You Can Only Prepare So Much

By: In: The Sharp Edge

Not too long ago via Twitter I saw a tweet on a video of a tree well rescue.

Tree wells are formed in deep snow around trees where the snow does not pack tightly around the tree, and a rider can fall into that well and the kinetics of the crash often times cause the rider to sink into the well headfirst. Imagine, falling into a hole headfirst with your skis or board on your feet and have the snow reducing your mobility and air supply. Very dire situation and even if you have a buddy or friends on the scene immediately afterwards the outcome is not certain.

Here is a YouTube video showing a gang back country skiing in British Columbia (eh) and one of the gang gets trapped in a tree well:

Isn’t this the way life works? You can practice and prepare all you want, but when the real thing happens Murphy comes along.
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Green, Gold, and Blue

By: In: The Sharp Edge

 
 
 
Sigh, the Packers lost on Sunday to the New York Giants. I am still convinced the better team lost, but there is no arguing who was playing better football on Sunday and that is what counts. Our receivers who through most of the season were catching everything thrown in Brown County could not hold onto anything and that also applies to the period after the catch.

However, there is one positive in this — I no longer have to plan ski trips around football games, even the Superbowl is going to have to fight hard to get my attention over skiing. However, no matter who is playing it is usually a cause to get together with family and friends. However, if it were up to me I would be coming home from a ski trip at about kick off time and watch with middling interest.

The key thing is though, for the vast majority of us, watching the NFL is a passive consumptive type of activity. We sit in our chairs and watch as others do. However, skiing is an active creative activity we do.

Now get out and DO!

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ESPN — Shame On You!

By: In: The Sharp Edge

 
 
 
While this is not a ski post, it is about sports (and will lead into a post or two about skiing) and performance enhancing drugs (aka PEDs).

Recently, ESPN broke a story about the Milwaukee Brewer’s star Ryan Braun. It was a devastating report, and most reactions (in fact, I did not see a single dissent in my networks) were that of let down in the fact that Ryan Braun was not real.

However, SI has a decent article on this affair. In the article it stated that Braun had plenty of time to get clean prior the second test and that there are allowed substances that will elevate one’s testosterone levels, but those substances come with a detectable sign that was not present in Braun’s initial test.

However, the most important snippet is this:

According to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the process was supposed to remain confidential

That is, the story was released with ESPN dictating the ending prior to the ending being set. This is a shame, the SI article concludes with a surprising conclusion, and that is, MLB drug testing is working. This is based on the fact a big MLB star is under the gun for drugs.

However, the fact is, ESPN broke this story before the conclusion of the process is set, and no matter the result of the process, Ryan Braun is forever tainted. Where is HIPAA?

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Exercise Exercise Exercise!

By: In: The Sharp Edge

 
 
 
I remember seeing clips of a sales training video featuring Vince Lombardi talking about winning and the principles he thought winning everywhere requires.

In this video he addresses the importance of being physically fit. Yeah, you got it, a football coach talking to salesmen on the importance of being fit (there is more to the video, but the clip I saw he was specifically addressing physical fitness), and it seems odd, but it is not.

In my life, I have veered from decent and good physical fitness to poor. That bouncing back and forth has empirically shown me a few things to be true:
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Wisconsin’s Perpetual Silly Season

By: In: The Sharp Edge

As many of you are well aware, Wisconsin has been a hot front in the ongoing political war. In fact, it has been one perpetual political campaign, and that is not going to let up until at least next fall, and even then who knows?

As I have made perfectly clear I am firmly on one side of these fights but I keep that stuff off-limits here at The Wisconsin Skier, the only parties I want to talk about here are Après-ski or at worst the Snowboarders vs. the Skiers. That said be aware you are likely to see the advertising from the combatants sooner or later. In addition, you may see political advertisements here from a former Florida representative who is apparently going to try to reclaim his old seat.

I really don’t care and do not plan to take any steps to encourage or discourage the advertisements from my side or not-my side. Whatever you do, don’t think I as the Wisconsin Skier am taking sides, I am hoping to take money.

