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  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    I was fortunate enough to ski with this guy a bunch. He skied for 3 years total. All of this video I filmed is compilation of his progression in that time. He did the narration. Watch out!! Progression too quickly will lead to disillusionment.

    So many good quotes in there... The Atomics at the end give good time context.



    Some of that sounds an awful lot like the unabomber manifesto. Edit: not joking. Not that the dude's going down that path, just some of the prose, adn the thoughts, there are parallels. and, yeah, cool!
    If we're gonna wear uniforms, we should all wear somethin' different!

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    I was fortunate enough to ski with this guy a bunch. He skied for 3 years total. All of this video I filmed is compilation of his progression in that time. He did the narration. Watch out!! Progression too quickly will lead to disillusionment.
    Best thing I have seen in a while but,
    The horror... the horror... the horror...
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    52
    Here's the thing. If you're the type of person that isn't already comfortable hitting something bigger than 5 feet, this is going to be a slow, arduous, and sometimes painful process.

    Step 1: find moderately small 8-10 foot rocks, cornices, or transition airs with zero consequences below. Hit them over and over. Expect to fall. Do this no matter the snow conditions as long as the landing is relatively safe. Eventually you will learn how to balance yourself on takeoff; whether you need to pop or simply ride off whatever you are dropping; how much speed you need to hit each feature based on the conditions; how to stay balanced in the air while dropping as opposed to sending yourself forward in the park off a table top; how to land; and how to handle run outs when you are off balance etc. Generally people that are immediately willing to go bigger naturally can do many of the above without much trial and error. Its a completely different skill than turning, being comfortable skiing fast, or controlling your movements on steep terrain.
    Step 2: Do this with something bigger 15-20 feet, or keep it smaller with more exposure underneath.
    Step 3: Ask yourself if you really enjoy this process, or if your lifestyle can sustain a serious injury.
    Step 4: Starting trying 30 feet or bigger.

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Seattle
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    609
    Troll or not, I'll throw my 2 cents in.

    I just got back from a week in La Grave. I'm a pretty good skier by recreational skier standards but in reality I'm a total hack. That is to say, I can side slip down just about anything but making controlled turns in a tight couloir that's steeper than 45 degrees over a cliff isn't something I'm ever going to be comfortable with. My advice is that a week in La Grave will push your limits and show you some things that you need to work on. If budget is tight, stay at Skiers Lodge and ski in a group. If budget isn't tight then hire a private guide and tell them you want to push your limits. Or do one of those steep skiing camps. I think Miles Smart and Erin Smart run those in both La Grave and Chamonix. A trip there is expensive but compared to buying day passes at the big American resorts it's actually quite affordable to ski in Europe.

  5. #55
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    Nov 2002
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    8,715
    "I thought I was a 7 on the scale of 1 to 10. I went to La Grave and realized I am a 2". Said by just about everyone after their first visit.

    Rules: all La Grave trips require lengthy TRs with photos

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    NorCal
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    2,285
    Quote Originally Posted by GAPERsauraus REX View Post
    Here's the thing. If you're the type of person that isn't already comfortable hitting something bigger than 5 feet, this is going to be a slow, arduous, and sometimes painful process.

    Step 1: find moderately small 8-10 foot rocks, cornices, or transition airs with zero consequences below. Hit them over and over. Expect to fall. Do this no matter the snow conditions as long as the landing is relatively safe. Eventually you will learn how to balance yourself on takeoff; whether you need to pop or simply ride off whatever you are dropping; how much speed you need to hit each feature based on the conditions; how to stay balanced in the air while dropping as opposed to sending yourself forward in the park off a table top; how to land; and how to handle run outs when you are off balance etc. Generally people that are immediately willing to go bigger naturally can do many of the above without much trial and error. Its a completely different skill than turning, being comfortable skiing fast, or controlling your movements on steep terrain.
    Step 2: Do this with something bigger 15-20 feet, or keep it smaller with more exposure underneath.
    Step 3: Ask yourself if you really enjoy this process, or if your lifestyle can sustain a serious injury.
    Step 4: Starting trying 30 feet or bigger.
    Yes, I like that self-teaching approach. I'd also add, "You might hit a wall midway through that sequence, and maybe better technique cannot enable you to break through that wall, until you gain strength in the gym first."

    .
    - TRADE your heavy PROTESTS for my lightweight version at this thread

    "My biggest goal in life has always been to pursue passion and to make dreams a reality. I love my daughter, but if I had to quit my passions for her, then I would be setting the wrong example for her, and I would not be myself anymore. " -Shane

    "I'm gonna go SO OFF that NO ONE's ever gonna see what I'm gonna do!" -Saucerboy

  7. #57
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    Oct 2003
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    slc
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    17,891
    Buy a mouth guard and use it.

