January 3, 2009 at Ski Cooper and January 4, 2009 at Copper Mountain Resort, CO
Cynthia, Paul, Trish and I left for Copper Mountain on Friday. I signed-up for downhill training at Ski Cooper on Saturday and Trish wanted to take advantage of the easy terrain at Ski Cooper to learn telemark skiing. We tried to lure Marc, who is a Telemark instructor, to come teach Trish but he resisted our ploy to make him come to Ski Cooper. The ploy involved a tall, French, blond woman named Giselle who needed a Tele instructor and me being stuck with her in the condo not knowing what to do with her at night. Then on Sunday we just free-skied at Copper Mountain.
My downhill training left me wanting a do-over because I wasn’t dialed-in at all. I started a day with a very late course inspection because of technical difficulties with one of my bindings and then my left race boot was absolutely killing me. I had three runs without much feeling in my left foot. In short: I came totally unprepared for the training. I still had three runs but didn’t even want to se my time.
We stayed at Copper Mountain because they had a great deal on a condo and it is my favorite resort to stay and ski.
A note about quality of the photos: I don’t know why they came out so awfully grainy. I used a new point-and-shoot camera and I must have set something wrong.
Trish, Cynthia and I at Ski Cooper. (click to enlarge)
Cynthia in control of the kitchen in the condo at Copper. (click to enlarge)
Trish teleing at Ski Cooper! Cynthia gets the credit for being a good teacher. (click to enlarge)
The telemark pro: Cynthia. (click to enlarge)
By the hot tub at our condo at Copper Mountain. Yes, eventually we did get in. (click to enlarge)
Write a caption for this photo:
Take a close look at the tips of Trish’s skis: they are pointing up. She didn’t believe Paul and me that the tips should be forward regardless of how uncomfortable that might be. Please write a comment on this blog and support Paul’s and my position on carrying the skis with tips forward! (click to enlarge)
Cynthia (above) and Trish in Copper Bowl. (click to enlarge)
Above the Mountain Chief lift at Copper Mountain. (click to enlarge)
Paul and Trish on the Sierra lift (Union Bowl) at Copper Mountain. (click to enlarge)
The Union Bowl at Copper Mountain. (click to enlarge)
Trish rides the dreaded Storm King surface lift… (click to enlarge)
Trish in Spaulding Bowl at Copper Mountain. (click to enlarge)
Trip Video
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Jan 3, 09 at Ski Cooper and Jan 4, 09 at Copper Mountain Running time: 3 minutes
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Filed under: Winter | Tagged: Copper Mountain, ski, Ski Cooper
I think Trish looks very self-assured and is laughing on the inside at all the folks that feel they HAVE to carry their skis with the tips down….
Great Union bowl pic Martin!!
P.S. I can’t believe Gizelle opted for the up close and personal ski lesson after forcing you to spoon with her all night… ; )
Cynthia, I think that Giselle simply is a spooning-kind-of-girl! Marc owes me for not showing up to rescue me from Giselle’s adoration for ski instructors.
Re: Trish and carrying skis with tips up. Yes, she looks confident because it is a step up from carrying the skis that come apart in her hands in front of her.
Trish how exciting you took tele lessons….you look awesome…..well except how you carry your ski’s…We can work on that one…I love it another tele chick
When someone can give me a reason more substantial than “it looks cool” , I’ll consider carrying my skis tips down. Until then, I’ll carry them in the more efficient and comfortable tips up position : – )
Thanks all for another great weekend of skiing! I am so excited to learn yet another way to enjoy the snow and now have to figure out how I’m going to have time to do it all.
Allrighty Trish, I will share with you the reasons for carrying the skis with tips down…
We carry skis with tips pointing down (in front of us) for the following reasons:
1. To avoid hitting other people in the head with sharp tips. Well, it used to be the case when the tips were sharpened to within a whisker of a Laguiole blade so if they were in front of you and the skis held near upright, you were less likely to take someone’s eye out.
