Messages posted by : pavelski
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Dave Mac,
With humility I must confess that some of those errors were "sampled"! You know the definition of an expert! "It is someone who has done all the errors, thus knows how to avoid them NOW" Yes I still have a thigh scar from sandpapering on Spring snow while wearing shorts. I still have part of branch "inplanted" in my cheek. As far as wax...some time ago a "special" very soft silver wax was made by TOKO which all spring skiers had! It has disappeared for market! I use wipes ( not the infant wipes Dave) which have wax saturated in each wipe! Send me your email via PM and I will send you some picts of serious spring skiing in May! yes we still have snow in May if you know where to go! You are my kind of skier! |
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Haaaaa Spring skiing. The ultimate ski context. Freedom, sun and the shedding stage!
Yet many skiers make some basic important errors both technical and strategic at this time of the skiing cycle. Here are the most common errors. 1.Not respecting Nature Many skiers do not know how to read "mother nature"! How to understand her messages since we live in out made made city cocoon. You have to observe the subtle signs that nature provides since in Spring "changes" can occur very fast! It is that period between winter and summer when sudden storms appear from no where. Where the sun plays hide and seek with you! Where the snow has many personalities.Where your body has new needs. Ski with "wise" skier who can point out those danger signs, those traps that mother nature springs on us! 2.Having limited dress options. Many skiers think skiing=winter so buy thickest jacket, warmest vest, mitts, heavy underwear, polar level sweater, etc.... In spring those options may be dangerous to you! Too much heat retention is as bad as none! You see them, with heavy jackets opened all the way, mitts dangling from jacket hooks, ski pants rolled up above boots, helmets unstrapped! Sweat pourin down forehead It is called the "skiers sauna syndrome"! The final act is fainting due to too much heat! Smart skiers never decide what to wear three weeks before ski trip. They never decide what to wear three days before skiing! Smart skier look up lodge projections FOR THAT DAY then look into there options bag and dress accordingly! What are those options; -light wind pants with no insulation -light sweater or polar -sun glasses -light gloves like cycle gloves -wind shirts and shorts (over cycling pants) -solar cream and lip protection -lots of bottled water -lots of sucrose tablettes (and I am sure Ise, Ellsetine, Jan, Bandit etc...will find more options to add) 3.Skiing like you always skied in winter A small secret. Expert skiers "adapt" their skiing according to what mother nature gives them! Spring skiing to many is hard, difficult and just time to sit and tan! Why? Well those well rolled, carpeted even boulevards you ski on during the winter have made "lazy" skiers out of you! A small rear rotation and skis follow! A straight line downhill run makes you look good! A swing of the right arm makes the skis turn! Never try those moves in the Spring! The skiers who were practicing their effective ski technique, will now be rewarded! The skis will not allow harder snow, thicker snow, heavier snow dictate where skis go. In one day snow conditions can vary a great deal, and if you do not vary your skiing you will complain like 90% of skiers that snow is too sticky, not even etc etc.... Maybe mother nature is telling you to do your winter homework! 4.Start skiing at 11 AM. You had great party, slept in and now you get to ski runs at 11 AM! Worst time to start skiing since sun has warmed snow into "skier trap" mode! What you do not know about that famous "skier trap snow"! Over centuries mother nature through evolution has experimented with the perfect snow to "eat skiers"! It has to be attractive to skier to get them on slope, yet it has to be thick enough to in an instant break a large bone, tear a large muscle, even crack a skull! In short an instant kill, like done by a Preying Mantis! Fast death! The smart skiers come early so that they witness this snow transformation and can watch out for the kill zones! The poor neophyte "social skier" has no idea about kill zones and instant death until....... ( now you know why there are more ambulances parked at lodge) 5.This last error is perhaps to most dangerous since it goes beyond skiing. This last error often is repeated over and over again by the persons in skiing, in school, in marriage, at work! Its roots or origins are in our ego-centric attitudes! I am better than...I am best at....I can conquer all...I will dominate.... There is a great French saying which is used more and more. It is , "enfant roi" attitude! In spring skiing mother nature slowly reduces the margin of error and increases the danger level! This of course according to Darwinian Evolution theory is to "get rid of the weak skier species" so that next ski season only the smart strong wise skiers survive! How does nature do this? Well it uses this ego inflating attitude to lure skiers to do just one more very fast straight down run(and at bottom is a big soft heavy snow bank) It lures skier to just take that last 25 meter jump of that "soft soft snow cliff" It lures the skier to the woods where the melted snow has created tree holes! It lures skiers to ski over snow streams that swallow skiers in a second! It lures skiers to go higher and higher in the mountains without glasses (and of course goggles are off) until eyes are red and blindness sets in. It lures skiers to drink those 5 beers to quench thirst and then to try just one more run! So skiers you have the choice! Learn and be back next winter or think that you are better than nature, stronger that nature, faster than nature ! We will see! Off to Spring skiing for three weeks everyone,,,,see you ( well some of you) next winter! Respectfully, Pavel |
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With pleasure!
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Trencher,
Two pairs of fleece,,under!!! You have ruined the view! FIS rules are rules!!! You must NOT wear anything under a race suit!!! I am sure the women will now want a front view! |
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The two major magazines in North America are;
Skiing and SKI! It is the March issue of SKI! What is amazing is the content reflects all that Trencher has been saying! I actually phoned Ski magazine editor to see if indeed it was Trencher who wrote article! On my way to Utah Trencher,,I will stop by to ski with you! Pavel |
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Trencher is soon becoming famous! Read Ski Mag March issue since there is a great article about Trencher's technique! Seems Ski mag has been "monitoring" this chat site and offers great article!
Now I suggest we set up collection for Trencher so that next year he can go the the next "carving" competition! Now to really make this post controversial ,,,what does SKI mag do? On page 84 of same issue they give tips on using poles and I quote, " don't forget your poles are there for a reason"! So you see this pole discussion is all about what you want to do while skiing! It is personal choice! Still want to ski with you Trencher!!! |
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Iceghost,
Then one day get into your car and drive to Sunday River,,where you can try an Elan SL 165 cm. World Cup! Heaven!!! They are waiting for you! Pavel |
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I often have misgivings just before I post some "observations"! I hope skiers will understand that there is not a ounce/miligram of negativity towards women, men, husbands wifes, dogs, cats, etc....on my part!
I really do not wish to compare men / women in any contexts since that really is impossible! They are unique beings! Thank goodness! Now for those comments about video on thighs! I am learning to use this method and it is so interesting to see skier's reactions! I am now making a list of skier reactions to video cameras! A future interesting posting is coming!!!! Meanwhile back to my learning how to video tape while skiing! |
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