The New New Way To Ski

Ski technique, at least the way that the top racers ski, is constantly changing.

I was fortunate to ski with some of the coaches at MMSC last weekend. They really know their stuff. Big thank-you's to James Karavich and Brennan McCleary!

Not only can these dudes absolutely rip, but they have broken down the technique of the top world cup racers and can explain it in english.

Thanks guys!

You can check them out at http://www.teammmsc.org/AlpineSkiRacing.asp

Charlie Aronovici

I had the pleasure of meeting ski patroller, Stowe resident, marketing guy, real estate pro, and all around nice guy Charlie Aronovici. He's hung up the city scene to live the dream in the mountains.

You can check him out here: http://stowepatrol.blogspot.com/

Gotta Love Spring Skiing!

Actual photo taken by my buddy through the glass at the Octagon at the top of Stowe this weekend...

Demo Day at Sunapee

I was lucky enough to catch a demo day yesterday at Mt Sunapee (thanks to the folks at Bob Skinner ski shop for hosting this awesome day).

I skied the:

2009 Nordica Dobermann SL (165 13m)
2009 Blizzard SLR Magnesium IQ (167 13.5m)
2009 Volkl Racetiger SL (165 13m)
2009 Blizzard GForce Sonic IQ (165 13m)
2009 Nordica Speedmachine Mach (170 15m)

For reference, I am on a 160 cm Atomic SL9 that I love - they make great high speed short and med radius turns and leave trenches on groomers. Good in trees and light pow too. I am 160 lb male.

My sense after demoing the above skis is that the new SL race skis all ski similarly - very smooth, very fast, and hold like there's no tomorrow (having brand new skis with factory tune doesn't hurt either!). Totally confidence inspiring. Took about 5 seconds each to find the sweet spot on any of them. Can bang out tight radius turns as well as let em run for nice GS turns at speed.

There are differences among the various SL skis, but they are much more subtle than I would have guessed.

For me, best of show was the Blizzard SLR, which was surprising, since I've never (ever) skied on Blizzards - I always liked Rossi and Dynastar, and now Atomics. The Blizzard SLR was very SMOOOOTH throughout the entire turn. Nice round turns, holds on anything, very predictable, yet quick and lively.

The Volkls want to go mach speed (good). They are the most dynamic - exiting the turns it's easy to get airborne, (which is alot of fun :-) ) , but just a bit different from the other skis. If I spent more time on these, I'd ease off on the turn completion and I'm sure I'd have no problem keeping them planted when I wanted to. But I'm guessing if you don't know how to ski slalom skis you're likely to end up in the trees on these. These are also VERY FAST :-) and stable.

The Nordica SLs were easiest to initiate, also a great ski, but did not seem as fast as the other two (this is really nitpicking because all three skis were awesome). As I said in the intro, the differences between the 3 slaloms were subtle. I would happily take any of them, but for me, the best ride was the Blizzards.

I did not like the Nordica Mach 1, maybe because I spent the entire day on slaloms, and this was a 15m ski. Perhaps if I took them on a wide open trail and took a bit more time getting used to them I might have liked them, but they were not quick enough for me.

And the Blizzard G-Force Sonic IQ were not really like the SLRs, surprisingly. I liked them least of the SLs. They were just not noteworthy compared with the other 3 SL Race skis. Not to say they're not good, but just tough for them to stand out in light of the other skis in the group.

Gas and lift ticket for a day trip to Sunapee? $100.

Testing next year's skis for free on a blue sky bluebird day? PRICELESS!

Jackson Hole Pic of the Day

My buddy is out in Jackson Hole this week and was kind enough to send me this picture he took of today's conditions.

Snorkel optional.

At least one, maybe two pair, thank you very much

So right on the heels of my last post, my ski buddy who has (only) one pair of skis, and 10 year old boots, who gives me grief over all the skis I drag up to the mountains for every trip, tells me he's bought new slalom skis (not just any slalom skis, but Stockli Laser SL's), is about to buy a new pair of boots, and is thinking about also buying a pair of mogul skis to round out the quiver!

Wow, seems like what I have is contagious. Either that or the marketers for the hard goods companies are doing something right.

How Many Pairs of Skis Does One Skier Need?

Let's see...

I have my Atomic SL9 slalom skis in a 160. Tons of fun on groomers and hardpack. Mounted with the Atomic Race bindings that slide 2 notches forward to make them quicker, and 2 notches back for bigger turns, overall pretty versatile, especially for skiing in the east.

Then I have a pair of Rossignol T-Power Vipers in a 150. Fun for bumps and trees, and perfect for sliding around when I'm skiing with my kids.

Then there are the Atomic Beta Ride 9.22 midfats. Pretty good for when I go out west. If it snows, they're fine, and if it's been a week or so since the last storm, they're pretty good for making GS turns on groomers.

Still, I feel incomplete. Maybe I need a Volkl Allstar or Tigershark 10 in a 168 for going mach speeds. Or maybe there really IS a one ski replacement for a ski quiver (have the ski marketers finally gotten to me???). Or maybe I should buy a fatter midfat (I still resist the FAT skis because I don't go to Alaska, and when it does dump I like to actually ski in it and make turns, and not just float on top at mach speeds. Hey, us east coasters like to make every turn count when we do see some pow).

Well, I keep searching, and thanks to the discount websites, I probably will just keep adding to the collection.

Suggestions welcome.