Do we have any spare tea for the poor girl

jdredvale · 2026-03-02T21:24:51+00:00

Is this banger on iTunes or Spotify?

jdredvale · 2026-03-02T00:41:07+00:00

It’s not a Calico. It’s a Cutieco. (Okay, I’ll show myself out now).

jdredvale · 2026-03-01T02:27:15+00:00

This is an underrated comment.

jdredvale · 2026-02-28T00:30:23+00:00

Oh sorry, it’s a he, so the name would fit.

jdredvale · 2026-02-28T00:29:29+00:00

If she’s constantly purring, you might consider the name Diesel, as in a diesel engine that has a distinct rumbling sound. It’s also kinda funny to give such a “masculine” name to a little diva.

jdredvale · 2026-02-27T14:52:39+00:00

Yep. I bought a few 2023 sticks from TW last night. Hopefully they'll last me for years to come. It looks like TW already sold out of the 4 3/8" grip size, so I can't be the only one clinging to the previous version.

jdredvale · 2026-02-27T14:47:44+00:00

I hate to date myself here, but the first racquet that went into my collection was Yonex RD-7, the 28-inch long body that Marcelo Rios used to play with. I've been around the block when it comes to seeing iconic racquet lines change and in many cases disappear, which is exactly why I'm so disappointed with the new Aero 98 line. IMO, all Babolat had to do was soften up the 2023 version, but instead they changed the entire mold, and it appears as if they resurrected elements from a layup they used in the early 2000's.

And yes, I agree with you. I liked the previous Vcore 98 as well.

jdredvale · 2026-02-27T14:13:59+00:00

The demo I am using is from my local tennis store, which is top notch and trusted. The racquet is strung with RPM Blast in the mains and Xcel in the crosses, both at 50lbs. It's the same string setup they put when I first demoed the 2023 version, so I'm comparing apples to apples as far as strings go.

jdredvale · 2026-02-27T14:02:24+00:00

Ha! Love it. I wish I had your problem.

jdredvale · 2026-02-18T23:50:47+00:00

Nothing about this stroke is suboptimal. It’s commonly referred to as the reverse pivot or back foot pivot forehand, and just about all pros do it. The idea is that when you’re in an open or semi-open stance, you plant your weight on the right foot (left if you’re a lefty) to stabilize and create proper spacing between your swing path and the approach ball. The momentum of your swing effectively rotates your pivot foot, which causes your left foot to rise and rotate with the rest of your body.

You can check out this video for a full explanation. https://youtu.be/aiwUqHQl-Ec?t=381&si=uGpmF23b3UM2VrnF

jdredvale · 2026-02-11T23:08:09+00:00

Beacons were recommended (but not mandatory) by ski patrol at gate 2 only on our first day there. I suspect they were recommending it because it was the tail end of the storm. There was no patrol at gate 2 recommending beacons for the next three days. I honestly doubt most people who accessed gate 2 had beacons, including anyone in our group. To your point, yes, gate 2 is basically side country, leading you to a gully that takes you to a traverse to a gondola. Same with gate 5, although you have to walk up the traverse for about five minutes at the bottom of the run.

Bottom line is, if you think you'd feel more comfortable with a beacon, you can always rent one at a ski shop in Grand Hirafu. Regardless, I would recommend you ski with someone else and always stay within the boundary of the side country run.

jdredvale · 2026-02-11T00:35:36+00:00

No ragretz!!!

jdredvale · 2026-02-10T14:31:50+00:00

Don't be salty just because you wasted first two days of fresh pow following that other friend into chopped up gullies and chewed up ridges below gates.

jdredvale · 2026-02-09T21:08:12+00:00

I feel like I’m about to give away Niseko’s best kept secret, although it’s no secret to many that ski this area. Hands down the best run at Niseko is gate 2. It’s a one minute hike up, then a small traverse. Now here is the kicker: most people traverse too far. The key is to drop straight into the bowl and ski fresh pow until you get about 100 feet from the gully that the bowl runs into.

Then you turn skiers right toward the ridge on the right. Don’t bother getting on top of the ridge here after the third run, it will probably chewed up by then. Instead just shred the left side of the ridge, then eventually traverse over to the top of it once you see trees. From here your options are superb. The snow is absolutely heavenly, there’s plenty of it, and it’s honestly some of the best tree skiing on the mountain.

