Skiers Edge Training Machine

Hi..I'm thinking of buying a Skiers Edge 'Classic' unit, and I'm wondering
if anyone has used one and what their opinion of the machine is. Thanks in
advance.

I've used mine for the last two years and feel it's a key tool for
getting me into ski shape. I do however, wish that I had the Big
Mountain or World Cup frame because I find it difficult to get my heart
rate as high as I would like with the Classic.

I would say go ahead and buy it. It's a well made, solid piece of
equipment and it works the right muscles. Definitely consider the
powder/mogul master attachment. I rarely use the parallel carver foot
pads.

If you're still interested in the Classic frame I know where you could
get a two year old one in great condition.

Chris

Michelina Guarna and Tim Harker wrote:
Hi..I'm thinking of buying a Skiers Edge 'Classic' unit, and I'm wondering
if anyone has used one and what their opinion of the machine is. Thanks in
advance.

The Skiers Edge machine will work your leg muscles so that they're in
better shape for ski season. If you've spent a dozen hours or so on it
before your first day on the slopes you'll be less sore and last longer
the first day out. Worth the time, IMHO.

That said, it doesn't quite work all the muscles, so you'll still be
sore, but you'll be sore in diffent places than without it.

The machine will *not* teach you how to ski, notwithstanding the vendors
claims to the contrary. It's a cross-trainer, and it helps your skiing
by building muscles, not by being a ski-simulator.

-Walt

I agree, absolutely not a machine to teach you to ski. But between
workouts with the Skier's Edge and Indo Board sessions, I saw huge
improvements in my balance on skis. My legs didn't get sore much at
all,as opposed to just doing weight training in years prior. But I
don't find it to be a great tool for building endurance.

I live in the Detroit area and try to spend about four weeks in the
Rockys each winter. I've found living room with workouts SE and IB
much more effective preparation and probably more fun than skiing at
any of the local hills.

Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:

I agree, absolutely not a machine to teach you to ski. But between
workouts with the Skier's Edge and Indo Board sessions, I saw huge
improvements in my balance on skis. My legs didn't get sore much at
all,as opposed to just doing weight training in years prior. But I
don't find it to be a great tool for building endurance.

I live in the Detroit area and try to spend about four weeks in the
Rockys each winter. I've found living room with workouts SE and IB
much more effective preparation and probably more fun than skiing at
any of the local hills.

Nah. Even Mt. Trashmore is a lot more fun than using an exercise
machine in the living room.

-Walt (also in SE Mich.)

I thought you might say that, but I just can't get up to ski in the
'hood anymore. I had been a skier for 15 years before I skied anything
other than Mt. Holly and Crystal (6 years skiing and 9 year abscence).
Then I discovered real mountains. The last time I skied MH was a
powder.... er, new snow day (a foot or so) 6 years ago or so. I got
there before they opened and waited
for the lifts to start. I skied for about three hours that morning and
they never opened the White Lightning lift... do they still call it
that? I was really dissappointed to find that none of the other runs
were steep enough for me to cut through the new snow. I made pretty
turns on the groomed for as long as I could stand. I haven't skied in
the LP since.

I'm not sure it the Skier's Edge is more fun than that but the Indo
Board certainly is.

Proud owner of a red patch,
Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:

I thought you might say that, but I just can't get up to ski in the
'hood anymore. I had been a skier for 15 years before I skied anything
other than Mt. Holly and Crystal (6 years skiing and 9 year abscence).
Then I discovered real mountains. The last time I skied MH was a
powder.... er, new snow day (a foot or so) 6 years ago or so. I got
there before they opened and waited
for the lifts to start. I skied for about three hours that morning and
they never opened the White Lightning lift... do they still call it
that?

I think you're talking about Chair 7 which serves the Thunderbolt trail
- it's the last one on the left as you're looking up the hill.
Thunderbolt is the only run in the place that might be steep enough to
ski with a foot of fresh, but unfortunately the MH management can't seem
to run that lift with any sort of regluarity. I've complained to them
on several occasions to no avail. I'd definitely ski there more often
if I could count on that run being open.

