Author Archives: Jill Adler

Don’t Buy New Skis

You ski two weeks a season, if that; you hear about the latest rocker, fat, fill-in-the-blank technology, see the gear guide picks in Skiing Magazine and, whammo, you’re begging Santa for a new set of sticks. The pair you bought last year hasn’t even rusted yet. But you have to have the 2012 model. Whooo boy would the car industry turn around if they could figure out what skiers are drinking and bottle it for themselves. Maybe it’s time to sit tight, get creative and save yourself a grand. Who really needs new skis every year?


Ski Swaps

New to you is almost the same as “new” if you do your research. Buy skis in the fall at annual ski swaps or in the spring. Resort retail shops have to blow out their inventory to make room forthe latest stock. Last season;s models are going to be just as good as this year’s and half the price. You can often find discounts of more than 70 percent off brand new 2011 skis. Demo skis are usually the best score. Demo bindings are clunkier than regular bindings but you can walk away with a decent pair of skis for about $200. Look closely at the bases to make sure you’re not buying beaters; but getting skis and bindings for that price is epic. Bring your smartphone so you can Google to make sure you’ve got the best price. If you hit local events like the Black Diamond Swap in Salt Lake City, Utah, you could be buying skis that belonged to your favorite freeskiing idols like Julian Carr or Rachel Burkes. Skilebrities in spots like Whistler, Squaw Valley, Alta, Jackson Hole, make their living hocking their schwag.


Craigslist/eBay

Getting skis on Craigslist is cheaper than eBay and you can taste, touch, stroke before buying. If you don’t mind buying them unseen look at listings for cities nearest to ski destinations and ask the seller if he’ll ship. Just take a look at what’s on Craigslist SLC right now. eBay tends to be more expensive but you’ve got built-in fraud protection. If you’re a gambler, wait until your next ski trip and buy skis when you get there. Depending on how well you plan, not only will you save on baggage fees, hassles, and rentals but you could potentially MAKE MONEY in the deal if you sell them after your trip.

Rent

If your skis are older than five seasons and you only ski one week a year, your choice is a no-brainer. Throw them out or nail them to your wall as art and rent skis when you hit your destination. They’re going to perform better than what you own and you’ll save a bundle. Buying a new pair of skis before a trip based on something you read is a dumb move. Maybe those Rossi 7s are perfect for your ability, height, weight, etc. Maybe. Or maybe you finally get them on the hill and can’t buy a turn. Oh, and, while we’re on it, let’s add up the cost of bringing your own skis on vacation after you buy them. Here’s the math: On Delta, skis and boots count as one bag and they charge $25 for the first bag. The second bag which would carry everything else is $35 and anything over 50 pounds is $90-175. Consider whether you can pack the ski bag to the hilt and stay under 50 pounds. If not, checking skis separately from your luggage would cost at least $60. EACH WAY. There’s also the $175 “oversize bag fee” for going over 200cm.

If the airline loses your gear not only would you have to pay the checked baggage fees but you would have to rent while you waited for them to (hopefully) arrive. Still want to bring your own gear? You could ship everything to your vacation destination. By U.S. Post (seven days) it’s about $34 without insurance, or by FedEx Ground (5 days) you’re at $39. Companies like Sportsexpress.com will even pick up and package your skis for you before they ship them but you’ll pay about $120+ for roundtrip service. Problem here is that you have to plan ahead. Procrastinators will be SOL. Not to mention, what if you wanted to ski at home the day before you left? Forget it.

So here’s a novel idea- Pack (and check) one clothes bag ($25) and rent your gear. The total would run you about $185pp and save you the hassle of lugging heavy, awkward-shaped bags around the airport. Plus, you escape the whines of small children unwilling to carry their own stuff. Sites like SkiButlers.com and BlackTieRentals.com will come to your hotel with a four-day sport package of skis, poles and boots for about $169 with the damage waiver; just $49 more than checking two bags round trip… and you can thrash on rocks if you want.

Use What You’ve Got
Unless you live in a ski town and arc 40 plus days a season, new skis on your feet won’t make a difference. Get a sweet tune from a local shop and call it good. One note: test your bindings. Even one summer in a garage can warp the springs and send you to the ER.

Work Where Skis Are A Benefit

Backcountry.com employees have a “gear closet”. Retail store “shoprats” have unlimited access to the demo fleet. Most ski mountain host programs give you the hottest skis to use and many resorts in states like California are required by law to provide gear as part of their uniform if you have to ski for work. Not only will you avoid buying new skis but you’ll actually make money skiing. Bonus.

