Off Topic, but it's skiing

[Nicad]

We are having a dismal winter in the East…..but I am mesmerized by this film on a young guy named Jeremie Heitz who skis 55 degree slopes at incredible speed after climbing them. Some of the best aerial scenes I have ever seen. Spectacular. Click on the Vimeo logo if you want it in full screen. The movie is in French with french subtitles!

 

[jmackro]

Jeremie Heitz who skis 55 degree slopes at incredible speed

Is there a way to go down 55 degree slopes without incredible speed?

I'll bet I could do the "incredible speed" part as long as rolling was allowed.

 

[Nicad]

Well the early guys who scaled these absolutely crazy and unforgiving pitches just did slow controlled hop turns, as seen in the interviews about half way through the film. Rolling , Tumbling…..it's beyond my brain to even think how he pitches himself into this unknown.

 

[Markos]

Wow that's amazing! The 30 minute mark answered my question of whether or not you can stop when you fall at that angle and speed. Apparently you can!

My buddy and I used to go to Keystone resort on Wednesday nights, arriving right after they groomed the front of the mountain for night skiing. If you timed your arrival just right, It was always near-empty and the blue runs were pristine. We would hit 55mph on our snowboards, confirmed by GPS. If you fell you would slide forever, which was kind of funny at the time to slide that fast on a blue run. I won't do stupid things like that now. Now, I'm lucky to get a day in with my kiddos.

It has been dumping on the west coast. My saving grace for not going yet this year is that I still have time. I was hoping to go over the break but this cold/flu epidemic grounded me.

 

[Markos]

Also, good point Nicad about the complete change in strategy for the steeps. I used to mimic the hop turn thing on my skis when I was younger, thinking that's how you got down a black diamond. I was never very good at skiiing.


Similarly, If you ever watch the motorcycle racing movie "Hitting the Apex", they discuss how the riders have completely changed their strategy in the turns. In the '80's/90's they would stay on the bike, get the knee way out and lean into the turn. Now they are basically climbing off the bike in the turns and the bike is almost sideways. The documentary shows some of the veteran champions adapting to the new style.

 

[steve in reno]

I live in and ski the northern Sierra. we have recd 21-23 feet of snow this year, so far.
My local ski area, Mt Rose, which was my hang gliding launch also, was closed down for an entire week. TOO much snow. personnel could not reach the area to groom and work, and the lifts were covered.
That has been taken care of and the skiing is EXCEPTIONAL.

I quit skiing the walls long a go. To old and I will break now that I am old enough to know better.
We had a ski patroller die this week, doing avalanche control. His explosive ignited early.

 

[Nicad]

I could grow potatoes in Toronto right now as the ground isn't even frozen. We made some snow earlier in the year at my local club (Georgian Peaks) and I have two masters races this weekend. Some parts might be on dirt. I plan on spending my winters in Europe or Western Canada about three years from now. Bad that this accident happened to a patroller making the mountain safe.

 

[dang]

And then there's this...

 

[Nicad]

Wow, how lucky can a guy get?