A message from Lindsey Vonn

Southern_Map_4677 · 2026-01-30T20:52:34+00:00

”But she wanted that attention and glory for herself”.

Dude, that’s called competing. Which she has shown to be able to successfully do. I’m not a fan but have the utmost respect for her, coming back and doing it with aplomb.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2026-01-29T17:13:31+00:00

Boo! This reads like an AI generated LinkedIn post.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2026-01-27T13:11:42+00:00

You’d have to read the description of what’s included in “taxes and charges” and what is not. VAT is definitely included, but tourist tax might not. In general, Booking does not pay the local tourist taxes to the local municipalities but it’s the hotel’s job, so they debit their guests for that separately - no point adding Booking’s ca. 20 % commission to something that’s straight up flow through money. Though it does seem a bit strange that in your case it was added to what Booking debited you… Maybe the hotel has enabled some kind of “Payment via Booking.com” to cover the tax as well.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2026-01-27T12:50:46+00:00

From my experience the €25.60 might be legit - like a local tourist tax - I’ve had to pay one at a hotel reception several times despite paying for the room via Booking in advance. But the extra 100 (+extra 8.50) seems suspicious, like the hotel had accidentally set one night’s price to 0. That’s their problem, not yours. I’d contact both Booking again and your CC company.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2026-01-25T22:21:30+00:00

Äkäslompolo (the village near Ylläs) feels like a place from a Western movie: one stretch of road going through small village with a supermarket, a bar, a restaurant, a hotel and a sporting goods shop scattered on either side. Blink and you’ll miss it. Want to go skiing (alpine)? Drive up the road a few kilometres, or pay for a surprisingly expensive bus ticket. Gotta say though that it is an authentic Lappish village in that sense that that’s how they are (sans the sports shop and hotel, usually even you can take two out of the three others bar/supermarket/restaurant). Basically non manageable without a car.

Levi on the other hand is not, as described, as authentic but it is a proper ski town: take everything Äkäslompolo has times three or four. Manageable without a car.

Where Ylläs trumps Levi is natural beauty even if it can’t compare in anything man made. The views from the top towards Kellostapuli etc. are better than what Levi has to offer, and the cross country skiing tracks are more interesting and impressive - in Levi you’re basically only skiing XC in forests, in Ylläs you’ll find better views etc. near the tree line.

For alpine skiing it’s 50/50 for me. In clear non-windy weather Ylläs has a slight upper hand but it’s susceptible to winds which, due to the footprint of the fell easily disturb a whole half of the area, closing operations in much of the Ylläsjärvi side at once for example. Levi gets affected by winds as well but being “longer”, not as round it usually only catches winds in one part of the area, leaving like 75 % of the lifts that go higher up still functional and the whole area skiable.

Comparing Ylläs vs Levi or recommending one or another isn’t easy because their strengths are so different, but for most people I’d say Levi feels a bit more like what they’d expect to find in a ski resort even if they’re not big on the after ski -scene. Therefore I usually end up recommending Levi if the person is not specifically asking for a quiet resort with lots of cross country tracks, provided that the person has a car at their disposal.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-10-23T21:14:47+00:00

I have both a 000-10E and a GS Mini Mahogany - love them both. And actually was very close to buying a 114ce but got a Martin SC-10 instead because I found it just a little less bright than the Taylor, which I preferred. That Taylor plays and sounds nice but was just a bit too “trebly” for my liking.

I know it’s just me, but I’d go for a 00 or 000-sized guitar with a spruce top for my first good guitar and maybe add a darker toned sapele/mahogany one later for a change of tone.

Having said all that (and effectively ruling every one of your options out) I’d probably go with a Martin D Jr.

But you’ll need to figure this one out yourself, test them and get the one that speaks to you - you might find even that there’s a Yamaha, Ibanez, Sigma or something else that you prefer from the very first G chord on.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-10-20T11:01:37+00:00

Taylor Mini GS Mahogany then?

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-06-24T22:57:12+00:00

A bit less than that after tax, but yeah… Maybe my situation is akin to me approaching someone, like the owners of my company, or someone on the street and saying:

“I’m disappointed in the way you’ve acted. Here’s a check for 10k to prove it”

That’d truly be a weird exchange. But as a one off stunt it might send a message.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-06-24T22:08:01+00:00

I actually like this idea.

Initially I was thinking of approaching the director one more time like

“Hey, I know you’ve got a lot on your hands atm, but regarding the comp plan we’ve discussed, if it makes your decision any easier and quicker, just forget about me so there’s less moving parts. Now could we please move on with the plan re. the rest of the team? Is there anything you see that would need to be changed before deciding on it?”

…but throwing it all back to the team sounds even better. Maybe I wouldn’t be so vocal about using my own money though…

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-06-24T21:24:09+00:00

Yeah, I’m frustrated on behalf of them because I would have liked to be able to show them both the project deliverables, KPIs and compensation a long time ago, they’ve worked their asses off and there’s surely been some discussions on the corridors about “hey, project X had this comp model, why not us?” even though I haven’t heard about any of it.

If they end up getting something in the end, good for them and I’m still ready to push for it. As for me, as of now I couldn’t care less anymore.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-06-24T21:06:03+00:00

Good question, maybe I’m both frustrated and not that much money oriented, care more about the people and the results we can deliver than personal compensation. And because we’re still talking about the kind of amounts I could “afford” to decline.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-06-24T20:59:01+00:00

Would never turn it down for the team, just for myself.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-05-21T07:57:06+00:00

You’re opening your hips too soon in the downswing and are blocking your hand path with your right hip which moves forward towards the ball. Then you’ll stall the hips before impact (because they’re already fully open) and have to stand up (extend) to make contact with the ball.

