J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Dave Mac

This is what I have put on their FB webpage: https://www.facebook.com/VailResorts/?ref=br_rs

"I take family and friends to Vail.

Never again. This cancer story is going round Europe at speed. It will soon be all around the world.

Vail Resorts are sure to lose millions of $s with this vicious action."

email Inghams.
They will have it on their website, but you need to ask if IGLU are using the Ingham's choice.

Really sorry about the injury, Chris. After 51 years of skiing, and mostly avoiding injury, I feel fortunate.

However, if there is a collision, the fault just about always lies with the uphill skier. If the downhill skier looks like they may possibly move across the piste, the uphill skier, may go wide, slow down, stop, and let the situation go away.

None of us can possibly know the capability or next action of the skier below, and thus we have to assume the worst, and take appropriate action.

Yes, it breaks the run, it is a pain, but it is the safe, and right, course of action.

Sorry, pal. Get well soon.

That is a brave question, but also an interesting one.

336 lb is 24 stone. That is double my weight from when I was doing 50+ mile fell runs, and as a working ski instructor. Nowadays, being reduced to cycling, I hit 14 stone. I know I will reduce weight after my 35 days winters skiing.

Re the lifts. Gondolas should not be an issue, people adjust. Pomas and draglifts will be Ok. I think that in the case of draglifts, you would be better going solo.

Depending upon your physical width, chairlifts might be a problem, in that the width restriction is determined by the chair.

Hence I suggest that you consider your resort choice with regard to their lift system.

That all addresses your lift question. However, this is your first time skiing, and although the lift system questions are relevant, I would suggest that if you have resorts in mind, that you contact them directly, and pose the question.

Next week I will be skiing with people who have no legs, or are blind,or with other difficulties. DSUK will be in Niederau.

When I worked for the ski school in Niederau, back in the 70s, there were no helmets, just woolly hats.

Even when helmets were introduced, I wasn't that interested. Eventually, I bought one,but for 2 years, it rested in my rucsac, while I wore the woolly.

Then, one morning, I looked out of our window up the hill in Obergurgl. It was a complete whiteout. I thought that if there was ever a chance of a big fall, that was it. hence I wore my helmet for the first time.

A few turns from the top, although I could not see the end of my skis, I saw the ground approaching me at high speed. Without the helmet, it is clear that I would not have survived. Even so, I suffered a mild concussion.

Ever since then, I have worn the helmet.

No one is going to take my boots, (or skis). I have always worn single clip boots.

Most of my skis are straights, and my carvers are 2m long. I feel fairly safe.

And, if I wanted to nick a pair of boots, I might have a wee sniff, beforehand......

I have been several times to CO area.
The first was as an add on to a working Denver week, where I had a day skiing Keystone. I was heavily criticised for skiing right through until 9.00pm, when the rest of the group had stopped by 5.30pm.

I then planned a CO fortnight. My research left me to believe that I could max the amount of day skiing plus variation with different resorts by staying at Breckenridge. This proved to be correct. We skied all five resorts covered by the lift pass.

On a later trip, this time with Crystal, we stayed 2 weeks in Vail. The skiing was as good as the other areas. However, the Crystal lift pass was 10 days from 13 in Vail, with the other lift pass days covering Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, etc. The Crystal rep did not give out any warnings to ensure that we should get some of the none Vail days in early. During the second week, the Vail Pass was closed for most of the week due to heavy snow. This was something we were not aware of beforehand. It cost our group around $500 in extra lift pass costs. Crystals could have forewarned us about this.

We have long standing American friends that live in Vail, they have lived with us in Scotland, and skied with us in Austria. Hence, we are likely to head back to CO again, and probably to Vail. But not with Crystal.

Following the post, my early thoughts were adverse to most, in that although I have 12 pairs of skis, none of them are "in date". I have 6 pairs in a celler in Austria, 160s to 200s, and every year I manage to ski them all, plus 6 pairs in Scotland, one pair is only 5 years old, bought at a triple discount from a shop in Worgl!

I have never really cared much about the skis I am on. My logic is that if you are a reasonable skier, you can ski on anything. I bought my first pair of skis from Ellis Brigham for £3.00, or to be more date accurate, £3-0s-0d. I still call him a robbing B. Painted wooden bases, and screw in edges.

The Niederau Day run record dates back from 1948, initially set by Austrian race international, Toni Seelos. As lifts and standards improve, so does the record. Without coughing too loudly, only one name appears on the record history twice, and both of my records were achieved on fairly ancient, and cheap skis. One of the most recent record holders is the head of the ski school, albeit on new skis! I can't argue with that, and I am no longer unable to re-challenge.