  8. #58
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    May 2008
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    GRRD
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jong Lafitte View Post
    Some of that sounds an awful lot like the unabomber manifesto. Edit: not joking. Not that the dude's going down that path, just some of the prose, adn the thoughts, there are parallels. and, yeah, cool!
    Funny back story: we were filming all year trying to make 'rock star ski video'. One day I open my front door and there is box of tapes and hand written actual manifesto sort of letter to me from Hans.

    In summary, he was blowing out of Alaska heading back down south. He figured he had learned from skiing what he came to learn and felt lucky for having not killed himself in the process.

    ONe of the tapes had this video edit on it and he said I could not alter if I was gonna use it in final movie. I was pissed. It did not meet my definition of what we were looking for at the time and he specifically was ripping on everything I held dear. This was spring 2002.

    I never saw him again until last year when he came to visit AK. He had moved to Vegas to become a male stripper because the money was good. He then became a pro level rock climber pulling V15 or some shit. He put two full leg casts on for 6 weeks and just used a wheel chair so he could properly atrophy his bulky quad muscle as acquired through skiing. Too much weight for rock climbing...

    Now he is a happily married mortgage sales man.

    Oh yeah at :50 sec mark in second video, that is morning of 9/11. he had hiked to the peak early and I hiked up adjacent peak after towers crashed. It was weird trying to tell him over the radio. That run was pure ice.

    I guess it is worth noting to the OP that during this period Hans was living in a self built squatters cabin some what monk like. He would wear his ski boots to town to Costco. Stank like shit most the time. I would take him to the rock gym and he would be on acid. They gym owners did not like him trying to climb with ski boots on. Once he did 22 hits of acid and tried to climb a local big mountain in the middle of the night in a raging snow storm. It didn't go well.

    How far are you willing to push it 'life style wise' in order to devote the time needed to reach self actualization. That is why everyone skis right?! maybe not...

  9. #59
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    1,899
    1. Acquire a summer ski set up and ski sand, gravel and scree.

    2. In winter, find one super steep gnarly slope and over the course of the season do laps in varied snow and weather conditions. Try different skis, ski stance angles and really challenge yourself to find the perfect balance within your equipment.

    3. Ski hard stuff in really challenging snow at night by headlamp...and turn the headlamp off if there's enough ambient moonlight...it's really helps to 'see with your feet' and hone the feel game of the balls of feet and how to stay balanced there by moving feet fore and aft in instant reaction to changing snow conditions if they're varied on the run.

    4. Downhill ski with leather tele boots and learn how to 'ankle' your turns and translate that to rigid plastic boots.

    5. Downhill ski in X/C gear with ankle high boots and be humbled...but learn lots about microbalancy reaction stuff...

    6. Seek out shit snow for at least part of every ski day and learn to love it no matter the outcome...thrashing, pure survival, crashing... it lowers the bar in the mind of what constitutes enjoyable skiing in the bigger picture.
    Master of mediocrity.

  10. #60
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    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    33,546
    Quote Originally Posted by Vitamin I View Post
    gain strength in the gym first."
    Or as it's known here "training for Alaska"
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  11. #61
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    Aug 2007
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    United States of Aburdistan
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    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    Funny back story: we were filming all year trying to make 'rock star ski video'. One day I open my front door and there is box of tapes and hand written actual manifesto sort of letter to me from Hans.

    In summary, he was blowing out of Alaska heading back down south. He figured he had learned from skiing what he came to learn and felt lucky for having not killed himself in the process.

    ONe of the tapes had this video edit on it and he said I could not alter if I was gonna use it in final movie. I was pissed. It did not meet my definition of what we were looking for at the time and he specifically was ripping on everything I held dear. This was spring 2002.

    I never saw him again until last year when he came to visit AK. He had moved to Vegas to become a male stripper because the money was good. He then became a pro level rock climber pulling V15 or some shit. He put two full leg casts on for 6 weeks and just used a wheel chair so he could properly atrophy his bulky quad muscle as acquired through skiing. Too much weight for rock climbing...

    Now he is a happily married mortgage sales man.

    Oh yeah at :50 sec mark in second video, that is morning of 9/11. he had hiked to the peak early and I hiked up adjacent peak after towers crashed. It was weird trying to tell him over the radio. That run was pure ice.

    I guess it is worth noting to the OP that during this period Hans was living in a self built squatters cabin some what monk like. He would wear his ski boots to town to Costco. Stank like shit most the time. I would take him to the rock gym and he would be on acid. They gym owners did not like him trying to climb with ski boots on. Once he did 22 hits of acid and tried to climb a local big mountain in the middle of the night in a raging snow storm. It didn't go well.

    How far are you willing to push it 'life style wise' in order to devote the time needed to reach self actualization. That is why everyone skis right?! maybe not...
    Love it!

  12. #62
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    tahoe de chingao
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    848
    Thanks for sharing, carpathian.

    Probs a little deeper than OP was thinking, but if you're not willing to go big outside of skiing you're not gonna go big on the mtn. Whatever your pursuits may be - getting fucked up, family life, professional, running ultras, fucking girls, spiritual progress, whatever.

