Hello to everyone at Pugski.com from NC!
So glad to find such a well-organized, well-informed, and passionate group of folks who just ...love skiing.
Started skiing at age 4 in Central New York, Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, NY. As a teenager, then began skiing in the Syracuse Area at Song Mountain, Labrador, Greek Peak and Toggenburg. I often reminisce of special trips to Gore MTN. and Killington, VT with my DAD who was one of the most beautiful and technically sound amateur skiers in our area, at that time. My job, as a golf professional (teaching/touring) took me south of the "Mason-Dixon" Line to NC and about a 30 year hiatus from skiing. This year I took skiing back up at age 51, when my wife stated,"let's start back skiing together,". So we did, luckily skiing 8 times in 7 weeks at Sugar Mountain, NC and Snowshoe, WV....not too bad for Southeast Skiing. Like, many of us, love of our families and an addiction to work, the years can get by us pretty quickly. However, I must say this past winter, recreational skiing, was one of the most exhilarating and refreshing experiences I have had in many many years.
WHOA...EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED!!! As a teen, I grew up skiing Rossignol ST Competition @ 190cm and my last skis were Elan RCSL @ 205cm. YES...STRAIGHT SKIS and PARALLEL SKIING/ SCARVING with a Narrow Stance was the "Preferred Style." Starting out this year, I demoed 8 different pairs of skis, each time the waist underfoot getting narrower each time. My first purchase, Head World Cup Rebels i.speed @ 175cm 17m Radius...( A Cheater Ski ). Teaching myself to learn to carve has been a lot fun and a steady but slow process. Not sure if I will ever get to the level of "Dynamic Carving" like some of these amazing videos that are posted here at Pugski.com. It is definitely, not the same as the "old school" up-unweighting, pole plant, brush, and carve I had learned in the past. Although, some of those "older skills" still help to "brush off" some speed when the conditions get cruddy, the slope steepens and/or begin to exceed the "self-imposed" speed limit.
In my profession, it is like going from a persimmon driver and a tour balata golf ball that spun, to the modern driver that launches the ball higher straighter and less spin like a cannon ball. I find myself "bitching" and "tinkering" with my ski equipment, just like I do my golf equipment.
Well back to skiing. I started the season, out on a pair of Voelkl Deacon @ 177cm and 84mm underfoot, "how in the hell do you turn on these icy conditions" after my first run...then I figured something out ..."SET BOTH EDGES" ....Transition... EDGE ROLL and then "SET BOTH EDGES"....Okay....COOL! Next time out, I demo the Head i.Titan.....a little better, then the Head i.Rally, then the Atomic Redster X9 WB, then the Head e.magnum, the Head e.speed, and then finally the Atomic Redster S9 @165cm 12.7m Radius (BTW these skis are all extremely good skis.) Interestingly though, on the Atomic Rester S9, I felt a few things I had not experienced in a while... perhaps ever! After a couple runs on these babies, I began to feel more confident earlier in the 1st Phase of EachTurn, Turn initiation was "WAY EASIER", then by allowing the stance to widen a bit, a building pressure on ball of foot on outside ski....then WHAM! I literally got shot into the next turn, then again WHAM...then the next turn the same...WHAM one more time...And another ...WHAM...OK time to stop and figure out what in the hell just happened to me? Exhausted and admittedly out of shape, I stopped and looked back at a number of my "S's. Man...that was WAY DIFFERENT!
Favorites List on Pugski.com:
Tom from TDK Ski Racing does a really good job at producing video content that is easy to learn...Does anyone know his last name?
Tom Gellie and I are like "brothers from another mother"
Deb Armstrong could teach literally any subject on the planet...seriously she's a natural!
Reilly McGlashan's demonstrations and videos are totally "epic"
Gear Reviews and Brand Comparisons
Thanks Phil for Pugski.com
Glad to be a guest here!
