NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3

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Internet Message Format | 1993-01-28 | 15.6 KB

From: glenb@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Glen Baker) Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 08:00:07 GMT Subject: rec.skiing FAQ 02/16 Alpine Equipment Message-ID: <1340426@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com> Organization: Toyz R. Me Path: sparky!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpl-opus!hpnmdla!glenb Newsgroups: rec.skiing Lines: 324 The rec.skiing Frequently Asked Questions List -or- Everything you always wanted to know about skiing and were *just* about to ask by posting. The rec.skiing FAQ is a work in progress and is maintained by glen baker (glenb@sr.hp.com) Additions and corrections to the FAQ are welcome. If you have an addition or correction to make please take the time to write it out in the format of the FAQ so that I don't have to try to figure out how to say what you're trying to say! *********************************************************** * REALLY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER STUFF!! * * ------------------------------------- * * The rec.skiing FAQ is a compendium of questions and * * answers that frequently appear on rec.skiing. Neither * * the contributors to the FAQ, the posters of the FAQ, * * nor their employers make any claim whatsoever regarding * * the accuracy or safety of ANYTHING in the FAQ. Any item * * that may appear to be offering either medical or legal * * advice is doing neither. * * * *********************************************************** Index: 1) Welcome, Disclaimers, etc 2) Alpine Equipment 3) XC equipment/Info 4) Clothing 5) Technique 6) Transportation 7) Lodging 8) Phone Numbers 9) Miscellaneous 10) Jobs 11) Summit County 12) Southern California 13) Exercises 14) National Ski Patrol 15) Europe 16) Lest we become too serious ------------- Section 02: Alpine Equipment ------------- 2.01) "I'm brand new to skiing. Should I rent or buy equipment?" Rent. Don't consider buying your own gear until you've had a chance to try out a few different types of equipment. Most rental shops will allow you to rent either "basic" gear or "demo" gear. The basic rental gear is fine for the first few times on skis but try to rent some demo gear before purchasing equipment. You may be tempted to borrow gear from your friends. Unless your friends happen to be exactly your size and ability then this is probably a bad idea. At the very least you should consider having the bindings inspected and adjusted by a qualified technician. 2.02) "I really like this sport and it's time to buy some of my own gear. What should I buy first?" Boots. The best skis in the world will be no fun at all if your feet are killing you. Spend a *lot* of time choosing your boots. Try on as many different types as possible and walk around the shop for 20 - 30 minutes while wearing them in order to discover any hidden pressure points. It's important that the boot fit snugly. If your foot flops around in the boot you'll have that much less control of your skis. 2.03) "Which kind of boot is best: overlapping shell or rear entry?" The most sage words of advice on this topic were: "The most important factor in selecting a boot is insuring that the president of the company has a foot just like yours". In other words, try 'em both on. Buy the ones that fit best. In general (and there are many exceptions to this) the rear entry boots tend to be more convenient (i.e. easier to get on/ off) but suffer somewhat in performance. The racing community still tends to favor an overlapping shell. If you are new to skiing you won't know the difference. 2.04) "What is bootfitting and should I bother to have it done?" In general there is no such thing as a boot that fits perfectly when it comes off the shelf. It is important that the boot be neither too tight nor too loose. A boot that is too tight (typically this will be across the arch or on the sides) will cut off circulation resulting in numb, cold feet (miserable). A boot that is too loose will allow your foot to flop around resulting in abrasions and, more importantly, poor control of your skis. Bootfitting is the process of customizing a boot to your foot. Most reputable ski shops offer this service although the expertise of the staff may vary. While bootfitting may involve adding shims, shaving undersoles, or even hacking out padding in the liner the most common act is to add a custom footbed or orthotic. People who have orthotics swear by them. People who don't have orthotics are either lucky enough to not need them or have sore feet. In any event you're probably best off to ski in your new boots for a couple of days before making