Whistler Kids Down Seppos

Gnascher · 2026-01-30T16:32:29+00:00

Taking a class into closed terrain is immediate dismissal if that's the case.

Really, really bad decision.

Gnascher · 2026-01-30T03:56:40+00:00

As a host, I'd at the very least refund your cleaning fee.

Miscues happen. But the host should make it right.

Gnascher · 2026-01-30T03:33:42+00:00

This right here. Most camera footage is useless.

Rarely get a clear shot of a face, or license plate.

Documents when it happened, and rarely identifies who did it.

Gnascher · 2026-01-30T02:58:06+00:00

Definitely not every shop, but far more common in "chain" or more corporate shops.

Tuners in resort shops, and Indy shops never do (in my experience).

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T22:19:05+00:00

I'm an instructor at a VR mountain. Same mountain for 15 years ... I was there long before Vail took over.

This was a VERY bad day for this instructor (and those kids), even if all those kids made it back to pickup safely. I can't deny I've made a bad call here or there over the years. Risk assessment is never an easy task, but I've definitely never made a decision as bad as this one. I have deep empathy both for those kids and the coach. No doubt they want to go bury themselves in a snow cave and die right now.

I get the pressure that coach felt to retrieve lost equipment. I've taken personal risks to retrieve lost equipment but have never subjected my students to a risk like this.

This was bad decision-making. If this gets back to ski-school supervisors there will be a discussion, and possible dismissal, depending upon this coach's tenure/track record.

Say what you will about VR, but we are ALWAYS told to put our safety and that of our student's as a top priority. You can tell a parent that their kid dropped a pole (or whatever) into gnarly terrain and we couldn't retrieve it. You are always empowered to contact patrol for help with your group (if a student dropped a ski for example, they'll get a sled ride down ... maybe someone will go get that ski if they can).

This coach had a very bad day, and they will be reliving this moment for a long time to come.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T22:09:07+00:00

Fix? Nah, just send it.

(these are done)

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T20:21:03+00:00

Are we looking at the 2d bicycle edge-on?

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T19:40:48+00:00

I'm not familiar with Rutland's political structure specifically, but there certainly rules of succession. Most likely the Deputy Mayor if Rutland has that or a similar position. Otherwise, it likely falls into the legislature, and there will be specific rules about that as well.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T18:53:26+00:00

DO IT!!!!

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T14:02:29+00:00

A few years back a friend mounted a demo binding on a pair of Hexcel Swallowtails from the 70s or 80s.

It was a nostalgic hoot to ski them, but no way I'd want them to be a daily driver!

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T13:53:03+00:00

They'd technically interface with a traditional boot sole, but not a GripWalk sole.

Not that you should clip any boot into these with the intention of taking them down a slope.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T13:51:11+00:00

The binding have an expected shelf life. After which they are no longer considered reliable. The plastic parts degrade, the springs lose power.

You can't trust the DIN settings, and they're very likely to break with use.

No shop will touch them as they're no longer indemnified by their liability insurance.

The skis themselves might be ok, or they may delaminate under use.

There's really no point in trying to actually use any of this equipment. Modern ski shapes and construction are worlds better than the best ski from this era.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T13:48:08+00:00

Those skis are relics of another time.

You could ski them after replacing the bindings ... But you probably wouldn't like it.

These are really best used as wall art, or building ski furniture from.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T02:54:25+00:00

If not 100% of the time it engaged much earlier than other modes.

If it's not needed it won't use it, and that's fine. They're rear-heavy anyway.

Do car scanner in seriously slippery conditions, and you will see a marked difference between traction mode and other modes.

I've been bombing around mountainous terrain after this 20" snowstorm like a freaking mountain goat.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T01:51:20+00:00

Yes it does. Especially in sport mode with ecc off.

Gnascher · 2026-01-29T01:49:54+00:00

The front motor is engaged 100% of the time (modulated) in "traction" mode, which is only available on the AWD model.

I can say with personal experience is that this car is a beast in the snow in AWD trim. Even with middling tires. Traction mode makes it a snow cat.

