J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by pavelski

TonyH,

You brought up an important point which needs discussion!
Line up behavior! If we agree that many skiers are in the sheep mentality,,it is up to ski resort to establish some basic rules and have people there to make sure respect them.
You as paying skier have great power to "motivate" such centers. Let me give you an example Tony!
I often have to evaluate ski resorts for tour operators or airlines! I note such behavior and lack of "control" by center! I write letters to center management and point out that simple signs and directions could help skiers have a "better" holiday!
In the case of the "waiting" skier at lift.center could have waiting zine! Seems simple!
Perhaps a small sign mentioning that you must find that "wonderful male or women" to go up with BEFORE lift! All single skiers pasted this point will be paired with; foul smelling, obnoxious, talkative etc etc, skier!

In many well run centers, there is a person who "visits" all the lifts and notes problems! Notice I mentioned "well run" You have the power NOT to come back and you should in a positive way mention this to center management! I have found them open for suggestions, especially if it means losing money!

There are some centers I will never ski, because of this poor "control"! There is a smal voice in my head that often says, "Pavel go ahead and post a list of centers that do not really care about the skier" I am now video taping such behavior so that the centers will not say after, " no no never in our center"!!!
It is not a national issue, such behavior occurs in France, Italy, USA, yes even in Austria! It is a ski center issue!

Now back to the famous wave!

Let me again show another wave/sheep issue and how you can "surf" the wave or let it overcome you!

I am skiing in a very fast lift with has T lines! That is there is one major line with two or three feeder perpendicular lines at the left and right!
All three feeder left lines are full of skiers at least 20 back! The right feeder lines?
No body! Why does no one just ski 10 meters to the right! Sheep mentality!

Now I am really going to sound OLD!
Some time ago,,it was the tradition to say, "SINGLE" several minutes before getting near lift! Rare is such calls hear now!

More dangerous that the lift issue is the END LIFT ISSUE! You all have seen it!
At end of lift at top,,,20 people all stopped 3 meters from lift discharge zone waiting for "friends"! Each new skier coming off lifts hits waiting skier until a HUGE HUGE monster of a skier arrives and hits all of them like bowling pins!

Solutions to all of this! (try it)
As you get to top, put on your "crazy face" starting shouting ( with wild desperate voice) BEGINNER BEGINNER OHHH OHHHH WHAT DO I DO!!!!! They will flee! They will part like the sea for Moses! Then like a bullet rush to that "seam" before they realize what has happened!
Warren Miller taught me that!!!!

Tony H,
Your comments on Fischers SL World Cup are right on! Just finished testing 5 racing SL skis!
Those Fischers and great! I had two pair; the SL World Cups available from ski shops on special oredr and the very new SL with hole at tip!!!
Never buy the hole versions! Only good for real,,,, I mean very real world class racers!!!
I predict that Fischer in the next 5 years will dominate elite racing since its skis are truly great! ( and this coming from a Atomic skier).
The GS true World Cup skis are also far above others! I could not get "up to speed" to truly get the performance level they were designed for,, so I was allowed to ski down one run ONCE (dammmmm) before skiers were allowed on slopes! The two ski patrollers could not keep up! At end of trial test,,,, they demanded that they also try them! Then I had to try to keep up with them with my Rossignol GS world Cups! Sorry Rossi,,,,just a small level under the performace quality of the Fischers!

You can not beat buying Fischer SL at 165!

Now the question is, "are you skier enough to tame them?"

Just back from my annual "field research" project on ski sins! This year I had a young graduate student with me, so that I could introduce him to this "skier observation technique" we use to collect sinful ski behavior!

I will have to pass some of the "observations" by the local site administrator since "we" do want to respect the "standards" of this site! Once we have permission to list these sins on this site, we will post them,,,,with of course a warning that it is only for adults or persons who wish to learn how to live in harmony with other skiers!

Stay tuned!

As always these are documented real skier sins and since many persons have questions some of the previous posted sins,,this year we have video taped the coming sins!!!!

Now Dave you understand why we need a video tape option or possibility on this site! I am sure this site will very soon rival Utube!!!

swskier.

May I add what Hirsty so well stated!
First what Hirsty mentionned about ' "the most important thing you can do to improve skiing,,is new boots" is so right! You are young and I am sure counting your money,,but do not sell yourself short by buying "less expensive boots" that may not help you!

First read a great deal about boots and pros and cons of types of boots! Know what flex index is! Know what volume feet you have NOT foot size! Know how much "foam" layer there is is the boots you buy! There is a direct correlation with foam layer thickness and "slipper" feeling, however as you get more performing boots,,,you want less foam due to compression layer effect!

Since you are thinking of fitting in resort remember the wave effect! What you do not know about this wave effect!!!!

It is perhaps the most import concept you must know in skiing!

In all skiing activities; be it traveling, eating, skiing, and yes ski boot buying ,,,you have the wave effect! Once you are aware of this effect you can use it to your advantage or it can just "swallow" you up!

Most skiers are like sheep! They gather together and move in formation in planes, restaurants, slopes, ski shops etc...

So if you are going to ski resort and want to buy boots there when the "wave of skiers" enters shop (15 minutes before lifts open) , you will not get good service!

The best strategy is to try all sorts of boots ( do not look at price) so that you will know what a good boot fits like! Then make reservation (yes reservation since great boot fitters are like physicians,,well perhaps even more important)! Have your fitting on a quiet "non-wave" period!

A typical fitting takes 1-2 hours!

Now back to this wave concept!
Ever notice that all skiers eat at 12! So smart skiers eat at 11:30!