Okay, I lied, kind of.

I’d be a liar and a hypocrite if I didn’t disclose that my single most guilty pleasure in life is the day my new skis arrive. This year, I came home to a pair of 2012 Dynastar Paradises on my doorstep. Last year, the Head Jimis. My car is six years old; some of my street clothes are 10. But not my skis. If they’re older than two or three years, I feel self-conscious. I’m a ski instructor, ski model and ski writer. You gotta walk the walk. Or better ski the ski. Skis are a free part of my uniform the way they are for mountain employees so technically I’m staying true to my advice. In the end, no one’s going to hell for buying expensive toys so indulge if you must. However, in this economy isn’t it nice to know you have options?

It Ain’t Warren Miller If There’s No Warren Miller? Ski Like There’s No Tomorrow!

skier jumping in like there's no tomorrow

The evening at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, was all the hype and hipness you’d expect to kick off the upcoming ski season. To honor the 62nd annual Warren Miller flick, Like There’s No Tomorrow, there was a red carpet for the featured athletes, a panel table on stage for the filmmakers’ press conference, an upper level soirée for VIP mingling (along with Corona’s, a shot ski and sliders), giveaway booths- I earned a pair of Smartwool socks by competing in a who-can-layer- their-body-with-Smartwool-clothes-the-fastest game, athlete poster signing and general hugs and welcome backs for old friends in the ski industry. You almost didn’t need to see the film. But really, who can avoid an excuse to roar for the winter. Not to mention that with your ticket you also get a free Canyons lift pass. That’s well worth the price of admission. I coveted mine like a kid winning the golden ticket in a Wonka Bar.

The lights deadened. A hush fell and the images rolled to the sound of Jonny Mosely doing his best to narrate segments from some ski movie that wasn’t Warren Miller. Yes, it has WM’s name. WM Entertainment made sure of that. But Like There’s No Tomorrow is not Warren Miller. Every year, the program gets further away from the warmth, humor and accessibility that used to define Miller Flicks. The writing echoed the passion we all feel about snowsports and the mountains. Now, it’s just filler. You could easily flatline the audio and still be watching the same movie. This is not to say LTNT is bad. It’s fine. It’s just time to change the Warren Miller name. These annual WME movies would do a lot better if they just called themselves something else instead of having to continually compete with the true Warren Miller legacy.

The footage balances powder with the prerequisite hucks and park tricks, there are ripping chicks and a decent segment featuring Big Cottonwood faceshots and local Utah athletes. Ski Salt Lake invested a sizeable sum to promote Salt Lake skiing so you won’t see a call out to any particular resort in the Utah scenes. But one thing you will notice is that the Utah athletes actually get a credit during their respective runs whereas you’re left guessing who’s who in every other segment. Same goes for the location too. Instead of moving from one place to the next, this WM installment jumps back and forth from the locations so much you give up wondering where you are. The jogging back and forth is no accident according to one of the film’s crew. It has to do with budgets and who’s not paying to be in a Warren Miller ski movie.

Lastly, what’s with the yeti? The costumed wildebeest debuts in the Canadian section and is just plain stupid. Athletes shouldn’t be forced to act (Scared of the yeti? Where is the yeti?); it’s not a pretty sight.

Matchstick Productions “Attack of La Niña: the bitch is back” doesn’t ask their athletes to do more than clown around. There are some seriously funny moments with Colby West as he tumbles with an inflatable doll and dives into a hottub of Betties. And while the movie seems to forget that their theme is La Nina, you still get to see a lot of powder stashes blowing up. MSP lists several places in the U.S. for filming locations but Attack is really all about Canada. The time flies as you watch run after run of people skiing pillows in Chatter Creek, B.C., and those who care little for gap jumps can take a short siesta during the Alyeska, Alaska segment.

For the most part, you get exactly what you pay for when you buy a ticket to Like There’s No Tomorrow or Attack of La Nina: a group of current ski and board athletes, reminding you of what it’s like to share the mountains in winter. That’s really what all of these ski porn flicks do- get you randy for the upcoming season. Would it be better to wait for the DVD? NO. Unlike real porn which is best viewed in the privacy of your own home, the beauty of ski movies is in the camaraderie and collective appreciation for the white stuff.

For film tour dates go to Attack of La Nina and Like There’s No Tomorrow.

