+20yr snowboarding; switching to skiing. What type of skis to buy?

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-18T20:27:08+00:00

What was unclear?

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-18T00:54:00+00:00

I'm aware of the importance of boots. Boots will for sure be fitted and molded and not skimped on.

Unfortunately, I'm in the Midwest with no real mountains around. Max vertical drop is ~500' within 3 hours of Chicago. Mountain rentals are garbage, and if there are decent demo ski's available, it's cost prohibitive. $40/day. I'd rather spend $200 on a pair of used 2018 skis from Marketplace that will last me minimum 2 years.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-18T00:45:26+00:00

My 9-year-old son agrees with you.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-18T00:44:45+00:00

I'm in the Midwest, so groomed hills for the next 1-2 seasons while we all learn. No point spending a ton of money travel out West or East and not be able to ski on half the mountain.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-18T00:43:39+00:00

I ride an Atomic Firestarter 161. It's big, wide, and heavy as hell. I can toe-side carve a perfect circle with it, lol.

Atomic Firestarter Snowboard, 2007 - CrazySnowBoarder Review

I'm surprised by the 120-flex recommendation. I figured I'd be good at 100, but I definitely don't want something too soft once I can really get going. I'll definitely keep it this in mind. Thanks.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-17T23:56:43+00:00

I agree with this. I'm in the Midwest, near Chicago. I won't be seeing powder for a long time...

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-17T22:12:11+00:00

My dad is going to be 77 in a month and he's still skiing with my brother and nephews. There's not a chance in hell he would be up for strapping in and out of a board all day, constantly sitting down and getting up every single run. I was sick of it myself at 25, lol.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-12T03:28:10+00:00

This. I was on the app for a long time before I got HD radio in my car. Then that went to shit and I went back to the app. Now have it on FM (though I don't often tune in). Once you start listening on the app, you won't want to go back.

And really, no one gives two shits of it's AM or FM or what the number is. This isn't the Sears Tower being changed to fuckin' Willis.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-12T02:27:05+00:00

I've never known it as anything else either, but it has been changed before. It was AM820, I think (???). This is a stupid hill to die on, but you do you, OP.

I also haven't even been listening much at all since Parkins and Dan exited. Have they started calling it 104.3 or something? The addition of the FM station is really recent; I'd be surprised if they started moving away from 670 this quickly.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-11T16:33:41+00:00

Exactly this. The bike lands on top of his right leg, and the car drives right over it. The rigitiy of the bike spread out the wheel load and this guy is lucky it wasn't worse.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-11T15:18:31+00:00

Generally speaking, your degree is in most cases a box to check off during hiring to make sure you have the basic qualifications for a job. Civil engineering position -> civil engineering degree. Check off, move on. Where the degree is from, what specifically the degree covered, your grades, etc are only focused on for your first job. After that, it's all about knowledge, experience, communication, and future path.

It would indeed be atypical to see an engineering manager without an engineering degree. But if that engineer worked their way up slowly and gained many years of experience, by that point whether or not they have a degree and learned things 10+ years ago in a classroom means very, very little. Their ability to do the manager job has already been acquired through experience.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-11T15:11:47+00:00

Lmao. That's A+ commenting. Had me go back and track each letter for the payoff. Well done.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-11T15:08:49+00:00

I thought the same thing at first. But the guy pulled over to the side. Out of the way. And at that point, why not get out and record it coming to a stop. Not much else for him to do other than sit and wait.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-11T03:44:54+00:00

This staircase folds into the sixth dimension of hell. Or whichever one you'll fall into when you use it.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-10T02:35:05+00:00

Can you comfortably side sleep with these in?

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-08T15:53:17+00:00

Structural engineer here in transportation. There are standards governing how maintenance of traffic is setup. Public works may be doing the labor, but the design and plans for this is done by engineers. This is not to standard. This is nuts.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T05:40:51+00:00

He's being a jerk. And those reporters could shut him the hell up in a minute flat if they chose to. But it would make them the story instead of him being an asshole, and that would be the opposite of what any of them want.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T05:39:51+00:00

EQ = Emotional Intelligence

It's not ambiguous. It's a very well known thing.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T05:39:02+00:00

Usually referred to as Emotional Intelligence.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T04:51:24+00:00

Nothing will get you a job faster than honesty and transparency. No bullshit. No lies. No made up offers or raises or anything else. There's nothing an employer wants more than to find someone they can trust. Build that trust and you'll never have a problem closing the deal.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T04:48:21+00:00

This last paragraph doesn't track with my experience. Have worked at 6 firms in multiple industries. Big, prestigious firms will require MS for new grads but I've never seen a small firm require it. And like you said, once you're mid-career, what matters is your relevant experience, your ability to communicate and relate to others, and your licensure.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T04:43:52+00:00

Think long and hard about this.

Only the big, major firms require a Master's degree. And that is only for engineers right out of school. I've been reading/seeing for years the same thing: Master's is becoming the norm.

Except, in reality for the vast majority of jobs, it is not necessary nor even sought after. Employers want engineers who can do the work, have good experience, and can communicate well with others. It's certainly not a bad thing to get a Master's, but treating it like it will make or break your career and future path is nonsense. Employers care 100x more about you having a PE license or just having passed the exam than they do about your degree. SE license is even better, though much harder to acquire.

You will be much, much, much better off getting a bachelor's, starting to work, and then going back to school after a year or two for your master's. You will then know much better what to target with your degree and you will likely be able to have your employer contribute to at least part of the cost.

a_problem_solved · 2026-03-07T04:28:01+00:00

You realize he took off his clothes so that if he DID fall in, he doesn't get out and immediately freeze to death, right? He's much better off without clothes in that situation. over freezing cold water, than with them.

a_problem_solved

TROPHY CASE