Dumb bet?

I just wanted to tell everyone thanks for replying to my questions.
Especially those who threw in some advice.

The monetary part of the bet was small... $5.00. The main thing
that's on the line is the ability to talk ****! I've been talking
smack to by buddy for a few days and will continue to lay it on thick
till this Sat when I take his money ;-)

I've read some great threads in this group and have found some really
good tutorial sites. Now all I have to do is put what's in my mind to
practice on the slopes. Shouldn't be a problem (hopefully)!!

Peace!
Rob

"Dismantler" wrote in message
...

"RR" wrote in message
...

"Dismantler" wrote in message
...
Dismantler is SOOO right. You're a SUCKER. You're gonna hurt, curse,
blow-up
deluxe, and then cough up the cash!

I've boarded with guys that got it straight up, but man... they are
rare.
I've read the rest of the tips from other posters.. i.e. get good gear,
get
lessons etc., and they all make sense, but at the end of the day, some
guys
just get it, and some just don't.

Chances are, you just don't!! And you could be an OLYMPIC skier and
STILL
not get it. In fact, I was an intemediate + skier, and it took me a day
to
link turns. Every one of us had fantasies of being a 'natural', but few
of
us are...

EITHER WAY: It's worth it. Losing this bet could be the best money you
ever
spend!

My Tip: Pain is weakness leaving the body... sucker!



Once you can turn, work on making small, regular, tight turns. Don't let
them get long and irregular, until that is something you are doing
consciously. And don't forget, you can always just sit down if you are
going
heelside. Keep the speed down until you have control of the board on both
edges...

RR has a point. Snowboarding isn't easy... I was a TERRIBLE skier, yard
sales constantly. I was so bad at it, that I almost never tried
snowboarding... When I first started boarding (in Australia - Mt. Buller,
while overseas on a work assignment), I suffered badly (no lessons, rented
gear, etc.). HOWEVER, I stuck with it. Through the pain, through the
laughter of others on the slopes. Nothing worthwhile is easy. I think I
appreciate every tiny bit of progress I've made that much more, since I've

paid for all of it with pain. I attended Jackson Hole Steep and Deep Camp
a
few years back, and it was one of the best, confidence-instilling
experiences I've ever had.

I enjoy riding very much on a powder day, when it's deep and I'm alone,
just
the gentle "slishing" of the board's edges in, on and through the powder,
it's indescribable. So I won't even try... Suffice to say, it's
transcendental. At least for me, I can't speak for others.

To some, it might be a way to impress their friends, look cool for girls
(or
guys), or just to show off (?!). I can't understand why anyone would want
to
cheapen it that way, but hey, to each his own. If that's what they enjoy,
let 'em have it.

When you reach that point (transcendence), you'll know it. It will be
difficult to wipe the smile off.

Make the slopes a better place to be with your attitude. That DOES include
riding safely and responsibly. I don't ever want my fun to result in
someone
else's injury... And that's probably one of the most important things I've
learned in my short time on the slopes.

Gottago. Peace to all.


snifff... that's beautiful dismantler.. c'mon, group hug everyone!

it really is that good isn't it!

good tutorial sites. Now all I have to do is put what's in my mind to
practice on the slopes. Shouldn't be a problem (hopefully)!!

good luck, I'd like to hear how it works out for ya.

"RR" wrote in message
...
snifff... that's beautiful dismantler.. c'mon, group hug everyone!

it really is that good isn't it!


For some of us...

I'm sure some gnarled little troll will crawl out of the usenet woodwork,
right about now, and begin insulting both of us.

I said too many positive things in one post. I wish I had a lift ticket,
LOL.

(Jason Watkins) wrote in message . com...
good tutorial sites. Now all I have to do is put what's in my mind to
practice on the slopes. Shouldn't be a problem (hopefully)!!

good luck, I'd like to hear how it works out for ya.

