first trip to steamboat

My rinky-dink ski team had a race at Steamboat this Saturday, so we got a
condo with a few other racers and drove up on Friday.

Visibility sucked on the first run; continuously changing snow quality took me
completely by surprise. Fortunately, the course itself was easy to see. The
first course (blue) was pretty easy; the second (red) was scarier due to ice.
I improved by about 1.5s between the two courses. Thus far I'm really just
trying to get used to the concept of gates. On the first course, the lady I
raced against made a point of telling the official that she was "really
slow." Of course, she beat me (barely), then said, "Hey, not bad for someone
with only one lung, huh?" *groan* Okay, that's incentive to improve.

After the race, one of the guys suggested the half pipe, so that's what I did,
once. All I did was go up the sides maybe halfway; a weird feeling. I'd like
to play with it again. Definitely got butterflies skiing on a vertical
surface =P

While deciding what to do next, I saw the "yurt," a demo hut next to the top
of the gondola. Over Eric's protests, I inquired within. We had lunch and
then I demo'd some Rossi B2s. Four of us went off to find some fun blue runs.
I never really got the hang of the B2s; the best I can say is that they were
really well-waxed, so I didn't have to pole nearly as much on the flats.
This, to me, is no small deal.

Anyway, one run, on which I felt a little wobbly and my stomach informed me
that I had made some sort of mistake at lunch. I visited the ski patrol house
for some relief while the guys made another run. When I met up with them
again, they all had big grins and promised me "just about the best powder tree
skiing you'll ever get." No arguments here, but I'm still learning powder and
hesitant in trees; the combo was overwhelming. The guys were waiting for me;
I told them I'd duck out and meet them at the bottom. They disappeared and I
skied to safety, then eyed the trees once again. Somehow, it's easier to do
the hard stuff when no one's looking and no one is rooting for you. I ducked
back into the trees and played around a while before escaping again and
heading to the lift.

I got back to the yurt with barely enough time to swap skis and go for one run
on the K2 One Luvs. Unfortunately, that meant skiing the scrabbly front side,
so I couldn't compare them to the performance of the B2s. I think I liked
them better, but that's probably just because they acted more like my current
skis.

I wanted to go to the awards ceremony, but I just didn't feel like hoofing it
there, so Eric and I took the shuttle home. The other guys got back soon and
suggested a visit to the local hot springs. I went along while Eric stayed
back to get groceries for dinner. I'd never been to hot springs, so it was
good to try, but honestly, I think a hot shower would have been just as good
and much less inconvenient =P

We all got to bed early, but we still slept in later than any of us had
planned. To my shame, I suggested that Eric and I head home rather than
skiing a second day. No new snow, really sore thighs, and we have a
late-night hockey game to play. Perhaps most importantly, I didn't feel like
spending $150 combined on our two tickets. We got significant discounts on
race day.

I really liked Steamboat and I'd like to return. I'd like to get myself
into good enough shape that I can comfortably ski two days if I go there
again, though.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
My rinky-dink ski team had a race at Steamboat this Saturday, so we got a
condo with a few other racers and drove up on Friday.

You wouldn't happen to be skiing with the Ball Aerospace ski team, would
you? Or in a corporate league against them?

----------------------
Chester

Do not waste today regretting yesterday.

On 2005-01-10, Chester Bullock penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
My rinky-dink ski team had a race at Steamboat this Saturday, so we got a
condo with a few other racers and drove up on Friday.

You wouldn't happen to be skiing with the Ball Aerospace ski team, would
you? Or in a corporate league against them?

Yup, I'm with the ball league ..?

--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2005-01-10, Chester Bullock penned:

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

My rinky-dink ski team had a race at Steamboat this Saturday, so we got a
condo with a few other racers and drove up on Friday.

You wouldn't happen to be skiing with the Ball Aerospace ski team, would
you? Or in a corporate league against them?


Yup, I'm with the ball league ..?

A buddy of mine works there/ skis on that team - Aaron Rodzinak.

----------------------
Chester Bullock,
"What happens if a big asteroid hits Earth? Judging from a
realistic simulation involving a big hammer and a laboratory frog,
we can assume it will be pretty bad." - Dave Barry

On 2005-01-10, Chester Bullock penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

Yup, I'm with the ball league ..?

A buddy of mine works there/ skis on that team - Aaron Rodzinak.

He pretty much runs the team. He's a cool guy =)

--
monique
Longmont, CO

Aaron used to work in my department here in Houston. Small world....

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2005-01-10, Chester Bullock penned:

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

Yup, I'm with the ball league ..?

A buddy of mine works there/ skis on that team - Aaron Rodzinak.


He pretty much runs the team. He's a cool guy =)


I went to college with him. He is much happier now that he is in
Colorado and not in Houston anymore. He works too hard though. He
needs to learn to take mid-week days off like I did last week.

----------------------
Chester

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire,
but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

On 2005-01-10, TexasSkiNut penned:
Aaron used to work in my department here in Houston. Small world....

Indeed.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

On 2005-01-10, Chester Bullock penned:

I went to college with him. He is much happier now that he is in Colorado
and not in Houston anymore. He works too hard though. He needs to learn to
take mid-week days off like I did last week.

Diff'rent strokes ...

--
monique
Longmont, CO

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
My rinky-dink ski team had a race at Steamboat this Saturday, so we got a
condo with a few other racers and drove up on Friday.

Visibility sucked on the first run; continuously changing snow quality
took me
completely by surprise. Fortunately, the course itself was easy to see.
The
first course (blue) was pretty easy; the second (red) was scarier due to
ice.
I improved by about 1.5s between the two courses. Thus far I'm really
just
trying to get used to the concept of gates. On the first course, the lady
I
raced against made a point of telling the official that she was "really
slow." Of course, she beat me (barely), then said, "Hey, not bad for
someone
with only one lung, huh?" *groan* Okay, that's incentive to improve.

Good thing I didn't just take a sip of my coffee when I read this. Thanks
for the laugh.
--
Marty