The Official Skiing / Snowboarding / Playing in the Snow Thread

[otc]

No, idea, but I met a girl in park city who did stuff like that.

Probably go on babysitting websites and look for people who look like they are probably ski bums (would have season pass) and offer over their stated hourly rate to do it on the mountain. Like this

 

[imatlas]

She’s already almost as pricey as a group lesson: $250 a day / 7 hours = $35 an hour for someone with some level of training in ski instruction, and an organization with liability insurance backing them. And your kid’s lunch is included, instead of having to buy it for your babysitter.

There is such a thing as an independent instructor but they’re only technically allowed at a handful of resorts - Homewood seems to allow it.

 

[UnFacconable]

We've discussed the concept with friends and there is a babysitting service that informally offers something like what you've described.

I think ski school, particularly for beginners, offers some very strong benefits. First - they have a number of tools that you otherwise wouldn't have access to. Between the magic carpet, the cones and the large number of instructors - it's far more efficient for them to get kids from no experience to chairlift ready than it would be for a regular person.

My kids are just past that now, and both are lift-riders. There are still a number of resort benefits to using their instructors - skipping the line comes to mind - but it's a bit muted at this point and mainly comes down to training, focus and convenience.

We have some friends that are really good skiers who may be willing to pitch in but at this point my wife is comfortable with dumping money into ski lessons so I am waging an uphill battle.

The ski team setup (which I have spoken about in depth before) is really perfect. I've talked to quite a few people recently whose kids have done the program (and many kids themselves) and from what I can gather, just about everyone who comes out of the programs (not just at my resort, but at any other with a similar concept) is a ripper who absolutely loves skiing. It sounds like 2-3 years in the program will result in a kid who has all the know-how they need to be a phenomenal skiier.

 

[imatlas]

Yep.

On the flip side, almost all of the serious rippers went through a similar program at some point. The group lessons won’t get them there and unless a kid’s parents are themselves former racers or instructors they’re just not going to know what to not teach their kids.

Here’s a pro-tip, free of charge, as an example: every last one of you Jerrys needs to work on keeping your hands up. I don’t even need to see you ski to know that: everyone needs to work on this.

 

[otc]

She’s already almost as pricey as a group lesson: $250 a day / 7 hours = $35 an hour for someone with some level of training in ski instruction, and an organization with liability insurance backing them. And your kid’s lunch is included, instead of having to buy it for your babysitter.

There is such a thing as an independent instructor but they’re only technically allowed at a handful of resorts - Homewood seems to allow it.

Well, I did say half day, and he's got 2 kids so that's already a big discount over 2 kids in lessons.

And yeah, most resorts will try to ban you for life for bootleg lessons, but UnF was already questioning whether more lessons were needed, and a babysitter that skis with your kids doesn't seem any different from an au pair that skis with your kids (which is pretty common). Wasn't thinking structured lessons, just a paid alternative to a group of families who trade off which adult skis with the kids.

I'm sure it's not the easiest arrangement to come across, I'm just saying it is a possibility.

 

[Numbernine]

Looking beyond Monday, NBM guidance keeps chances for precip over
interior NorCal each day, which supports the ensemble views of
cooler and wetter weather. Deterministic models suggest we could
see a more potent and cold system mid-late week; however,
confidence on timing and location for this system remains low.
Kept NMB guidance in the forecast since the deterministic models
are not on the same page as the ensembles just yet.

Next week

 

[otc]

 

[UnFacconable]

Here’s a pro-tip, free of charge, as an example: every last one of you Jerrys needs to work on keeping your hands up. I don’t even need to see you ski to know that: everyone needs to work on this.

Most of us spend too much time in the back seat as well (particularly my younger kid). I did focus on keeping ‘dem hands up at ***** today and although it makes me feel like a nerd it does help my fundamentals.