Notice that most skiers ski in groups, like birds in flock to protect each other from the dreaded dangerous snowflakes, predator ice sharks, and giant leeks that hide in the moguls!
Observe this wave of humanity and ski between waves! You will have less bodies to watch!

Of course this applies to hotels! No one knows why and how ( some believe it is by scent, others by some biological clock) but like lemmings skiers appear at front desk all at same time! Confusion results!

Get to know the wave theory SWSKIER it will serve you much better in life than all the courses you took in biology!

PS. Wave theory is not taught to MBA students in reference to stock exchange behavior also!

I am with a neophyte skier who thought he had skied all his life and knew all about skiing!
I am realizing that he never knew the secret rituals done in the Spring!
I am now teaching him the many "things" older skiers taught me many years ago! This you can not get on internet, on Utubes, on TV!
When I get back from this "difficult" task of teaching him all the secret Spring rituals I will post most of them, however one I must post now since it might save some Spring skier's lives!

In the Spring when those snow banks start to melt, when the parking lots begins to show sand , mud and puddles of water there is one ritual all neophytes,tadpoles, gumers,beginers,,,,, call them what you want must do to show respect to the "older" skiers!

The tadpole must buy 2-4 Coronas! For you uninitiated this is ver special Mexican beer in which you introduce slivers of lime just before drinking!
Then you must find a very cold stream or snow bank! Introduce bottles into very cold medium at 6 AM and allow to "age" for several hours! Do not move! Do not stir!
Just allow mother nature do its work! Slowly into this bottle will seep spring memories, slowly into this bottle will seep the spring smells! Slowly into this bottle will seep that "melting wood smell"!No one knows how yet,,but slowly into this bottle will seep all the memories of the runs you did that day!

At 5 Pm when all the "others " are in the smelly, loud bar ,,,the tadpole goes and gets the beer out of the stream and presents it to the "older" skier as a sign of respect! Then the two bottles are touched at the neck and this binds the two skiers for life, since the memories of that ski day flow into your throat! The cold beer with its secret infusion of spring smell, memories and taste enters the body and brings you into another plane! Another dimension in which you both share until next year!
That quiet moment together with the Corona is a fitting ending to a perfect spring skiing day!
Show respect to nature, to skiing and introduce this ritual in your life! It will change you!

Just another post to warn all skiers about Spring Fever problem!!!

Just discovered that this "virus" springus extremus, which seems to have originated in the high alps many years ago has mutated into many forms all over the world!
I thought that it manifested itself due to old age and the onset of dementia,,,however seems it is now contagious!

Be very careful not to introduce this virus to unsuspecting skiers!!!!

I am with a older man who was sane and very conservative business man before the onset of his first "Spring Fever" attack! Without realising it I introduced him to that "seductive" sun, those virgin slopes, those 4 km. cords, that early morning smell!

Now he gets me up at 6AM "complaining" of a strange urge! He is now rushing me to the patroller hut! He is putting on his Snick cream at 6 am!

He has now reached the "critical" stage of the virus attack! Today he just bought a $500,000 second home on the slopes so that he can get rid of that urge! I do not have the heart to tell him that this Spring Fever "problem" is incurable!
The fresh air, the sun, the wind in the Spring have strange effects of skiers!
Do not fight it,,,come over to the warm side! Celebrate Spring!

Yes you want-to-be Spring fever skiers reading this at your work! Ellistine, Mike, Mark, Jan, Bandit, et all....... come feel the sun, the wind ! We now have a place to contaminated each other!

Sorry must go.....the sun calls,

Have to share this with the J2ski group ( but only if you promise to keep to yourself)!!!!!!

For some of you who know the "Spring ski Fever" problem here are some strategies to solve your frustrations!

What!!!!!!! most of you do not know about the famous Spring Ski Fever problem????!!!!!!

Let me clue you in.

It is 7 AM. Sun has risen and you are first in the parking lot. You smell the birch trees as the sun warms the bark! You can hear the streams flowing down with the melted snow! The slopes are all groomed,,,,but still two hours till lifts open for public!

What can you do to get up there and do that first run!!!

That is the Ski Fever Problem!

If you promise,,really promise not to tell anyone here is how how I got five days of skiing starting at 8 AM! That is one hour before public gets on hill!

1, See Director of Marketing and explain that you are shooting a video on ski center for local skiers in your area. Need those early morning sunrise shots! Those virgins slope runs, those groomed clean runs!

Up you yo go at 7 AM for tour!

2, See Head Ski Patroller. Present your competency card and offer services to OPEN SKI RUNS! Off you go with Patrollers to check if ski runs are safe at 7 am!

3. Pay that extra $10 to get on the early bird patrol! Up you go with 20 very sick Spring Fever skiers!

Seriously ,,,it is must for all skiers to get that first Spring run at least once in your life!
The silence is humbling!
The sun is "seductive"!
The forest has a scent that is unique and goes away by 10 AM.
The groomed slopes with even multiple grooves invites dangerous speeds and abandonment!
Freedom calls!

Do it!

The memory of that first run at 7 AM will last a lifetime!

bandit,
You lead a dangerous life! You have waved a "challenge" towards Trencher!!!

Careful! You do know he does not use poles!!! Something must be "helping" him keep his balance!

If you know anything about nature,,the cheetah uses his tail to counter-balance his fast quick moves when attacking and following prey! I have over the years analyzed Trencher's many pictures and determined ( after blowing up pictures) that he use the same technique!

That is why he is so fast and quick! No one can follow him!

Now if only we had a video of the skier cheetah Trencher........