Messages posted by : pavelski
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Mike,
There is something special to be in a ski resort with those ice castles melting in Narnia and all is quiet ,,except for the melting castles and soldiers. Many skiers avoid skiing Spring snow because it is so "sticky",,yet "virgin spring slopes" are millions of tiny ballbearings with no resistance! No drag! It is like skiing powder since you do not have to edge hard,,yet snow is very fast! I introduced my Narnia world to my friend from Romania and I could feel his desire to try the slopes! Unfortunately we were just hiking ( no room for skis and friend in convertible sports car)! That ski resort near you with "sugar" on top is still open and we are in May! One more trip to a "bowl" where there is still 10 feet of base then sailing, windsurfing and hiking in Narnia! |
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In Narnia land!
Contrary to rumors I am not in "imaginary worlds" ( I had enough of morphine, etc..for a life time)! I apologize for not participating on all those great chats you are all having,,but I am still skiing! Those who know me and know where I am know there is still great Narnia snow around! Off to see those diamonds underfoot! PS A skier man's ultimate dream! A convertible with the top down, Fischer skis sticking out and boots on passenger floor! In boot ( truck) drinks for day of skiing! Two sets of shorts and lots of sunscreen! Oh....yes great ski glasses! Freedom sun air!!! |
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Tony,
You will find a 'hungry" set of skiers since few ski mags and truly aimed at skiers. Rather they are marketing media for skis, resorts and retail products. Wish you luck and much "interest" in your project! Pavel |
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Skiing Narnia
Are you ready for a tale? Or perhaps it is not a tale but report of a strange skiing experience! You be the judge but all I can guarantee is that at the end of this story you will not be the same skier! You will wonder until the truth comes to you! First let me set the stage. For you to fully really grasp this “tale” you must; view the movie Narnia, you must also posses three attributes. You decide if you have these attributes , These attributes are; 1. skiing desire ( it will become clear to you why) 2. young of heart 3. faith in yourself and what you believe Let me start with this last item! Have you noticed that all great tales start with a portal, a door, window, a closet , a rabbit’s hole. A hidden “entrance” to another world, another dimension! All great tales are made of such “worlds”! There is such a portal (which you will soon discover) for skiers! To enter this skier’s portal you must understand and believe in Stephen Hawking’s “Brief History of Time” and his concept of gravitational singularity! So again if you are in doubt about these two concepts look them up and understand them! Hawking’s concepts are central to your trip! Faith comes in accepting his basic premise that there are “other” worlds, other dimensions! Just accept that all religions at one point rest of faith! Just accept that all great fairy tales are based on faith,,,to fly,,,,to love,,,to remain young,,,,to conquer! Allow me to convince you, with this tale that there is another ski world and I was there! A world that few have experienced and those who have will vouch on this tale! In the past the secret to this world was passed along to worthy skiers in an annual pilgrimage to visit Skier’s Narnia! This ritual is fast disappearing, so that is why I am “sharing” this secret with you! I am hoping some worthy skiers will gain the faith or question the existence of this world and see for themselves if it exists. Here is such a tale or perhaps to some an account into this other dimension called, “Skiing Narnia” Before we really start, go get some drinks and some cookies because once you start you will not be able to leave this screen! Go ahead,,,,I will not go away! Are you back! Comfy? Here we go on our trip! All good tales have a challenge, a goal to reach, a villain to fight and so also in this tale there is a struggle! It is this “struggle” that separates the “worthy” into the Skier’s Narnia from the superficial skiers . This struggle,,in Skiing Narnia is perhaps the most difficult since it is within yourself! That is where the first two attributes are essential; skiing desire and young heart! Of course faith in Skier’s Narnia will keep you on!!!! Let us see if you have what it takes to Ski Narnia! For you older skiers who have forgotten Narnia, it is a tale whereby some children enter, by chance, a strange winter world with many trials, conflicts and challenges! Central to this story is an ice castle! So it is with our skiing Narnia! What you must remember is that “wise” travellers to Skier’s Narnia know that the prize is always in the very top towers, high turrets hide the treasures within! Timing is everything! So it is with this tale since the portal to Narnia is only open for three weeks! It is the time when all skiers are “tired”, when nature changes and ice castles begin to melt! The court warriors who displayed their skills are gone! The courts with the jesters, music and audience are gone so what you have is an empty castle! This castle will very soon change! To many a sad scene,,but to the knowing traveller it is the sign that the skiing portal will be open soon! That was the sign that our “knowledgeable” skier was waiting for! Where once there was music and fanfare for all travellers,,now all there is are empty stalls, silent mechanical monsters and traces of much partying; empty bottles, food, bits of clothing, broken weapons, arrow like sharp points all around! Most people think that a portal gives you instantaneous change to another world or dimension! Just jump out of a window and fly, just open cabinet door and enter, just enter a rabbit’s hole, but in real life or at least in the Ski Narnia portal it takes a long time to “enter”! There is a reason for that. In skiing we are accustom to many sounds, to many feelings, to many challenges and if we in an instant did not have them,,,,it would prove to be disorienting! Troubling! So the portal into Skiing Narnia is gradual, slow and ever so pleasant! It is a step by step entrance going up and up! Soon time has no meaning ,,very much like Hawking’s predicted, that is time takes on another quality! As you enter into this portal you begin to notice very minute changes in your body and in the surrounding nature. Streams gurgling. Branches swaying causing bending moaning sounds like some old man that is waking with aching joints! Birds looking for mates,exploring the forest! Strangest of all,,,,,the air seems to have a new message. Where before it was cold and uninviting now it caresses you! It invites you to take off those bulky vests! As you enter more into this portal the snow that you thought you knew so well in the winter is also changing! Before your eyes you see this metamorphose from a hard tough coat of armour to now a layer of a thousand diamonds each changing as you walk! Listen,,,,shhhhh listen very very