At least the CU tennis team can say it made the record books.
CU Independent

When someone takes up skiing, the first thing they notice is how the ski boot feels. The ski boot is famous for being immobile when you’re not on the slopes, but while you’re n the slopes, the ski boot can feel snug and secure – at least, when you have one that fits. But how do can you tell when a ski boot fits before hitting the slopes? In this article, you’ll find a few ways to figure out just that.

The first thing to do once you have a pair of ski boots on indoors is to give them “the stance test.” Stand up and check out how the boots feel. You’ll also want to move your legs around to see what kind of position they’re in. Stand up straight and bring your legs together – your knees should be touching each other first, followed by your ankle area. How does the position feel? It should feel relatively comfortable (even if a little unusual) and natural.

You can also try a “knee tracking test.” This one is a little involved and requires a little more instruction. In order to begin the knee tracking test, stand with your feet approximately six to eight inches apart. Try to have someone measure the distance between your knees, and be thorough so that it is as accurate as possible. Next, you should “flex forward,” keeping your heels on the floor – measure the distance between your knees again – ideally, they should be pretty similar. If you’re unsure of how to flex forward, be sure to consult a skiing professional.

Be sure to try some natural ski positions as you test your boots out, as what will determine the best fit for a ski boot is how well they help you with natural skiing positions as you’re heading down the slopes.

A third test to give yourself is the “ankle flexion” test. Start out in the same stance in the knee tracking test, flex forward, and keep your heels on the floor. How far can you move your knees? They shouldn’t go much farther or shorter than over your big toes.

To make sure you have the right ski boots, it will help to consult a professional who can have you go through these range of motions to ensure that you’ll enjoy yourself and will have a good fit while on the slopes. Don’t be too daring until you’re comfortable in both your skill level and your equipment.

Photo Credits: neoroma

Originally posted 2009-11-12 03:29:42.

Ski Snowboarder

You know the type. The ones who always seem to have ‘bad’ stuff happening to them. Everyone knows someone who fits the mould. A conversation with them will reveal that they are currently recovering from their 3rd bout of flu this week, undergoing their 4th ligament replacement in as many years and dealing with the break up of their 5th glaringly obviously flawed relationship.

More often than not they can be found telling you how lucky you are, that your life is so much better than theirs, and if it wasn’t for their wife/kids/mortgage/job/dog they’d be doing exactly what you’re doing. It’s exhausting having to listen to it, let alone what it must be like actually being one of them. These are the people that drive me potty. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you – the victims.

Don’t get me wrong, I have feelings and am most certainly capable of distributing large doses of sympathy and empathy. In fact I can do compassion in tsunami-esque proportions if I think it appropriate but when it comes to the victims, I don’t just struggle to give it out, I point blank refuse. The difference between the victims and those who need and deserve support and encouragement is that the former just want their ‘life is shit’ attitude validated. The latter refuse to see it that way and battle onwards regardless of what hand they’re being dealt. Essentially it’s the old glass half full analogy – how you choose to see your life is how your life actually is.

You see the thing is that if you decide that you’re going to focus on the obstacles and difficulties in your life, the chances are that you’re going to attract yet more of these into your world. Its not exactly complicated stuff, anyone who has been mountain biking, skiing etc has been taught these same lessons from day one in their sport. If you choose to concentrate on the giant rock in your path or the cliff edge that runs alongside your track, it is extremely likely that you will find yourself magnetically drawn towards it and consequently, on your arse.

The very fact of giving a problem your energy or attention somehow gives it power. Instead if you acknowledge its presence, decide how you’re going to avoid it and keep your eyes unswervingly focused on the direction that you want to travel, you have every chance of a fast, smooth and awesome ride. It’s really up to you.

In this world there is very little that we can actually do about what happens to us. If someone wants to break your heart, fire you, run you over or steal your dog then there is very little that you can do about it. These are the external forces and they are not for us to control. Trying to do so will only result in a forcing of the natural tide of life and can transform your time on this planet into something resembling a shit fight.

What we can do and where we can play a part is how we look at events in our life and with the right head on, everything is possible. The key to it all is perspective. Perspective has movement and momentum. Resignation and the victim mentality are static, powerless and conjure up images of sitting on your bum in sludge.

With the right outlook, anything that confronts us can be viewed as a learning experience and if we learn, we grow. If we grow, we expand and if we expand, there is room for more good stuff to come in. And herein lies the genius of the whole thing. By simply adopting a positive, curious attitude to life one can create space which will then only fill up with yet more intriguing shiny stuff. The victims of course do the opposite and as a result continue to attract grey, miserable drizzle into their time on this planet. And yet another tickly throat.

Homeboy Ski Blog

With nimble fingers, intricate rhythms and palpable chemistry, it is hard to believe that guitar duo Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero (aka Rodrigo y Gabriela) started their careers playing in the streets of Dublin, after leaving their thrash metal roots behind in Mexico City.
CU Independent

Snowy Weather.

With temperatures leveling off in recent years and a particularly mild summer across the United States here in 2009, it’s fair to say that we can expect a long and cold winter. We don’t need a groundhog to tell us that! But what does this exactly mean for winter sports in the winter, and what can we expect going into the future in 2010? Here are some points to remember about the climate in this upcoming year or so.

