stumpalama

From what I reemember, the term "Free Ski" came about from the former World Extreme Skiing Championships. The concensus was that extreme was too limiting a term, so they called it "Free Skiing", meaning anyway and everyway to get down the mountain in on piece while exploiting as many natural terrain features as on desired. It's all about 'free think', free ski!

Plucky- We've probably chewed some of the same dirt...I hope my $.02 made sense. If I can enlighten just one 2 planker to the virtues of the true edge then I may also save them the same torment I suffered through too many knee surgerys. Hmmm taking on an uncomfortable Biblical tone... Ahhh, but you have yet to have the truly religious experience of one solid edge floating on feet of powder with nothing more than a subtle shift of weight to guide the board. Or perhaps, more appropriately, it's more of a luke Skywalker, Jedi thang. Either way definately drop a me line. Good luck with the r

Pictures to follow, but until then my posse (in no particular order): -Terrain park, small mountains: Lib Tech Jamie Lynn 158; -Big POW days: Nitro Storm 166; -Standard all mountain, trees, POW, big mountain: Ride Timeless 161 (this is, by far, my favorite board, I've owned one since 1998); -All boards currently used with Preston LX bindings and Airwalk Freeride boots, but I'm looking to update this year to K2 T1 boots and some Flow bindings, or maybe some Drakes -Backcountry: Voile Split Decision 166 with Garmont GSM hard boots.

OK, poles...poles..poles... Sorry, it's been so long since I needed to bother with them. Hmmm...I seem to remember using them to #1 plant to initiate the turn #2 keep me leaneing forward in my boots and keeping my upperbody down hill #3 ever try moguls without poles? UG-LY! #5 if you fall in deep POW, you cross them in your hand to make an X and help spread your weight over the snow to help you get up. #5 when you invariably break/bend one beyond repair, you can stick the grip on the stick-shift on your truck #6 cross them on the slope, along with your skis, after you've done something silly

Konichiwa snow boys and girls- The "Snow Ball" thread got me thinking... Would any one be interested in a Snow Japan members "Think Snow" preseason gathering at bar/pub in Tokyo say the 28th or 29th of November? I'm just spitballing here, but it would take almost zero work logistics wise, only to set a date and place, the bar setting provides food, liquid courage and would allow us to put names to threads (for some of you that might be bad). I though of making this a poll, but this is probably better judged by response to the thread. Peace- -Mike

Hakuba every weekend in Dec, Jan, Feb and for a week or so in Jan as well. Think Snow! -Stump

Are any of them hot? Kidding... I wish I could, that sounds like a blast. I will be up there on the weekends though, so if you need a extra "guest instructor", I'd be willing, for free. Peace- -Mike

If you want to go backcountry in Japan, you had better be totally self reliant. Get all your friends to take an avalanche safety course, get beacons, shovels and radios... tell others who aren't going with you where you'll be. The Japanese are way behind the powercurve when it comes to back country rescue, much less avalanche awareness and safety. Follow this URL to find out how they handled one particular incident. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/s103116.htm Last year while I was in Hakuba over New Years, two people died on Happo-one while two of my friends were camping up there. They attempt

You chose wisely...to make the switch. I made the switch 10 years ago after my 2nd knee surgery (1st and only reconstruction). I've had a total of 5 knee surgeries on my left knee(cartilage removal, reconstruction with patellar tendon and cartilage removal/repair, the rest were clean-ups) but none have been due to snowboarding. Too much football and then rugby...but man is it a blast! Anyway, my train of thought was that with two legs strapped to the same platform and working together there would be less chance for injury. Although the first time you are stuck to a board with both feet can