any gates set up. He never really raced anything until the end of last January. I joined Nastar 1/30/05 and PASR 2/15/05 forums for the simple aspect of getting more involved with competitive skiing. So with those facts in place.. and given that he is near the top in his age group in his area, I can only assume that if there was different path then he would be less or farther down in his current ability.

Yes - I would...

Yeah - what is up with that?

Typically, it is a token fee, not a per use fee. I would gladly pay lunch money to be in a park that is regulated. You may have missed that I feel every mountain should have a beginners park open to the general lift ticket. Besides, none of our mountains are so big that you can't at least glimpse views of what to expect from some other vantage point than on the trail

It is a huge bonus and an assett to have members like you Doug, who post hourly. I think that we all know the general conditions of the mountains that we frequent. There are numerous users from BC who are on here regularly. If you truly want to know, I think if you ask, "how were the conditions at BC today?" you would get the answer you seek. PS.. I am keeping Cliffy a secret I'll tell you, I had some of the best runs I have ever experienced on Cliffy recently. Early morning first runs were just absolutely great groomers. I had so much speed on some occaisions that I actually just about crapped my pants due to the compression at the bottom of the last headwall.. They got fresh snow - I know that all of the runs there are probably next to phenonemal as far as the poconos go right now!

pssssssttt - who ever strips to a speed suit and flouros will win.. jacket for jacket and ski for ski - Intuition tells me to bet on Doug just because he seems much more aggressive and will have the fastest run of the night. However, common sense says, in one race, the first one. Atomic will win because of a more level headedness. It'll be interesting. I wish we could be there.

I have been checking out the 476 north traffic during the afternoon hours. If we do it - it is going to be a last minute decision. I am not liking the looks of the commute. It's 90 minute drive at 6am - it looks to be 3 hours in the afternoon.

I think I have the diagnosis.. the first solution, which is not an option, would be to live closer to mountain with a longer season. Then, everything else would fall in place or so I believe. You bring up some good points, if Ridge had been on the CAT team from several years ago, there is no way he would be where he is today with his skill level. I need to keep that in mind as time progresses.. Is skiforever a guy or gal?

One simple question.... why do they not set up gates for everyone to go screaming around free of charge? Park passes? Absolutely! A beginner park should be available free of charge to everyone with a lift ticket.

from 11 to 55? +years old

Thanks for the update Joe, but it kinda sucks. Nipples aka Steven was/is scheduled to go to Mountain Creek that day of the 15th.

Be careful... Please! I don't want to sound like a overprotective whatever. But jeez.. a couple of days ago you couldn't lift your arms. Take a lesson from skimom, take it easy getting back on that horse would ya!?