Season 14/15 Banter thread

fmlarnapairce

Fattes wrote: »

As you do fire yourself off the worlds steepest natural ski jump!!! Spent an hour watching these lads in the rein this afternoon the footage does not do them justice!

if i remember correctly there's a nice swedish bar with that view?

Eurovisionmad

Fattes wrote: »

I would take a good look at the webcams before being to gloating But I hope you get hte best conditions possible. Its like here i would say about 20% of the terrain that is open probably shouldn't be its barely covered, but its Christmas!!! So the lift company are opening it anyway.

Its actually raining at 2,400Meteres here today!!! So I will be catching up on paper work, ah who am I kidding I am going drinking After stopping the naked snow dances on the advice of Sallymo, I have decided they are coming back

It's raining in Encamp today :L and it's gonna rise to 11C on Christmas Eve and if the forecasters are to be believed it's going to drop to a max of -5C on Christmas day, here's hopping! (For everyone!)

Dr Nic

Buckets of snow fell yest and today in val d but now rain...
Face de bellvarde not open yet...
Reqlly good week

Fattes

fmlarnapairce wrote: »

if i remember correctly there's a nice swedish bar with that view?

Ha ha no this is very close to the end of the jump but I may have visited the ski lodge to warm up

Fingers crossed for a temp drop! My lover will be great flu for it

fannymagee

AlternateID wrote: »

Oddly I don't feel concerned just yet. I'm going on the 27th regardless so no point stressing.

In other news I have a balance board set up in the hall. Good idea or should I call an ambulance now? :P

Fingers (and toes) crossed!! :-)

neilthefunkeone

The banter / oh crap it hasn't snowed yet thread!!

22 days til tignes.. as pointed out can't do anything about it.. hopefully they at least have a bit of a park setup sorted.. i could do with getting some time in!!

New helmet picked up last night.. all ready!

pgibbo

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

The banter / oh crap it hasn't snowed yet thread!!

22 days til tignes.. as pointed out can't do anything about it.. hopefully they at least have a bit of a park setup sorted.. i could do with getting some time in!!

New helmet picked up last night.. all ready!

There's always La Folie Douce :cool:

Fattes

Was working on the piste crew at the worlds steepest natural ski jump today! Having to side step the landing piste was pretty scary as it reached 50% in some places and is icy as a polar bears dangly bits!

Fattes

Some photos

AlternateID

Fattes wrote: »

Was working on the piste crew at the worlds steepest natural ski jump today! Having to side step the landing piste was pretty scary as it reached 50% in some places and is icy as a polar bears dangly bits!

I would pay to see some z listed celebrity jump/thrown/pushed/whatever off that.

fmlarnapairce

HOLY FACK, just watching downhill from val gardena (recorded), first lad got some air, reckon 70m!

Fattes

Ain't no party like a World Cup ski jump après party!!!

Fattes

My balcony today

prunudo

Fattes wrote: »

Was working on the piste crew at the worlds steepest natural ski jump today! Having to side step the landing piste was pretty scary as it reached 50% in some places and is icy as a polar bears dangly bits!

Can't believe how steep that is, you'd never think it from the TV.

a148pro

I stood on top of one once ****ting myself just being there and remember thinking how insane they had to be to do it. I suppose you start small but still.

hawkwind23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebtGRvP3ILg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebtGRvP3ILg

dunno how you embed the youtube videos?
anyways this is a great clip of what the thought processes must be before you make your first jump.

fannymagee

LOVED that Hawkwind!! So cute- fair play to that kid :-)

Fattes

hawkwind23 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebtGRvP3ILg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebtGRvP3ILg

dunno how you embed the youtube videos?
anyways this is a great clip of what the thought processes must be before you make your first jump.

I have no idea how they do it, there is two jumps here the small and the big, the difference is immense! I mean its comparing a VW Beetle to a Ferrari!

Jvan: the markers are 5M intervals! I have stood on some steep terrain over the years but prepping that was the most nervous and scared I have ever been! If the snow arrives I have promised to Straight line it ! I am regretting my drunken promise. Each of the markers in the video and Photos are 5M apart, so when slipping it my uphill pole was at my shoulder and downhill pole was at my knee!!!

