Grouse Diaries 2011-12

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This season, I will be coaching NSST alpine racing team at Grouse. In addition, I'm giving training session at snow school. Therefore, I will be up at Grouse almost every week nights and occasionally week days. If you like carving, feel free to pass by and say hi.

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Dec. 19 night:
Very foggy, but no traffic. Snow condition was icy on certain area. Top of peak, huge bumps.

Dec. 20 afternoon:
Nice weather, good visibility. Lots of traffic and bumps on certain area. Top of peak, icy with huge bumps everywhere.
Saw a guy with F2 board in the tram, but can't find him once got out...

Dec. 21 afternoon:
Nice weather, unlimited visibility. Flat light in the back side. Very icy on Expo. Huge bumps on the peak.
Saw a guy on Cut riding hard boot

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Afternoon, lots of people uploading and downloading in tram.

Condition: Icy, sugar over ice on certain spot. Peak, mostly icy.

Visibility is great. Great condition to work on edging and commitment!

Tomorrow will go up early to get some training.

[CarvingScooby]

Good luck, all the best. Hope one day you can switch and try Cypress. Will come visit you after new year.

You might see Bryan and Doug.

RT

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Thx Roy. I have a pass, so I will go up to Grouse more often.

Went up to Grouse this morning, using my staff pass. Great condition, hero snow. Think cloud/fog around mid section of peak. Did an hour of training with no traffic and downloaded at 10am. Will head up to Whistler during Christmas. Will back to Grouse on Tuesday!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

[eastcoastcarve]

I have been meaning to check out the NSST alpine racing team. I raced with Gordon Tanner back in the day in N.S. but have been out the game for the last few years. When do you do the Race team training as I would likely come out some time when that is happening to check it out.

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I was training last night... pouring rain... all my gears were all soak and wet in an hour. Visibility was limited and acceptable. Snow was wet and heavy, with irregular bumps everywhere.


I have been meaning to check out the NSST alpine racing team. I raced with Gordon Tanner back in the day in N.S. but have been out the game for the last few years. When do you do the Race team training as I would likely come out some time when that is happening to check it out.

We will go up again tonight, hopefully it will stop raining. I rode Gordon few weeks ago.

Our training schedule depends on availabilities of my work schedule and athletes'. I try to schedule every week evening/nights. If possible, early morning on Friday/weekends. Morning training is more specify on skill and technique while on nicely groomed runs. Night training is more about adjusting/adapting the technique in different situations. This month, I'm working on stance and balance with the team. Next month, we will start working on gates training. You are welcome to check us out. :biggthump

[BlueB]

I rode Gordon few weeks ago.
:freak3: WHAAAT?! :nono:
I better avoid you guys ;)

[eastcoastcarve]

:freak3: WHAAAT?! :nono:
I better avoid you guys ;)


Don't worry about Gordo he probably enjoyed it :)

[Gtanner]

I missed something here....you guys are all asses!

Eastcoast, Is that you John? Did we share an intimate "Tide in the bedsheets" encounter or a "dye the coach's hair" incident?

-Gord

[BlueB]

Amazing what a small typo can do! :D
I believe the original Pan's text is missing a "WITH" somwhere there ;)
However, it's getting interesting - we are about to learn whole lot of incidents from racers' lives.

[eastcoastcarve]

I missed something here....you guys are all asses!

Eastcoast, Is that you John? Did we share an intimate "Tide in the bedsheets" encounter or a "dye the coach's hair" incident?

-Gord


one in the same buddy boy! Ah the memory's of race team trips... It would be hard to one up that prank on Carrot Top :)

[Gtanner]

one in the same buddy boy! Ah the memory's of race team trips... It would be hard to one up that prank on Carrot Top :)

Ah yes, I still tell that one to this day.... Others of memory; 40th birthday, flipped mattress/box-spring, pistachio shells

[pan]

Amazing what a small typo can do! :D
I believe the original Pan's text is missing a "WITH" somwhere there ;)
However, it's getting interesting - we are about to learn whole lot of incidents from racers' lives.

Yeah typo. :smashfrea

Just got from Grouse for snow school training. Raining all night. A patch of dirt in the middle of the Cut. Visibility is ok, but limited. Snow is slightly soft with hard base. Great condition for practicing carving! :biggthump

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Jan 04
Snowing during lunch time at the top. About 2cm of powder on Expo. Visibility is very limited, several white out. Will go up tonight for snow school training!

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Went up early in the morning. Lots of traffic. Visibility is sometime limited. Drizzles rain... got all wet after an hour and decided to leave....:barf:

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Went up during lunch time. Very foggy. Riding mostly on Peak, and Expo. Snow condition is ok, but most of the time are white out.

Will go up again this evening for CASI 2 course. Hope it will clear up.

By the way, I saw Bret Tippi coaching the NSST SBX time at Grouse last week! He was on a Kessler boarder-cross board. :cool:

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Came back from CASI 2 course tonight. Good visibility, but very icy for soft equipment. I wish I was on my hard boot.

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http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120111/grouse-mountain-woman-dead-120110/

:(

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Yesterday, Icy on Peak and Expo. Lots of traffic yesterday, mostly are the kids from ski club.

Tonight, they put lots of snow. Little better than yesterday, but still icy.

Will take a 2 days break, then head to Whistler next week.

Currently, it's snowing outside!!! :cool:

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Great snow condition tonight. Just occasionally some traffic.

Will be training at Grouse at night this and next week. Tuesday and Thursday will be snow school training.

May do some gates training later on. Anyone interested?