carefully,,,you can hear those diamonds changing! The traveller who does not realize he/she is within the portal and soon will reach Narnia ( after just another 2 hours) will turn back! He is not worthy of what Ski Narnia has to offer. He wants instant pleasure,,thus missing the greatest pleasure of all! Once through this portal a change has occurred that was so gradual and so imperceptible to the skier that it will mark him/her for life! The silence is overwhelming! The feeling of being alone, very much alone in this land where just a few weeks ago hundreds of warriors and maidens performed their “dance”! Now just silence! The castle is all yours! Every room is a discovery. Your steps echo’s as you rise to the towers! Then at the very top of the castle, that is fast melting you discover the skier’s treasure. Ahead is a blanket of a million diamonds that you can scoop up as you descend! Ahead is a cloud of soft petals that softly carries you down! As you past the reality barrier, time stands still! The turns and swops you make are repeated over and over! The sound is of soft moving diamonds that instantaneously change as you touch them with your edges! Soft sound! As you float on these diamonds you are not sure if you are skiing or flying since you fell the warm wind on your hair! You feel the wind on your bare legs. You smell the many Spring smells.Water,tree buds, flowers, earth good clean earth all mix into a potage of smells. The treasure you have found is with you for all your life. It will be with you through trials and tribulations! It will be your heaven that you can visit at will! You have discovered Skier’s Narnia! So in June if you pass along an old looking man who seems from another century and who walks with a youthful walk, look at his face! If he has a happy smile , a far away look and a parchment dark skin, then perhaps just be chance he may be that skier that visited Skier’s Nariño! |
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First Trencher,,is that your picture! If so great carve!!!
Your observations are very correct! Some plates are more for "look" that function! Of course the very best are VIST plates and this Italian company produces 80% of plates for other companies! In my opinion the "superior" plates all have at least two plates for front and back! The Rossis have three hinged units with a tuning option for each articulated section! very effective and very costly! The Fischers are also great plates since they allow great flex with slotted screws and a metal shank connecting rear and frint units! In the center are two springs which can be locked or allow to play free! Head has same system! Most skiers who ski "relaxed" techniques do not really feel the difference,,however in fast hard radical carving turns you really do feel the difference! Keep of carving Trencher! |
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Most if not all top level skis have some type of plates on which bindings are screwed on!
There are many types of plates and companies do all sorts of things to "reduce " ski weight! I have noticed in the passed two years that many plates are NOT solid rubber or plastic but rather "hollow" in some sections or thinner! After every day testing skis,,I always check screws by hand! I have noticed that many need some tightning after heavy use! In two cases the screws would not tighten! Seems the technician had used a drill and "stripped" threads ON PLASTIC!! Very dangerous!!!! We had to install heli-coils inserts in order to get firm grip! I then called some technicians who service world class racers and they all told me that all top level racers have heli-coil inserts! I do not expect you to insist on having helicoils put in ( since few people know how to do this),,however I am suggesting that if you ski hard,,,check binding screws every two weeks! It might save you an "accident" Ho....as Ise would say, "if you are not a certified technician" do not play with screws! However if you can handle a posidrive screwdriver and know what a tight screw feels like,,go ahead check them! I am sure you will find some loose! I always do!!! |
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The Fischer World Cup race plates on SL and GS skis are one of the very best on the market!
If you look carefully at these units they really are a marvel with three types of plastics and many "hinged" units allowing ski flex! Unlike the Atomic plates that have pre-determined screw holes indicated on plate surface,,he Fischer plates are one smooth surface! Thus you can place bindings anywhere on plate! WRONG!!! Let me tell you what I discovered! I had a new 2009 SL racing model and after every day of skiing I always check binding screws and bindings! I noticed that the front unit had a tiny space between ski binding and plate top! Normally it is supposed to be flush tight on plate! I took bindings off! Then took plate off ski! What I discovered gave me a chill!!! I could feel a shiver as I watched what the technicians had done! Under the plate,,Fischer has designed four very special; slotted screws which hold ski plate! These screws fit into a slot system thus allowing the ski to flex under very fast and extreme conditions! The heads of these screws are larger than normal in order to have great surface area! Once you place plate on top of these screws and move plate,,you never see screws! By chance the bindings were installed so that one of the binding screws touched the edge of one of those slotted retaining plate screws!!!!! As a result as you tightened the binding screw it would push unto the "other" screw head inside the plate and cause binding to rise!!!! On the plate there is no indication of a "danger zone"! On the manuals there is no indication of this potential problem! If you buy any racing World Cup Fischer skis, make sure the bindings are screwed away from these hidden internal screw heads! How is this done? Just look at plate from side! You can see where internal slotted screws are placed. Then place white tape on side of ski plate! This is now the danger zone where no screws should be drilled into! In fact binding screws should be drilled no closer that 5mm. from this zone! Hope this will avoid some nasty problems! Oh...as ISE would say, "if you are not qualified ski technician,,do not play around with plates" but do check the work do by technician! He /she might not be qualified also!!! You see those skis were installed by "qualified" technician or a robot! |
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Caron-a
It is official! Welcome to the club! Just today I was installing a 4 boot heater system for my son, (another of those A skiers) and what does he show me on his ski wall? A large poster of a child perhaps 3-4 years old fully equipment for skiing with goggles, gloves, ski boots etc but on beach with arms crossed! Father is in shorts making sand castle while lying down! Child is looking down at father with a frown! Title of poster? ARE YOUR CHILDREN TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!!!! In bold letters! Haaa!!! The burden we must carry because of our passion! |
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