Who's going skiing and where? 23-24
Discussion
Harry Flashman said:
Nooo! I core shot a ski yesterday. End of season sharks.
Action shot of me skiing with the elder daughter today. She'd just insisted on attempting the half pipe - getting a decent way up the walls! All with balloon attached to her helmet.
Taking this pic was my father in law, following us. He's 83 - respect.
Icy this morning, which was fun on SL skis, an hour of amazing snow, then slush. 22C in resort. Been in a T shirt all day. Slightly ruined by having g a backpack full of both daughters' crap and Lady F's jacket. Tried to get all the girls to go out lightly dressed, failed, and got landed with all the excess kit. Standard.
Heaven today, really. Last day of the season tomorrow.
excellent photograph! that is the dream right there!!! I cannot wait until I get to ski with my wife and daughter like that on the mountain. my wife is a reluctant skier, but she’s definitely more interested now that my daughter is learning. she even looked at the wall at hillend dry ski slope to see if there was anything she could join in to practice ahead of next yearAction shot of me skiing with the elder daughter today. She'd just insisted on attempting the half pipe - getting a decent way up the walls! All with balloon attached to her helmet.
Taking this pic was my father in law, following us. He's 83 - respect.
Icy this morning, which was fun on SL skis, an hour of amazing snow, then slush. 22C in resort. Been in a T shirt all day. Slightly ruined by having g a backpack full of both daughters' crap and Lady F's jacket. Tried to get all the girls to go out lightly dressed, failed, and got landed with all the excess kit. Standard.
Heaven today, really. Last day of the season tomorrow.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Friday 12th April 15:56
malks222 said:
excellent photograph! that is the dream right there!!! I cannot wait until I get to ski with my wife and daughter like that on the mountain....
Best thing I ever did with my children. Both wearing skis at 4 years old, now as much older teenagers, they ski any terrain with confidence and poise. When I get in more difficult conditions, I need to concentrate on maintaining good technique, whereas they just flow and make it seem effortless. Definitely worth it.EddieSteadyGo said:
Best thing I ever did with my children. Both wearing skis at 4 years old, now as much older teenagers, they ski any terrain with confidence and poise. When I get in more difficult conditions, I need to concentrate on maintaining good technique, whereas they just flow and make it seem effortless. Definitely worth it.
I've been finding that this week with my 12yr old. Both of mine have been skiing since 3/4 yrs old.I love the fact they get a year older and become better skiers without doing anything! He's been cruising down the lumpy slush with a great amount of poise and leaving old dad to catch up. Really enjoying my trip with him in Tignes/Val. We had a good laugh down Le Face this morning, thankfully soft snow made everything go in slow motion so it was relatively straightforward just to pick our way down. Little P looks up on the Internet when we get to the bottom in a sweaty mess and says, wide eyed, "that was the Olympic Downhil black run, one of the hardest in Europe!" Good day today.Really enjoying Tignes and Val D'isere too. Some great, long runs, scenery and lift/funicular infrastructure. Lunch on the pistes not too bad either. Love the Spring Skiing at this altitude too.
From the top of Grand Motte, snow for miles!!
malks222 said:
excellent photograph! that is the dream right there!!! I cannot wait until I get to ski with my wife and daughter like that on the mountain. my wife is a reluctant skier, but she’s definitely more interested now that my daughter is learning. she even looked at the wall at hillend dry ski slope to see if there was anything she could join in to practice ahead of next year
Wow, that sounds absolutely fantastic! We're in the process of finalizing our plans for our last winter trip, and right now, we're deep in discussions with the wolf creek ski area customer service team. I've been eagerly anticipating this getaway and had initially planned to stay for at least a week, possibly even longer. However, it's disappointing to share that my wife won't be able to join me due to her work commitments.Edited by jerryjerry44 on Thursday 18th April 22:39
Th th th that’s all folks…for my 2024 ski season. Just off the hill for the last time this year.