I was really dissappointed to find that none of the other runs
were steep enough for me to cut through the new snow. I made pretty
turns on the groomed for as long as I could stand. I haven't skied in
the LP since.


I guess I have a pretty high tolerance for making pretty turns on
groomed. And a low tolerance for exercise machines. YMMV. I learned
to ski late in life at Mt. Trashmore and absolutely had a blast on that
hill as a beginner. One of the things I promised myself early on is that
I wouldn't become so jaded that skiing the local molehills wasn't fun.
Avd even though I've skied at some world class resorts (XXXX, YYYY,
etc.) I've kept that promise.

Anyway, the local molehills are the most fun when they've been polished
to a shiny sheet of glare ice. Try it under those conditions sometime.

Ever been up to Searchmont? It's located on an escarpment so it's
definitely more mountain-like than the LP hills that are built on
moraines or bulldozed mounds.


I'm not sure it the Skier's Edge is more fun than that but the Indo
Board certainly is.

If you say so. What's an Indo Board ?

Proud owner of a red patch,

Congratulations. I'm always afraid they're going to throw me out for
skiing patchless. (c:

Walt, more power to you. I'm not proud of being jaded but I'm
eccstatic to have had the opportunity.

I skied MH every Thursday night for about 4 years, so yes I have
experienced the sheet of ice conditions. Speaking of ice, the only
time I was at Searchmont was a cold day in February after they had
heavy rain the previous day. I went very fast that day. Now any long
ass drive that isn't west is up to Mt. Bohemia.

I heard Searchmont was closing. Do you know if it will be open next
year? How would you say it compares to MB for trees, bumps and such?

indoboard.com

Have you heard of the Bongo Board? Indo Board is pretty much the same
concept. I guess it was developed with surfers and wake boarders in
mind. They say that when the weather is too nasty to ride your board
outdoors, ride your indo board.

Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:

Walt, more power to you. I'm not proud of being jaded but I'm
eccstatic to have had the opportunity.

I skied MH every Thursday night for about 4 years, so yes I have
experienced the sheet of ice conditions. Speaking of ice, the only
time I was at Searchmont was a cold day in February after they had
heavy rain the previous day. I went very fast that day. Now any long
ass drive that isn't west is up to Mt. Bohemia.

I heard Searchmont was closing. Do you know if it will be open next
year?

On one side, the new owner (he bought it about 3 years ago) has said
that he won't run the ski operation next season. On the other, the
community is not about to let someone from outside come into their town,
buy the ski hill, and close it down. Basically, the owner is trying to
get the community to subsidize the expensive part of the operation
(lifts & grooming) while he turns a profit on the lucrative parts
(lodge, etc.) The announcement that he's closing it is an opening
gambit and negotiations will proceed from there.

I've been told by some well-connected individuals that the resort will
definitely be open - the Soo chamber of commerce / tourism board has
taken it over twice before, and will run it for a third time if that's
what it takes. It's the largest tourist attraction in all of western
Quebec - they're not going to sit idly by while it goes dark.


How would you say it compares to MB for trees, bumps and such?

Not much of a comparrison.
Bohemia is a tree/bump/ungroomed emporium (disclosu I haven't
actually been there to ski, but I've scoped it out in the summer.)
Searchmont is more geared to groomed steep* - there are a couple of good
bump fields and some tree skiing, but it's not the focus. And they only
get about half the snowfall as Bohemia (130" vs. 270") OTOH,
Searchmont's at least 6 hours closer.

*steep by midwestern standards.



indoboard.com

Have you heard of the Bongo Board? Indo Board is pretty much the same
concept. I guess it was developed with surfers and wake boarders in
mind. They say that when the weather is too nasty to ride your board
outdoors, ride your indo board.

When the weather's too nasty to ride outside? Isn't that called "Summer" ?


//Walt

Walt wrote:

The Skiers Edge machine will work your leg muscles so that they're in
better shape for ski season.

Work your legs skiing. 90 days of skiing is better than 80 days of rug
wear^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hexcercise and 10 days skiing.