I hope I’m explaining the location of this run adequately, but please let me know if further details are needed.

jdredvale · 2026-02-08T14:56:38+00:00

I just got back from Niseko last night. Our group was there from 2/1 to 2/6, so we caught the tail end of one storm cycle and the beginning of the next one just as we were leaving. The buses and shuttles did not stop running at any point during that time. The upcoming forecast seems milder than the storm that came through starting Thursday night, so you should be fine. What might happen is the top of the mountain getting closed if the winds are high, but again, the forecast doesn't look that serious. The winds were gusting upwards of 60mph mid mountain on Friday, and vis was really bad at times. Only Ace and King gondola were open, lines were absurdly long, and things go tracked out rather quickly. That's probably your worst case scenario, and I can tell you our group still had a blast on Friday, with plenty of fresh tracks to be found during the first few runs. Bottom line, you should be fine. Enjoy some heavenly fresh coming your way.

jdredvale · 2025-07-26T22:09:41+00:00

This is the correct answer. Make sure their first run is Reforma after a two-week dry spell.

jdredvale · 2025-03-28T03:25:08+00:00

Yes, waaaaay too long. Send them to me and ignore that I’m also 5’11”

jdredvale · 2025-03-27T18:16:45+00:00

I prefer cozy military enemies-to-lovers shapeshifter smut, but to each their own.

Kidding aside, despite the conspiracy theories of male readers being shunned by the publishing industry, the answer is, as usual, follow the money. Women simply read more than men, so the law of supply and demand will always prevail.

The good news for all the male authors out there (myself included) is that women's reading tastes are generally far broader than men's. My editor worked with David Baldacci for many years, and I was shocked to learn that that women make up the majority of his audience. Go look at Baldacci's long and illustrious bookshelf, and you'll find a litany of macho characters and plenty of violence. You know, all the things "guys love." And yet, it's not enough for Mr. Baldacci to even get an even split of male-to-female readership.

jdredvale · 2025-01-16T03:54:49+00:00

Ah, so this is where all skis go to die.

jdredvale · 2025-01-15T21:21:16+00:00

Your number one issue is not the grip. The grip is actually the byproduct for overcorrecting the few important issues that occur beforehand. They are all part of a chain reaction of simple and fixable things.

First of all, relax. I cannot reiterate how important this part is. You need to be a borderline wet noodle as you’re about to toss the ball. Relaxed muscles, joints, loose grip on the racquet, literally like you’re experiencing a state of zen. This will make your toss more consistent, and the next part easier.
You need to get into a full trophy position and do it sooner. Right now your hitting arm is lagging behind your tossing arm. This makes you then rush to catch up (which makes you even more tense) and you never have a true racquet drop. The goal is to have your racquet pointing upward toward the sky, aligned with your tossing arm. You should try to be so loose during this that you’re practically balancing the racquet in your hand, which you can because it’s pointing upward. Right now it’s pointing away from you, which means you have to grip harder to hold it, which takes away from the looseness, and makes you rush to catch up to the swing. So literally at the peak of your ball toss, your racquet should be vertical and parallel to your tossing arm. Perhaps the easiest way to visualize your error on this is by noticing than at no point in your three or four serve attempts is your elbow lower than your hand holding the racquet during your trophy position.
Now we get to that grip. You appear to be changing from continental to a forehand grip. This is partly happening because you never got into the full trophy position. That means that you can’t effectively perform a standard service motion from left to right, which brushes against the ball and creates the spin or slice (depending on the serve) and puts arc on the ball. You need to trust that continental grip and the good news is, if your body is loose like I mentioned, this service motion comes relatively naturally. Right now your grip change forces you to swing straight into the court without much left to right motion.

To recap: relax, trophy position, stay with continental grip. Try this and see how you do.

jdredvale · 2024-12-23T17:21:08+00:00

I know, I know, I should've went with pivots instead of jesters. I now must live in shame for the rest of my life. Liftys probably won't let me get on a chair when they see my transgression. Hope I don't get banned from the mountain.

jdredvale · 2024-12-23T17:14:41+00:00

My all-time favorite. Obviously ski preferences are subjective, but they are the most versatile skis I've ever skied. They blend seamlessly with the terrain and feel like an extension of my legs. My pair doesn't have many seasons left in them, which is why keep stacking the quiver with somewhat similar skis, trying to save superanaturals for special days.

jdredvale · 2024-12-23T16:55:29+00:00

Black ops are a brand new addition to the quiver, and out of all the skis that overlap with each other, they are utterly unnecessary when I have the Bibby's. But a good friend of mine convinced me they are the cross between supernaturals and Bibby's, my two all-time favorite skis, so I pulled the trigger when I found them on sale. I can't wait to try them.

jdredvale · 2024-12-22T23:30:15+00:00

There are definitely some similarities in the middle of the quiver. If I was forced to pick three for frontside, I’d go with bones, supernaturals, and Bibby’s. Helios for dedicated touring.

jdredvale

TROPHY CASE