All the tales of getting youngsters on the snow are great. If you’re lucky it’ll set them up for life with the greatest activity ever. I started both of mine young and they enjoyed it…but now they’re adults, away from home and have to pay for their own stuff they clearly haven’t inherited my fanaticism. But a great thing to get kids into.
I started aged 7 in 1964. My parents didn’t ski but my mother worked in tourism and when Edinburgh opened the Hillend dry ski slope I guess if her kid wasn’t sliding down the mat it might not have looked good. I know by 12 (and school trips) I could ski reasonably well and handle chairs and drag lifts alone. Then I raced for the school team, and then Uni, and also a few years after.
Where’s this all going? Well, the opposite end of the age spectrum. Well into my 60s now (closer to 70
) I keep thinking when things are going to have to slow down. I managed 15 ski days this year, it would have been nice to do more but there we are. 462 miles skied and 425,000 feet vertical. I don’t gyms, or jog, or anything else keep-fit wise, but I can still easily manage 35+ miles on a day - much more of they’d keep the lifts open longer! One of the days last year was 50+ miles.
But I was reassured to ride lifts and ski with a lot of folks in their 60s and 70s skiing real hard and fast. One 70 year old was an absolute god on the moguls! I feel I’m skiing a bit more scrappily now…probably laziness. And I just can’t do bumps any more; I think I’ve lost that fast reflex muscle - brown meat vs white meat I think. At one point I could do ariel 360s on 205s (to the left only), and spreads, daffys and twisters - but I’ve now lost my fore/aft balance coordination and so can’t jump at all. It’s also impacted skiing real soft snow as the fore/aft weighting isn’t on auto-pilot any more. And the app says my cruising speed has decreased over the last 10 years from in the mid 50mph to mid 40s. Maximum down a bit too from nudging 70 to 60, but I’ve never aimed to be the fastest on the hill.
So not a bad season for 2024 - for those starting youngsters in the sport, you’ve opened a lifetime of fun. It used to be older folks skied like, well, old folks. But folks in their 60s and 70s (and probably older too) are still rocking, not just plodding along. …but we have to stop to pee a lot more often. Makes ski in/near trees an attractive option.
Here’s to 2025, hoping we’re still able and above ground
All the tales of getting youngsters on the snow are great. If you’re lucky it’ll set them up for life with the greatest activity ever. I started both of mine young and they enjoyed it…but now they’re adults, away from home and have to pay for their own stuff they clearly haven’t inherited my fanaticism. But a great thing to get kids into.
I started aged 7 in 1964. My parents didn’t ski but my mother worked in tourism and when Edinburgh opened the Hillend dry ski slope I guess if her kid wasn’t sliding down the mat it might not have looked good. I know by 12 (and school trips) I could ski reasonably well and handle chairs and drag lifts alone. Then I raced for the school team, and then Uni, and also a few years after.
Where’s this all going? Well, the opposite end of the age spectrum. Well into my 60s now (closer to 70
) I keep thinking when things are going to have to slow down. I managed 15 ski days this year, it would have been nice to do more but there we are. 462 miles skied and 425,000 feet vertical. I don’t gyms, or jog, or anything else keep-fit wise, but I can still easily manage 35+ miles on a day - much more of they’d keep the lifts open longer! One of the days last year was 50+ miles. But I was reassured to ride lifts and ski with a lot of folks in their 60s and 70s skiing real hard and fast. One 70 year old was an absolute god on the moguls! I feel I’m skiing a bit more scrappily now…probably laziness. And I just can’t do bumps any more; I think I’ve lost that fast reflex muscle - brown meat vs white meat I think. At one point I could do ariel 360s on 205s (to the left only), and spreads, daffys and twisters - but I’ve now lost my fore/aft balance coordination and so can’t jump at all. It’s also impacted skiing real soft snow as the fore/aft weighting isn’t on auto-pilot any more. And the app says my cruising speed has decreased over the last 10 years from in the mid 50mph to mid 40s. Maximum down a bit too from nudging 70 to 60, but I’ve never aimed to be the fastest on the hill.