Early snow in cold-weather states. First, we already know what’s happening: winter is rolling around early this year. States like Minnesota and Wisconsin have already seen snow in October, and there’s no reason to expect that this trend will let up. The mild summer has led to an especially short fall.

What does this mean for you as a skier or snowboarder? It means you might want to move your schedule up. With snow on its way early this year, you can expect to find the slopes opening early to capitalize. This means that you’ll need to be in skiing shape faster than you expected, so if your training regimen hasn’t kicked off yet, now’s the time to start.

You can also expect that this winter will last fairly long, especially in the northern states where winter is more pronounced. That should give ample time for casual skiers to consider traveling up north this winter; just be sure that you don’t procrastinate and lose the entire winter!

You can expect some record cold temperatures in cold-weather states like Montana. Montana has already seen at least one cold temperature record go down in – for lack of a better word – flames. This means that you can expect this trend to continue in states like Washington and Montana through the Midwest and to places like New York and Vermont. It’d be a good idea to get skiing done early this winter because you never know when it might simply get too dang cold!

For next year, you can expect that there won’t be a gigantic fluctuation in the climate. This means that if you bought some cold-weather gear, it will pay off this winter, and it just may pay off next winter as well. That’s good news for skiers; not so good for people who need to shovel their driveways.

Photo Credits: markg6

Originally posted 2009-10-22 03:56:53.

Ski Snowboarder

written by Kerry and Debbie

The Diva and D2 have many years of experience teaching in the corral in the Children’s Learning Center and have often trained instructors on how to teach beginner kids in that environment.

In order to help others learn the magic of teaching in the corral, we’d like to share some of our tidbits of wisdom. Welcome to the world of teaching kids!

DO: Count early and often. Children are slippery little buggers. Make sure you know how many you have at the start of the lesson, AND which ones you have. Learn their names, memorize their jacket/pant ensemble, do whatever it takes. Parents get upset when you hand back the wrong child. Or no child at all.

DO: Wear your skis. You are a ski instructor, not a boot instructor. Yes we all know it’s harder to climb up the hill with skis on. But get over it; you are a ski instructor. Be in shape enough that you can skate up the hill throughout the two hours. Consider it your professional responsibility. Hey, it might even help you burn off the beers you drank last night in the Tavern.

DO: Be a participant in the teaching process. Even if you are rookie, you can actively join your fellow instructor in teaching the kids. Model what they should be doing, crawl on the ground to help the kids put skis on, join in the games and exercises, and coach kids as appropriate in the activity.

DO: Complete demos on a regular basis. Children are visual learners. Show them what the picture looks like, over and over again.

DON’T: Ride the magic carpet with the children. It looks lazy, it takes too long, and like we said above, it is your professional responsibility to teach the children how to ski. Including skating up the hill.

DO: Coach! You are not there just to catch dive-bombing children. This is what the juniors are for. However, the better your coaching is, the less dive-bombing children you will have. The juniors will appreciate this.

DO: Coach all of your children. This is not a private lesson for your favorite kid, no matter how cute he or she looks in their little sunglasses. Remember to pay equal attention to all of the children in your class lesson.

DON’T: Stand around chatting with the juniors or other instructors. You can chat at the next line-up or during snack time.

DO: Help your fellow instructors. We all have been the last one left in the corral with 2 or 3 kids who just can’t turn yet. If you are in the corral with just such an instructor, help them out. Continue the coaching progression that the instructor has started with those children, and don’t neglect your own class, but work as a team to help all of the kids learn to turn.

DON’T: Yell. Positive feedback is super important with kids, they need to know what they are doing correctly. Also, yelling is disruptive to your fellow instructors (who might have a hangover) and never forget that there are usually parents standing along the fence to watch their kids learn how to ski. Make sure they don’t have a lasting impression of red-faced meanies standing over their kids.

DO: Take children out of the corral and up the chairlift as soon as they are ready. This means turning in both directions on demand. Turning by accident does not graduate a child from the corral. Make sure you tell your fellow instructors what 2 to 3 children you are taking up the chairlift. (Do not just take 1 child—this is a waste of resources)
Corollary: If you are constantly sent up the chairlift with children by veteran instructors, this means you are ineffective in the corral. Read this blog again and ask a Diva for clarification. Work on your coaching and stop flirting so much.

DON’T: Take your yellows (kids not yet turning) straight to the magic carpet, unless it is a spring day above 60 degrees where the snow is like mush or there is enough wind to blow over a house of sticks. Skiing is about turning, not children dive-bombing at the juniors when sent from the top of the carpet. Go over the basics of balance and steering on the walking mats prior to hitting the magic carpet. Remember these kids were not successful at learning last time, and they probably had plenty of dive-bombing practice. Impart your turning knowledge on them, and maybe a light bulb will go on.

DO: Provide a summary of the lesson to every parent at the end. These people paid big bucks to have you coach their kids for several hours (and we all know you don’t get the big bucks so whine somewhere else about that) and need to see their money was well spent. Whether it is report cards for the camp kids or a verbal chat with the package kids’ parents, give the parents a clear understanding of what happened that day, what they can do while skiing with the kids, and what level the kids are next time.

