DSJ Opinion Rag

Mammoth-Aerial-postcard[1]Ski Magazine ran an article in part lamenting the fact the Mammoth Mountain has more of a “strip mall” community than a ski town venue.  As a matter of fact things are so bad, what town they do have, Mammoth Lakes, had to declare bankruptcy.

Excuse me, but doesn’t that description apply to just about every resort in Cali?  From Squaw to Heavenly to Mammoth to Big Bear, you will find fabulous mountains, stunning scenery, and awesome skiing. But you won’t find anything approaching the ambience of Rocky Mountain ski towns like Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Telluride, Park City, Jackson, etc.

Crazy, when you think about it.  A huge state with major resorts from north to south.  What happened in California that caused the “cafeteria” model to trump the “fireplace” model?  Politics, culture, greed, lack of vision (soul)… ???

DSJ editor’s note: On a recent trip to Snowbird, UT I read an article touting the number of outdoor equipment companies (Black Diamond, etc.) that have recently relocated to Salt Lake City.  While the list was impressive, the sad thing was nearly all of them came from California.  As a past 10 year resident, I see probably the most naturally beautiful state in the union facing some serious problems going forward.

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Before becoming a stand alone event, aerials was originally one of three events in freestyle competitions when they came into existence back in the early 70’s.  Combined with moguls and ballet, a skier had to have very well rounded skills.  Today, aerials are also integrated into mogul competitions requiring a high level of expertise just to get down the slope.  And while I’ll admit that most elite park and pipe skiers are probably excellent free skiers, it’s theoretically possible for them to ply their trades without ever having to really turn a ski.  But now the stand alone aerials event has indeed morphed away from the heart of the sport to the point where a Chinese trampoline champion can quickly be taught to point some skis down a ramp and instantly become a world class “aerialist”.

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Back in the 70’s the alpine slalom event involved getting your body around some tightly spaced bamboo poles.  After dealing with too many splintered wood poles, somebody came up with the idea of making them out of plastic.  Initially the plastic was too hard to hit, so they then designed them to be “break away”.  With these new poles, it didn’t take long for the skiers to figure out that they no longer needed to go around the poles, since they could now go right over them as long as just their skis went around.  The down side to this is a lessened visual following effect for the spectator along with the requirement of a complete set of body armor for the skier.  Now they’ve come out with “inflatable poles” that alleviate the need for body armor.

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From the “whatever” department:  After (I’m guessing here) what must be forty some years, Skiing Magazine is no longer in circulation.  Must’ve needed more room on the shelves for extra issues of Spelunking and Spearfisherman magazines…   They are going to a subscription online “emagazine” format.

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Some people think that waxing skis just makes them go faster.  It also makes them turn easier, perform better, and helps preserve the life of the base material.  How often you wax depends on how serious you are.  While most dedicated skiers probably average about every four days, you should wax no less than every 10 ski days at the very max.  A typical hot wax runs about $15 and you can have it done at your local shop before you leave on a trip, or drop them off at a resort shop after skiing and pick them up in the morning.

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US resorts lead the world in headline lift ticket prices with Vail being the most expensive.  “It’s important to note that few people actually pay the maximum price.  Though US resorts come out as the world’s most expensive on paper, the reality is that places like Vail have sophisticated pricing models with dozens of pricing combinations and many ways to pay much less.  A recent report showed that while Vail had the most expensive walk-up day tickets, in reality last winter it averaged about half that per day ticket sold.”  Hope that makes you feel better!

Season passes at most resorts have been dropping in price recently and are now a viable option for anyone planning on skiing at a resort six days or more.  No where is this more apparent than the Colorado’s Epic Pass and others, which allows skiing at various  resorts and goes for around $600.

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A review of most fatality reports shows that the typical fatality occurs to an experienced male between late-teens and late-30s in age, while traveling at a relatively high speed on the margins of intermediate runs.

Helmets will probably never have a serious impact on mitigating death due to head injury since the typical fatal scenario has so much kinetic energy that it will overwhelm the protective elements of the helmet. But the good news is that fatal injuries in snow sports are quite rare—less than one in 1.5 million days of activity.

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GOOD TIPS: 

If  you’re stuck in the snow, use your floor mats to help by wedging them in front or behind the tires.

I haven’t tried it, but evidently WD40 makes for a pretty good ski wax in a pinch.

For a bad case of “shin bang” try putting a neoprene beer cozy between your shin and the boot tongue then crank it down tight.