Now starts my 9 month long depression. I still have the feeling of the elements on my face from my last few days on the hill at Hoodoo Ski area in Oregon. I've blogged on this subject before, living in the Southwest, my ski seasons are very short. If I'm lucky, I get between the 1st of January until about the middle of March with a huge finisher at Hoodoo on the first weekend of April. This season has been no different.
I was able to get 14 full play days on the snow before the fun meter was shut down. Only 14 days due to poor snow and this pesky day job that eats up my time during the week. I started my season on Dec 11, 2009 at Angel Fire Ski resort. One of my only game-over days at 11:30am when I caught a down hill edge and was thrown to the ground faster then a run-away skier from Texas, cost me a bunch of bruised ribs down my right side and kept me from peek playing performance for several weekends. I was able to complete 3 trips to Hoodoo this season and had 2 incredible powder days. Was not able to get anywhere new to play this season except Elk Ridge in AZ this season but we didn't really play there as much as we planted a seed for future growth. The day job kept me close to Abq this season and the snow overall was not that great. We completed 4 demo days at our favorite local area Sipapu Ski area and spent some really great time on the hill with some really great friends.
High points of the season where my new Brawler. While the Brawler is an incredible bike, it rides very different than most other skibikes. Took me most of the season but really started to connect with the bike. Another high point was meeting new friends from New Zealand and ridding their new equipment the 3ski. I was not sure how I would like the equipment. I typically find the Trike style skibikes not in my favor but only after 15 feet on the 3ski, I had grown man giggling coming out of my mouth!!! On my 3rd run, I was taking the 3ski down stuff I was not comfortable ridding on my own equipment on.Great piece of equipment, can not wait to get additional ones in and work them in our demo fleet. Lastly, finishing up the season at Hoodoo has become one of my bitter-sweet events of the season. First, I love heading up to Hoodoo for a visit. The folks at Hoodoo are fantastic and the owners and employees are even better. I am hugely excited to head up there but very sad knowing the last Sunday we are there, its all going to be over very shortly!!! Sunday April 4, 2010 was no different.
There was my season in a nut-shell. Time to get grieving and start the healing process. Only 9 months until I get to do it all over again. I really need to find a place with more winter!!!
Come on 2010/2011 season...just got excited about the new DH bikes on the front cover
of Mountain Bike Action. There is a little life after skibiking.
My name is Randy, and I am a Skibike junkie!!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Day 9.5 through 14 OTS
Let me get caught up.....day 9.5 OTS, we completed another SkiBike demo day at Sipapu Ski area on 3/6/10. Another great turn out and another hand full of people on the hill ridding bikes again. 50 degree day..sun on my face. Sure hoped we got snow soon because it was a bit sketchy and icy under the snow to say the least.
Day 10, I went to Sandia Ski area here in Albuquerque on 3/12/10 to try to get my snowboard back underneath me again. Only spent a 1/2 day on the hill. Thank heavens it was a very deep powder day as I spent a good part of the first 3 runs, "Cart Wheeling" down the mountain with my snowboard attached. Incredible day at Sandia and the weather and snow as incredible. After about 4 runs, started to get my board back under me but my legs were cramping so bad, the fun had been removed. Mental note...need to spend some time on my board next season.
Day 11 was the day directly after the snowboard trip above. Man did I feel like and old guy that day. We completed another SkiBike demo day at Sipapu Ski area on 3/13/10. We had lots of friends and guests that came up just for the event. We had over 20 bikes on the mountain at one time and fun being had by all. This was our final demo of the season at Sipapu and we offered up the bikes for sale. We managed to sell 3 bikes before we even left the hill. Spent the day with our buddy Patrick from Stalmach and his new girlfriend. Finished up the day with a beer and a big green chile burger before we hit the road. Kinda sad...we have a very good time doing demos at Sipapu and they are some of the best folks we come to know through the years. It’s a lot of work doing demos but it is also very rewarding word. Please watch our site next season for demo dates at Sipapu Ski area. The following Sunday...I felt like an old beat up dude!!
