snorovr

Bud, Don't call someone out who has put way more time and effort into making Blue a better place than you likely ever have or will. He approached management there for years about ways that he could help with certain areas that he saw as needing improvement, and everytime they have ended up giving him the cold shoulder and even threatened him with kicking him out. He is a seriously talented graphic design student, who has even helped out with things for PASR (see stickers). What have you done for the Pennsylvania ski scene lately? Please enlighten us... I could go on but I'll let him defend himself against shortsighted comments from someone he hasn't even met.

I just conference called Jesus, Buddha, and Allah and they said that there is no skiing where they grew up. Be happy with what you have.

You missed the announcements about the improvements at the true mountain.

Dennis Krell Sr. is the mountain and lodge manager. There are a few mountain and lodge managers depending on what day it is and what time it is, but he is the head guy. Basically any email that you send to Blue either praising or complaining go through him. His wife I believe is the marketing manager at Blue, in charge of commercials, brochures, promo flyers, etc... Someone correct me if Im wrong about that, I know she has some capacity in the ticket office area, but Im not positive as to what. His son, Dennis Krell Jr., is one of the managers in our fine rental shop, and I believe does some other thing up there, what I dont know.

They were earnestly shooting for April according to many people up at Blue. We were all placing our bets when I was up there today. I'm making mine when I see whether or not they blow with the colder temps later this week to fill in some of the bare spots.

I am???

Or you could just go to Tuckermans for real? There has been a bunch of talk this year of local mountains staying open till April, pond skimming, people skiing naked, etc... Sounds like a fun end of season. Heard today that Im goin to Whistler in June. Maybe my summer will only be three months this year...

Sounds like a sweet excuse for underage drinking!!!

Linkin up with the locals is the key out there. If you can keep up...

you just wanna film it...

So bummed I missed the comp... Oh well. Back to Blue this weekend.

Not much time around here for waiting...........

I go my way. Which gets you to the lehigh valley on ramp, and takes the same amout of time as 145, if not faster, except if you go between 3-4pm, which at those times my way takes longer. Take 309 north to 873 north through slatington and walnutport. keep following 873, cross 248, and just keep following that road. once you're on 873, its a straight shot to blue mountain drive. bust a left at the light and get your ski on.

No Blue doesnt do Barneys Bumps this way. It is the way they should do it, and hopefully will get some equipment in the future to do it like that. Blues bumps form naturally from the turns of skiers and boarders. They just dont ever groom that side of Main street, and the bumps form. big icy bumps of death.

The moguls are made with a combo of man and machine. They have two winchcats with tillers on the back that are able to form a basic mogul shape. I believe camelback purchased something like that this year, I know they got a winchcat but Im not sure if they got a mogul maker or anything. Then they use course workers to build the jumps, and shape the moguls, until they get it how they want it. Then they just use regular ole skiers to form the lines through the bumps and to test it out. It looks pretty perfect when its all done.

yeah its kinda weird. the place I ski at is actually further up the mountain, and the town is above the course, at the base of the public ski area. its a little confusing, because they didnt build the course on an existing ski hill, they just kinda built it on the side of the mountain along the road up to the town. it cost like 9 million euro to build, pretty expensive.

Pics from Turin and Sauze d'Oulx (the town I'm staying in) at this link: http://lasalle.facebook.com/album.php?aid=...d74&id=42600214 enjoy. more to come...

Yeah its counting as a class for me.

ya matt is my roommate here. He actually isnt with Snowboard Mag, we just let them use our pictures cuz we are friends with the guys who are out here from that mag. Hes shooting with a much nicer camera than mine, and it definitely shows in his photos. snowboard mag is out here at the olympics. not snowboarder. snowboard mags online coverage has been awesome. ive watched those guys update their site within minutes of competition ending complete with photos.

I thought I would be doing a good thing by becoming a freeride "coach" this year. Im not the best rider on the mountain, but I definitely feel like I have something to offer to the up and comers. I want to support the freeride movement to the best of my ability, and I see Blues new program as the best way to do that in our region. I personally chose to put money out of my own pocket to get certified to give this program and others like it as many chances as possible to succeed, it also hasn't hurt that the certification process has taught me a ton about the fundamentals of skiing, and has made me a better all around skier. "Coaches," one in particular, have put alot of their PERSONAL AND UNPAID time into this, along with a good amount of their own money. I personally feel that they deserve a ton more respect than what they get from many people at the mountain. I cant speak for race "coaches," because I have never been involved with the race program. But I do know that the freeride "coaches" are idolized by many of their students, and in a style of skiing that is almost all about watching and learning, they are the best thing our genre of skiing has going for it.

Ive been riding with Todd Richards for the past few days, and he is on his new pro-model. Its a sick looking board, and he can definitely rip.

Yeah its snowing like a b*tch here in the Italian Alps, good thing I have off tomorrow too. Check out www.snowboard-mag.com for some shots me and my roommate took today. Only 8 hours till a powder day. Schaaaawweeeeeetttt!!!!!

Blues not worth the drive for me either. I'm so used to hitting the 100 footers at other local mountains...

Does anyone know how I put pics or thumbnails up??? Ive done it before, but I forget how...

They measure the jumps with a good old fashioned tape measure. Why lose cred by over exagerating when they don't have to?