Larson's ski & windsurf news and gossip

Bill's Turn - What Happened at Taos

2008-04-07T10:31:00.002-06:00

I figured I should at least contribute a couple paragraphs since that is our only picture from Taos and I'm in it.

Eric was considering entering the competition at TAOS and I told him I would join him if he entered. He did enter and I joined him. Its been a few weeks since the comp so the memory has faded a bit but the first day was quite remarkable. The first time I saw the West Basin Ridge first hand I was truly impressed. The conditions on that first day however were quite unremarkable. It was very hard and windblown from the previous storm and the unusual wind direction and was going to require all the ski survival skills I had. This venue was truly a no fall zone.

The mindset is to find the line that will enable you to get the best score possible. Too technical and you get docked in the aggression and fluidity and/or control categories. Too open and easy you get docked in the line and technique categories. So to find that line that is just at the "over your head" level without being over your head is as much or more of the competition than the actual competition is.

I had picked a line that day near the same area Eric had chosen named waterfall with a back up line down the sardozky spine, or the demons throat as I named it. I had to go to the back up line when I falsely assumed my first choice was out of bounds for the venue. Lesson learned - always check with the judges and/or officials when unsure of something. Turned out that line was open and it scored very well if you stuck it.

The greatest part of this event was the addition at the last moment of a masters division thanks to Scott Kennett, Tim Naylor and Leo Van Derbosch. Now this changed everything! I had a chance to go to the semi finals! All I had to do was stay up and ski strong. I had also learned that unlike the rest of the field the masters qualifier run would count in points towards the semi finals. So I figured I had better make a really strong run and not just "stay up".

10 inches of new snow on comp day! What a change a day makes! The start line - the constant questioning of the line I chose. Why do I do this? It is very stressful for me and I have heard of people throwing up. That hasn't happened to me yet but I can see how it does. Eric goes right before me and I watch as he approaches the waterfall area. He looks like everything is going good and then he is out of sight.

At the last minute I make a huge mistake, I see a rock from the start that I like and decide to hit that before I head over to the line I want to finish with.
Skier ready 3,2,1 GO!
I head off with a strong start, I feel ok with my first few turns as I approach that rock. I come off it -hip checking the landing- knowing I was a little loose and coming out with a little more speed then I wanted, but I try to traverse skiers left fast in an unfamiliar section and hit a spine blind going airborne. Time slows to a crawl from this point on. I do not remember much other then the sliding down hill head first towards a tree and the long walk down since my ski was irretrievable at that point.

Turns out that I hit a tree while airborne losing both ski's from that encounter and hitting the tree with my head knocking myself out. Ego damaged but all else good. My regards go out to Roy Leckonby who was not as lucky as I and had to be hospitalized after landing a huge drop hitting his head on a snow covered rock shelf. He is expected to make a full recovery!

Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos

2008-03-20T09:54:00.004-06:00

Bill and Eric made the trek to Taos for some skiing fun and to try their hand at competing. Here is Eric's report on the whole experience!

So you think you can ski?

I thought I knew the answer to that question..... Now I know the answer in a little better detail.

I finally convinced myself to try some competetive skiing to test myself and to be a part of a great skiing event at one of my favorite mountains. Competition is a way of quantifying our ability at something we enjoy, and a way of trying to improve. The Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos is an event that attracts some amazing athletes to challenge themselves and the mountain. Skiers are given an area to ski and they are judged on the following criteria: Fluidity, Aggressiveness, Technique, Control, and Degree of Difficulty of their line. The field is cut each day and the top scores move on to ski the following day.

Did I really belong here with some of the same skiers I read about and watch on TV?

We arrived at Taos a few days early to ski the venue and pick out our lines. Bill entered the event to help me out and to see what Taos is like. Bill has some competition experience and would be a big help and keep me from being too nervous. We got off to a great start when we arrived and met Sara New and Alejadro Blake, the coordinators of the event. Alejandro's grandfather Ernie was the founder of Taos Ski Valley, and the dedication of the Blake family has made Taos a truly special place.

The snow conditions were decent, but could have been better. Bill picked a long run with a few good sized rocks to drop off of, while I picked a shorter but more technical run through a steep, tight chute with little margin for error. We also met some of our competitors on the hill and took a few runs and discussed strategy and the judging. Everyone was super helpful and friendly. After some inspection and practice runs, we were ready for the show.