any modifications. When you buy a boot make sure you ask if bootfitting services are included in the price of the boot (they often are). The ultimate in bootfitting is having a boot custom designed to your foot. Yes this can be done and yes it is very expensive. The folks to contact are the Dale Boot company. Dale Boot 2150 South 300 West Salt Lake City, UT 801-487-3649 2.05) "What kind of skis should I buy?" The absolute best answer to this question is that you should go rent several different types of skis and buy the ones you like best. Many ski areas will allow you to rent demo gear and to swap gear during the day. This gives you the chance to realistically compare one type of ski against another. If you can't find the time/money to do this kind of comparison then here are some very broad comments about certain types of skis: Definition of terms: sidecut: The curvature of the side of the ski as seen from above. shovel: The pointy end of the ski. Also known as the tip. tail: The non pointy end of the ski. GS: Giant Slalom. Giant Slalom courses are set up for smooth high speed turns. ALPINE SKIS: Recreational: These skis are usually relatively soft and have a GS sidecut. This combination makes them gentle, forgiving, and relatively versatile. The major drawback to this type of ski is that it behaves poorly at high speeds or in situations that require quick turns. A good choice for the beginner or intermediate skier. Slalom: Primary characteristics are a strong sidecut, stiff tail, and relatively stiff shovel. Originally slalom skis were designed to make quick short-radius turns. Due to their design slalom skis *want* to turn and tend to complain if you try to ski them at high speeds in straight lines. Slalom skis are fun in moguls, tight chutes, and steeps. They tend to suffer a bit in crud and powder due to their stiff tips. GS: You want to ski fast? Get a GS ski. GS skis feature a gentler sidecut than a slalom ski and generally have a softer shovel. This makes the ski more suited to long-radius "cruising" type turns. They're also lots of fun at high speed as they are much more stable than slalom skis. The softer tip and gentle sidecut make GS skis a good choice for powder and crud. One word of warning: while a good skier can crank GS skis through the bumps and make it look easy this is *not* recommended. Most GS skis have a metal layer that can be permanently bent by repeatedly thrashing in the moguls. If you want to ski bumps then try a different ski. Extreme: While the name may be somewhat daunting these skis are actually pretty nifty. Most "extreme" skis feature a slalom sidecut combined with a slightly softer tip and tail. This makes for a ski that is very quick from edge to edge but performs a bit better in powder and crud than a slalom ski. While extreme skis may become a bit annoying at high speeds (they twitch) they are great for bumps, powder, crud, and steep narrow chutes. X-C SKIS: See the FAQ section on XC. The various ski magazines generally publish a brief review of equipment in their first issue of the season, September. Use the reviews only get obtain a list of equipment which *might* be suitable. There''s still no substitute for demos and real time spent trying the equipment out. 2.06) "What length ski should I buy?" There are standard formulas relating your skill level, weight and height to a nominal ski length. For alpine beginners length's center around 160 CM, intermediates around 180 CM and experts around 195 CM. Weight modifies these by about 10 CM in either direction and some people argue about whether height matters at all. Note that it is not a good idea to use skis longer than you are comfortable with (don't let ego decide), but once you reach a certain level of proficiency most people can work up to an "expert" lengths with little difficulty. This is a good reason for renting, rather than buying skis during the learning stages. For classical nordic skiing some people reccommend a XC ski length that comes up to your upraised wrist, but this can end up specifying a ski that's way too long, especially if you're long-limbed or light for your height. In any event, the ski should be no longer than this, and no shorter than about 6" taller than your height. A ski that's too long will be difficult to control and may be too stiff. For skating the skiis will be somewhat shorter, although skating on classical skiis is possible (slightly better technique required...) In general get fitted by a professional, not by someone who sells toasters and TV's. 2.07) "What's the difference between "ladies" gear and "men's" gear?" Ski equipment is generally unisex. Gear that is labelled "ladies" is usually a little lighter weight and softer...both boots and skis. Ladies boots are designed to fit the "average" female foot a little better. 