Snowgo

Glencoe to close

Sad news via TheBoarder that Glencoe will not be opening this year, or maybe ever again.

I had one of my earliest ski experiences there (admission: I was a two planker once) in about 1993/94. Actually, my recollection was not so much of skiing, but of being stuck on the access lift for half an hour in bitter gale force winds on the way down from the ski area at the end of a wet and miserable day.

Flow binding fitting tip

I love my Flow bindings and have persevered through many breakage / replacement / upgrade cycles to keep using them.

One downside that persisted, however, was the fact that, due to having only a single foot strap, it was always difficult to adjust them to fit comfortably while working properly. In particular, I found that if I tightened them up enough to avoid heel lift the pressure on my instep was unbearable. The following tip really helped to get a better fit.

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Boarder Week goes pro/am

I don't normally pay much attention to competitions but this caught my eye as I have been a regular at the Boarder Week festival for the last few years and it has become a traditional season opener for me and my regular riding pals.

This year parental responsibilities mean I will have to skip it which is my excuse for not entering the new pro/am big air comp. Entries are invited from amateurs for the big air and slopestyle events and must be received by 5 December. Full details at Boarderweek.com.

US Season underway

Looks like things are getting off to a good start in the Rockies.

Beginners guide to choosing a snowboard

How does anyone choose a snowboard? The choice is bewildering and, to the uninitiated, the only differentiating features are often the graphics. No surprise then that questions along the lines of "I am 5'11" tall, weigh 170 lbs and have blue eyes. What board should I buy?" are among the most frequently asked on snowboard fora the Web over.

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Don't try this at home

Crap advice on "Boarding Basics" from the BBC's Sports Academy:

Start to turn your shoulders in the direction you want the board to go...

Why did the BBC get a skier (Graham Bell) to give a class on snowboarding?

Funny thing is I was sitting next to Graham Bell on Monday at Warren Miller's Journey. If I had seen his "Master Class" before then I could have put him straight with some advice from a snowboarder.

Val Thorens' early opening

Val Thorens, which is one of my favourite resorts due to its high altitude and early/late snow, is opening this weekend:

The opening of the Val Thorens skiing area should take place on Saturday, November 8th. Indeed, the current snow conditions as well as the expected snow falls which should occur by the end of the week should allow to operate the skiing area from this date on.

That is an amazingly early start, I think they normally open at the end of November. Now if only I could wangle a weekend getaway before Christmas.

Wallpaper

As the new season approaches I thought it was about time to update my wallpaper. Victoria Jealouse, courtesy of skipass.com, has done sterling work over the last year but a new laptop with a 1400 x 1050 screen demands a new high res image (I am also fed up with having to tell everyone who asks that no, that is not me on the screen).

Unfortunately, I could not find anything I liked at a resolution of 1400 x 1050 but Nokia's 2004 snowboard site had a great shot in a slightly improved resolution at 1280 x 1024 which, happily, does not encourage comparisons between me and the pros.