We woke up to 10 inches of new snow the morning of the competition. This was a good sign. The fresh snow might just make me look like I can ski! We took a few warm-up runs and watched the first runs of the comp. We saw some great skiing and I was excited to take my run. While waiting at the start gate I was a little nervous but still confident. All of the skiers were very supportive of each other and I was impressed by the friendly and mellow atmosphere.

Alright, my number is up. I tell the starter where I'm going so the judges know where to watch.

3,2,1, Go!

I skied along the ridge to the trees and dropped into my line. A few turns through the trees and I was at the top of the chute and could hear the spectators below. A short pause to clear my head, a few precise turns through the steepest part of the chute, let my skis run and catch some air, and I'm down. I got a few cheers from the crowd for my efforts. I hope the judges liked my run.

Bill was up next, but his run didn't turn out so good. He skied well at the top and hit one of his drops, then though some trees.... then spinning around backwards behind the trees (oh no!), then out of sight, then just his skis fly out of the trees without him. Ouch. It takes a few minutes for Bill to reappear. He was OK but he had to walk down without his skis. Bummer.

After the last skier took his run we were allowed to go inspect the area we would get to ski the next day if we qualified. It was going to be tougher the second day. Now for the reality check. While we waited for the scores we watched the videos of the comp. My run looked good, but not as good as I remembered! Then the scores came. I missed qualifying by 1.5 points. Damn. I was only two poitions away from making the semifinals. But I did beat quite a few other skiers, so I was somewhat satisfied. And no one else skied the same line as I did.

The next few days were spent skiing and watching the comp. We were witness to some crazy skiing and huge cliff drops. These guys are spectacular! The whole event was a great experience and I will definitely be back next year to try to improve my skiing some more.

I should be half way home by now!

2008-03-04T17:26:00.005-07:00

But......It's windy, and I'm having so much fun!

I hope a new Midwinters tradition was started this year at the Saturday night party, because who doesn't like a mechanical bull! Maui Sails sponsored the bull riding contest, with a new 11 meter TR4 going to the person who could hang on the longest. The big name racers declined to participate, citing concerns of injuring themselves, but the rest of us had quite a time! And no, I did not win.

Of course, the weekend of Mid-Winters was the least windy three days of the whole two weeks.

The Kona class and the other longboard classes got lots of racing in on all three days, but the Formula class only raced one race on Friday and three on Sunday (someone tell me why I wanted to race Formula again?). The one race on Friday was relatively light wind and only about half the fleet was powered up the whole way around the course - so those of us in the back half slogged around and didn't make the time limit. The races on Sunday were in a bit more wind (10-14) and I was amazed at how powered up I felt on an 11 meter. It's a bit surreal when you are just standing there on the board, with very little power in the sail and almost no ripples on the water....and then you pump three times and are blasting around all lit up.

Clearly, I needed more than the three races we had to pull myself together and get around the course respectably. I hit crab-pots down wind that launched me over the handlebars, missed the layline upwind and double tacked the mark more times than I can count and then actually got myself tangled up on the upwind mark (only slightly embarassing). Natalie (from Poland, via Miami) and Farrah Hall both sailed great and finished first and second.

So, another regatta come and gone and I am so grateful that I got to make the trip down to Florida, sail with folks who inspire me and push me to improve and I can't wait 'til next time!

So Nice to be in Florida

2008-02-25T08:13:00.003-07:00

I still find it amazing that you can get in the car in Denver (cold, wintery Denver) and in less than 36 hours of driving time, find yourself in Florida (sunny, warm, windy Florida).

I came down for windsurfing races in Sarasota (yesterday and the day before) and Cocoa Beach (next weekend). My friend Heather flew down to join me this past weekend for her first windsurfing regatta and we had a blast! We both arrived in the Tampa Bay area on Thursday evening and were lucky enough to get to windsurf all day on Friday. I tried out the new Severne Element 7.5m and a Starboard Isonic 133. The element may be my new favorite sail! It's easy to rig, light weight, has good low end power and pumps well. The top end speed doesn't seem to be as good as a race sail - but I wasn't expecting it to be. Most importantly, the consensus from the other girls on the beach is that the sail is super pretty! The ISonic was also an absolute blast. I couldn't believe how relatively easy it was to sail and how much fun it was to go that fast - I came back to the beach grinning from ear to ear.