Day 12, 13 and 14. Spent my last 3 days OTS at Hoodoo Ski area in Oregon. This event has become a bitter-sweet one for me. 1st, I look forward to it all year but know it is most likely the last of my days on the snow every season. Also, I only get to see some of my friends at this event...1x a year. This years Hoodoo event was no downer. 1st we started out Friday 4/2/10 with snow that never stopped all day. It was wet..heavy..nasty and the light was awful...but I was in fresh snow.....always a good day for me. Due to the flat light and wet heavy snow, I only completed about 10 runs during sun breaks. Saturday 4/3/10 was a different day all together. Yes it continued to snow but the temp had dropped and the snow had dried out a bit more and was becoming very nice. Later that afternoon, the snow had warmed and mixed nicely and I hammered my Brawler and my body for several...several runs. I rode until I was plan wore out for the day. Sunday 4/4/10 the last day was a bit different. It finally quit snowing but I had sold my bike to a fellow by the name of Jeff out of Salem. Funny, I ride all types of bikes and rotate several bikes through my own inventory but was absolutely sad to see my personal Brawler go. I can go home today and build an exact copy out of my new stock but I had some how gotten connected to that big white brawler. Jeff purchased it and got his first full day on the bike on Sunday. He connected with the bike very quickly and is on his personal way to finding a good 12 step program to help him with his new bike addiction. I was able to get on the 3 ski brought in by Jason and Bruno. (Kiwi's) What a great machine and I was able to own this thing in about 15 feet. By my 3rd run, I was ridding expert terrain I am not even comfortable on my own bike on. There was grown man giggling coming out of me on that bike. I love going to Hoodoo but its very hard to leave the place after ridding tons of great snow, sharing the slopes with lots of very cool fellow riders..new and old and its also very hard to leave the hospitality of that little place called Hoodoo no matter where you are from.
Now starts my long depression until I can be on the snow again. Good thing mountain biking will be here soon enough!!!
Randy
Confessions of a bike junkie.
Day 10, I went to Sandia Ski area here in Albuquerque on 3/12/10 to try to get my snowboard back underneath me again. Only spent a 1/2 day on the hill. Thank heavens it was a very deep powder day as I spent a good part of the first 3 runs, "Cart Wheeling" down the mountain with my snowboard attached. Incredible day at Sandia and the weather and snow as incredible. After about 4 runs, started to get my board back under me but my legs were cramping so bad, the fun had been removed. Mental note...need to spend some time on my board next season.
Day 11 was the day directly after the snowboard trip above. Man did I feel like and old guy that day. We completed another SkiBike demo day at Sipapu Ski area on 3/13/10. We had lots of friends and guests that came up just for the event. We had over 20 bikes on the mountain at one time and fun being had by all. This was our final demo of the season at Sipapu and we offered up the bikes for sale. We managed to sell 3 bikes before we even left the hill. Spent the day with our buddy Patrick from Stalmach and his new girlfriend. Finished up the day with a beer and a big green chile burger before we hit the road. Kinda sad...we have a very good time doing demos at Sipapu and they are some of the best folks we come to know through the years. It’s a lot of work doing demos but it is also very rewarding word. Please watch our site next season for demo dates at Sipapu Ski area. The following Sunday...I felt like an old beat up dude!!
Day 12, 13 and 14. Spent my last 3 days OTS at Hoodoo Ski area in Oregon. This event has become a bitter-sweet one for me. 1st, I look forward to it all year but know it is most likely the last of my days on the snow every season. Also, I only get to see some of my friends at this event...1x a year. This years Hoodoo event was no downer. 1st we started out Friday 4/2/10 with snow that never stopped all day. It was wet..heavy..nasty and the light was awful...but I was in fresh snow.....always a good day for me. Due to the flat light and wet heavy snow, I only completed about 10 runs during sun breaks. Saturday 4/3/10 was a different day all together. Yes it continued to snow but the temp had dropped and the snow had dried out a bit more and was becoming very nice. Later that afternoon, the snow had warmed and mixed nicely and I hammered my Brawler and my body for several...several runs. I rode until I was plan wore out for the day. Sunday 4/4/10 the last day was a bit different. It finally quit snowing but I had sold my bike to a fellow by the name of Jeff out of Salem. Funny, I ride all types of bikes and rotate several bikes through my own inventory but was absolutely sad to see my personal Brawler go. I can go home today and build an exact copy out of my new stock but I had some how gotten connected to that big white brawler. Jeff purchased it and got his first full day on the bike on Sunday. He connected with the bike very quickly and is on his personal way to finding a good 12 step program to help him with his new bike addiction. I was able to get on the 3 ski brought in by Jason and Bruno. (Kiwi's) What a great machine and I was able to own this thing in about 15 feet. By my 3rd run, I was ridding expert terrain I am not even comfortable on my own bike on. There was grown man giggling coming out of me on that bike. I love going to Hoodoo but its very hard to leave the place after ridding tons of great snow, sharing the slopes with lots of very cool fellow riders..new and old and its also very hard to leave the hospitality of that little place called Hoodoo no matter where you are from.
Now starts my long depression until I can be on the snow again. Good thing mountain biking will be here soon enough!!!
Randy
Confessions of a bike junkie.
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