I cant beleive no one has mentioned this. You WILL win this bet if you
follow my advice.

Go and get some instruction before your bet without the knowledge of
your friend. Once you can do what you need to be able to do, arrive at
the mountain stage a few falls then magically *get it* at about the
three hour mark.

Enjoy your success then fess up in a few months. You will have your
moment in the sun, then later you can give him his.

Si

Dude, for not having English as your first language, you speak and write
better than most people on usenet.


I'll try to explain (sorry, not a native English speaker so somewhat
messy).

"Dismantler" wrote in message
...
RR has a point. Snowboarding isn't easy... I was a TERRIBLE skier,
yard
sales constantly.

Haha.. had to read that twice - first time I pictured you selling your
skis on your front lawn, fed up with the lack of progress you were
making on the slopes.
.... THEN I remembered that this is a snowboarding group and that we
often have the 'pleasure' of laughing our asses off as we are on the
chairlift going up the mountain, looking down below us at all the
'yard sales' the novice skiers are having below us on the slope:
- 1 Ski complete w Boot(Sz 9, Left Foot) - $40
(sorry, I would prefer to keep the right side for the time
being)
- 2 Poles - $12 (one about 9ft away, the other slid much further
down)
- 1 Glove - $3 (full of snow; snow@ no charge)
- 1 Toque - $5 (you'll have to reach underneath me to get it)
- BONUS: 1 Sock (Sz 9) - no charge! (sorry, you'll have to look for
this one)
- or take everything for $55 O.B.O.

Funny, most people just ski right by. But back home, especially in the
summer, they come in droves and park up & down both sides of the
street at like 7 in the morning on a Sunday. Drives me nuts!

"Baka Dasai" wrote in message
news:slrnbu7uie.65h.idontreadthis@yahoobb220004112 021.bbtec.net...
On 19 Dec 2003 13:09:54 -0800, Robert said (and I quote):
I've skiied for several years and am quite good... no expert by
any
means but can have a great time and only fall when doing something
nutty.

I'm going boarding with friends next week for the first time.
This
friend of mine went for his first time last year and he says that
it
took him 2 full days before he could go any distance without
falling.
I've made a bet with him that I could pick it up and would be able
to
go down the mountain, complete with turns, falling 5 or less times
within 4 hours. We're going to Wolf Creek.

First, do you think this will be possible? Second, do you have
any
tips that would help one pick up snow boarding FAST?

You've got a reasonable chance of winning the bet. But so has your
friend. It depends on how athletic you are.

Tips? Take a lesson first thing. Make sure you have good
equipment. I see a lot of beginners with poor rental equipment that
makes it impossible for them to do basic things like use their
heelside edge.

FWIW, I would have won that bet easily, but I was an expert skier
before taking up snowboarding.
--
A: Top-posters.
Q: What's the most annoying thing on usenet?
































Q: What's the most annoying thing on usenet?
A: Having to scroll down to read the answer because some **** thinks
bottom-posting is superior

(I say they both have their merits)

"rhashana" wrote in message
...
"Dismantler" wrote in message
...
RR has a point. Snowboarding isn't easy... I was a TERRIBLE skier,
yard
sales constantly.

Haha.. had to read that twice - first time I pictured you selling your
skis on your front lawn, fed up with the lack of progress you were
making on the slopes.
... THEN I remembered that this is a snowboarding group and that we
often have the 'pleasure' of laughing our asses off as we are on the
chairlift going up the mountain, looking down below us at all the
'yard sales' the novice skiers are having below us on the slope:
- 1 Ski complete w Boot(Sz 9, Left Foot) - $40
(sorry, I would prefer to keep the right side for the time
being)
- 2 Poles - $12 (one about 9ft away, the other slid much further
down)
- 1 Glove - $3 (full of snow; snow@ no charge)
- 1 Toque - $5 (you'll have to reach underneath me to get it)
- BONUS: 1 Sock (Sz 9) - no charge! (sorry, you'll have to look for
this one)
- or take everything for $55 O.B.O.