Jonathan from North Beach Windsurfing (www.nbwindsurfing.com) gave Heather her first harness lesson and she was immediately successful and fully hooked on the whole harness concept.

Saturday and Sunday were racing in Sarasota and we had wind again (well....on Saturday anyway). I was flailing my way around the Formula course on a 10.0 Severne Overdrive and the new Exocet Formula board while Heather was learning what racing is all about on the Kona/Hybrid course. We had a great time at the party on Saturday night (who knew that red wine, girl scout cookies and lots of good friends can be that much fun) and weren't too upset when it was dead calm on Sunday morning. The wind built enough for racing in Heather's division - so she got some more practice in while the rest of us sat around and talked about windsurfing (who does that?!). In the end, both Heather and I won our respective classes (she in sport Hybrid women and I in Formula women) - and we hit the road with trophies in hand.

You can find race reports and pictures at www.miamiwindsurfing.com. More next weekend from the Calema Mid-Winters in Cocoa Beach!

Eric's Weekend Off - skiing the way it's supposed to be!

2008-02-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Eric escaped from the shop the first weekend of February and headed south to Taos - here's his report (I know, it would be better with pictures - but everyone's always too busy having fun to remember the camera!)

It has been a great winter so far, especially in the southern mountains. Taos Ski Valley is having their best winter in about ten years and I hadn't been there for a few years, so it was time for a road trip. It's about 5 1/2 hours southwest of Denver, nestled in a high valley about 15 miles from the town of Taos. There is plenty of free parking (and free RV parking) and the base area is a lot more pleasant than the usual "resort" feeling of the bigger ski areas.

The first lift ride takes you straight up over a steep and intimidating mogul field. Although Taos is known for its challenging terrain there are plenty of intermediate and beginner runs to entertain all levels of skiers. Riding the next lift to the top of the mountain provides a perfect view of the runs off of the West Basin Ridge. This is what Taos is all about: steep long runs, both tight and technical and wide open. Most of the rocks were hiding under the 100+ inch base with several inches of new snow that morning. The first run didn't disappoint, with just enough fresh snow to let your skis run as fast as you want. A short hike to the top of the ridge rewarded us with a run down Suaza, a steep gully in the trees with even more snow and plenty of rocks and cliffs to drop off of. The back side of the mountain was just as good and we had all the fresh snow we could handle all day.

The next morning we woke up to more snow. Saturday was great and Sunday was even better. The official report was 5 inches, but the wind blew enough snow in that I spent plenty of time in snow up to my knees! It was definitely the best day of the season, and in my top three days ever. We spent the morning charging down some tight chutes and glades on the back of the mountain. Just before lunch we hiked farther out on the ridge and I had about the best run of my life. The top was scary steep with a mandatory air to get into the gully. Once in it was still steep enough for the snow to slough down around me on every turn! I found a few cliffs on the way down and the landings were pillow soft. On the next run we skied over to a bigger cliff we had been looking at all day. We figured that with all the new snow the landing would be as soft as it ever would be. The takeoff was good, but I tumbled on the landing pretty good. It provided good laughs for my friends and everyone watching. We were completely exhausted by the afternoon and stopped a little early.

I had one more day to enjoy, so I decided to head north to Salida and ski at Monarch on Monday. Monarch is another great little area that gets tons of snow. The runs are short, but there are no lift lines so you can wear yourself out easily. They had recieved 24 inches of snow that weekend and 10 more that night. It was another knee deep day. I wanted an easy fun powder day and that is just what I got: soft, fluffy moguls and surfing between the trees. That was three days of the way that skiing is supposed to be.

Las Vegas - Snowsports Industry Trade Show

2008-01-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's 9:50 pm and I'm sitting in a corner of the McCarren Airport in Las Vegas waiting to find out just how delayed my flight back to Denver is going to be. I've been in Vegas for 36 hours - my eyes are glazed over and it is requiring heroic effort to keep them open - but not for typical Vegas reasons...

This was not 36 hours of gambling, drinking and debauchery - this was 36 hours of work! Walking the floor at the ski/snowboard industry trade show looking at the 2007/2008 product; trying to spot future trends, discover the next big thing, track down the latest in eco-friendly ski waxes(there really is such a thing!) and somehow divine what colors of pants and jackets you all are going to want next year.

