Carving Cup

[Ski]

If you get Ski Mag, check out the feature on the Carving Cup....if you don't, it might be worth the cover price. I had noticed Reliableracing was selling the 'gates' in their Hill Supply site, but I didn't really pay attention until someone sent me a YouTube video link a couple of months ago. Anyway, here are a few links to the sport:

 

Official Site

 

 

 

[Glenn]

I can't watch the videos and the "press" and "archives" section of the official site are broken. It looks like they are running on padded gates with no poles. Am I missing something. Whats the gist of this and how is it more like regular skiing than normal gate bashing?

 

Also, just thought I'd get a jab in and say Ski mag is lame.

[Ski]

I can't watch the videos and the "press" and "archives" section of the official site are broken. It looks like they are running on padded gates with no poles. Am I missing something. Whats the gist of this and how is it more like regular skiing than normal gate bashing?

 

Also, just thought I'd get a jab in and say Ski mag is lame.

 

Ski Mag has become just about the most useless advertising rag in the ski industry, BUT every once in a while there's a great story. Paul Hocheman (sp?) did a feature about skiing at Vail the day after it closed with WC downhill skis, was one. And a former World Cup racer working for ESPN joined a beer league in Massachusetts for another cool story. That's two good stories that come to mind in the last five years. I get comp issues because they send them to NASTAR entrants, I believe.

 

The Carving Cup's mission statement is to bring a type of racing that is much closer to what normal humans do. Speed suits aren't allowed and courses are generally set on blue squares. A typical course has 21 or so gates---actually 21 rows of three different color padded round pillows, where you get more points for carving around the furthest one. Then your speed is calculated into it. Carve the most radically wide course at a fast time and you win. Racers don't use poles and ski lengths and sidecuts are pretty much for slalom. As a matter of fact, a lot of ex-WC slalom racers are on this tour. Some courses have ledge drops off the fall line and banked turns, all meant to trick the skier.

 

It's big in Europe because carving is so much more important to them. The typical Euro skier doesn't share the American affinity for powder days. Not saying there aren't powderhounds in Europe, but great carvers are held in a higher esteem.

 

For regular racing, giant slalom is the closest discipline to recreational skiing. Carving Cup racing takes out the speed suits and the gates and reduces the athletic maneuver to your body's alignment over your skis. I suppose I can speak to this because I gave up my GS skis this year and have freeskied and raced every day on 155cm and 157cm slalom skis. It's pretty amazing to lean over and brush the snow with your hand at 40mph. This is a relatively new discipline that I hope finds a place in the US. It's sure is a lot cheaper for the ski areas and skiers to participate.

[Papasteeze]

Also, just thought I'd get a jab in and say Ski mag is lame.

 

 

Ski Mag has become just about the most useless advertising rag in the ski industry,

 

I quickly picked up Feb issue this morning and scanned through it. I like the magazine, it seems to be more in touch with the average recreational skier. Why don't you guys like it?

[toast21602]

I quickly picked up Feb issue this morning and scanned through it. I like the magazine, it seems to be more in touch with the average recreational skier. Why don't you guys like it?

 

i like SKIING much better.

[Ski]

I quickly picked up Feb issue this morning and scanned through it. I like the magazine, it seems to be more in touch with the average recreational skier. Why don't you guys like it?

 

How to pack for a ski trip.

Look at our $4,000,000 slopeside second home.

Why this BMW is better than that BMW.

Endless brochure articles on skiing at over-priced Euro destinations.

Warren Miller fan? Great. The back page essays are 10 year old repeats. Repeats from Ski Mag.

Get in shape doing leg stretches. Get in shape doing squats.

How to turn. How not to turn. How to turn better.

 

 

Ski Mag belongs in the back pouch of a first class airline seat where people who almost never ski can relax and read on their way to St. Moritz, where they will mostly dine out instead of ski.

[Glenn]

I guess mostly because I'm not the average recreational skier.

[Papasteeze]

There was an article about keeping the fun in skiing that I really enjoyed reading in the Feb issue. Maybe I just keyed on that and skipped over the rest.

 

There lots of good points (i thought) that would make for great topics here.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Papasteeze

[Ski]

There was an article about keeping the fun in skiing that I really enjoyed reading in the Feb issue. Maybe I just keyed on that and skipped over the rest.

