First Ski Trip: Got any hints for me?

[skycat 0]

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Save yourself for the sky.

The shit isn't even that fun when you're used to going 155+mph.

Then you aren't doing it right, it's a blast, and when you are screaming down the hill weaving between human pylons you know you are one with the snow.

Fly it like you stole it!

[rehmwa 2]

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but I never was able to get the smooth crisp turns on the skis. I always got ski clatter. Forget about mogals .

Loose boots

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[freeflir29 0]

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when you are screaming down the hill weaving between human pylons you know you are one with the snow.

I remember a particularly good run once. Don't remember where it was.....I'm thinking Northern Idaho. Silver Mountain maybe. It was almost getting dark. They were closing down some of the lifts already so we took what we could get. It was a relatively short run but as we got off the lift we discovered that one of the employees had recently left.......driving the grooming machine the most direct route back down. There was a single track of fresh courderoy(SP?) and no one else had been on it yet. The 3 of us HAD to be breaking 60-70 MPH.

[flyangel2 2]

I checked out the website, and I see that most of the snow is man made. That means it's going to be icy. No matter what you do, just be ready for hard hits on the snow.

You know, you had told me that you were going to come here for skiing/boarding. I guess Colorado just isn't good enough

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[turtlespeed 219]

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I checked out the website, and I see that most of the snow is man made. That means it's going to be icy. No matter what you do, just be ready for hard hits on the snow.

You know, you had told me that you were going to come here for skiing/boarding. I guess Colorado just isn't good enough

Maybe you should change your avatar

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[PLFKING 4]

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it's a blast, and when you are screaming down the hill weaving between human pylons you know you are one with the snow.

I haven't gotten good enough to become "one" with the snow.....I spend my time trying not to become "one" with the human pylons.

Don

"When in doubt I whip it out,
I got me a rock-and-roll band.
It's a free-for-all."

[bobsled92 0]

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I can stay up on those balance boards that are on cylinders forever (I only get off because my legs get tired), so I'm hoping that will translate to a snowboard pretty well. Wishful thinking, right?

I started skiing at age 3 and competed for years.
****Remember you are doing it to HAVE FUN***
With that in mind the rest will follow.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

[flyangel2 2]

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Maybe you should change your avatar

What, so you can be in there? Been there, done that

Andrea loves me

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[turtlespeed 219]

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Andrea loves me

Not enough to go to Colorado.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[jumprunner 0]

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The kids and I are taking our first ski trip over Spring Break. None of us have ever done anything in the snow other than walk in it and throw snowballs. Any good hints you have about anything would be greatly appreciated. We know nothing!

One question I do have is should we learn to ski or snowboard first? The kids are leaning towards snowboarding because that is the current cool thing to do. I want to do the thing that is easier to pick up and has a lesser chance of injury!

I used to downhill race when I was in the Army up in SLC, long time ago but I still remember a few things.
Here are a few pointers:

1. Keep your knees slightly bent (slightly) so when you go over a bump you dont wipe out. Also, dont lean forward, slightly backward.

2. Ski from side to side, not straight down the slope, otherwise youll go too fast and go out of control.

3. To turn, try to lift up the same foot, ie left turn, try to pick up your left foot and youll turn left. Note: that doesnt mean youll actually pick it up, it means try to pick it up.

4. To brake, same as a turn, but make a 90 degree turn quickly so the skis plow.

5. DONT EVER CROSS YOUR SKIS

6. Make sure your skiboots lock your legs in place, no freeplay in the skiboots or youll become unstable.

7. Dont ski on powder, you wont be able to maneuver and youll probably end up walking out of it.

8. If you approach a cliff at the end of the ski run...STOP!!! There was this cliff at Brighton, UT I kept flying over and wiping out at the bottom of...not fun.

[jumperconway 0]

1-get lessons first2-avoid moguls and trees!
3-muscle relaxers
4-Youkon Jack!

