Whats working for you this season?

[WheatKing]

I didn't change anything.. which is working for me! Actually I got a new helmet.. and it's improved my skiing considerably. ??!?

Voltaren.. part of my "Advil" regimen.. Off the shelf in Canada too.. getting old sucks.. thank god for and Ibuprofen.

Boots.. are loose.. need to tighten up the heel as the liners are packing out nicely but the heel is moving too much, the fore-foot can spread and the ankle can flex.. so that is ok. no more blood loss issues to the toes! Need to get a proper booster strap as the Tecnica Cochise boots I have the top strap just isn't cutting it any more.. stretched it in the wrong places.. pain to tighten up now.. bit of sticky felt work and all will be right in the world. Other than these minor things.. it's all beers and cheers.. now if it would only snow where I live.. I bought a new snowblower so it's my own damn fault for the local snow drought.

 

[David Chaus]

I’m just sucking at a slightly higher level.

Lots of fine tuning adjustments, isolating some movements and then integrating.

Oh, wait......

I forgot to add that I have a new pair of Renoun Z-90’s. That is really working for me.....

 

[RikkiBobbi]

loving my head raptors, deacon pros, and M5s. Also love my Apple Airpods while skiing.

 

[Analisa]

I started a after-work park/airs/drops night for women (called Flight Club because puns). Totally just a ruse to get slightly better/braver women from other resorts to ski with me, who hit things in my paygrade compared to a lot of the guys that I ski with. Plus, it helps that the park is pretty empty on Monday nights & it's nice to not be the only chick there & feeling super out of place.

 

[Ron]

^^^^ that's awesome!

 

[AmyPJ]

Skiing with my top two buckles undone and the Booster on. Solves the leg lockup from the cuff. Improves dynanic balance, probably helps reduce injury. It has drawbacks though like excessive floppiness in that area. Snow gets in the gap and works it's way in.
The laceup liner probably helps to ski without the buckles.

I tried to demo the V82 but the tune was so bad it was really hard to ski. My punishment for not having a backup pair was being forced to ski it all day.

So, how does that work in crud/variable snow? I'm talking cruddy crud, leftover powder crud. Because I am feeling that if I tighten the cuff enough to hold things steadier in crud, it really does make the boot feel like a brick and like my tibia might snap in half if I hit a pile just right. If I loosen it up, I feel like I have no control over the ski (especially bad with the right leg, the one with the bad MCL.)

I mean, I guess I could go try it...

What's working for me? Dynamic short radius turns. I think I have found my inner RAWR that I tend to possess while mountain biking that I have been missing while skiing. Those short turns on my almost-too-short Black Pearls? Awesome fun.

 

[Johnny V.]

1.Going back to shorter poles. I had been using 130/52" for racing and general skiing (the theory being more leverage out of the start gate). I used a pair of 120/48" at the end of the season last year and continued on this year. Tried my 130 race poles and took them home and shortened them. Helps keep me forward.
2. Lots of practice on greens during the week as we had limited terrain open. Concentrating on clean carves with varying turn shape.
3. Workout routine with a concentration on core. I feel like I can bend the skis more.
4. Loving my Stormrider 88s for freeskiing. I can bend 'em, yet they're not noodles.
5. Skiing with the grandkids-so much fun to watch them progress!

 

[wallyk]

Shelved my Kastle MX83s and went back to the Volkl RaceTiger SLs......awesome decision. Racetigers are a precision scalpel like instrument that forces confidence on ice and other sketchy snow which are perfect for Minnesota. Ride like on rails......Have been working on angle rolling drills on the flat spots to engage and ride the edge.....Have been re-learning how to weight a narrow waist ski properly to ski through the loose granular.....

 

[Ken_R]

Getting Down...

lower at the apex of the turn. Using my weight more effectively on both skis.

 

[James]

Have been re-learning how to weight a narrow waist ski properly to ski through the loose granular.....

Death cookies on slaloms are an adventure. You know what's surprisingly good is slaloms on a choppy sea of spring corn. You're never quite sure if you aren't going to bite it at speed. They cut through though.

 

[slowrider]

Finishing the turn with all the right moves.

 

[KingGrump]

So, how does that work in crud/variable snow? I'm talking cruddy crud, leftover powder crud. Because I am feeling that if I tighten the cuff enough to hold things steadier in crud, it really does make the boot feel like a brick and like my tibia might snap in half if I hit a pile just right. If I loosen it up, I feel like I have no control over the ski (especially bad with the right leg, the one with the bad MCL.)