DO: Remember to remove nametags. Parents know the names of their children; they should not need a primer. You should be environmentally conscious and recycle the plastic cover. Oil is expensive. Not yet as expensive as a 4-hour camp though this may change based on current events.

DO: Make the lesson fun! We are all ski instructors because we love the sport. We want these kids to love sliding on the snow, and beg their parents to return. Impart your love of skiing to these kids. So keep kids smiling, having fun, and laughing. This means you have to do all of this too! Come teach a lesson with us, we’re a lot of fun! (see a video of us in the corral at the link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjUBDGSxcks

Diva Ski Tips

It’s not unheard of that one of the most challenging parts of a young woman’s life is finding out who she is and being comfortable in her own skin. We try yoga, meditation, therapy, and help books, often ending up with no answers and sheer disappointment.
CU Independent

James Willcox is the MD of Untamed Borders Ltd. Untamed Borders is the first company ever to arrange ski trips to Afghanistan.

We asked him how he managed it and what it is like?

We had been successfully running cultural and trekking trips in Afghanistan for years but the idea that skiing could be possible first came to mind in 2009 in a small shepherds hut in the Wakhan district in Afghanistan’s far North East. I met an enthusiastic aid worker named Ken who was hiking with his girlfriend. He told me of a small group of ex-pats who regularly skied the Salang Pass that links Kabul with the Northern Provinces. His pictures looked amazing and we agreed in principle to try and run a trip.

The more I tried to work on the details of the trip the more it seemed like an idea that would never come to fruition. There are no lifts, no equipment and crucially no guides. It was fine for ex-pats to ski in the hills but ski touring in uncharted peaks needs professional expertise and just when we were ready to pack it in help came through a project to increase tourism in the Bamian region in Central Afghanistan. Famed for the once having the worlds largest standing Buddhas carved into the rock above the town, Bamian is home to the peaceful Hazara people and is one of Afghanistans most beautiful regions. Bamian and the stunning nearby lakes of Band e Amir regularly see plenty of tourists in the summer but the winter is a very quiet time. A local NGO thought that Bamian could be a future ski destination and is in the process of training local guides using the services of Nando, an IFMGA qualified guide from Italy.

Clearly I was not the only one who thought skiing could be a reality in Afghanistan so we joined forces with this initiative in Bamian and the ex-pat skiers in the Salang to create Afghanistan’s first ski tour.

It is not every ski resort that sees the tourists outnumbered by journalists but that was Bamian in 2011. We stayed in simple rooms heated by traditional wood fired Bukhari stoves. Two Afghan men who I had met previously as guides now work with Nando to run a small ski rental business gathered from donations and are training ski touring guides to the nearby Koh e Baba (old man mountains) range. As well as some top ski touring with Nando our guests visited the remains of the nearby Buddhas, played football with some kids in Dragon Valley and ate kebabs and rice in traditional Chaikhanas (tea houses) in Bamian’s lively bazaar.

We then headed to the Salang Pass near Kabul for a trip up Entente Peak. So named as it was first jointly climbed and skied by a mixed group of French and British in 2003. We drove through Russian built tunnels with icicles hanging from the ceiling and snow drifting in through the holes in the concrete.

However, the highlight for me was on the second day in Bamian. At the foot of the Koh e Baba range we met Asif and Habib. Two brothers aged 11 and 12 they had seen the skiers and with the help of their father had made a set of skies out of wood, metal, and old rubber boots. They only had one pair and took it in turns to make runs. Children in Europe and America would probably turn their backs on the idea of ski touring without lifts but these two brothers had to wait their turn even to get that chance. They get ski lessons through the program twice a week and Untamed Borders hopes that in 5 years time Asif and Habib will be guiding our guests on the slopes of Koh e Baba.

We know that ski tourism is not the answer to the problems facing Afghanistan but in a small corner of the Hindu Kush it can help. The men who run the small ski rental place do need more equipment but what they really need is more skiers. With luck they will get them.

Untamed Borders has a range of trips planned with Nando to Afghanistan in 2012. Wey’ll be back in Bamian skiing the Koh e Baba as well as plans to arrange heliskiing in the Wakhan and first ascents of 6000 metre peaks.

Please visit www.untamedborders.com or contact us on info@untamedborders.com for further details on how to visit Afghanistan as a ski tourist or how to donate equipment to the skiers like Asif and Habib.

Homeboy Ski Blog

One hour from metro-minded Christchurch, Mt. Hutt boasts the longest ski season south of the equator. In 2004, the resort cranked up its lifts on June 7, making Mt. Hutt the first ski operation open for the season in Australasia. Skiers from around the world sojourn to New Zealand specifically to ski Hutt’s light powder.


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LifeTips Skiing Tip of the Day

Nate Solder – New England Patriots (17th overall) When a 6-foot-8 freshman tight end named Nate Solder signed on to CU in 2006, there was no telling where he would end up. “I would prefer to play tight end but if I’d be better suited at tackle, I would be willing to play there,” he [...]
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