Big fat impulse purchase:
I just got a pair of Volkl T-Rock's to use for backcountry / randonee with a pair of Fritsche Free Rides. I've always been a downhill kind of person, but hiking up Mt. Washington carrying heavy DH equipment has gotten pretty old.

So, does anybody here randonee or tele?

Did I get a decent ski? My DH boards are 190cm Volkl G40's. I got the T-Rocks at 177 figuring a little shorter wouldn't hurt in the tight NH trees. I also plan on using it for some backcountry around Nelson, BC, hence the decision to get a fatter board. If the ski sucks, I got a really good price on it, so selling it shouldn't be difficult.

Thoughts?

-Zeke

holy greek

Tell me. I was like, huh?

my first thought after reading the subject was that Ezekiel had gone crazy

You guys have _got_ to get outside more!

Randonee: telemark skiing with downhill boots
T-Rock: a ski make by Volkl, a german ski company
Fritsche Free Ride- a binding that can work as a downhill binding, but also has a heel relase mechanism for going uphill.

Nelson BC: a town in British Columbia about 3 hours north of Spokane, WA. It's the town in the movie Roxanne, on a lake, big mountains - the whole thing.

Mt Washington- a nice place to ski, but a long way up- see attachment (Tuckerman Ravine).

...man!

-Zeke

I know a lot of people who used to ski, but I don't know anyone who used to snowboard.

Actually I think I will switch back to twin planks next season when my son turns 3. At that age he can ski, but he probably won't be able to snowboard until at least 5. I'll leash him up. The Volkls look nice, all skis look wide and short to me now though. I used to race GS in high school on some Olin 210s, and that was when I weighed ~150lbs. Never tried tele, though.

Nice shot of Tucks. That from Lion's Head?

That shot is from the snowfields above right gulley, above Lion Head. We'd come up the winter route up Lion Head. and proceeded to ski the headwall & down the Sherburne trail, which was a blast. The snowfields above the headwall are fun.

I've never gone for snowboarding, I guess I don't care to be a complete beginner again.

The wider skis today are a blessing on deep snow, and my G4's run very well at scary speed on northeastern hard pack, much more stable than my old 200cm RD Bad Dogs, which were a pretty stiff GS ski. The G4's let me ski through late season New England slop like it's nothing, and aside from being a bit of work in the bumps they're excellent.

I figure the rando setup will let me ease into telemark. If I don't like it they look like pretty decent skis, they have the same sidecut as last year's Volkl Karma, but without the twin tips, which I'd never use. I'm most definitely an old-school skier, no skiing backwards for me, thanks. I just want an easier way uphill than snowshoeing with a 30lb pack full of downhill boots.

If you do get back to 2 sticking it, I can't recommend enough getting on the newer/wider skis with deep sidecuts. They's simply easier to ski better on.

-Zeke

Can you get skis that work on the frosty grass that we get in the UK?

Actually of course, you can get grass skis, there used to a grass slope on a local hill, it was featured in an episode of "Treasure Hunt". I recall it lost popularity because it's easy to go quite fast but also very easy to lose control.

edit: Just found a quote on a forum:

Quote:
I'm trying to recall the places I grass-skied back in 1970s: Hampstead Heath (Parliament Hill), a hill outside Brighton, Butser Hill (nr. Petersfield in Hampshire) - which was probably the premier location at that time, and one or two other places I've forgotten. The Ski Club of GB was heavily involved, as was a company called Grillson (?sp) which made grass skis in Surrey as I recall. The preferred brand at that time was Rollka. I seem to recall a permanent grass skiing centre in South Wales (somewhere in Gwent?). It'll all be recorded somewhere.

This is the hill in question - 887ft above sea level, highest point in Hampshire!
http://www.trigpointinguk.com/photos/P02880.jpg

Gareth

Well, one can ski on a gravel or sand bank with regular skis, if it's steep enough!

Have you seen the Turfboard? I've seen people using them on mountainbike trails at Killington, VT. Maniacs, really. I think those would work pretty well on your hill if you're in need of a good frightening.

I know there's a few British skiers/boarders out there, I assume they're a rather determined bunch, not having met one in person.

-Zeke

I've hiked up Tuckerman's Ravine in the summer a number of times, but never dared tring it in the winter. It must be a blast!

It is. Even if you're not skiing or boarding, it's a great hike. Plus there's the free entertainment of people doing 800' vertical slides after they blow turn #2 on the headwall. It's really quite a scene.

I can post more pictures if anyone would like...

-Zeke