I mean, I guess I could go try it...

Having the top buckles loose makes it easier to ski from the feet rather than the top of the boot cuff. If the feet rattle in the boot then either the boot doesn't fit or the turns are not round (enough).

 

[Ron]

So, how does that work in crud/variable snow?

terrible and frustrating until you learn to keep yourself stacked and how to adjust your body for balance and stability then all is good.

 

[Kyle]

For me, I have been spending a lot more time on skinnier (to me) skis to this point in the season. I picked up some Volkl RTM 84s last February and then bought some Blossom White Outs from @Jean-Benoit at the end of the season and have spent almost all my days on either those or my old Bonafides. It has been a bit of a revelation to ski narrower skis again. I had been one of those that had said I would never buy another ski under 88mm underfoot. Well, I am glad I compromised that position as I am really enjoying my new 77mm and 84mm skis. I have skied them both on and off trail and in a few inches of new snow and have not wished I was on a wider ski. Super fun and less effort than a fatter ski in a lot of conditions. Kind of reminds me of the time when the middle ski in my quiver (and the one that saw the most use) was a Head Monster 78. That was one of my favorite skis of all time.

 

[Philpug]

I started a after-work park/airs/drops night for women (called Flight Club because puns). Totally just a ruse to get slightly better/braver women from other resorts to ski with me, who hit things in my paygrade compared to a lot of the guys that I ski with. Plus, it helps that the park is pretty empty on Monday nights & it's nice to not be the only chick there & feeling super out of place.

First rule of Flight Club is that you don't talk about Flight club!!!!

 

[Jean-Benoit]

For me, I have been spending a lot more time on skinnier (to me) skis to this point in the season. I picked up some Volkl RTM 84s last February and then bought some Blossom White Outs from @Jean-Benoit at the end of the season and have spent almost all my days on either those or my old Bonafides. It has been a bit of a revelation to ski narrower skis again. I had been one of those that had said I would never buy another ski under 88mm underfoot. Well, I am glad I compromised that position as I am really enjoying my new 77mm and 84mm skis. I have skied them both on and off trail and in a few inches of new snow and have not wished I was on a wider ski. Super fun and less effort than a fatter ski in a lot of conditions. Kind of reminds me of the time when the middle ski in my quiver (and the one that saw the most use) was a Head Monster 78. That was one of my favorite skis of all time.

Good stuff. Really glad the White Outs are working for you! The only wider ski that has made me curious lately is that Liberty V92 that @Ron praises. Could be hard to demo here in Quebec though; maybe some resorts in Northern Vermont have them - or will eventually have them - in their demo fleet.

 

[Mark-172]

I finally have my ski boots from last year dialed in (K2 130 Spyne). Got the spot above by novicular bone punched out earlier this year. Enjoying getting through the day without my feet going numb..!

 

[Analisa]

First rule of Flight Club is that you don't talk about Flight club!!!!

The first rule of Flight Club is actually that you do talk about Flight Club. Gotta normalize women in the park/getting air. The club was actually inspired by a thread here regarding Elizabeth Swaney's olympic performance in the halfpipe and the talented, but shallow bench for a lot of women's freeride/freeskiing events. I remember thinking "more moms need to take their girls through the park," - which hit me as pretty unreasonable when me and my mid-20s knees & mid-20s confidence were firmly planted on the ground.

 

[graham418]

I bought a new snowblower so it's my own damn fault for the local snow drought.

Oh.. So its your fault..

 

[Kyle]

Good stuff. Really glad the White Outs are working for you! The only wider ski that has made me curious lately is that Liberty V92 that @Ron praises. Could be hard to demo here in Quebec though; maybe some resorts in Northern Vermont have them - or will eventually have them - in their demo fleet.

Yes, the White Outs are a hoot and have kind of made me reconsider the necessity of a number of skis in my quiver. Living where I do, you would have to pry my Bonafides from my cold, dead hands but I think I could actually live with a three ski quiver of the White Outs or RTM 84, the Bonafides, and a powder ski. Maybe I can cut back on this gear buying addiction that this forum and its spiritual predecessor enabled!

That Liberty sounds like a ski with a lot of attributes I would like as well.