I used to go almost every weekend back in junior and senior year of high school up to Snowbowl in Arizona. Not the greatest mountain, but closest to Phoenix and since I worked at a local ski shop I got $5 tickets since my name was on "the list." My parents had a house in Flag too so free lodging.

Wow that was a long time ago - I haven't been now in 12 years.

Here's the last time I went, took this picture of a friend of mine at Purgatory back in 96.

Here's a video of me doing a quick little 360 on a really small lip near the end of the run at the lifts. Here's a funny video of my buddy wiping out pretty hard on a different jump.

"Nah, I'm not doing a 3... you're trippin"

respect the skills phresh. that 360 is the next thing im going to be working on.

i'm headed to Killington in VT at the end of the month.. can't WAIT. i'm hoping for clear skies and sun, but that never happens it seems.

does anyone have any tips for keeping extremities warm? i can never seem to keep my toes warm enough, i've tried loosening my boots, multiple pairs o socks, toe warmers, nothing seems to work. any tips are appreciated.

yikes, no. get a nice pair of thin ski socks. You don't want thick cotton socks cuz your feet will sweat, which cools them and makes them cold. A lot of nylon and under armour type clothing. Cotton sucks for keeping you warm. Have fun!

I've basically learned to accept a certain level of cold/pain in my feet.

the biggest mistake you can make is wearing huge socks which cause you to lose circulation/cause numbness. the only socks I wear - even in <5 degree days, are paper thin polypro socks. your boots will fit better when there is less sock. also toe warmers are awful, the last thing you need is some weird foreign object shoved into your boot - there is no room for that.

boots should be tight. I usually have to undo my boots when I get to the lift, and rebuckle them when I start my run. on the lift I wiggle my feet/toes to get blood circulation maximized.

all that said, my feet are the one thing I really can't dress for in extreme conditions. at Jay a few weeks ago the air temp was negative and the wind was whipping, and I was plenty warm everywhere except for my feet. unless its below 10, my feet stay warm enough that it wont send me into the lodge.

You want your boots to have a snug fit, but not overly tight to the point that it hurts your feet because that will severely hamper your enjoyment and ability to ski. Sounds like you might be buckling them up alil too tight if you have to undo them every time you get on the lift. Just make sure that your heels stays put and don't move up or down while you ski/bend your knees (unless your freeheeling it of course) and you're usually fine.

Last two seasons I instructed at Squaw Valley and I always told my students that the boots are by far the most important part of their equipment. Good boots make a huge difference on your experience. I got custom orthotics in mine and it something I'd highly recommend.

I still use a pair of Lange Comp 120 Free Ride boots that I bought two seasons ago and they've been excellent.

Unbuckling at the bottom of the run is standard for a performance boot.

yeah, most of my friends unbuckle at least some of the time. If you are skiing cruisers all day, then you don't need to be locked in to the extent a tree/steep skiier does.

fyi I have Salomon Crossmax 10's

Buy better boots? The most important thing is comfort and if your feet are too cold you need better gear. I snowboard and use those comfortable knee socks and they do the job fine.

i usually wear those really thin socks with just a pair of cotton socks over them. i guess i'll lose the cotton socks, hopefully it helps

Losing the cotton socks will help plenty.
In almost every sport that I play footwear is the most important element. It's the only equipment area that I won't cut corners in. Treat your feet right and you'll perform better.

I have some questions

Two new Burton boards (Seven and Air) have been to the mountain once. Should I get them waxed? If so, do you leave on the bindings? Would you go to a snowboard-specific place or a chain like Sports Authority? Is it better to do yourself?

if boards have been used once, ever, they dont need to be waxed. dont do it your self unless you know how. bring it to a ski shop near the mountain

I'm assuming your mountain has a ski shop which can give you a hot wax. You don't need to take off the bindings for that. I really doubt they need a wax if they've only been used once, but the only way to know for sure is to hit the slopes and double check.

Waxing is so easy you should do it yourself. All you need is an iron and a scraper. You can get by fine with a universal wax unless it is extra warm or extra cold. Wax your boards at the end of the season and don't scrape the wax until the following season. try google for more tips. I would also recommend a flat file and an edge tool for keeping your edges tuned. This probably more important than the waxing.

Tuning edges is way more risk than reward for someone who hasn't been shown what to do; it's a little technical and easy to **** up. Waxing is not that tough as long as you KEEP THE FRIGGIN IRON MOVING and don't bubble your base.

A few more Q's after another session...

What do you guys do with your gloves? Mine smell ridiculously bad and there aren't any washing instructions. I think washing would **** the inner lining up and make it impossible to get 'em on again. Any tips/tricks for preventing bad odors/cleaning the gloves? Also I'll gladly take in any suggestions for maintaining my board/gear

When do I get my edges tuned? I remember the first day on the mountain they were super sharp, almost cutting my fingers. Today didn't have as much powder, so the snow was hard and my edges seem duller when I touch them. Still didn't notice a difference on the mountain unless I attributed the difference to the hard snow compared to powder.

I'm spending 95% of the time on my heel side edge.... seems like a pretty solid workout on my thighs, normal? Is there a way to reduce the workout? By the end of the day I don't even want to go down the mountain with my knees bent.

I think I'm actually a regular rider but I skate much better goofy. Should I put my bindings at +9/-9 or +12/-12? Something different? Should I tweak anything else to improve control?

Any tips/tricks for getting better? I'm still questioning lessons, since every time I see students/instructors it looks like nothing is being done/said.

Thanks in advance!

A pretty standard angle setup is +16, -6. Try that and see how it feels...some people are more comfortable with both feet aimed towards the nose while others are better duck.

The frequency with which you should get your edges tuned really depends on the snow you're riding. If its powder, then don't even worry about it. If you're riding on hardpack or manmade snow, you'll notice when you're having to work harder to set your edge into the snow to carve. It certainly isn't a daily or weekly thing, but every couple weeks of riding you'll need to get your edges tuned. Don't get them tuned if you ride a lot in the park since they'll catch a lot more on landings and rails which makes your day a lot more painful.

As for getting a leg workout, it sounds like you just need to get in the gym and build up some dem muscles sir.

Just making sure I'm doing it right

Heading to Big Bear tomorrow, there's a halfpipe freeski contest going so maybe I'll have some pics. Plus I get to bust the cherry on my new Rome Agent. Hollurrrrrr.

Meh I have this same problem...according to my grandmother you should freeze them in. Haven't tried it yet though.

Guys,

a week or so skieing in Vail/ Winterpark..how much would that cost me?

Any of you bums living in whistler and looking for a roomate?

Yeah, I'm also trying to get up to Whistler before the season ends. If anyone has room for 2 people for a weekend or so, we're willing to throw up some cash obviously.

whilster was sick jsut got home form thur