    The flip side is that the path of self actualization can be pushed through skiing, and it benefits other areas of your life, especially in moving past the fears that hold 90% of the population back.

  13. #63
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Walpole NH
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    Carp, please write a book. Your life needs to be shared. Without doubt you are the most interesting cat here.
    crab in my shoe mouth

  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    I was fortunate enough to ski with this guy a bunch. He skied for 3 years total. All of this video I filmed is compilation of his progression in that time. He did the narration. Watch out!! Progression too quickly will lead to disillusionment.

    So many good quotes in there... The Atomics at the end give good time context.



    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    Funny back story: we were filming all year trying to make 'rock star ski video'. One day I open my front door and there is box of tapes and hand written actual manifesto sort of letter to me from Hans.

    In summary, he was blowing out of Alaska heading back down south. He figured he had learned from skiing what he came to learn and felt lucky for having not killed himself in the process.

    ONe of the tapes had this video edit on it and he said I could not alter if I was gonna use it in final movie. I was pissed. It did not meet my definition of what we were looking for at the time and he specifically was ripping on everything I held dear. This was spring 2002.

    I never saw him again until last year when he came to visit AK. He had moved to Vegas to become a male stripper because the money was good. He then became a pro level rock climber pulling V15 or some shit. He put two full leg casts on for 6 weeks and just used a wheel chair so he could properly atrophy his bulky quad muscle as acquired through skiing. Too much weight for rock climbing...

    Now he is a happily married mortgage sales man.

    Oh yeah at :50 sec mark in second video, that is morning of 9/11. he had hiked to the peak early and I hiked up adjacent peak after towers crashed. It was weird trying to tell him over the radio. That run was pure ice.

    I guess it is worth noting to the OP that during this period Hans was living in a self built squatters cabin some what monk like. He would wear his ski boots to town to Costco. Stank like shit most the time. I would take him to the rock gym and he would be on acid. They gym owners did not like him trying to climb with ski boots on. Once he did 22 hits of acid and tried to climb a local big mountain in the middle of the night in a raging snow storm. It didn't go well.

    How far are you willing to push it 'life style wise' in order to devote the time needed to reach self actualization. That is why everyone skis right?! maybe not...
    Just...wow.

  15. #65
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    10,906
    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    I was fortunate enough to ski with this guy a bunch. He skied for 3 years total. All of this video I filmed is compilation of his progression in that time. He did the narration. Watch out!! Progression too quickly will lead to disillusionment.

    So many good quotes in there... The Atomics at the end give good time context.



    Holy Christ.

    This guy sells mortgages now?

    Amazing.

  16. #66
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    GRRD
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    Quote Originally Posted by buttahflake View Post
    Carp, please write a book. Your life needs to be shared. Without doubt you are the most interesting cat here.
    Well, now that you asked

    How about a series... "Mountain Melter Adventure Series"

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mountain+...ref=nb_sb_noss

    Maybe some good content for the OP to chew on?

    Re editing Volume 3 right now and adding large epilogue.

    Volume 4 coming in hot...

  17. #67
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    Dec 2018
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    DownEast
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    I knew, without knowing, but as one who knows... you know, that acid was involved. Psychedelic drugs have their place and transcendence is one of them.

  18. #68
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    Sep 2006
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    Midgaard
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    sounds familiar. fear and loathing?

  19. #69
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    Jan 2010
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    Walpole NH
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    Quote Originally Posted by carpathian View Post
    Well, now that you asked

    How about a series... "Mountain Melter Adventure Series"

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mountain+...ref=nb_sb_noss

    Maybe some good content for the OP to chew on?

    Re editing Volume 3 right now and adding large epilogue.

    Volume 4 coming in hot...
    Oh hell yeah, I just grabbed volume 1.
    crab in my shoe mouth

  20. #70
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    Dec 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fritz View Post
    sounds familiar. fear and loathing?
    No. singlecross, TRG forum post.

  21. #71
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    Mar 2009
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    OR
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    wow that line at 3:17 in teh second video is heavy. the whole thing was reckless. love it

  22. #72
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    Sep 2004
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    Where the center is on the right
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    876
    Best ski vids I have seen in a while. Some nasty lines in there. Carpathian always delivers
    "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough."

  23. #73
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Squaw valley
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    4,639
    I have to say, technique first, but you will not different unless you are crazy strong, go to the gym and work up to leg presses with 800 lbs. And in serious.

    Sent from my Armor_3 using Tapatalk

  24. #74
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    8,966
    Does male stripping pay less than mortgage brokering in Vegas? Asking for a friend.

    Also, acid. Definitely, acid. And ice hard moguls.

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by buttahflake View Post
    Oh hell yeah, I just grabbed volume 1.
    Awesome thanks! I wrote that when I was 24.

    110,000 words of youthful idealism and confusion wrapped up in a tidy compartmentalized manifesto package. Enjoy!

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