Messages posted by : pavelski
|
Yes this is in the ski technique section and since ski techniques are not just physical responces on ski runs I am introducing this topic.
There are some behaviors that are just not acceptable,,even sinful. I am not talking about minor forgetfull sins here, but the well planned, well thought behaviours that clearly are not accepted by the skiing community. You can not plead innocent due to ignorance on these sins. I hope you were never guilty of these five skiing sins! 1.Some sins have local, regional flavors. This first one is known world wide as the "European sin"! ( yes I know I will start a major discussion here) We all have our personal space! That is the bubble around us in which we feel comfortable. Come too close and you "invade my space". In skiing we still have this space, but due to the skis it is extended. In Europe walking on skis, crossing over skis, stepping on ski tails is common! It is a major no, no to touch a persons skis while in line or while on slope! I often see persons walking over 4-6 skis in order to get across ski lift lines! Worst I have seen sinners ski over other skiers skis! No amount of praying will help. You know what you are doing is wrong, but still you pretend not to notice;comments, looks and swearing in at least 4 languages! Respect others, skiing is fun. You are on holiday relax, enjoy the experiance! 2.This second sin, we all have witnessed. It is based on some sinners needs to feel "better" than another. It is based on a sinner wanting to "laugh" at others! Secretly the sinner has not matered skiing ( pretends to be "good" skier)but wants to think that at least this beginner is "lower" than me! Here is the scene. Person comes first time to ski center. Lost yet excited to learn this new sport.What does sinner do? If really sick sinner, ( usually male) he takes this innocent lamb to the very top , to the most difficult run! Stupid and dangerous move! Laughing all the way to bottom the sinner shows how easy it is , (now you know why I said "sick") and beginner is marked for life, afraid of speed, afraid of ice,afraid to skiing under chair runs! It takes 5 years for beginner to accept the beauty of skiing. The grace and flowing motion of skiing. The freedom to fly while skiing! That is why this second sin is unpardonable. It is dangerous more for psychological reasons than for physical ones! 3. This third ski sin is so silly and counter productive it should never happen, but it does. Often I have wanted to stop some sinners while they were in the process and find out if it is due to stupidity or just the desire to "appear" different! I have read much research on skiing sins and have not yet found one reasonable cause of this beaviour! It might seem trivial, even perhaps a "minor ski sin" based on poor upbringing, poor role models, but it can have tragic results. Here is the context. Family has just spend $800 per skis and now are going to ski center. Of course they got up late and are rushing to get to ski hill ( at 10:30) first, because they heard that the best skiing done early! As they get to autobahn speeds, they wonder why cars are blinking their lights at them. They are wondering why people are pointing at them! Even small children are waving at them while laughting! Finally when the police force them to stop, they think that perhaps a serious sin has been done! If you are new in a sport, look, pick out skiers that seem to know what to do and watch. Learn the easy way to do things! Skis have a shape and this shape can act like a wing! Now take 4 pair of skis and place tips up and forward on a ski rack! Think!!! How come you are smiling! How come you instantly understand the context and the danger! Yet our ski sinner will drive 160 kms. and discover later that placing skis on car rack with tips forward may lift and ever tear off ski rack. Perhaps fly off and hit following car! I can not accept this sin as a "sin based on ignorance"!!! Look, learn and enjoy, but do not sin!!!!! 4. The fourth ski sin can be classified as a , "ignorance sin" if done once! If done twice doubt sets in and if done more than three times, then it is a very very major sin! Again perhaps lack of observational skills, or perhaps lack of social maturity may be the cause of this fourth sin. Let me set the stage! Popular large ski resort. beautiful day after 3 days of snow and everyone is out to ski! Lift lines are like "hunter ant colonies" stretching past base lodge, round to second ticket booth and down to parking lot. Waiting time is at least 45 munites! Tempers are short! Snow is waiting at top, but.... You get picture! After 45 minute wait you are next on the quad ski lift! Your heart beats faster as you think of the knee high snow, the secret runs you have found. As you step forward to get to quad,,,, the one person sits in middle and does not allow you to get on!!! A pause, a look at the attendant who is drinking his juice! Too late! Lift gone with one sinner on board!!! Groans from lift line! Sinner! Thou shalt not rise alone! No matter what social disease you have, you may not stop others! No matter what communication problems you have, thou shalt not reject others. The essence of skiing is not only sliding down a ski run, it is the meeting of "different"people, with strange ideologies that you can discuss in 3-5 minutes. You can solve the world's problem with four people on the lift. Why limit yourself! Shame!!! 5. I have kept the most serious sin last because it is shocking. I did not want you to stop reading this text at one sin! Some social ski social scientists suggest that the sinners that do this sin are not reall skiers. Rather they are frustrated family ski drivers! Video analysis indicates that this is a sin undertaken by both sexes but most alarming it is done in fron of the children!!! Here is the context. Most ski resorts have a "pick up area" where drivers can drop off skiers and skis in the morning and pick up skiers at end of day. Typically it is in the front of ski lodge and allows 2-5 cars to remain for 5 minutes. It is clearly indicated and a sign clearly indicates a 5 minute grace period! I see that smile again on your face! I can see that you are aware of the sin!!!! Yes there are still some sinners ( I will not say skiers, because true skiers do not do such sins) who will "temporarily" park in this zone and come bacl at 5 PM. A sin of ignorance! No A sin of pleasure! No I say a sin,, no THE skiing sin that should not be tolerated! Let me tell you sinners of number 5 what might happen to you if..... Last year a rugby team was skiing at a ski center and yes sin was 5 clearly happening! It also caused the team bus to be blocked, thus they could not leave parking! No problem. The 30 rather fit rugby players, lifted the sinners car, placed sleds under each wheel and pushed the car to an undisclosed location where it was covered with snow! Everyone witnessed this and clapped! I had to stay to see the sinners face and heard his/her story! 45 minutes later a sinner shows up. looks around and begins to shout, "my car, my car, stolen" It took 2 hours to find car ( no one remembered where car was), another 45 minutes to get tow truck! The best was watching the wife and kids trying to hide while man was explaining how he was parked for 5 minutes!!!! Hope you enjoyed knowing the above sins. Hope you have never ski sinned yourself. Let us enjoy skiing and keep our sinful behaviours at home! Cheers |
|
|
The goals of plates ( still used in WC racing) is to eliminate vibrations from ski to boots and finally the skier. The new plates integrated in ski bindings have two elements to accomplish this; the screws have a longitudinal play insert and there is an internal "soft" layer!