We are thinking about getting some new boots. Good friend swears by daleboots but another buddy is one of the best local bootfitters doing things the traditional way so we aren’t sure what to do. He made me custom foot beds that made a noticeable difference but I haven’t had him do more serious work like custom liners. Anyone here have daleboots? Based on what I’ve heard, it’s very tempting. The other thing is that I really have no idea what sort of performance I want/need from my boots. I know I don’t need super stiff plug boots but I don’t know what level of flex is right for me.

 

[Numbernine]

Most of us spend too much time in the back seat as well (particularly my younger kid). I did focus on keeping ‘dem hands up at ***** today and although it makes me feel like a nerd it does help my fundamentals.

We are thinking about getting some new boots. Good friend swears by daleboots but another buddy is one of the best local bootfitters doing things the traditional way so we aren’t sure what to do. He made me custom foot beds that made a noticeable difference but I haven’t had him do more serious work like custom liners. Anyone here have daleboots? Based on what I’ve heard, it’s very tempting. The other thing is that I really have no idea what sort of performance I want/need from my boots. I know I don’t need super stiff plug boots but I don’t know what level of flex is right for me.

Height, weight ,skill and type of skiing you do mostly are all part of that equation . Fit and comfort are primary and essential and thats gonna depend on your foot. I'm a soft snow skier , by that I mean < ice, so I prefer a soft flex (110) . Don't get hung up on brands, find the best fitting last. Be aware there are bootfitters and there are Bootfitters. A little surfing around TGR you should be able to nail down some decent recommendations in Tahoe. Thats where I would go.

 

[UnFacconable]

Thanks N9 - pretty much agree. The bootfitter I know is in the conversation of best in Tahoe but he’s also very performance oriented and might not be the best to strike the balance I am looking for. My hucking days are behind me and I’m not a masters racer so I don’t really need ultimate performance. He set me up with custom footbeds when I got my current setup (Lange 110 flex) and it immediately made a big performance improvement.

The type of bootfitters we are talking about are very different from the fully custom shell outfits out there so I was just spot checking to see if any of you guys have any experience with them. My daleboots wearing buddy said he can wear his boots all day without pain and before that had suffered through years of the typical stiff boot foot pain.

Had a great day today at Diamond Peak with the munchkins and some family friends from Truckee. Amazing how much progress they’ve made in just a few days this season. Even the little guy was bombing down long runs and narrow cat tracks fully in control. They may be closer to being able to hang with me and the misses than I previously thought.

 

[otc]

I feel like stiffness is not just for racing and hucking (actually, I think a lot of park rats opt for softer boots). More about your own skills and your ability to transfer energy into the ski.

You don't need some insanely stiff race boot, but if you are skiing some more aggressive and stiff all mountain ski, you want to be able to get it to bend and you're going to be wasting a lot of energy flexing and unflexing a soft boot. The soft boot is more forgiving and helps prevent you from getting tossed into the back seat, but if you are good at staying forwards, you should get more control out of a stiffer boot with less effort.

As for comfort...between punching out the shell, changing footbeds, and molding liners, I'd wager there's a winning combination out there for almost every foot that doesn't require some sort of custom boot. My boots are pretty fine all day (not perfect like my last pair, but I don't find myself unbuckling them at lunch or until they are ready to come off), but they did require some touch-up work to punch out the side a little more on one foot. You're always skiing in the same place, so you've got it made when it comes to follow-up bootfitter work.

 

[UnFacconable]

I feel like stiffness is not just for racing and hucking (actually, I think a lot of park rats opt for softer boots). More about your own skills and your ability to transfer energy into the ski.

You don't need some insanely stiff race boot, but if you are skiing some more aggressive and stiff all mountain ski, you want to be able to get it to bend and you're going to be wasting a lot of energy flexing and unflexing a soft boot. The soft boot is more forgiving and helps prevent you from getting tossed into the back seat, but if you are good at staying forwards, you should get more control out of a stiffer boot with less effort.

Fair points. I honestly don't know what would be best for me. I ski fairly stiff skis for Tahoe conditions but for all I know I might actually prefer something snappier. My powder skis are super heavy (and my dailies aren't light) so getting into lighter skis (and I suppose boots) is something I should perhaps look into. My boots are supposedly all mountain / park boots which basically means they are 115 flex and have some extra cushion underfoot and on the tongue to help stomp landings. I'm not a park rat but used to like to huck a bit off obstacles and a soft boot makes it challenging to ski out.

