sibhusky

Hey, last I heard you were moving to Hawaii.... Not my fault you like waves more than peaks.

I think we go a long time between pissing matches.... The only ones I remember were about waxing and skidude/NASTAR.

Since I live where every race is a major undertaking, I would say either Vermont or Colorado. You want an area where a whole lot of great ski areas are all within driving distance. I am actually leaning towards New England over the west for racing, since so many ski academies are up there. The west has better snow, but we all know racers want ice, not snow. And there are more people up in New England packed closer together, too, so you have critical mass. Where I am has great snow (normally) and a great hill, but the closest team to us is 2.5 to 3 hours south. Some of the race venues are ten hours away. Some involve flying. Our expenses quintupled when we moved out here, a good chunk of which was just lodging and driving. Other reasons for increased costs: more intense training beginning with dryland four days a week in the fall, then four or more days a week of on snow training once the season gets going. more skis needed for more events higher race fees for FIS races more races in general At some point those ski academy prices look like not that much over what you are paying anyway! Plus, the better the kid gets, the more school they miss, so you need an understanding school that will work with you. Most won't, hence the ski academy.

Girls don't always go first, especially in speed events. We've been to MANY races where the boys run a course before the girls. Also races where they have two different courses or the race is run on different days. In PARA and the Northern Division (where we are now), kids who are not yet skiing in USSA "scored" races ski for "world cup points". Certain races are designated as the "qualifiers" within a division for JO's or end of season championships. The total WC points earned in those races is added up to determine which kids go to the "big races" at the end of the season. The next season they start all over with a clean slate, earning points based on where they finish, not their times. USSA points are not about your finish position, but about your time compared to the leader. Basically, if you finish 3 seconds out of first, it would give you the same points if there were 15 racers or 200 racers. They carry over year to year and determine start positions for a race.

I was told that "javelin turns" are a thing of the past.

Actually, she's got a slight A-frame going on, and the left arm is a bit wide, but at least her boot top or the top of her shin is in a line to hit the gate and she's not reaching for the gate with her hand. She needs to be a bit closer to the gate with those skis, always assuming that it's not part of the set up for the next gate....hard to tell in one picture.

Well, sometimes they grind the boot sole, sometimes it's done to the binding. The end result is that knock knees or bowlegs are realigned into a vertical position or something in relation to a flat ski. Some boots come with cuff adjustments that purport to do this, but it's not true canting from what I understand. I've never had it done, but am thinking that Siblet might profit from it. The current thinking on leg spread is the same as in most other sports, I believe -- shoulder width. It's supposed to present a sturdier base without compromising your ability to control things.

Well, for me it's a combination of the leftover desire to keep my legs close together (old style skiing) and my hips. I can correct it consciously by thinking about it, but really I should get my ski binding/boot canted (not the cuff, actually recanting the entire boot). Anyway, I drop one leg back on turns to the left, behind the other knee. I don't do it the other direction.

Do you have a URL to the race results? They are supposed to be posted on the Northern Division's site, but the race organizers haven't provided them to the webmaster.

All I know is that it is harder to unlearn bad habits than to learn it right the first time. I think it was in Ski Racing where they were saying that the upcoming skiers are better at "new school" racing technique than people like Bode who had to unlearn what they were taught years ago when they were skiing on straight skis, so that racers should be getting better in the next few years as they were all brought up on shaped skis. (HA, I bet by then there will be yet ANOTHER "new" technique going!) My opinion...do whatever works for you, but be open to suggestions. Listen, then ask WHAT EXACTLY is the benefit over the way you are doing it? Case in point -- my daughter and I, like many women, have a tendency to "A frame" (for the uninitiated, that means your shins look like this |\ while turning). My reaction, was "so what?" The reason I am told, is that A framing is not as STRONG in terms of pushing you down the slopes as parallel shins would be. It doesn't make a bit of difference for the average skier, but it makes a difference for racers, who want to push forward into the next turn. So, for me, I don't care that much, but for Siblet, it's a big deal. Pole plants (where you actually stick the thing in the snow) make little difference to racers these days, but they make a big difference in tough terrain. You get my drift.

He's listed as an Alpine Master, Alpine Coach, and Alpine Official on the USSA site. He's also just a few years younger than I am, so if he ever raced, it was 30 years or more ago. He doesn't have any races as a Master in the last few years, either. How'd you find out he was "released from employment"?

I was gonna list all the MSRT's I found on the web, but decided to skip it. Obviously, you have to be a NASTAR-aholic to have heard of this.

McCall Ski Racing Team? Are they special in some way compared to other race teams?

The season appears to be over. I am waiting to hear the status of a May race out at Mt. Hood.

Has anyone noticed that NO ONE has posted ANYTHING to the Camelback board since my response to skierforever back on Monday? Talk about dead and gone.......

Siblet is going the end of June.

Oops, just found something. Posting this to RideCB: In that FREESKIER forum, one post by someone named "Big_Mike" reads, "As much as racers try to deny it, the facts speak for themselves: racing is declining in popularity. It would not surprise me if the very statistics that [John] Meyer [of the Denver Post] cites regarding the increase in USSA membership are due to increased interest in snowboarding and freestyle programs." In fact, USSA's alpine youth program shows a four-year growth rate of 40 percent. Snowboarding took a big drop in membership last year. Furthermore, NASTAR's 12-and-under category is up over 30 percent in the last three years.

The problem is that, I don't have access to that info either and I have looked for it.

Sib responds, removing velvet gloves: No gloves

Hey, skimom, we're members of the country club set! Maybe I'd be a member if it wasn't for ski racing.... Skierforever on the topic of ski racing

Hard work and a good dose of insanity....

I don't think it's a problem. The bears are out, of course, right now. That's why the Forest Service has them close. The bears are pretty hungry at this point. In the summer there is plenty of hiking and usually you don't see them. Also in the summer, you can ride the main lift up or down.

We closed early this year. From mid-January to mid-March we had no snow and spring conditions. There was mud all over. So they announced they were closing March 27, whereas their contract with the Forest Service allowed them to be open until April 10. Naturally, as soon as they announced this, and started laying off employees, it started snowing, and has snowed easily 80% of the days since then. So, those who own snowmobiles or are real hard core can make their way to the top and ski down, but there are no lifts running, no ski patrol, no grooming.