The convention center at the Mandalay Bay Hotel/Casino was packed full of great looking, high performing gear for whatever kind of fun you want to have on the snow. There's never been a better time to be a skiier or snowboarder! Outerwear is bold and bright with retro influences from the '60s, '70s and '80s. Designers have come up with some clever uses for the neon yellow and pink fabric that has undoubtedly been languishing in a warehouse somewhere for the last 20 years and some great prints that are clearly 1960's inspired. Ski and snowboard manufacturers are following suit. K2 had my favorite graphics for their women's line and have stuck to their irreverent roots with the re-release of the K2 Extreme (a super popular ski of years gone by) with original graphics on a fully modern, fat, twin-tip. Salomon has lead the way in ski boot innovation for decades and for next season they will have the first ever fully breathable ski boot liner and a shell that is easily custom molded across the ball of the foot. Ski boots just might get fully comfortable in our lifetime!

The bottom line is that whatever gear you are going to need next year - it will be highly functional, look great and you can get it at Larson's!

Kona Class - or, What? No Pumping!

2008-01-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to escape frozen Denver and travel to Miami for the Alex Cavilglia Bluewater Regatta (hosted by Shake-A-Leg - http://www.shakealegmiami.org/). I haven't sailed since the end of October, my hands are soft and girly and my mom and my sister were going to race also - so we opted for "easy" and signed up for the Kona class. The Exocet Kona is a new, old-school longboard and for one-design racing you get a 7.4 if you weigh up to about 185lbs and a 9.0 (I think - maybe it's a 9.5) if you weigh more than that. "Easy" turned out to be only partially true! We chartered Konas, so we didn't have to bring gear with us - that was easy. And with only one 7.4m sail to rig - that seemed easy too. However, getting the sail tuned correctly and making it all go fast around the race course - well...aparently that's never easy!

So.... there I was, racing on a board with no adjustable mast track, a daggerboard that you can't trip over if you try, a 7.4 sail with no cambers and the class rules say no pumping. It was such a departure from the hyper-techie, pumping-centric world of the RS:X that was almost surreal! The first thing I learned is that I had no idea how to rig the Aerotech Zenith that is used for Kona racing. And shortly into the first day of racing I was reminded that it doesn't matter what class you are racing in - sail tuning counts! My second lessons was that I have no idea how to get a good start without pumping. Shortly after that I realized how much less attention you can pay to wind shifts when you pump around the course - and conversely, how much attention you should be paying to wind shifts (especially when you're not pumping)! Many lessons were learned - and I got schooled in the women's class by Solvig Sayre (16 year old daughter of windsurfing legend Nevin Sayre). She'll be one to watch over the next few years and I wouldn't be surprised to see her at the 2012 Olympic Trials.

The Kona was an absolute blast to race on in the super light winds. Our fleet of 14 or so stayed remarkably tight (thanks to no pumping) and it is clear that even on low tech gear it pays to be dialed in. First place winner Tom Ingram has spent quite a bit of time on his Kona and it really shows. He proved to be quick around the course in 5mph or 15mph and was getting great starts and sailing smart. When the wind picked up I was pleasantly surprised at how fun the board is to sail in planing conditions - but when it was marginal, almost planing, the no pumping rule was exceptionally frustrating and I was wishing for a formula board.

It was a blast, and I love to race - regardless of the gear, the competitors, the course or the conditions. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend.

Next up will be the Island Style Classic in Sarasota (Feb. 23 & 24), followed by the Calema Midwinters (Feb. 29-March 2). I've decided to jump back into the Formula class for these two events - so that should make for entertaining stories!

Welcome! And boy do I have a lot to say...

2008-01-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

New for 2008 - an official Larson's Blog! Finally, a place where I can keep you all updated on the events that we attend, the travels and tribulations of the family and any juicy bits of gossip I hear that I think you would all want to know.

In the next few weeks I'll be reporting on the Alex Caviglia Bluewater Regatta in Miami and what it's like to race in the Kona class (no pumping allowed!), all the cool ski gear for next winter that will be on display at the Snowsports Industry trade show in Las Vegas and snow reports directly from Larson's employees (who are always skiing and never actually working).

I'll be as entertaining as I can (without completely embarassing myself) and I hope you all enjoy it.