As for comfort...between punching out the shell, changing footbeds, and molding liners, I'd wager there's a winning combination out there for almost every foot that doesn't require some sort of custom boot. My boots are pretty fine all day (not perfect like my last pair, but I don't find myself unbuckling them at lunch or until they are ready to come off), but they did require some touch-up work to punch out the side a little more on one foot. You're always skiing in the same place, so you've got it made when it comes to follow-up bootfitter work.

This is my wife's argument for going to the bootfitter we know - basically why take a chance based on one data point. The other side is that with all the extra work you could end up with, you're not spending more for custom boots and the custom boots just fit right from day one without compromises. Instead of having to figure out where the pressure is and punch things out, you have a shell that is based on your dimensions and has even pressure. Of course, a discount would change things but assuming no discount the custom boots are about the same price. I am not trying to shill for the custom boots - really just trying to pressure test the options. Right now the biggest con I can find is that there are only a few models available, and none may be right for me whereas Lange/Salomon make great boots that fit my low-volume foot pretty well.

 

[Numbernine]

Fair points. I honestly don't know what would be best for me. I ski fairly stiff skis for Tahoe conditions but for all I know I might actually prefer something snappier. My powder skis are super heavy (and my dailies aren't light) so getting into lighter skis (and I suppose boots) is something I should perhaps look into. My boots are supposedly all mountain / park boots which basically means they are 115 flex and have some extra cushion underfoot and on the tongue to help stomp landings. I'm not a park rat but used to like to huck a bit off obstacles and a soft boot makes it challenging to ski out.



This is my wife's argument for going to the bootfitter we know - basically why take a chance based on one data point. The other side is that with all the extra work you could end up with, you're not spending more for custom boots and the custom boots just fit right from day one without compromises. Instead of having to figure out where the pressure is and punch things out, you have a shell that is based on your dimensions and has even pressure. Of course, a discount would change things but assuming no discount the custom boots are about the same price. I am not trying to shill for the custom boots - really just trying to pressure test the options. Right now the biggest con I can find is that there are only a few models available, and none may be right for me whereas Lange/Salomon make great boots that fit my low-volume foot pretty well.

So basically you have comfortable boots but you're just wondering if they are stiff enough?

 

[UnFacconable]

So basically you have comfortable boots but you're just wondering if they are stiff enough?

More the opposite of that. I wouldn't say my boots are comfortable so I'm mostly wondering if I'm missing an opportunity to have actual comfortable but still high-performing boots. Getting the footbeds gave me a nice bump in performance and I had a hot spot punched out last year that helped with one particular pain point so it's mostly just general discomfort that I can somewhat alleviate through unbuckling on chair lifts. As much as I love skiing, I would be lying if I didn't say that the absolute best part of my ski day was taking off my boots. I am just wondering whether that has to be the case. Also, this wasn't explicit, but my wife is definitely getting boots and I'm just entertaining the idea at this point.

 

[otc]

I don't know how lange compares (since there is no standard), but my Head boots are 110 flex and that's felt fine. I do remember trying on some other brand that felt significantly softer for the same rating (dalbello maybe?). I doubt you'd want to go any softer, but you don't need to go up to a 130 either if it feels good. A good bootfitter should be able to help you with that decision based on how you stand and how you flex your current boot (I would have thought I needed 130 to be happy...).

I only have 2 regrets from my last boot fitting process and they both stem from boot shopping in the spring.
1. Inventory was limited so there were shells that just weren't available anymore in my size. For example, I didn't try the same boot in the next stiffness tier.
2. I didn't go anywhere competent that carried Salomon boots, despite the fact that my beloved previous pair were Salomons. The prior pair was so old that the definition of a "Salomon foot" might not have been the same, but I can't quite shake the feeling that I might have found something better.