David Orr
PGA Professional
Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club
Southern Pines, NC
So glad to find such a well-organized, well-informed, and passionate group of folks who just ...love skiing.
Started skiing at age 4 in Central New York, Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, NY. As a teenager, then began skiing in the Syracuse Area at Song Mountain, Labrador, Greek Peak and Toggenburg. I often reminisce of special trips to Gore MTN. and Killington, VT with my DAD who was one of the most beautiful and technically sound amateur skiers in our area, at that time. My job, as a golf professional (teaching/touring) took me south of the "Mason-Dixon" Line to NC and about a 30 year hiatus from skiing. This year I took skiing back up at age 51, when my wife stated,"let's start back skiing together,". So we did, luckily skiing 8 times in 7 weeks at Sugar Mountain, NC and Snowshoe, WV....not too bad for Southeast Skiing. Like, many of us, love of our families and an addiction to work, the years can get by us pretty quickly. However, I must say this past winter, recreational skiing, was one of the most exhilarating and refreshing experiences I have had in many many years.
WHOA...EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED!!! As a teen, I grew up skiing Rossignol ST Competition @ 190cm and my last skis were Elan RCSL @ 205cm. YES...STRAIGHT SKIS and PARALLEL SKIING/ SCARVING with a Narrow Stance was the "Preferred Style." Starting out this year, I demoed 8 different pairs of skis, each time the waist underfoot getting narrower each time. My first purchase, Head World Cup Rebels i.speed @ 175cm 17m Radius...( A Cheater Ski ). Teaching myself to learn to carve has been a lot fun and a steady but slow process. Not sure if I will ever get to the level of "Dynamic Carving" like some of these amazing videos that are posted here at Pugski.com. It is definitely, not the same as the "old school" up-unweighting, pole plant, brush, and carve I had learned in the past. Although, some of those "older skills" still help to "brush off" some speed when the conditions get cruddy, the slope steepens and/or begin to exceed the "self-imposed" speed limit.
In my profession, it is like going from a persimmon driver and a tour balata golf ball that spun, to the modern driver that launches the ball higher straighter and less spin like a cannon ball. I find myself "bitching" and "tinkering" with my ski equipment, just like I do my golf equipment.
Well back to skiing. I started the season, out on a pair of Voelkl Deacon @ 177cm and 84mm underfoot, "how in the hell do you turn on these icy conditions" after my first run...then I figured something out ..."SET BOTH EDGES" ....Transition... EDGE ROLL and then "SET BOTH EDGES"....Okay....COOL! Next time out, I demo the Head i.Titan.....a little better, then the Head i.Rally, then the Atomic Redster X9 WB, then the Head e.magnum, the Head e.speed, and then finally the Atomic Redster S9 @165cm 12.7m Radius (BTW these skis are all extremely good skis.) Interestingly though, on the Atomic Rester S9, I felt a few things I had not experienced in a while... perhaps ever! After a couple runs on these babies, I began to feel more confident earlier in the 1st Phase of EachTurn, Turn initiation was "WAY EASIER", then by allowing the stance to widen a bit, a building pressure on ball of foot on outside ski....then WHAM! I literally got shot into the next turn, then again WHAM...then the next turn the same...WHAM one more time...And another ...WHAM...OK time to stop and figure out what in the hell just happened to me? Exhausted and admittedly out of shape, I stopped and looked back at a number of my "S's. Man...that was WAY DIFFERENT!
Favorites List on Pugski.com:
Tom from TDK Ski Racing does a really good job at producing video content that is easy to learn...Does anyone know his last name?
Tom Gellie and I are like "brothers from another mother"
Deb Armstrong could teach literally any subject on the planet...seriously she's a natural!
Reilly McGlashan's demonstrations and videos are totally "epic"
Gear Reviews and Brand Comparisons
Thanks Phil for Pugski.com
Glad to be a guest here!
David Orr
PGA Professional
Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club
Southern Pines, NC