Funny, most people just ski right by. But back home, especially in the
summer, they come in droves and park up & down both sides of the
street at like 7 in the morning on a Sunday. Drives me nuts!



ROFLMAO, I love your "yard sale" listing... Gave me more than a few
chuckles, and a few winces... Yeah, my older brother was ripping on me on
Christmas Eve - he was the knucklehead that took me to the slopes and gave
me the famous "Older brother-who-knows-how-to-ski" 5-minute lesson. In
honesty, he did explain the BARE basics, but did not hang around to ensure I
understood them, the way I do with other beginners and my kids. I guess that
is sort of the good thing that came out of it.

I have never experienced such a large amount of pain in such a short period
of time in my entire life. Even my first day of snowboarding (and the next
week) was less painful. Perhaps that's because when I fell, I didn't have to
crawl in agony across the snow to retrieve all my scattered items... I
should have taken a lesson (both skiing and snowboarding)!

I have a feeling this year's first day on the slopes will be humiliating, I
didn't get much time on the slopes last year. But at least 10 of my 15 days
were on big mountains... Beyond 15, I did spend quite a bit of time teaching
my kids on small local hills... If I can't ride, at least I can teach them.
That's worth something!

================================================== ==========================
============================

Ramble:

I have an in-person job interview up in Wisconsin, which will probably
necessitate a trip up to Mount Bohemia, Michigan for at least 1 day of
riding. Kinda hard to pass it up, I'll only be 6 hours away, and I'm 14+
hours at the moment... http://www.mtbohemia.com They have new trailside
cabins this year! A busy day at Bohemia is 10 cars in the parking lot, and
there generally is quite a bit of fresh pow, as the place is lake effect
heaven! They get approx. 300" of snow a year, and not many folks to track
it all out, like the more accessible midwestern resorts. One thing to keep
in mind - Bohemia DOES NOT make snow, and they DO NOT groom the trails.

Been to Granite Peak in Wisconsin (Think it's been renamed), and was not
impressed. Crowded, pricey and icy (especially in comparison to Bohemia)...
At least Granite would be better for beginners and families. Bohemia is more
for those not seeking amenities, just pow, solitude and the best terrain in
the midwest. Those of you in the midwest who really love pow and THE sport,
make the drive, check it out. Otherwise, we'll lose this resort, and be
forced to ride the other icy 300' molehills scattered throughout our
flattened states... (DAMN GLACIERS!)

Alright... I'm back.

First things first... I lost the bet. Our first day of boarding was
Saturday the 27th and it was snowing hard and had been for a while.
Which means that both me and my wife were trying to learn to do this
in deep powder and neither could see **** and everything was wet.
Blah, blah, ... excuses and all that. We left the mountain before the
4 hours were even up because of the conditions.

The next two days, however, were awesome! The sun was shining and the
snow was great... plenty of powder but the trails where packed by the
resort. I did pick up boarding pretty quick, although I didn't push
so hard since there was no pressure after already loosing the bet. I
must say, boarding is fun. I'm not nearly as good at boarding as I am
at skiing yet, so I won't say which I like better. But, the wife and
I liked it enough to definitely give it a few more goes. I can't wait
to be on the slopes again!

Later all and thanks again for the posts
Peace!


(Robert) wrote in message . com...
I've skiied for several years and am quite good... no expert by any
means but can have a great time and only fall when doing something
nutty.

I'm going boarding with friends next week for the first time. This
friend of mine went for his first time last year and he says that it
took him 2 full days before he could go any distance without falling.
I've made a bet with him that I could pick it up and would be able to
go down the mountain, complete with turns, falling 5 or less times
within 4 hours. We're going to Wolf Creek.

First, do you think this will be possible? Second, do you have any
tips that would help one pick up snow boarding FAST?

Many thanks in advance!!