J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by james_gray

According to google there's ski jumps there!!! Jeeeez, i don't think i'm quite ready for that!

I may have my facts mixed up, going with g'friends family. Girlfriend said this was the runs inaugural season? Soooo confused.

You think you guys have problems, at least you can panic about snowfall, I have to panic about snowfall and this 'ghost' resort. If only I knew where it was soo I could fill my day scouring snow reports and webcams.

Is there any snow in Italy yet, more specifically Pragalato? I'm off there on the 15th Dec but i don't know anything about the place apart from what i found on the net - the name mean 'frozen plane' in Italian...that doesn't sound, well ermmmmm, very slope like.

Maybe there is a cable car that goes up to the slopes?

powderhound wrote:

Ouch! wrote:What on earth do you do for a week in a ski resort that has no snow????

I find crying helps.

Don't forget stamping your feet.

I'm off here on the 15th December. Information about the resort is skant. Has anybody been there? And more importantly is it white up there yet or will it be in a week!

:?:

Thanks for the offer, but i think i'll learn how to drive the car before trying out the Porsche. I fear all you would see of me would be a grey blur and on my tombstone would be written 'Here lies James Gray, died with a smile on his face and -el diablo- skis on his feet - SIP'. Maybe one day I'll take you up on that offer though, when i feel 'the force'.

I'm resolute, I've had two forays into the skiing/snowboarding world and now i am learning Italian so i can move to Milano and be close to the snow! I can't stop till I have reached 'perfection' or 'traction' , which ever happens first.

Just to clarify though, carving is feasible on rental skis? Or should I ask the, no doubt by this time bemused, ski rental guy for 'carving skis'? duuuuude? Oh how they will laugh.

Trencher wrote:Also, there are several sites devoted to carving on snowboards, but only two for skiing..

SNOWBOARDS
http://www.bomberonline.com/
http://www.alpinecarving.com/
http://www.extremecarving.com/
http://www.freecarve.com/default.asp

SKIS
http://www.carving-ski.de/index1.html?http://www.carving-ski.de/carving-galerie.html~inhalt

http://www.carvingcup.com/INGLESE/fis_ita.html (racing)

Some observations about the pictures on these sites. Firstly, not many have poles. Secondly very short skis. Thirdly when turning their body is almost parallel to the slope, in fact in most cases is looks like they're actually lying on the slope, or have fallen over!!!

Is this the norm for carving? Leaning so steeply?

Trencher wrote:Almost forgot

You can't talk about carving without mentioning the Skwal. It does nothing else but carve. I have an older LaCroix model which is great fun and wants to leap into the air on transitions.

http://www.skwalzone.org/

Trencher

It's like a ski-snowboard!!! Coool. I want one!!!! I want one!!!! Can you get instruction for this particular instrument?

Thankyou for the above advice Trencher and pavelski it's very helpful. Suffice to say i've read through pretty much all your posts and found them to be insightful, warm, accessible and usually very very funny!

When i go skiing on the 16th i'm definitely going to try carving, even if it is on dodgy rental skis, i'm going to practice until i get it... and even as a last resort...take lessons!!! yes, i know, i know, lessons are best.

Trencher wrote:

I don't think hemets are needed all the time and they should not be manditory. If an experienced skier decides that a situation does not warrent a helmet, then that is a calculated risk. If a casual skier decides helmets are too fluffy, then that is ignorance. (no offence meant)

Trencher

Well i'm a beginner so i'll digress to an experts judgment, i wasn't implying helmets were fluffy (ok maybe i was), i was saying the world is becoming increasingly nanny like and some of these 'safety' precautions are probably unwarranted.

If i were to be heli-dropped (or whatever it's called) onto the top of a mountain i'd wear a helmet, however i don't think i would on groomed piste, bar hairy conditions as mentioned above.

Let me just say i've never worn a helmet so i don't know how it feels, what follows is conjecture so i'd like your feedback on the difference of wearing one and not. My impression is that it's another piece of gear constraining your head, muffling your hearing and disrupting your spiritual connection to the snow and mountain, maybe the effect is not completely tangible but is it there?