So not a bad season for 2024 - for those starting youngsters in the sport, you’ve opened a lifetime of fun. It used to be older folks skied like, well, old folks. But folks in their 60s and 70s (and probably older too) are still rocking, not just plodding along. …but we have to stop to pee a lot more often. Makes ski in/near trees an attractive option.
Here’s to 2025, hoping we’re still able and above ground
Great post.
And it's our end of season too - driving home this morning.
Last day was blue skies and T-shirt weather, and skiing with a 3 and 5 year old. Latter is now enjoying the park, parallel turns and trying to go faster than her parents - but she is also learning the rules of safety and etiquette and is an observant and considerate little thing: this is the most important thing on the mountain, I find.
Until next season, PH ski friends!
And it's our end of season too - driving home this morning.
Last day was blue skies and T-shirt weather, and skiing with a 3 and 5 year old. Latter is now enjoying the park, parallel turns and trying to go faster than her parents - but she is also learning the rules of safety and etiquette and is an observant and considerate little thing: this is the most important thing on the mountain, I find.
Until next season, PH ski friends!
In the interest of posting more sking pictures. I took this from the top of the mountain in Flaine at the end of last week. (I used an iphone so the saturation is slightly exaggerated but it was still very pretty).
And here is a clip of one of my boys practising his carving turns
https://dubz.co/c/e66f30
And here is a clip of one of my boys practising his carving turns
https://dubz.co/c/e66f30
Trash_panda said:
Anyone watching the leo tailifer (?) Invitational at val d?
Harry, can't remember now but what was your decision on not going with the koalas or just that the lines became a very good deal?
I bought the Lines, and they are fab. A handful in the moguls at 185cm, and a bit heavy for tricks, but otherwise superb skis. Excellent in slush as depending how you ski them, will either carve or slide. Also so heavy and damp, with so much tip rocker, that you can just straightline end of season bumps.Harry, can't remember now but what was your decision on not going with the koalas or just that the lines became a very good deal?
Harry Flashman said:
I bought the Lines, and they are fab. A handful in the moguls at 185cm, and a bit heavy for tricks, but otherwise superb skis. Excellent in slush as depending how you ski them, will either carve or slide. Also so heavy and damp, with so much tip rocker, that you can just straightline end of season bumps.
Why the lines over the koalas though or just because?im guessing both where going to be a blind buy? Can't remember why/I'm being lazy and not going back a few pages.48Valves said:
EddieSteadyGo said:
shunt said:
Wasn't it supposed to be raining in Obergurgl, based on the forecast last week? We had more good sking today in the Grand Massif. Bought my boys a private instructor for the day so they could find all the powder stashes. They are nicely tired now 
Sunshine for most of the week, with just the addition of extra snow on Wednesday
Very much Spring skiing - frozen first thing, then all over by about 13:30 but definitely a worthwhile finish to the season.
Trash_panda said:
Harry Flashman said:
I bought the Lines, and they are fab. A handful in the moguls at 185cm, and a bit heavy for tricks, but otherwise superb skis. Excellent in slush as depending how you ski them, will either carve or slide. Also so heavy and damp, with so much tip rocker, that you can just straightline end of season bumps.
Why the lines over the koalas though or just because?im guessing both where going to be a blind buy? Can't remember why/I'm being lazy and not going back a few pages.Downside is heavy, hard to pop. But I have my Cassiars for that.
Harry Flashman said:
Reviews of the Lines, and metal in them. I don't have another metal layered wide ski. And the metal means that they get and stay on edge like no other wide ski I have, and are extraordinarily damp.
Downside is heavy, hard to pop. But I have my Cassiars for that.
Fair enough,Downside is heavy, hard to pop. But I have my Cassiars for that.
You still skiing the cassiars or not really anymore?
