J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Jan I Stenmark

The easiest way to bring back a thread is to reply to it ;)

If you think it's worthy of a resurection pls be my guest 8)

Jan

Karen,

You'll get very good quality "handy" reception here but bear in mind that you won't be using the "3" network but a local one who will forward you call to your recipient.

As for walkie-talkies that's a "How longs a piece of string" question ... The set I use has literally 100's of possible combinations of frequency and "code". I think they cost about £50 from (possibly) Maplin ... I don't have any problems.

Jan

davidmpires: you may find this thread helpful http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/2639.page

For those who don't wish to trawl the threads of yesteryear here is a copy of my post:

I was just thinking about some of the most emotional ski runs of my life, and I realised that nearly every one has been accompanied by great music!

It occurred to me that with the ability of an MP3 player to store 1000’s of songs I’d like to make up some new playlists from suggestions made by the good people of this site!

The problem with asking “normal” people for “good” music suggestions is that they just don’t get what makes great music to ski to … They ain’t got rhythm ?

So, I’d like to tell you mine but if you’ll tell me yours! – Deal?

Ok, I’ll go first. (In some but no real order)

1. Plastic Bertrand - Ça plane pour moi – Just amazing energy. Perfect for giving you a boost ready for a last run.
2. Oasis – Champagne Supernova - Great atmospheric start to do huge sweeping carves to then @ 2:00 mins it changes enough to give some perfect timing for shorter turns
3. Underworld – Born Slippy - The sense of anticipation as the first minute builds is awsome, then keepin up with the beat after 1:35 makes any run mad but worth every ounce of sweat!
4. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb – The tempo is perfect for carving crazy, lazy sweeping turns (yes with one hand in the snow) first thing in the morning on cordouroy piste. Just watch out for the guitar solo, you just might drift off into paradise. Personally, I prefer the version on “A Delicate Sound of Thunder” it’s just so majestic.
5. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama – The rhythm changes make it great for testing your “jazz” skiing.
6. Mark Knopfler - Cannibals – Short swing training heaven! Then try doubling the rate so you are always on the same edge on the beat – Crazy …
7. Anne Murry – Snowbird – Somehow just seems to evoke the right feelin’, but maybe that’s just me … I can’t help just kinda drifting along to this, there’s no way you can get all tense and nervous with this wafting in your ears ?
8. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Over the Rainbow – If you are feeling a bit jaded after that long lunch and second Schnapps then this will get you back and going again! (If you haven’t heard of MFATGG look em up, they are fab!)
9. Metallica - Welcome Home (Sanitaruim) – Just somehow sounds like it should be a soundtrack to a Warren Miller film, although not the greatest tune for ski rhythm, maybe one for the lift up with a stunning panorama unfolding beneath.
10. The Dixie Cups - Iko Iko (Original)– Yeah, go on, keep your feet still, I DARE ya
11. Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach – Maybe just a personal favourite ‘cos it was in the charts and being played a lot on a ski holiday in the 70’s, but still the atmospherics seem good in the mountains (to me)
12. Tom Russell - Hong Kong Boy – The guitars and Tom’s vocal on this makes we want to ski in a really aggressive way, Muppets beware! Why does it make me feel aggressive? Ask my shrink
13. Pink Floyd – Learning to Fly – Cruzin’ tune. Nothing hard, difficult or taxing about this but soar with the guitars and your skiing will follow!
14. Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven – Find a quiet spot overlooking an awesome view, get rid of anyone else. Make a seat by digging your skis into the snow by the tails, place your ski sticks over the front of the heal piece and sit down. (Ah, Pav is this #101?) Now clear your mind of all thoughts and play this song. If you get to the end of the song with tears running down your cheeks, congratulations, you are human and have sufficient emotion to make a truly great skier!

Well I’m gonna hop off the couch now and let someone else have a go.

By the way a simple list of tracks isn’t any good, I want to know what makes it worth putting on my iPod!

Happy boogying,

Jan

The village we used to live in, in the UK, only had one pub and one day the brewery decided to close it and sell it to developers. Naturally everyone was grumbling about how unfair it was until one enterprising person said, “Well lets do something about it!”

And so they did. The village got together and formed a company, and sold shares to anyone in the village who wanted them. The company bought the pub, then employed a professional manager and top-class chef and to this day the company and pub go from strength to strength and the village has a highly popular social centre. This is a true story!

I think there was talk about an English football team doing something similar too but I’m not so sure about the details.

So why not the J2VickySki ???

Just my sixpence worth :shock:

Jan

Skidaddle: I hadn’t wanted to jump in here first; I guessed Dave Mac would prefer the honour!

But now that you ask, I’ll try and answer your questions.

1. You are correct that Niederau is amongst the resorts that could be called a “low” ski area. However this is where the easy bit ends. Almost all the slopes are North facing and whilst they (nearly) all enjoy sun at some point during the day the temps do tend to stay low enough to retain good snow cover for extended periods (10 – 15 days without snow doesn’t cause a big problem).

If you search the history of J2ski you’ll find some very esoteric discussions about Macro vs Micro climates and, without having any proper understanding of the metrology, I can tell you that Niederau does manage to keep it’s snow much better than a resort with it’s base station at 850m has any right to.

2. “Is there much skiing for decent skiers?” … Well isn’t that the $1M question on so many levels … Based on your post

I know this from experience, as after 7 years without skiing I hired a pair of Atomic SL9's and had an absolute blast. I went home and ordered some GS9's and went to Kaprun. The first few runs were a bit hairy and I thought "maybe these are a bit quick for me" But once I settled they were fantatsic and I improved with them. I now want something faster and snappier.

I think you’d have a blast!

The great thing about Niederau is that every ski review gives about 6 stars out of 5 for beginners, 3 out of 5 for Intermediates and about -2 for “Experts” – which suits me perfectly ;) As I have said before on here, I have, on several occasions, not got out onto the hill much before midday (Dam that Schnapps!) and still be able to ski totally untracked powder! Compare that with any of the “top” resorts: Verbier; Chamonix; Zermat; Stanton et al and if you don’t have the ability to blag your way up the hill like Pavel, (or have Ise’s commitment to climbing) all you’ll get is tracked out mush by 08:30 and where’s the fun in that?

To get back to facts, we have a World Cup Downhill training piste which I defy you to ski without at least turning occasionally, itinerant pistes that are not only rarely skied but provide amazing views, off-piste trials that even some of the local ski instructors have forgotten about and reds and blacks that the ski school rarely use before Thursday afternoon ;)

3. Kitzbuhel is about 30-40 mins away but the Ski Welt is much closer and much easier to access via the Post Bus. That said, “The Hahnenkamm” is a must as you’re so close, just don’t bother with wax ;)

4. Sure, lots. Probably best sourced locally on a DIY basis or there’s the Austria, Harfenwirt, Sonnschien, Wastlhof, Simmerlwirt and all the others if you fancy a package deal …

I’m happy to answer any more detailed questions – Just ask :)

Jan

Typing now bud ;) ...

Transfers from either Munich or Saltzburg are almost exactly the same at 90 mins. Innsbruck is 30 mins.

We have a minibus that will carry 7 adults and a child (+driver) with a big trailer so I can collect smallish groups without a problem. For larger groups I can arrange a coach.

I don't know anyone who's arrived by train from an airport but I wouldn't think it was crazy hard ...

Other Q's? ...

Jan

Well so long as you don't want to come 14th - 21st Feb everyone is welcome anytime in the season!

Jan