That 'small" play is what I try to eliminate!Small play becomes more and more pronounced very much like the steering linkage in car! The negative customer responce to Metrons was the weight due to widder ski but also the new bindings! That is why the NEOX units were introduced! There were issues of pre-release on some previous units! Trencher, have you noticed the side loops on the arm of the rear units! Great addition for you guys skiing in powder! I installed permanent powder leashes on my Sugar Daddys via these loops! |
|
|
My experience has been that anything in ski resorts from food to service to ski shops is at least 20% more expensive than regular sli shops in town.
Why take chance and buy boots just before your holiday! The internet is a wonderful medium to "compare" prices! Try it! However,,, never,, buy never buy boots just because of price. You must try for at least 60 minutes boots from various companies WITH THE SOCKS YOU WILL USE TO SKI! Sorry for large letters but very important! I still see skiers trying boots on with street socks or thick woolen socks! Did you know that feet get larger in evening than in morning! So shop around 4-6 PM" Read about flex index, cuff adjustment,shell mold and very very important foam type and thickness! Salomon and Rossignol have heat-memory foam which you will discover is great! All boots are good, however boots for you,,,well only you can tell if boots fits you! Notice that there are no rear entry boots on market so do not buy such boots regardless of price! Notice that all boots have power straps. Notice all boots have micro-adjustments. Modern ski boots do not have to be broken in.They fit like slippers or they do not! As a general rule do not buy "racing" boots. The trend is in "soft flex" (index in the 80-90 range for men) Now if you are in the 28-28.5 volume range and you want great boots try the Atomic T9 series! Have a pair new for you if you can answer my quizz on this site. Now this is only for you!!!! The secret is in the boot mold! Some are narrow, some wide! You try all companies until one fits you,, voila!!!!!! Good luck |
|
|
Bryan read title again! Ask friends about net social norms about capital letters!
A repected skier is a quiet skier! |
|
|
5 is an easy number to remember! If too much information is given at one time it interfers with thought processes.
I am not numerologist or "dream" in 5's I just like to be consistant! As far as rails....plate system is one of the basis for vibration control. The rails are introduced for two reasons; 1. Ease of installement. The ski tech world is made up of skiers that find the money for skiing by working in shops. Personnel change often and many techs. have minimal training.We have had some legal problems with units that were not placed correctly so..... 2, The second reason is based on the profit margin. Ski companies want you to "buy in" to brand loyalty. Fischer skis, Fischer boots and Fischer bindings! Having rails that just fits "their" bindings makes skiers buy their units! Visited some ski shops to see if my skis were the only ones with "moving" bindings. 7 out of 10 skis had same symptom! Let us keep track and see if after 3 years the "freeplay" increases! As far as relative position of ski boots to ski, it depends on where you ski, how you ski and ski geometry! My powder skis are all dead center to running surface of base. I never use the reference mark as only indicator! My Atomic SL12 are ever so forward since they are already very sensitive to edge sets. The Metrons are set much more forward! The beauty with modern skis is that you can experiment! Hope this clears the issue! Think snow! |
|
|
Darko read last string in hands, It will help you!
|
|
|
Seems no one wants to try the quizz so let us "motivate" them!
I will give, yes give a free pair of ski bindings ( Atomic NEOX ) to the first person that gets at least 4 of the five tangible, observable clues of a pro skier. Clues to me are,,,,,, any manifestations ( as presented above ), behaviors but more importantly "objects" this skier has on him or her! |
|
|
Read your last message and I hope to inspire you NOT to wait until snow comes to "try" and train your hands!
All ski racers ( from regional to World Cup level) use a very simple apparatus which you can get at any hospital, physiotherapy center or ski racing center. It is a plywood platform 50x50 cm. Under this platform is a centered half moon made of wood or very hard rubber! You place feet ( shoulder width) on platform and hands parallel to floor! Try this in fron of full length mirror! Once you think you are good ( at least 30 minutes on form) then get a half full glass of water, serving tray ( from any cafeteria). Now get on platform and hold glass steady! You owe me one beer every time you spill glass! If you can do this for 30 minutes I will pay you a case of beer or give you free ski lessons for one whole day!! ( really) Now when the snow does come, your hands will be in the right position but better still,, you will have "conditioned" those tiny ski muscles around knees that always hurt the first day! Cheers! |
|