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Am I doing it right?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am worried......seriously worried.....and need some advise from the revered snowHead 's panel

I ski, and I have skied for some 20 seasons. I like to think I am quite competent at skiing, having brushed up my technique by spending 3 seasons as a Saissonaire some years back, and I continue to ski 3 or 4 weeks annually (or more if work/finances/wife allows.) I am also competent off piste, and have also heli-skied, ski toured and climbed. I can even operate a set of pieps, know first aid, and can even ski happily past snow boarders without crashing into the side of the piste muttering to myself and then griping on about it all night over dinner....(should be banned, no respect etc etc.)

I own 2 pairs of boots, one a recent purchase from the last boot clinic to replace a 7 year old pair, the other a 6 year old pair of Scarpas for the occasional hike up some godforsaken hill somewhere (very rarely used these days) and 2 pairs of skis. These consist of a 3 year old pair of yellow ones, purchased at discount on a ski trip to the US of A, the other a gift from a mate who happens to work in a related industry.

My jacket is a 4 year old shell, my salopettes are at least 8 years old, with a pair of emergency back up trousers (exchanged for beer from a chap who had was thirsty), and the rest of my kit is probably not considered de riguer. The newest additions to my bag were a new pair of gloves last season, as the duct tape on my old pair meant that my thumb would stick to my poles if it was too hot....

Given the endless threads about people purchasing new ski's for their quiver, or the latest hi-tec gear, or endless lists of nik-wax outlets in the South East, should I be concerned about my threadbare approach to the pleasures of our mountainous hobby, or should I let my own unique style do the talking? Anyone else out there who doesn't see the need to upgrade to this seasons colours or top sheet graphics?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Guvnor, Yeeeaaaayyy - that's what I've been trying to say, only much less entertainingly, on the other thread! Laughing Laughing
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Your kit should enable you to do what you want to do on the hill, and as a secondary factor you can choose stuff on the basis of what you think looks good. If your kit allows you to do everything you want to do, and you are happy with it's appearance why buy anything new?
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Hurtle, I am thinking a spin off forum....or a change of name on here to ShoppingHeads Twisted Evil
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar, More justifying aka protesting too much? wink wink
Guvnor, Laughing
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Hurtle, damn, I've been rumbled!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Guvnor, I've said this before, but it bears repetition.

Sorry, but you just don't get it.

Through a sad quirk of nature we, mostly, live on a flat island with few real hills and little snow. Yet we feel an affinity to the mountains and to sliding down them.

As we are unable to do this as often as we would like, we take solace in retail therapy and sad internet forums. We don't need new kit - but we wants it.

For gods sake, get with the programme!
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 brian
brian
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Mosha Marc, it's only flat at one end wink
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Quote:

I can even operate a set of pieps

What's one of those?
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brian, flatter. There may be little pointy bits at the other end, but sadly they're rarely seen in their winter plumage. Sad
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Guvnor, Err, doesn't your kit wear out? My ski profile wasn't very different from yours when I lived in the UK (although I maybe managed 40-60 days a year...)

In 5 years I have worn through (or had stolen!) - (roughly) -

- 2 pairs of skis
- 2 pair of boots
- 5 pairs of gloves
- 2 sets of goggles
- 2 pairs of sunglasses
- 2 pairs trousers
- 2 softshells
- 1 previously cherished catsuit
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
David Murdoch, Yes, of course it wears out....this relates to my current stash, I naturally have prior ownership of other gear.....but 3-4 weeks a year does not require new boots, skis, poles, jackets, gloves, thermals, helmets, chalets etc every time Slush 'n Rubble send out their catalogue, or randomskiclearancesale.at, whatabargain.de or even damntheyregonnagogreatwithmyseventeenthjacket.com have a sale....
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Scruff !!


(said Mr Kettle to Mr Pot)
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Frosty the Snowman, wink
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
David Murdoch, What are you doing to your kit ?

I have no need to buy anything this season.

Boots 7yo
SL skis 5yo
GS skis 6yo
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
You should definatly ski and equip your self based on your needs/desires and not by trends.

If your jacket and/or pants are working then why change em? If they rip or start letting moisture though change em... its not harder then that... if you see a new jacket that you really like and wana get it... get it..

Same with skis... the skis you have work well? well ride em.. if you feel you want to focus on a nother type of sking (more trees, more hiking or more grommers then before) and want a pair of ski that can make your life easier.. get a new pair of skis..

Bottom line do what you feel like do what you want as long as you make your own decissions and not based on trends then you got my respect...

One thing I laugh at though is when I see people having matching outfits, skis, bindings, boots, poles, helmets and gloves all from this years collection of top brands and then cant ski worth poo-poo...

Ive had the "pleasure" of meeting such a person in Salt Lake one year. He bragged about how well he knew the places, how many times he had skied Snowbird and alta... bla bla bla...

Then he comes to the mountain with his totally brand new everything and everything in grey black and little red matching perfectly looking like a freekin atomic team rider. I tell my friends guys that dude cant ski. We decide to meet up for lunch. They never show up and we laugh that he couldnt do the single diamond run down to this lodge. Ends up beeing true the other group had to take lunch at the other lodge because he couldnt get to this side of the mountain. Such a looser.

