Thursday, March 15, 2007
Day 45 - Wednesday Mar. 14 - Practice Makes Better Than Before
I met Jer and Cody (new guy) at 7:00 this morning - although we didn't leave until some time after that because Jer thought he would take his sweet time. We went up to the site of the Powderkeg while listening to Ringside - Ringside on the drive. The three of us are planning on competing in the annual Powderkeg race this Saturday so we thought now would be a good chance for us to get out and practice. I put together my race setup last night and I was ready. I will be racing on Stacy's skis (Atomic Femme Fatale - 150 cm) with my Switchbacks on them. It is so light! All I can feel below my feet are the bindings - and that's not much! We were not sure where the bootpack begins so we just kind of guessed. I need to practice over the next couple of days attaching my skis to my pack without taking the pack off, so as to decrease down time. I feel like the majority of my time lost in last year's race was not in the racing itself, but in the transitions. I made a few comments about Cody taking the easy way out and skiing AT, but I don't think he thought it was very funny. I found only a few spots of difficulty using those little skis. I have to say that I was rather pleasantly surprised. We skinned across the PM ridge (all the while waiting for Jer) then skied down into Grizzly. I was most nervous about the ski down on these skis. I did not think that I was going to be able to make a good turn. Much to my surprise my turns were great as long as we were in the soft stuff. The skis were more difficult to handle on the hard pack, but that was to be expected. I think this race will be fun to do on these skis. Cody made some very boring turns as an AT skier, and Jer made some nice smooth turns, but with the occasional double pole plant. We took a look at the rest of the course and decided it wasn't worth trying to do it all today, because the snow would totally suck on the more Southerly aspects. We did not want to have to do that more than just on Saturday, so we made another lap up Patsy and made a few more turns then made our way back to the car. All morning I had been getting derogatory comments about my race skis from both Jer and Cody. As we were putting our gear into the car we began talking to a gentleman in the car next to us that was also racing in the Powderkeg. You guessed it. He, too, will be skiing on his girlfriend's skis. It is just the way to go. We listened to Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love for the drive home. It was a nice warm day. We got in some exercise. We got in some practice. We skied with someone new (even if he does ski AT). All in all it was a good morning and I feel like I am just a little more ready for the race this weekend.
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This is Cody the AT Skier. I feel it my obligation to post a few words in defence of my disipline. There are those of you out there that feel by dropping a knee you reach some sort of skier zen. You tote that freeing the heel is a more natural way of skiing. There is nothing natural about huge, stiff plastic boots, and burly cable bindings. Not that I dislike any of my dirty, knee-dropping hippy friends. I have just a found a more effective way of covering more groud. Less energy spent on each turn, means that much more touring. Yes, a telemark turn is more difficult than an alpine turn. But skiing blindfolded is more difficult that skiing with perfect vision. I'm not going to blindfold myself to creat more of a challenge, nor will I free my heel in order to not "take the easy way out" as Dustin stated it. If you feel the need to make your little tele turn I will be the last one to stop you. The fact of the matter is that you will be so far behind me on the skin track that I won't really care. For further information on why AT skiing is better that Tele skiing, please see race results for the Powederkeg 2007. Cody 2:16, Dustin and Jer... sometime after that.
ReplyDeleteThis is Cody, the AT skier. I know that this is mostly a televangilist blog. I feel it my responsibility to post a few words in defence of my disipline. There are those of you out there who feel that by skiing with a free heel, you acheive some kind of skier zen. You feel that the act of droping a knee takes you to some transedental paradice, where the beer flows like wine. You feel that the telemark turn is the most natural movement to be made in powder snow. The reality is that there is nothing natural about big plastic boots and heavy cable bindings. I chose to ski AT because I can cover more ground, more effectivly. I have not found a teleskier who can keep up with me turn for turn, lap for lap. The fact of the matter is that while your in your tele-bliss, I'm already half way up for my next lap. My disipline is smooth and efficient. Unless your on leathers and three-pins, I think the "natural" argument is unfounded. Wher're pretty much on the same gear, It's just that mine is lighter. Sure the telemark turn is more difficult than the alpine turn. It is also more difficult to ski blindfoled. Does that mean that skiing without a blindfold is taking the "easy way out" as Dustin says it. If I want a challenge, I just need to find more terrain, not a big clunky telemark set-up. For further information on why AT is better than tele see race results for Powderkeg 2007. Cody 2:16, Dutin and Jer... sometime after that.
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