The Blue World

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The battle of the new ski boot blues!
2007-12-01 13:19:00
It's seemingly every skiers nightmare - the anguish of breaking in or adjusting to new boots. On one hand, were told how much better we'll ski, but on the other hand, the honest boot salesperson admits that our new boot will hurt like hell for a while. These factors - along with the cost of new boots - tend to keep many of us in our comfort zone, which of course can mean that we are skiing in a boot that has been over-skied and over-flexed. Translation: We aren't optimizing the connection between the foot and the ski. And while many of us put this purchase off for any number of reasons, I can attest that while the pain can be intense, the upswing is amazing. Minimize the days of pain after the purchase by hitting the hill as hard as you would on your old boots. If you can get through this, it will be all downhill after day one. And while your front two buckles won't need to be tightened if the boot is properly fitted, you want to tighten your top buckles so that they're super-t...
More About: Blues , Battle , Boot

The U.S. Ski Team moves ahead without Bode - looks to youth for the future
2007-11-26 06:29:00
One of the biggest stories in ski racing this year leading up to the season has been Bode Miller leaving the U.S. Ski Team to train by himself. While FIS rules state that he must don the US Ski Team attire during races and official training, the break from the team has allowed him to live outside the recent rules, which many feel were geared towards reeling him in and policing his behavior. Whereas I was a Bode fan for a while, I had certainly strayed from being a loyal supporter except for the fact he has represented the team and garnered many of our Nations Cup points. Whereas he has some great results and legions of followers, I’ll always have much more admiration for the likes of Daron Rahlves, who while shy and always seemingly the underdog, exemplified what representing ones’ country should be about. And while Daron decided to call it a career a couple years back after cementing himself as America’s winningest downhiller, a new generation is ready to step forward and tak...
More About: Future , Youth , The Future , Moves

Safety First!
2007-11-19 23:44:00
To say I don't like to let my skis run and rip some fast turns would be a complete lie, but I never compromise the safety of myself or others in the process. That being said, we are all excited that ski season is here and look forward to long hours skiing or riding our favorite trails, but whether it's early or season of mid-week in the heart of January, we should respect slow skiing and riding zones. They're marked as such for a reason and just because a ski patroller isn't standing around waiting to chase you down doesn't mean it's safe to ignore the simple warning.Maybe this wouldn't be at the forefront of my mind if I were not hit from behind by someone on Saturday, but that is the case. Thankfully, neither myself or the person who flailed out-of-control before hitting me, were hurt, but especially in early season, when many skiers and riders are packed on to a few trails, we need to be cognizant of our surroundings. When afternoon approaches and shadows begin to cover th...
More About: Safety , Skiing

Great Weekend To Start The Season
2007-11-15 03:34:00
There was a definite vibe in the air this past weekend at Sunday River. Having walked up the steps along side the Barker Lodge, the changes were evident. With a late spring micro burst reeking havoc on Barker Basin and much of the resort, Sunday Rivers' new owners had their hands full with the challenge of rebuilding trails, roads, foundations, etc. Boyne rose to the challenge, but it wasn't the newly built base area or deck outside the lodge that got my attention, it was a the sound of snowmaking guns beginning to fire up on multiple trails instead of just enough to get the mountain open.For my first run of the year, I opted to jump on Lift 1 for a quick shot up the mountain. I was pleased to see a nice coat of white being laid down on Sunday Punch with a newly installed row of tower guns positioned a third of the way into the trail to further extend the reach of the snow - further evidence of improvements. As my chair neared the top of Barker, I heard a distinct screeching sound...
More About: Winter , Great , Season , Start , Weekend