Ive seen alot of these "bratt wanabees" in Hemsedal. Matching their J.Lindeberg outfits with jibber skis and not beeing able to get of a lift. Funny.

Be what you are, ski what you want, how you want in what ever gear you want and enjoy your self. Dont pretend to be something other then your self. Respect.

Tex
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mosha Marc,

Really - H11lly managed some 80 days skiing on the pointy bits at this end of the country this last season. I've managed to ski on average 16days each season since I moved here 10 years ago and thats mainly skiing weekends when I'm not skiing abroad. Have a look at some of the photos here:
http://www.winterhighland.info/2006/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=336 Cairngorm March this year
http://www.winterhighland.info/2006/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=330,1,1 Nevis March this year
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
TexMurphy, I'm with you all the way.....but then I also enjoy doing business with the loser in the bar by exchanging his gear for a couple of beers.... Twisted Evil
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The wierdest deal on equip Ive done was at Canyon Sports in SLC.

I broke one pole and thought "Ill just rent one till I find a pair on sale". So I rent 1 pole... they look strangely at me... but I was on a tight budget and didnt really have the cash for new poles and I didnt want carbon poles anyways so I go back to the store... "Hi how much for this one rental pole".... they didnt belive me that I wanted to buy it...

Still use it and the other pole from the original pair... they are about 1-2cm differnet lenghts... Wink

Tex
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Dave, I'm not actually being too serious in these posts y'know. snowHead

But on a more "Motty"point. If you were to retire to, say, Avimore and stay put all year. How many days skiing would you get in per season?
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Guvnor, true

rjs, ?? using it? Previous 9Xs used for almost everything including a days' heliskiing - broke after about 90 days. One of those, "that looks like a nice bump to grab some air off - oh no! it's a boulder - Park & Fly" moments.

Current 9Xs have done about 140 snow days (3 years) and are very tired. Not to mention that the edges are kind of thin - they get serviced about every 7-10 days.

Boots bought 2001, first liners replaced after about 120 when they packed down and the smell got too bad. Current liners have packed down too. Shells are about 220-240 days old - so probably not worth re-lining. Anyway, I want something a little stiffer (Diablo Race pros perhaps Twisted Evil ).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
David Murdoch, My skis get serviced every day, I just don't take very much off the edges.

Current race liners don't pack out. They are also designed to be easy to take out of the shell, so they get well aired. Mine have well over 400 days use on them, the shells are still fine too. You don't get this kind of liner in the Diablo Race Pro though, you would need to look for the Race R if you must have an orange boot.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
pam w, avalanche transceiver AKA beacon
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Does it matter.. ? it has to do the job 1st and foremost,
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rjs, Ahhh, my skis get machine serviced which I suspect is harsher on them.

Interesting re boots. Second liners are conformable foamed ones. First ones were standard tecnica in whatever the non race but reasonably stiff boot is. Liners do generally get well aired but I have particularly odiferous feet - use of febreze and other products helps but not that much. I quite like orange... The boot decision will be taken in conjunction with one of the zookeepers I suspect.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Guvnor,

basically you're just pointing out that we live in a consumerist society - shopping as leisure. It's quite understandable because a) gear is nice b) gives you something to do when you can't ski. But is it necessary? Of course not.

Lots of research shows that things dont make people happy, experiences do - implication is in a choice between
a) sneaking of for an extra weekend of skiing or
b) buying a extra pair of skis for your quiver

a) is likely to give you more lasting pleasure (the memories of a good day on the hill last longer than the thrill of buying some sexy new kit).

If you dont feel the need for new kit then you shouldnt be buying it.

I did my first hut to hut ski tour last season and I took great pleasure in using my climbing gear that has been gathering dust in the garage for the last 10 years.

Cheers,

J
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Guvnor, I like your attitude Very Happy

Personally I do buy new items of kit most seasons but I mainly do it because I need the item, sometimes because it's worn out and sometimes because something better for the job is available. However, most of what I get is from the end of season sales, I see no reason to buy stuff simply because it's supposedly fashionable.

Although, of course, that doesn't stop me looking incredibly cool and 'steezy' on the slopes Wink
Mosha Marc wrote:
brian, flatter. There may be little pointy bits at the other end, but sadly they're rarely seen in their winter plumage. Sad

Oh dear, here we go yet again! Shocked rolling eyes

I understand the POV of people in the South of England when they say that it's more convenient and easier to head to the Alps than Scotland, I'm in Bristol and in a similar situation although I manage to get up there when I can (yup I manage to head north of Watford with alarming frequency sometimes Shocked ) but I do understand that many from the south and Midlands find the Alps easier and prefer the predictability of the conditions etc. However what I don't understand is the seemingly willful desire on the part of some round here to ignore and frankly misrepresent a part of the country that is very, very different to the flatlands they live in - is it jealousy or something else... I dunno.