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Jan 23
I was sick, therefore training cancelled

Jan 24
Very wet heavy snow and bumpy everywhere. Just kept working on stance and balance while riding. Heavy rain!

Will be doing training in the evening from Wed to Fri at Grouse. Hopefully, weather will get better! :cool:

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Came back from training this afternoon. Condition was soft under the sun. Small bumps everywhere, and not many traffic. The bumps on the Peak are getting really big and tight! Need to sideslip few bumps to go through. Will head up to Whistler tomorrow and Wed. Then head to Cypress to do the race on Thursday. Will resume training on Friday.

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Update on Feb. 09:

Raining, condition was soft and wet. Visibility is good. Very few people on the hill. May cancel the training tomorrow night. Planning to go up to Whistler on Monday to do more training.

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Update Feb. 17:

Great condition in the morning. Saw one guy on hard boot with F2 board on the Cut.
Started raining after lunch, then became heavy wet snow. Not many traffic.

Will go up tomorrow and Sunday. Then, head up to Whistler for a week.

[tenorman]

Saw one guy on hard boot with F2 board on the Cut.

if this was the board:

29684

then it was DAVID. if not then it was probably JOON who is a korean racer who usually rides an SG slalom board and occasionally an f2. however he races on a kessler. i think both DAVID and JOON ride f2 race ti step in bindings. hope that helps you id them. maybe you can recruit young JOON for your team. both are cool and speak good english. unlike most alpine riders i meet they never look down their noses at my burton raceplates or burton alpine boards whenever i bump into them at grouse lol.

[CarvingScooby]

..if not then it was probably JOON...
FYI: his email is under Daniel in the mailing list

RT

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Hi Tenorman, I was in the lodge and it was foggy out there. Look like he was on a pointy nose board and rode with his daughter. I think I saw an asian rider the other day. Couldn't see what he's on.

Grouse's forecast said snowing skies. Hope it will be like this all day and tomorrow.

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Went up yesterday and tonight.

Update Feb 20:
1st run down centennial, condition was great. But Olympic chair broken down. So I have to hike 20min to the other side. Did 2 runs on the Cut. Snow condition was soft, but too slow. Easy to carve, but too much people. 20 min line-up. Saw one guy on hard boot, look like a burton step-in with Volki RT 158.

Tonight, snow condition was soft, wet and stick on flat. Rain for about 10-15 min.

Will go up Wed, Thu, and Fri. Hard boot on Wed and Fri.

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Update on 22th:
The bumps on the peak were too big and too close. I can only ride on the side of the run. Cat track (heaven sake) was very icy and Expo was icy with small bumps Good for working on edging!

Update on 23th:
Tonight, it was very icy on Peak and Expo. The Cut was better. They had groom the Peak, so all the bumps were gone.

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Update on 24th:
It was foggy, visibility was variable at night. Kinda bumpy every where. Only stay for an hour then left.

Update on 25th:
Uploaded on first tram. Hero groomed condition on The Cut. Did 4 runs then rush to the tram to download before the traffic arrived.

Update on 27th:
Soft little bumps everywhere. If engaged the edge, the board cut through the snow. On cat track (Heaven Sake), saw an asian rider (light green jacket and pants) on hard boot. Passed him few time.

Will go up again this evening and night for hard boot and freeride training. Look for bright orange jacket!

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Update on 28:
Visibility was variable and windy, but condition was great and not many on The Cut! Making trenches for an hour. Great soft pack snow!!!

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Update on March 01:
Visibility was limited. Snowing in the evening. Snow was nicely soft and packed. Not many people on the Cut.

Update on March 02:
Great powder run below Olympic chair and soft pack snow on the peak.

Update on March 03:
Sticky powder below Olympic chair. Visibility was variable.

Update on March 04:
Visibility was limited and mostly wet snow everywhere. Started raining in the afternoon.

Surprisingly less skiers/snowboarders on the hill. Haven't seen any hardbooter this week. Probably, will see more kids this week during the strike.

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Update March 8:
Did several runs on Expo last night. Nice soft condition. Great for carving. Then, gave a freestyle session for snow school on my plate. Did lots of switch and fs/bs 180. Need to practice my switch fs/bs180 more. At the end, it was a fun session.

Came back from a session at Whistler. Too tired, will take a break tonight. Will go up tomorrow around lunch for training.

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Update on March 12:
Everything were standby due the high wind. Until 2pm, blue tram started running. Then, red tram started running around 3pm. Visibility was very limited. Very foggy, snow was very soft packed. Went down the bumps on Peak... mostly sideslipping. Not much traffic! Hopefully, will be very nice tomorrow!!!

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Update on March 13:
Soft pack snow everywhere. small bumps on certain section and bigger bumps on Peak. Foggy on upper mountain and better visibility on lower expo. Did some filming with the team. Will do more tomorrow.

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Update on March 28:
Foggy most of the time, wet and sticky snow everywhere. Good thing is no many people on Expo. May go up to Cypress after lunch tomorrow to pick up my season pass! Oh YEAH!

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I wonder anyone know the snow condition at Grouse currently?

As Cypress opens only on weekends, I may go up to Grouse during weekend days.

[CarvingScooby]

I wonder anyone know the snow condition at Grouse currently?
As Cypress opens only on weekends, I may go up to Grouse during weekend days.

I may follow if Whistler not in the schedule...

RT

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Went up to Grouse yesterday! Arrived around 1pm. Condition were slushy and most rider up there were jibber. Only the Cut is opened and no line-up!