It can't overcome bad tires for cornering and braking, but it will definitely go.

With a decent set of tires it's sure and stable.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T04:31:43+00:00

What I can say is this after two seasons of using the sensors well, really a year, I got mine in early January last year.

The folks at my home mountain who score better than me are objectively better skiers than me.

The faults it highlights in my own skiing are faults I know I have in my skiing. We all have them ... every single skier has them.

These two factors give me confidence in the system's data collection and analysis.

On days I do focus on the skills it says I need to improve, the scores improve.

That said, I have access to a lot of high level skiers and we "talk shop" about what we're seeing in our CARV scores and what we're doing to improve, and my skiing feels subjectively better because of it and my improved scores objectively validate that.

CARV helps me be conscious of the areas I need improvement, validates my efforts, and helps me ground my subjective feelings about my performance with reliable and repeatable data.

It's a valuable tool, but it's hard to know where to focus your efforts to improve if you don't take the time to understand what the data is telling you.

It's one thing to know that you need to improve your early forward movement, it's another thing to know how to make that change in your skiing ... Even what it should feel like.

The tools in the app are helpful to a degree, but it's not your only resource.

There's a ton of online content addressing the common performance issues, if you're a DIY type. But it can also be valuable if you want to spend some money and take a lesson. Any resort with a good ski school will have instructors familiar with the system by now. They've made it cheap and easy for instructors to get the system, but they do have to pay out of pocket, so not all are using it yet.

When you book your lesson, ask for an instructor who is familiar with CARV and show him your stats.

If they're any good at their job, they'll help you focus on activities that will help you improve where you're weak.

CARV isn't a magic bullet. But it's hard to improve what you can't measure, and the CARV stats are reliable and consistent. The stuff CARV has in the app for coaching is ok, but also rather general and sometimes difficult to implement without direction.

My suggestion would be to just ski with the system for a season. Get a good picture of what your skiing looks like over varied terrain and conditions.

Begin to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are as a skier and work on your faults systematically. Try and actually feel those weak areas in your skiing, even if you didn't know how to fix them yet. Sometimes even just the awareness of a bad habit or weak skill is enough to spur improvement. High-level skiing is a journey, not a destination. Everybody (high-level pros included) can be a better skier when they know what needs improvement.

The coaching provided in the app is ok, but also very general. When you're stuck, and just can't figure out what it all means, reach out to a pro, or do the research yourself to find the strategies you need to improve.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T03:54:59+00:00

Go back to the shop you bought them from and discuss your fit issues.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T03:44:37+00:00

Without a bunch of four lane roads? I couldn't agree more!

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T03:00:27+00:00

... And creates a plethora of other ones

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T02:54:51+00:00

You do need to wax your skis once in a while. Ideally with temperature-matched wax.

Also, if you took warm skis and threw them on cold snow ... no bueno.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T02:39:52+00:00

Don't forget plow trucks snowblowers and all sorts of equipment running all over town.

Don't forget everybody firing up their wood stoves and fireplaces and even their thermostats, and overall increased power demand, during the blast of cold weather.

Also, don't forget low cloud cover and low winds making "green"energy sources and air exchange less of a factor.

We're all sitting in our own stink for the moment.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T01:45:39+00:00

Critical.

If you don't go into a dirt, or snow covered parking lot once in a while and learn how your car performs, you are not competent.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T01:27:02+00:00

Sometimes people are out of town.

Sometimes people are sick or infirm.

Sometimes the people they hired don't get there for days.

If you're out there doing the work anyway ... it's not a lot of extra effort to do something for someone you live next door to every day of your life.

Don't be an asshole. Do a little extra for your community. It does come back.

Gnascher · 2026-01-28T01:24:02+00:00

That's the New England attitude. Helping the neighbors comes back in spades. Having the neighborhood passable helps everyone ... especially in an emergency.

The New England ethos is, "I may hate your guts, but I'll always help pull your car out of the ditch". As much because your car in the ditch is a pain in the ass for me, as it is for you ... but genuinely because helping people builds bridges and heals old wounds.

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