Disney World Deja Vous

I don’t think I would really have done it- Go home early. But ooh for a minute it was a brilliant, realistic idea. Here we were, all three of us, Sage crying and fussing, Ryan trying to explain to her why she was acting like Satan and me yelling at Ryan to give her a time out and walk away. It was quite a scene and not one I’m necessarily proud of. She’s tired, long day, over stimulated. I don’t care what the excuse I was so ready to walk away myself. Nothing, I mean nothing was stopping Sage from being the bitch child from hell.

Snow White Praying For Us.

Last night we deplaned and checked into The Travelodge Roach Motel. It was midnight. She was crying and refusing to sit still while we got our keys. Inside the room she wanted to jump on the beds and “play”. We told her no, that it was time to sleep and she threw her pillow at me. So I took all her pillows away, told her she wasn’t getting them back and turned off the lights. She cried for ten minutes then passed out. In the morning she asked to ride a roller coaster and we told her because of how she acted the night before, we weren’t go to any of the parks. We checked into the Port Orleans Riverside and spent the afternoon at Downtown Disney. We wandered in and out of the shops as we waited for our room to be ready and for Ryan’s parents to arrive. Every store brought on another tantrum because in every store she wanted us to buy her something and we said no. We kept telling her that we would put it on Santa’s list so she better be good. A couple of things might come her way toward the end of the week if she behaved, we added. She still acted like a spoiled brat. She even scratched Ryan on his arm. Don’t get me wrong, there were some good moments but the terror far outweighed the cute. Finally, Ryan told me he was done and that I could leave my key card with him and go home. That’s when I called US Airways to check on flights. And that’s when Sage started to cry and beg me not to leave. I really did want to go home at this point. It was all a mess. I’m not a mother. A mother would know how to handle this situation. All I wanted to do was pull a Marie Osmond.

I walked up to Sage and asked her if she knew why I wanted to leave. She said because she was being bad. I told her that her behavior was making me fight with Ryan and I didn’t like fighting. She promised to be good. And she was. Dreamy even. Until after dinner. We had a lovely and ear-numbingly loud meal at Raglan Road in Downtwn Disney, finishing up at 10:30p. Sage wanted to play with our phones. No. Tomorrow. She wanted to go swimming. No, tomorrow. She wanted someone to dance with her in the middle of the restaurant. No. She wanted to stay up and play when we got back to the hotel room. No, it’s bed time. And, no, we didn’t use the word ‘no’. We tried to respond like the books say. Offering alternatives; saying yes you can swim tomorrow, etc. But that didn’t stop her from getting bratty. Ugh.

Tomorrow we’re supposed to do breakfast with the princesses at Epcot. Maybe we should find a breakfast with the witches. Can you tell I’ve lost my cool??

Outdoor Footwear Turns Funky

Fall is officially here and the weather seems to be cooperating. It’s our last hoorah to hit those mountain trails while there’s still dirt on them and bust out the fall footwear. You gotta figure two, maybe three, more months and then ‘poof’. Everything’s white and you’re wearing insulated Gore-Tex and waterproof boots.

Until then, it’s all about the cross-training and pre-season ski conditioning so don’t wait to slip on one of these new fangled footwear creations and get cracking.

fall footwear

The Tecnica Diablo Max almost…almost… looks like a regular trail runner. But it’s this TRS Max technology that puts it in a league of its own. Stable, shock absorbing, and super cush, these shoes can go anywhere and your feet will feel like they’re encased in marshmallows. This is not a shoe for Tarahumarans. The wide sole and the oversized rocker profile help stabilize the foot on uneven terrain. Good news for those of us with weak ankles. $130.  http://www.tecnicausa.com/collection/outdoor

fall footwear

You, Dude, check out my bitchin’ Five Ten Karver skate shoes. But yo, Bro, they work sick seshes on my BMX and mountain bike. Take that you skinny bitches with your clipless pedals. This is so other world from a climbing shoe but they’re rocking the sticky Stealth S1 Rubber. I plant and my foot stays, Bra. For reals! Plus, they’re beefy and bulky so I know I’m cool when (if) I go endo. For dudes and betties. $135. http://fiveten.com/products/footwear-detail/10107-karver-smokey-blue

fall footwear

You say tomato, I say tomaaato. You can run in Vibram Five Fingers all you want but I’ll take a pair of flyweight Hoka’s over those feetkillers any day. The Hoka Mafate are the same used by ultra-runner Karl Meltzer and he’s posting impressive results. They’ve got to be some of the weirdest/ugliest trail runners on the market but we hear they can go 600 miles without disintegrating despite how light they feel on your foot. Tons of cushioning, a wide platform and some serious rocker will have you planting each stride with confidence. $170. http://www.hokaoneone.com/  To read more about Hoka check out this page!