Rime with reason
2007-11-10 23:15:00
How many times do we tell ourselves we are going to get in great shape for the next ski season? For me, it's every spring and of course at the end of the first day of the ski season while my muscles ache in places I didn't know I had muscles. Perhaps that's the problem; I didn't get in shape so I don't have the muscles. Well, having concluded day number one of what I hope to be a long and wonderful exploration of all things alpine, I am kicking myself for not doing a better job preparing.Don't get me wrong, it was great to be back out on the hill and was pleasantly surprised at what awaiting me today, conditions wise, but after that first run I wasn't so sure many would follow, and yet they did. I'll wait till after the weekend to give a conditions wrap-up as I think a daily report is overkill, but I will say that Sunday River put on quite a show with the annual Tin Mountain Round-up and more snow that we could even think about this time last year. Granted, it's all man mad...
More About: Reason , Skiing , Maine , Rime

Sunday River is first to open in the Northeast
2007-11-08 20:57:00
Upstaging perennial rival and "family member," Sugarloaf/USA, Sunday River Resort, Maine , officially opened for the 2007-2008 season at 11:30 today.While Sunday River had opened for one day on Halloween, most don't consider a resort to be open for the season unless they stay continuously open, therefore, the Halloween opening doesn't really count as Sunday River's opening. Why is this important? Quite frankly, it really isn't in the grand scheme of things, but bragging rights are always the banter of forums and bar stools. After a long period as king of early openings and late closings, Killington, VT - now operated by POWDR Corp, decided to not even attempt an early opening this year, which is the first time in decades. While this opened the door for Sunday River, who had all along intended to open no later than November 9th, it was recently announced that Sugarloaf would also open on the 9th, bumping up their opening by a week. Not to be outdone by its' sister resort, the mou...
More About: Open , Skiing

And to help you in a more tangible search...
2007-11-07 02:02:00
The Internet has brought us so many wonderful things. Thankfully, it has not ruined our journey down the snow-capped peaks, but in many ways, it has helped. Nope, I'm not talking about surfing the web on your iPhone on the chairlift. Hell, I think if I saw someone doing that, I'd really want to throw them off the chairlift, but I digress. The think I am alluding to has to do with two neat sections of many mountain websites - the interactive trail and conditions maps! I love 'em!Okay, an http://www.skiheavenly.com/mountain/trail _map/ isn't gonna help all that much while your skiing or riding unless you've got something like that iPhone with you and believe you me, I'm not the only one that would want to give you a heave-ho. It is quite neat to be able to look at one of the maps before heading out on a trip to a new resort and choosing some areas you want to ski or ride. Sure, you may still want to have one of the hand-held - I feel like such a tourist - versions, but only for q...
More About: Search , Skiing , Maine

The search can take you anywhere
2007-11-05 04:15:00
I learned a long time ago, that if you're a true skier or rider, you can never pass up an opportunity to slide down snow. Granted, this sometimes means that you don't even slide on that much, or even any snow at all. While living in London for a few years back in the early 90's, I strapped on skis and slid down a surface called Dentex, or "the toothbrush" to the Brits. Nope, it wasn't as good as even the hardest bulletproof, but it was skiing and it was part of my education.Then there are the times when snow turns to grass or mud. Most call this the end of spring skiing, but others just consider it another element to ride on. Sure, you get a little dirty, but what is "apres ski" really, other than some overused and died out term for people that really never ripped anyway.And then there is the difference in the terrain we ski and ride here in North America. In BC, you can rip over 5000 feet of vert while some people in the middle part of the continent get excited about 100 feet. ...
More About: Search , Skiing

Welcome to the Brotherhood!
2007-10-29 05:24:00
The Blue World is more about skiing. It is more about Lake Tahoe . Yes, the beautiful alpine landscape surrounding, and of course encompassing Lake Tahoe, may be an inspiration of some of my writing, but it is so much more. It is about the "search" for the perfect day. That day may be on the slopes, in the backcountry, or on the water. So welcome to this blog and I hope you enjoy some of the information here. I may write a little about ski days, trips, some favorite and not-so-favorite resorts and ski areas, and may even discuss some racing and others skiers. This blog will focus a lot on the lifestyle that is skiing and mountain life. If you haven't experienced it, do it. Welcome! ~Jerry Graffam
More About: Winter , Brotherhood , Snowboarding , Skiing