Mosha Marc, please note the posts by brian and Dave Horsley, particularly the links in the latter post. Whilst you're over on Winterhighland you might also like to take a general look round the galleries and reports and then come back here and acknowledge that those "little pointy bits at the other end" are in fact "seen in their winter plumage" rather more than you suggest (hardly surprising given the Cairngorm Plateau is sub-arctic tundra - not bad for a "little pointy bit"!!!!).

Think on this as well, I skied on Cairngorm on the 9th of December last year, the mountain had opened for the season a couple of weeks earlier in late November. The season continued, with the odd closure for high winds (and stock taking rolling eyes ) into mid April (around the 14th/15th IIRC), rather better I think than many low level resorts in the Alps. The previous season the mountain was open until the 7th of May, when I skied there on the last two days of the season (as well as some days in March).

Apologies Guvnor for most of this post being off topic but there comes a point when people have to have a few clear facts waved at them when something is continually, and IMHO unfairly, misrepresented and ignored.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:

Guvnor, I like your attitude


Me too! Every pound spent on gear is a pound less to spend on trips, and I ain't got as many £££'s as I'd like! snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Awwww................why did I have to trip over and read this thread - today of all days. I didn't absolutley need my skis, but I did really fancy owning some does that make me a sad individual with more money than sense. Puzzled







It still feels good though Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Megamum wrote:
......It still feels good though Toofy Grin Toofy Grin

Yep, it sure does. You are now are fully certified gearHead Cool
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
spyderjon wrote:
Megamum wrote:
......It still feels good though Toofy Grin Toofy Grin

Yep, it sure does. You are now are fully certified gearHead Cool


Coming from the guy who flips kit faster than almost anyone else here AFAIK I think this is a compliment wink
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
OK Roga, to quote meself

Mosha Marc wrote:
But on a more "Motty"point. If you were to retire to, say, Avimore and stay put all year. How many days skiing would you get in per season?


Waddaya think?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Megamum, these guys are talking about buying skis when they've already got skis! You had no skis at all, so have nothing to reproach yourself with. I still always use a pair of goggles I bought half price (at £30 though!) in Go Sport more than ten years ago but I did just buy my third pair of skis... I also have short skis, blades and a snowboard. But I lend them to people who visit our apartment so they do get well used. By the way, do you need a bag for your new skis? I think I've got a spare one hanging around somewhere. We rarely use bags these days.
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Mosha Marc wrote:
OK Roga, to quote meself

Mosha Marc wrote:
But on a more "Motty"point. If you were to retire to, say, Avimore and stay put all year. How many days skiing would you get in per season?


Waddaya think?

Well, good question - H11lly over on Winterhighland, who IIRC lives in Inverness rather than Aviemore, has managed something like 80 this season and she works. However some of those are days when she's hiked up to find snow over the back of the mountain in summer and some were early on in the season when there's been snow but the lifts hadn't opened. I'd guess in an okay season a reasonably conservative 30 to 40 would be easily achievable if you were retired and taking some days off to have a rest. You'd also have the pick of the ski areas because they're all reachable within an hour or so, The Lecht being the nearest and Nevis being around an hour away.

Whaddya think? Wink

Of course if you retired to a continental resort with a Glacier, say Tignes or L2A, you'd get a lot more in but Scotland's nae so bad you know snowHead

Anyway, apologies for another off-topic post...
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rjs, I'm still pondering this. My opinion on kit, echoed by many chums is that you should expect around 120 full days on snow from kit. 400 seems extraordinary!
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Quote:

The newest additions to my bag were a new pair of gloves last season, as the duct tape on my old pair meant that my thumb would stick to my poles if it was too hot....

Guvnor, I just change the duck tape on mine end of last season! Very Happy

I'm not normally such a cheapscape. Wink I bought new skis this year at end of season sales, TWO pairs, to replace my 10 year old pair that looks like 2 long straight lumber planks! Embarassed And my boots are also new for 2007 when my 10 year old pair exploded mid-season! Shocked Not having a choice of sale, I had to pay for the new boot with "only" 20% discount off the full retail. That must be the reason I can't come up with the cash to replace the pair of worn out gloves. Wink
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David Murdoch, It is only the boots that have that number of days on them. Narrow boots and a modern wide stance mean that the shells don't get cut up by ski edges, cat tracks prevent any wear to the soles. The liners are similar to ZipFit ones, there is no foam to break down, with hard wearing fabric next to the foot.

As for skis, wait and see how long your Nordica SLRs last. My slalom skis are a race dept. pair, which were stiffer than the standard Fischer WC SL to start with, but I don't think they have lost any camber or rebound.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
rjs, I still think my boots will get past the stinky limit before 400 days Twisted Evil

Yes, the SLR wear rate will be interesting. They do have a very high quality feel to them - so here's hoping.
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Guvnor wrote:
should I be concerned about my threadbare approach to the pleasures of our mountainous hobby


Not at all... used and abused tatty gear is a mark of respect.
Dont believe the marketting hype.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Guvnor wrote:
should I be concerned about my threadbare approach to the pleasures of our mountainous hobby


Not at all... used and abused tatty gear is a mark of respect.
Dont believe the marketting hype.
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