The sound they make as they pass you is unreal! Its almost like a plane! It was an experience I wont forget!

AlternateID

Fattes wrote: »

The sound they make as they pass you is unreal! Its almost like a plane! It was an experience I wont forget!

You can hear it on the TV. I thought it was a plane flying over at first but then I realised it was every time they jump. Awesome.

Fattes

AlternateID wrote: »

You can hear it on the TV. I thought it was a plane flying over at first but then I realised it was every time they jump. Awesome.

I was genuinely horrified at the sped, distance and balls of these lads! I mean I have skied and done some crazy stuff in my time but this is a different class!

I mean once you point your skis down thats, it! You are committed and off you go! There is not much that makes me think mmm maybe not but this I have no desire or intention of ever doing!

Also all the athletes look like 10 year olds they are tiny!

CardinalJ

Fattes wrote: »

I was genuinely horrified at the sped, distance and balls of these lads! I mean I have skied and done some crazy stuff in my time but this is a different class!

I mean once you point your skis down thats, it! You are committed and off you go! There is not much that makes me think mmm maybe not but this I have no desire or intention of ever doing!

Also all the athletes look like 10 year olds they are tiny!

Wen you think of going full speed down a groomed black run and the speed you can hit, now stick a launch pad at the end and a 45% slope after. They're certifiable.

AlternateID

I'm still afraid of heights anyway so there's no chance I'd even walk up the steps.

Fattes

Sums it up really

prunudo

Fattes wrote: »

Sums it up really

Im starting to think about looking at alternatives. There are 3 of us heading to Morzine in a months time. There doesn't appear to be anything due this side of the new year. So only leaves 3 weeks for the conditions to improve drastically. Now the optimist in me says it will be grand but at the same time, I was saying that 4 or 5 weeks ago too. I was in Andorra in jan 07 and that was no fun and I don't really want to be boarding in those conditions again. Time to start those naked snow dances again!

fannymagee

This is when you need a weather-forecasting crystal ball jvan! It can all change so quickly, but its crappy to even have to think about it. Such a pity the season is off to such a poor start. Naked snow dances can be VERY effective though

Fattes

jvan wrote: »

Im starting to think about looking at alternatives. There are 3 of us heading to Morzine in a months time. There doesn't appear to be anything due this side of the new year. So only leaves 3 weeks for the conditions to improve drastically. Now the optimist in me says it will be grand but at the same time, I was saying that 4 or 5 weeks ago too. I was in Andorra in jan 07 and that was no fun and I don't really want to be boarding in those conditions again. Time to start those naked snow dances again!

One weather system can change everything, everything aboveb2,000 in the alps is really nice, down to 1,800 is ok below that it is grim!

Feels like April here right now!!! But just hold off, if you are booked with a TO check the refund conditions, sone have a policy based on lift opwning or linited lift opening.

I have seen some long range stuff that says tge 2nd half of tge season will be better but who knows

prunudo

Fattes wrote: »

One weather system can change everything, everything aboveb2,000 in the alps is really nice, down to 1,800 is ok below that it is grim!

Feels like April here right now!!! But just hold off, if you are booked with a TO check the refund conditions, sone have a policy based on lift opwning or linited lift opening.

I have seen some long range stuff that says tge 2nd half of tge season will be better but who knows

Thankfully we diy'ed it so we're lucky in one sense. Haven't sorted transfers yet but flights to Geneva are booked and paid for and the b&b is booked although we will only loss a deposit so our options are still quite open really. Anyway what will be will be. Won't start panicking yet but it will certainly be a lot of webcam and weather watching going on for the next month.

Northern Monkey

I haven't been paying as much attention as I should. I knew the snow was poor, but didn't realise how bad it was until I watched the ski jumping yesterday! We don't have anything booked yet, but had planned on Tignes the last week of February. Plenty of time for it to come good, but the last time we went to Tignes the snow was really poor and we always said we needed to go again to do it justice. This might not be the year for it

am i bovvered

Most reports are forecasting a major temp drop on or after Christmas Day, along with some snow. At this stage that much is a relief as today the temp is 8c !!

Fattes

Waiting for guests, and snow and having a coffee!

Forecast is up and down across the alps for the next week a brief drop followed by a rise again! I am not sure if Mother Nature has become a confused craic addict or not