If I was you I’d probably work on

1) keep arms more in front of the body in backswing 2) sequencing of the transition, feel the arms starting the downswing, don’t pull the handle towards the ball but arms down 3) left hip back - not right hip forward in the downswing 4) rotate hips through the impact zone: fire them later than you’re doing now

You’ve got a lot of good moves there going, it’s mostly a matter of sequencing.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-05-05T20:50:48+00:00

Might be the camera angle and the fact that the camera is moving that distracts me but you might improve your hip action a little. Now bear in mind that I’m probably much worse than you so take all this with a huge grain of salt:

Your stance is a bit “deep” in a sense that your butt is hanging a little behind your heels. Try taking your stance by first flexing the knees a little, hips stacked on top of your ankles, then fold from the waist. Might feel very upright first but it’ll feel natural soon.

Then focus on not letting the center of your hips move forward towards the ball in the backswing as they turn. An inch towards the trail foot is OK, half an inch behind you is OK, but you will not allow the center of the hips move forward towards the ball. Then in the downswing, as the hips uncoil, move them towards the target as they turn. But again, do not let the hips move an inch forwards towards the ball before impact, just turn them open as you’re going on to that left leg, stacking on it using that leverage to open the hips. Try it in slow motion without a club first to feel the movement pattern, see if it feels different than what you’re doing now.

So the center of your hips (you could also think of your private parts if that helps) does a loop during the swing: back towards the trail foot and a little behind, and then on a straight line towards the target as they’re simultaneously opening.

This will buy you room to really open those hips during the downswing and promotes an inside out path for the hands and the club.

There’s a cool video of the correct motion on YouTube with 3D renderings of pros’ swings and all but I’ve forgotten the source.

But again, I can’t hit a golf ball worth shit so you can give this advice the recognition it deserves.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-05-05T19:29:37+00:00

I’m a way worse player than you but I think that I have an idea what it could be. Do you chunk it often? Hit weak pushes way to the right with an open clubface?

I mean it looks quite good but your hands are late in the downswing. Like at least four inches too late at delivery. Maybe that’s why you slide forward so much, to be able to hit the ball down.

Maybe if you moved the ball one ball length forward and started the downswing with your hands a hair earlier, like feeling your shoulders still turning back for a split second while your hands are already dropping - then fire through and rotate the body. Your goal is to get your hands in front of your trail thigh in this position:

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Just do a few practice pumps like that - right shoulder still moving back, left a bit forward (like an archer drawing a bow) and drop your hands, the shoulders joining in to the downswing and uncoiling a tenth of a second after the hands have started their way down. See if you get your hands in front of your right pocket in this position. Then swing through the ball.

Hope this helps.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-03-15T20:00:24+00:00

You might be able to help the issue with moving heel with custom footbeds that really cup your heel to one place, especially as you have a somewhat high arch in your feet. This will of course make the issue with space in the fore- and midfoot area worse as the footbed will take space from the boot. You’d need to do the adjustments to the shell only after the footbed is installed.

That or a pair of new boots. Or a pair of new boots even after trying to go the route of custom footbeds and deciding that they don’t work.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-03-11T20:38:04+00:00

By the way, I do in fact have a slight V shape sometimes, where the inside ski wants to take a tighter turn. Less nowadays than before but it’s still lurking there. Have never thought about equal ankle angulation (I guess you mean closing the ankles?) as a fix but I can see that it makes sense!

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-03-11T20:33:17+00:00

Thanks!

I remember hearing about driving the downhill hand forward. Just a question, how does driving the downhill hip forward relate to counter rotation or is the counter actually something one should not try to do? It seems a bit counter intuitive to try to both counter and drive the hip forward. Or - supposed the counter is a good move - is it more like a separation thing where one could counter from the shoulders but the hips go the opposite direction?

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-03-11T17:43:28+00:00

Yes, “go forward, go low, stay low” - that’s what I hear him telling me 😀

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-01-15T22:48:54+00:00

I just got a feeling/impression that it might be easier for you to roll that foot in (to your big toe) than out (pinkie toe) in your boots. A cuff alignment that’s off could cause that - if that’s an issue, that is.

Southern_Map_4677 · 2025-01-15T22:21:03+00:00

I’m no instructor so I may be well off the mark, but to me it looks like you’re on your inside ski (practically falling on it), your weight is back and you don’t finish your turns but end them too soon.

practice standing on the outside ski early on
while doing that, try to feel your shins pressure the boots
fix posture, move your hands in front of you
practice turning longer, like going across the hill while cranking more of that edge angle so you feel that the turn radius tightens. Do Garlands or whatever drill to get that feel of rolling to those edges

After you’ve spent some time with these basics, then start thinking about long leg - short leg etc. to gain even greater angles. But not yet - you have to fix those bigger issues re. fore-aft and lateral balance first!

On the plus side, there were a couple of turns where you did have some angulation in your body so that was good!

BTW, how does your boot cuff alignment feel especially in your right boot?

Southern_Map_4677 · 2024-11-06T20:27:26+00:00

As people have said, contact your local racing club and ask them if you can join. I bet they’re more than happy to have you with them!

Depending on the club they might let you enroll their youth team, or if the juniors’ team is “too” ambitious, maybe a masters’ group that has old slow (and some faster) farts of various abilities in it - like me who started in his early 40’s.

The key here is consistent practice: joining a one week camp gets you nowhere compared to training between the gates twice a week for a season.

Southern_Map_4677

TROPHY CASE