1a. The tail is slightly shorter so with a longer part of the ski in front and the least amount of ski poking out the back you’ll be less likely to decapitate a fellow skier in the crowded base area when turning around.
2. Better balance, no binding grease on your jacket, you can secure the tips with less stretching of you arm, and the bit behind you is usually higher in the air and less likely to clonk people.
3. Having the toe binding behind your shoulder and the tips down makes it easier to keep them more upright and therefore out of harm’s way.
4. I don’t know a really decent skier who does not carry the skis with the tips down.
5. A social order. See number 4.
Or… you could carry them in an X shape, clutched to your chest using both arms with poles sticking out . Boots should also be completely undone and you should scuff along never letting the feet leave the ground.
Sorry I missed a truly fun time, so there will have to be others!
As to the tip carrying question….well, MARTIN, you TOTALLY missed the one thing you should have been aware of in the GCT model as an intructor….women are built different then men. Trish you are the winner of that debate as far as I am concerned. Efficiency and comfort rule and are supported by body mechanics here. Center of gravity is something I have been a champion of for decades now and trying to get men to understand that a women’s body center of gravity is different then their own simply seems to elude them every time. This is a baffeling thing to me because I believe these men to be intelligent but their application is lacking. (No, I won’t say it here….but you are all thinking it!) Carrying the tips forward with full binding weight behind the shoulder is a great way to throw a woman into an off balance posititon. Men have the center of gravity much higher allowing them to carry things chest height, or slightly higher in this case. Women have a lower center of gravity so the most ergonomic carrying posititon would be at belly level…why do you think we carry children there? Duh!
Now if you want to attack the social thing…well, in a civilized society the tips of skis should always be carried forward. I say this because men should be carrying women’s skis! But since we obviously live in an uncivilized society, if you want to talk about safety…put on a helmet and take your chances…it’s dangerous out there!!!
Til next time, Adrienne
Here’s my caption for the photo -
Martin taught me EVERYTHING I know about skiing
Dearest Adrienne,
I surrender! Both hands way up in the air! (Go for the X shape, clutched to the chest…) Again, I capitulate!
As am absolute and unwielding feminist I MUST oppose the sexist views voiced above concerning a civilized world would have men carrying my skis. After decades of struggle for equality, for equal recognition, and searching for a decent low-cal coffee cake recipe, I hate to see our modern society return to the dark ages of repression. Next thing you know Sanka coffee will be making a comeback!
As to the direction on one’s skis while being carried on the shoulder- I too thought it to be an insignificant matter until I arrived at World Cup race and was unfortunately photographed carrying my skis “backwards.” After losing most of sponsors, I was shunned by the racing community and ultimately lost my confidence and quit the tour. All these years later I still require regular counseling to cope with the horrors of backwards skis that fateful morning. My life now is mostly filled with my All Womyns Bowling League and playing with my many, many, many cats.
See this just proves the point that snowboarding is better. Why make this complicated?
From the time we are very young, 4-5 years old we are taught to carry our books in our hand hanging by our hips (remember the low center of gravity?). The same principle is used when carrying your snowboard. The position is comfortable and natural; you’ve been doing it your whole life (male and female). Why change a good thing?
Trish, kudos to you for continuing to learn how to have fun on the snow and for being a rebel! Let me know when you really wanna take a walk on the dark side and we’ll get you on a board.
Hey Wyona,
You go girlfriend…..and call when you get there!
Hey, I have a new solution to the entire issue….twin tip skis! You’ll never be accused of a social faux pas again!
I love this time of year and the comments are even more fun then rafting blogs. Well, maybe not!
LEAVE TRISH ALONE!
I still hope they don’t make those in my size!
The real question that should be asked is how in the world does Martin get into those stunning race suits. “interesting mental image… eeek” just kidding buddy.
Hope you all are well!
cheers