Ski season

Winter started in Wisconsin with a roar. 50+ inches in Decmber and a day of 50 degrees and rain. Skiing has bn very good. The fire last year at Sunburst was a blessing in disguise, the new pumping system (300hp) is state-of-the-art and the hill is one hundred percent open earlier than ever.

Lessons have been fun. The addition of 'special needs' private lessons for kids has given me some fun people to teach to ski to their ability and it is very rewarding.

Snow, glorious snow

Sunburst is open with more runs usable than ever before. That fire last year (check YouTube: Sunburst Fire) was really a blessing in disguise! The new facilities are state-of-the-art, with geo-thermo heating and a kick-a** 300hp pump with electronic pressure regulation.

Snow glorious snow!!!!1

Skiing and flying

Alpine skiing and flying are very much alike. They depend on basic laws of physics and gravity. They both use the principle of energy management to accomplish movement. They both turn money into fun.

In skiing the skier allows gravity to pull them down the snow covered slope as the friction of the skis and the snow is reduced by pointing the skis downhill (into the fall line) gravitation pull increases the skier's speed until such a time as the skier turns the skis less downhill (turns) and the fraction of the snow and the skis edges cause the skis to move away from the fall line.

Winter!

Snow had fallen and Sunburst opened on November 19, 2008. :)

I am attending training to be a volunteer for SEWASP, SE Wisconsin Adaptive Ski Program. It is my goal to take my passion for skiing and use it to help others who may have a disability to ski as well. My personal goal is to obtain my PSIA Adaptive certification. I am also working with the Lions BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development) Ski Program at Sunburst.

Every since I skiied at Snowmass in 2005 and witnessed the Disabled Veteran's skiing, each at their own ability, each having the time of their lives, each being encouraged by a cadre of skiiers/instrcutors I have sought to become involved in disabled ski development so that I could share my passion for skiing with those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to try this sport that set me free.

Angulation and the tall skiier

Okay, lets get technical. In order to properly edge your skis and achieve carved turns you have to transition from one set of edges to the other set, the sooner in the turn you do this the more dynamic your turns can be, and the more control you have. Translated this means the more edge you put into the snow the better those skis you are wearing will do their job.

How does this relate to the tall skier? Will it takes longer for a tall skier to do that transition from one edge to the other. I worked up a formula for it, but it boils down to how long it take to move your center of gravity around, us, as tall people, have a longer distance to travel than a shorter person, and then there is our weight, as tall people we can weight more and have more to move from point 'A' to point 'B' as well as having more distance from 'A' to 'B'.

Bottom line: as a tall skier we need to be training to be more agile, I have taken dance lessons, which helped my skiing and my skiing helped my dancing, a good win-win. I have been told that I walk differently since I started skiing. Beats me!

Sports

Sports for tall guys are not easy, with the exception of basketball where height is the norm; most sports are not designed for tall people. The average ski lift is 17-21 inches off the ground, that is okay for the average person but for a tall guy it means doing a deep knee bend to sit down and then a squat to get off onto a slippery area, gain your balance and slide away with some amount of grace. (Skiing is about being cool, hip, suave, John Claude, Bode NOT awkward).

The movements required for pretty skiing are much easier if you are shorter, it takes so much more time for all this mass to move form point A to point B when your center of gravity is a foot higher than the person who's picture you are trying to imitate.

Tall guys in a 5'8" world

So on the advice of another tall guy (thanks John F.), I am starting this blog to talk about the stuff tall people (guys more so because I am one) go through in this world designed for shorter people.

I am of a height (6'5") were I have to duck to go through some doors, door closer mechanisms are deadly to a tall guy.

I intend to talk about the struggles of sports, life, and anything else that crosses my mind that relates to being tall.