There lots of good points (i thought) that would make for great topics here.

 

How to keep the fun in skiing, according to Ski Mag:

 

demo skis

ski a top to bottom run

learn to carve a turn

take a lesson

unbuckle your boots

do a hop turn

ski under a chairlift

count objects you pass

teach someone to ski

ski in snow

 

I just saved everyone $4.99.

[Papasteeze]

How to keep the fun in skiing, according to Ski Mag:

 

demo skis

ski a top to bottom run

learn to carve a turn

take a lesson

unbuckle your boots

do a hop turn

ski under a chairlift

count objects you pass

teach someone to ski

ski in snow

 

I just saved everyone $4.99.

 

how much for the tip you forgot. fruedian forgetfulness?

 

 

I picked that mag up again at lunch - I like the short articles on one page or two. Article about kids. yeah, beginnerish for sure, but it was easy and fun reading for the most part.....

 

Then again, I like all things about the snow.

[NJSkiFamily]

I subscribe to SKI magazine. It kind of reminds me of the USA Today newspaper style of article writing - kind of scratch at the surface of things without really going in depth. So I tend to skim the articles rather than read them.

 

I usually find one article that I find interesting.

 

But I, too, hate the constant articles on somebody's multi million dollar dream house that is always located out west. Why should I care about somebody else's home.

 

I enjoy the gear guide issue and the issue where they rank all the resorts.

 

I'd really like to see them do more indepth reviews of the different resorts.

 

Getting back to carving ski racing.....that looks very very interesting. I looked at the videos and it was hard to tell based on the camera angle but the distance from one set of pillow to the next looked very close - boy, you mis-time a turn and you miss those pillows completely.

 

On the plus side - no gates to hook a ski tip.

[Ski]

I enjoy the gear guide issue and the issue where they rank all the resorts.

Yes, the best general gear guide available. The one issue worth the entire annual subscription fee, to be fair to the mag.

 

I'd really like to see them do more indepth reviews of the different resorts.

 

Getting back to carving ski racing.....that looks very very interesting. I looked at the videos and it was hard to tell based on the camera angle but the distance from one set of pillow to the next looked very close - boy, you mis-time a turn and you miss those pillows completely.

 

I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm guessing they are set to 11 to 13 meters to match the skis, but the minimum by rule is 5 meters.

 

On the plus side - no gates to hook a ski tip.

Absolutely. Even better are the brush gates that some ski areas set up for guests to run for free. You can ski right over the top of them and there's very little maintenance required. It's an old argument, but imagine if park skiers had to pay $5 for two runs, or $10 to $15 every day to take unlimited runs (above and beyond the lift ticket price)?

[Glenn]

How to keep the fun in skiing, according to Ski Mag:

 

demo skis

ski a top to bottom run

learn to carve a turn

take a lesson

unbuckle your boots

do a hop turn

ski under a chairlift

count objects you pass

teach someone to ski

ski in snow

 

I just saved everyone $4.99.

 

And now how to make skiing fun for people who have been doing it for more than 2 seasons...

 

Go with friends.

Make friends.

Try to pick up girls.

Pick up girls.

Poach the hot tubs.

Tell gapers rediculous stories, and make them believe it.

Realize you are were/are a gaper too.

Notice nature.

Ride open to close.

Take a day off.

Straight line everything you can.

Draft ski bladers on the flats.

Stroke a ski patrollers ego.

Start conversations with lifties.

[nick malozzi]

And now how to make skiing fun for people who have been doing it for more than 2 seasons...

 

Go with friends.

Make friends.

Try to pick up girls.

Pick up girls.

Poach the hot tubs.

Tell gapers rediculous stories, and make them believe it.

Realize you are were/are a gaper too.

Notice nature.

Ride open to close.

Take a day off.

Straight line everything you can.

Draft ski bladers on the flats.

Stroke a ski patrollers ego.

Start conversations with lifties.

 

"Damn girl, you're not that hot, you could at least say hi!" haha good times.

 

Once a gaper, always a gaper. I just can't seem to get into the steezed out attire. Although I am thinking about this bad boy:

 

always a good call

[Ski]

Ha, your mag would be far superior, especially if you add the occasional semi-clothed centerfold of said picked-up girls, Glenn...