fall footwear

When you’re headed south for some rafting or canyoneering don’t forget to pack the Chaco Ponsul Bulloo river shoes. The quickdry poly canvas upper is brushed on the inside so it feels soft around your foot whether you wear socks, and the removable ChaPU footbed feels cush under your foot. The Keen-like rubber toe protects from rocks and other pointy objects and the Vibram Idrogrip sticky rubber sole works in and out of the water. Not to mention how cool they look on your feet. FYI- they run about a half size big. $120, http://www.chacos.com/*Not in stores until Mar. 1.

fall footwear

Time to chill. Slap on a pair of Teva Mush Frio Ballerina Mesh shoes for both comfort and steeze. They
weigh in at 3.4 ounces! They’re collapsible and packable, making these slipons the perfect choice for those TSA checks, trips to the yoga studio or driving home from a run. They’re surprisingly warm given their weight but the antimicrobial mesh lining will keep sweaty feet from stinking. The men’s version has laces. $45.
http://www.teva.com

Heading To Disney

Two times in a year. That’s even a lot for me. I’m not one of those ‘wear Mickey ears’ and carry a Princess backpack but I do like my theme parks. And when someone invites, I accept. Last November, my parents asked Ryan, Sage and me to join them at Disney World; that was just after Ryan’s parents told us to save the last week in September 2011 for them to take us, you guessed it, to Disney World. Who am I to deny them time with Sage? Plus, it beats visiting Boston again.

Ryan was a bit miffed that his folks wouldn’t be the first to intro Sage to Disney World but what can you do? He definitely put the kibosh on a day at Disneyland this summer when I went to visit my parents in San Diego. “At least let her feel like the trip in September is special.” We didn’t go. We did get a tour of Disney Studios thank to my college sorority big sister who’s an exec there but Ryan seemed to be cool with that.

I don’t exactly know what the draw is. A childhood thing? I remember the notes I’d hand to my teachers- “Please excuse Jill from school. Today is her birthday.” Then they’d pick me up and off we went to Disneyland; just me and my mom and dad. It was one of the rare days that I had them all to myself for 12 hours. In my senior year of high school, my friends and I ditched and spent a rainy afternoon at the Park. We had the place to ourselves; so much so that we could hop off those conveyor-belt seats at the Haunted Mansion and run around the graveyard. On the Peoplemover, I stepped out of the car and nearly plummeted off the narrow track but my friends rescued me in the nick of time.

My visits to the Happiest Place on Earth dwindled after college. I moved to Aspen then Park City. I went when I could; usually when I brought a new beau home to Cali to meet the parents. I’d also introduce him to Disneyland and the Venice Beach.

I made Ryan ride It’s a Small World twice in 2009 because Sage was asleep on the first round. She woke up as we were strolling down Main Street toward the exit. I spun them around and went right back to the ride. She couldn’t miss It’s A Small World if I could help it.

People tease that I use Sage as my excuse to visit Walt’s Worlds. Hell, I don’t need an excuse. If you don’t like Disney there’s something wrong with you!

Last year, was our first time at Disney World. I was afraid that I might not like it as much since it didn’t hold the same history. Nope. It’s a pretty neat place. I became a huge Hollywood Studios fan. Love the Rock n Rollercoaster, the Tower of Terror and the ToyStory 3 game. I do prefer Disneyland over the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The Florida one feels small and slapped together. Maybe it will be different in 2012 when the new Fantasyland opens.
Scheduled for the Magic Kingdom, the renovations will add a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster through the story of “Snow White,” a Princess Fairytale Hall for meeting Cinderella, Aurora, Tiana and Rapunzel, a Voyage of the Little Mermaid dark ride, a dueling Dumbo flying elephants ride, a “Beauty and the Beast” themed restaurant, and Gaston’s Tavern and Belle’s Cottage.

We leave this Saturday and my researching hormones are off the charts. I can’t help scanning blogs and Disney sites for every little insider tip. I already know about the FastPass, the singles line, the parent swap pass. I just found out you can collect transportation cards. These are free souvenir trading cards you can only get if you ask the boat, bus and monorail drivers. Eighteen in all.

I’ve booked us tables at the Brown Derby, the Whispering Canyon Café, The Akersus Dining Hall and the Crystal Palace. We’re on the ‘free’ dining plan that includes a table service meal a day. So much for losing weight this month.

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