2.08) "My friend told me that foam cores suck. I say they're great. Which is better?" They both have their strong and weak points. The use of a foam core allows the manufacturers to design a ski that is lighter and therfore more responsive. Foam, however, is much less durable than wood which means that if you ski real hard you're probably more likely to blow up your foam core skis than your wood core skis. Wood cores tend to be somewhat better damped than foam which results in a ski that rides a little smoother. 2.09) "I'm tired of paying other people to fix/tune my skis. How can I learn to tune my own skis?" There are several good books available on the subject of ski tuning. One book that is always mentioned when this question arises is Seth Masia's Alpine Ski Maintenance & Repair Handbook. A good resource for finding books on tuning as well as the necessary equipment is The Third Hand. They can be reached at 916-926-2600. Alpine Ski Maintenance and Repair Seth Masia Contemporary Books ISBN 0-8092-4718-6 $8.95 2.10) "Hey...has anybody heard about the Tyrolia binding recall?" Sigh. Yes we have. The following fine summary was posted to the net. The following is from the"Tyrolia Safety Notification" and reprinted without permission. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TYROLIA SAFETY NOTIFICATION This notification is to alert you to a potential safety hazard regarding certain models of Tyrolia ski bindings. Tyrolia has decided to voluntarily recall certain 1982-1986 model Tyrolia ski bindings due to toe and heel lug breakage, which can pose a risk of serious injury to skiiers. If these binding lugs break during usage, serious injuries associated with the loss of control could occur, such as fractures and soft tissue injuries. To date, five injuries in the U.S. that may be related to a lug failure of this type hvae been reported. Please read this brochure carefully. If your bindings are involved, please stop using them now. Bring them, along with your boots and skis to your nearest Authorized Tyrolia Dealer as soon as possible. Use the following three steps to determine if your bindings are affected. 1) Identify your Tyrolia Model. The Model number is clearly printed on the top surface of the binding. If your model is not listed in the accompanying chart, your binding is okay. If it is listed please read on. 2) Check the Lug color. Is the color of the toe lug on your binding the same as that listed for your model in the chart? If not, your binding is okay. If it is listed please continue. 3) Find the production code on the heel piece. If you look carefully (you may need a magnifying glass), you will see a small four- or six-digit code stamped on the right side of the heel's base. If neither the first letter nor the last number is noted on the chart, your binding is okay. If it is on the chart STOP USING YOUR BINDING NOW. (1) Model (2) Toe lug Color (3) Production codes First Letter of last number of 6-digit code 4-digit code ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 480 grey H..... 290 white or blue F..... 280 white G..... 230 grey H..... 220 white F or G..... or ...4 190 grey G or H..... 180 white G..... 177 grey H..... 170 white F or G..... or ...4 90 Junior white ...4 80 Junior black ...4 or 2 NO SKI BINDING WITH RED LUGS ARE AFFECTED. If your binding is of a model, toe lug color, and product code shown on the chart, please take your binding to the place of purchase, if possible, or the nearest Tyrolia Authorized Retailer, for evaluation. Recalled product returned to the retailer by April 30, 1988--the end of the ski season--will be replaced with a Tyrolia binding of at least the same quality, at no charge for the product or remounting. For recalled product returned to the store after April 30, 1988, you will have the choice of a completely reconditioned product at no charge for the product or remounting, or new and current similar model at charge of $21 for adult models or $18 for junior models in the United States, including remounting. In Canada, the charge will be $25 for adult models or $20 for junior models, including remounting. Resort area dealers have only limited quantities of replacement stock available, so please don't wait until you arrive at a resort to seek a replacement. Your safety is our #1 concern. Please read this safety notification carefully. If you have any questions, call 1-800-343-5999 in the United States or 1-800-265-7252 in Canada for assistance. Date of printing, February 27, 1988 Printed in U.S.A. ---------------------end of brochure---------------------------------- Note that the above phone numbers are no longer valid so your best bet is to contact your local ski shop as to what to do if you have one of the above mentioned bindings.