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The Iranian Ski Code’s Additional Line

By: In: The Sharp Edge

The Iranian skier’s responsibility code has an additional item the rest of us in this world are not familiar with:

TEHRAN — The first snow of the season fell in Tehran this week, but female ski bums planning to carve fresh lines at one of the three resorts in the Alborz mountain range will be able to hit the slopes only if they are accompanied by a male guardian.

A police circular, reported Thursday on the pro-government EtedaalWeb site, states that women and girls are no longer allowed to ski in the absence of a husband, father or brother.

Now, let us consider some possibilities here:

  1. Iran is looking to increase the number of people on the slopes

    2. That is, last year if there were X women skiing solo, this year there will be at least 2X skiers on the slopes, at least doubling the business of the ski resorts.

  2. Iran’s government is continuing its pattern of the oppression of women.

    3. Nah, that couldn’t be it, could it?

Hmmm…..
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Helmet Laws

By: In: The Sharp Edge

Do you wear a helmet while skiing or ‘boarding? I started to do so last year and did not find it a real big deal. The helmet I obtained was warm, it did not look dorky, and of course I can wire it up and it will deliver the tunes to my ears much more reliably than does a set of loose earbuds.

About the only disadvantage I could really detect was less clearance while walking through doors or any other overhead object. I feel the additional protection a helmet affords the skier or ‘boarder well worth the cost and as I note the disadvantages are over-hyped.

I still have a distinct opinion on compulsory helmet wearing.
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Yahoo’s Series of Articles on Skiing

By: In: Skiing, The Sharp Edge

Yahoo is showing up in searches for ski articles on a very frequent basis of late. However, most of the articles are very poor quality not only in terms of writing, but also in terms of the material itself.

In fact, I read a dangerously misguiding article on Yahoo, I link to it, but understand the article is rubbish! The author was giving advice on skiing and skis and through a combination of ignorance on the author’s part and typos the author gave not just bad advice but dangerous advice.

While the authors of the Yahoo pieces are members of the general public and I am guessing the work is not vetted by Yahoo; the fact the article appears under the Yahoo banner lends undeserved credence to the articles. If I were Yahoo, I would worry about a lawsuit over someone trying to follow the advice of the last article I link to.

While a number of sports are generally harmless, skiing is a sport that can present serious risk of injury to the participants. The author of that article recognizes the danger inherent in skiing but then fails to recognize their own ignorance and gives dangerous advice.

Even more comically (if one considers the article comic in its dangerous ignorance) the author talks about downhill skiing competitions as if they are a demolition derby or a NASCAR (with a C not a T) race. No, downhill ski racers (as opposed to ski-cross races, but even then I have never seen intentional contact) race the clock. That is the each racer skis alone and their times are recorded; it is not a Chinese Downhill!.

I get the sense the author of that piece is not a skier, but is a content farm writer, is that what Yahoo has become? Sad.

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Indianhead Suggestion

By: In: Resorts, Skiing, The Sharp Edge

As I have made known, I skied at Indianhead recently. I like Indianhead a lot, the lodging is super, the skiing is not too bad, the taverns they run both on the bottom and at the top of the hill are great.

However, they need to replace at least that old quad-chair with maybe a high speed chair, doesn’t have to be a high speed quad or even a high speed triple chair, but we spent a lot of time on that chair even though we did not have lift lines.

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Sunshine Village — The Take of Bubby Natas

By: In: Skiing, The Sharp Edge

Editor’s Note: Bubby Natas is my evil twin and a column by “Bubby Natas” will express thoughts against the side I take. Essentially the con thoughts against the position I mulled before taking a side.

Mark has graciously allowed me to write a piece on the Sunshine Village labor brawl. I do not agree with Mark that the ski patroller’s are right. Who is right? I don’t know, however, it should be abundantly clear to anyone paying attention to this story we have only heard one side of the conflict and that makes any decision on who is right premature.
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