Yup! I mainly use them for work ski trips when I fly, rather than family trips when I drive. They are light for travel, and suit skiing in mixed ability groups as they are happy pottering, unlike my Lines or SL skis which like to be skiied harder and faster.
The Cassiars are also light, ski switch well (due to stiff and slight riser tails) and having that carbon construction they have a superbly low swing weight in the air for tricks. They also are a joy in the park and on side hits, doing kickers and spins, yet not horribly floppy like true park skis on piste. These traits are all are great for posing front of impressionable corporate guests
The Cassiars are also light, ski switch well (due to stiff and slight riser tails) and having that carbon construction they have a superbly low swing weight in the air for tricks. They also are a joy in the park and on side hits, doing kickers and spins, yet not horribly floppy like true park skis on piste. These traits are all are great for posing front of impressionable corporate guests
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 15th April 19:35
I also just bought a pair of Line Blades in the shortest 169cm length as end of season cheap, and I absolutely love the Blade Optics I bought, that ise the metal sheet design from the Blade.
Intrigued by the massive sidecut, silly short radius (12.5m, so same as an SL ski), yet slight freestyle ability (rocker front and rear) and soft snow capability (95mm underdoot and massive shovels). For years I wanted someone to make a proper carving ski that could easily do proper hip dragging SL turns but also do tricks, ski chop on the ungroomed bits to the side of the piste, and play well in slush. The Blade seems to fit the bill and is very unusual.
Downside - Lady F has had a bit of a temper tantrum and demanded I get rid of some skis.
Free to any PHer who wishes to collect (SW London).
- Atomic Redster S9 Servotec, 153cm. Literally skiied once, as way too short for me (but man, were they great in moguls on the Swiss Wall - easiest way I have ever skiied that run!). Track binding so totally adjustable to any boot sole length. May well suit an advanced/expert lady - too short for my tall wife, and she hates SL skis anyway.
- Salomon X-Race 165cm. Well-used but not damaged and with plenty ofnlife in base and edges. Also on a track binding so fully adjustable for your BSL. Stickered up, though, so not for introverts. Very friendly and accessible consumer race carver, that blends SL and GS characteristics, that really isn't at all demanding to ski.
I'd have offered my Whitedot Preachers but they were knackered and anyway are going to an excellent end. I left them in Morzine this weekend. They are to be drilled with a hole saw and used as a shot bar at a friend's wedding at Lac Montriond this summer. Fitting end to planks that have served me so well for a decade.
Intrigued by the massive sidecut, silly short radius (12.5m, so same as an SL ski), yet slight freestyle ability (rocker front and rear) and soft snow capability (95mm underdoot and massive shovels). For years I wanted someone to make a proper carving ski that could easily do proper hip dragging SL turns but also do tricks, ski chop on the ungroomed bits to the side of the piste, and play well in slush. The Blade seems to fit the bill and is very unusual.
Downside - Lady F has had a bit of a temper tantrum and demanded I get rid of some skis.
Free to any PHer who wishes to collect (SW London).
- Atomic Redster S9 Servotec, 153cm. Literally skiied once, as way too short for me (but man, were they great in moguls on the Swiss Wall - easiest way I have ever skiied that run!). Track binding so totally adjustable to any boot sole length. May well suit an advanced/expert lady - too short for my tall wife, and she hates SL skis anyway.
- Salomon X-Race 165cm. Well-used but not damaged and with plenty ofnlife in base and edges. Also on a track binding so fully adjustable for your BSL. Stickered up, though, so not for introverts. Very friendly and accessible consumer race carver, that blends SL and GS characteristics, that really isn't at all demanding to ski.
I'd have offered my Whitedot Preachers but they were knackered and anyway are going to an excellent end. I left them in Morzine this weekend. They are to be drilled with a hole saw and used as a shot bar at a friend's wedding at Lac Montriond this summer. Fitting end to planks that have served me so well for a decade.
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