[skymama 37]

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I guess Colorado just isn't good enough

Once I looked into it, I couldn't afford the airfare for the three of us. I had to go someplace where we could drive to.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[skycat 0]

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it's a blast, and when you are screaming down the hill weaving between human pylons you know you are one with the snow.

I haven't gotten good enough to become "one" with the snow.....I spend my time trying not to become "one" with the human pylons.

Don

Normally what happens is I'm stopped because of a human road block and one of the pylons decides to hit me from behind.

btw...Mary I got Derek in a helmet last time we were up. Ofcourse it was a camera helmet.

Fly it like you stole it!

[davedlg 0]

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The shit isn't even that fun when you're used to going 155+mph.

Whuffo you strap boards to your feet and throw yourself down them snow covered hills??

[Tilion 0]

-Be prepared that your calfs are going to kill you at the end of the day, when you take your boots off. Apres-ski helps, imbibe your favorite drink ;).
-But don't make it too late. You might want to the first couple 'o days (after that you'll just be too tired ;)), but you will pay the price the next day.
-Nowadays it's all carve-ski's, they're easier to get the hang of than the straight ones. I don't know much about snowboards as I ski (since I was 4) myself. Tried it once but for me it was too much of a hassle to change.
-Eat food with lots of carbon hydrates like pasta's.
-Do a good warm up before you start, lots of stretching.
-Have fun

I went skiing not more than a couple of weeks ago, in Germany. Not very long slopes or high mountains, but it was more of a nice family trip. It had been a while since I'd skied, but the fun part is that when you master it, it's just like riding a bike. An hour on the slopes and you're right back into it.

[billvon 2,989]

>One question I do have is should we learn to ski or snowboard first?

I say ski, but that's just because a) I ski and b) I think it's easier to get in and out of skis and to control yourself in lift lines while learning.

> Any good hints you have about anything would be greatly appreciated. We know nothing!

1. Exercise. Squats are good. Otherwise you'll run out of strength very quickly.

2. Stretch before and after skiing to reduce pain the next day.

3. Get good skis and boots that fit well. The K2 line of "luv" women's skis are good first skis. Amy demoed some and hated them (she used to race; they were too slow and soft for her) but they were very easy to turn and manuever. The K2 'first luv' is a good beginner's parabolic ski. Parabolics, I think, make it easier to learn to ski due to their different dynamics - edging alone will turn you.

4. Drink a lot of water. Avoid coke/pepsi and the like.

>The kids are leaning towards snowboarding because that is the current
> cool thing to do.

Well, of course!

>I want to do the thing that is easier to pick up and has a lesser chance of injury!

It's been my observation that skiing is harder on your knees but snowboarding is harder on everything else, based purely on injuries seen on the slopes.

Side note - Amy and I are too used to skydivers. The last time we skied, twice we got out of our skis and went racing up the hill because someone wiped out, and when we asked them if they were OK they said "No!" What they really meant was that their thumb hurt or they were embarrassed and wanted some attention. Compare that to skydivers, when "are you hurt?" really means "do you have anything worse than a minor broken bone?"

[Amazon 7]

Uh best advice I can give... DO NOT FALL DOWNHILL

Always fall uphill

[Squeak 17]

my tip is kinda lame but what the hell

Don't break your leg it will really screw up you jumping

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[skycat 0]

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Side note - Amy and I are too used to skydivers. The last time we skied, twice we got out of our skis and went racing up the hill because someone wiped out, and when we asked them if they were OK they said "No!" What they really meant was that their thumb hurt or they were embarrassed and wanted some attention. Compare that to skydivers, when "are you hurt?" really means "do you have anything worse than a minor broken bone?"

That is to funny....

When I hurt my knee a few weeks ago snowboarding, Derek and I took off our boards and he was helping me limp to a protected spot so I wouldn't get hurt by another skiier/boarder comeing down the hill. A guy stops buy us and asks if we are are ok and need any help, we both at the same time said "We're fine, it's just my/her knee". I mean it's not like anything was broken. 15 minutes later I sucked it up and slowly rode the rest of the way down.

Fly it like you stole it!