Terry,

I admit to being one of those who were tired, hungry, and overloaded last year.  I felt badly about not giving you the attention that you deserved, and certainly appreciate the effort that you put into the presentation.  After a full day of skiing, something that is more hands-on would certainly keep my attention better.  Perhaps more Q&A or hands-on demonstration or seeing how different tools work might be of interest.  For those who still count on a shop for certain services, how can we judge that we are getting our money's worth.  For those of us that tune on our own, how can we judge that we are doing a good job.  For example, I do a lot of my own work, but get a stone grind every year or two.  I recently brought my Head 88's to Mike DeSantis and his people told me that my base bevel was at 5 degrees, when I thought that I was putting a 1 degree bevel on it!

As a side note, will you be willing to bring stuff for purchase?  I am in the market for a 200grit, 4 inch diamond stone.

Great Idea.

Terry, I hope I get to ski with you again -- Highlands last year was a hoot!

What day are you doing your thing?  I'd like to attend, but am staying in my free room in Aspen, so may not make it to all the evening events.  I'd like to get some assurance that when I do the tuning I'm not screwing everything up.

Mike

Actually, I never do mess with my base levels -- this is how they came from the factory.  I guess the stories about bad factory tunes are true...

I'll get my first ever pair of skis hand delivered by Nolo on saturday afternoon so I'll be interested in what I can do to them...

Maybe bring some bad examples? like a ski that has an edge or base that needs work so you can say "here, feel this edge/burr/base, now feel this one".
That would be a great way to help spot common faults.

don't forget the Disco Ball!

 Errrr, well then, seems like I should get around to finally making that repair!  I'll see what I can do...


If we put in an order, will you deliver?  Would that make shipping more or less?

Quote: Ok, some ideas:

- "Famous Skier X Says They Never Tune Their Skis So Why Should I?"

-"I've Just Purchased New Skis, How Do I Know They're Ready to Go?: The Hideous Condition of Some New Skis"
  Or...."What Would Atomicman Do?"

- "Columbus Was Wrong!: Why the World of Your Ski Base Should be Flat."
   (ok, this should be a Greek I realize but I'm in a rush here)

- "Setting Base Edge Bevels."
   What are base edge bevels, and what do they do?
   Do I need the National Institute of Standards to come measure my base bevel before skiing?
   Or..."Do I need to hire Atomicman as a ski caddy?"

-"Setting Side Edge Bevels"
  The effect of Side Edge Bevels. Is a 3 degree edge really less durable?
  "Can You Handle A Three Degree Side Edge?"

- "Filling Ptex: Do Those Candles Really Work?- The unwaxed truth!!"

- "Stop Whining About Wax and Get Some On!" - waxing made simple
   What's wrong with my grandma's iron? You just want me to spend money!
   What's a good rub on for when there's no time for hot waxing?

- "Senseless Base Grinding by Overzealous Shops: The Carnage Done and How You Can Stop It!"
  (Introduce segment with Neil Young Song: "The Grinder and the Damage Done"

We might want to hire Gary Trudeau for some of these segments and make a video.  Too bad Billy Mays isn't around....

edit: More Ideas: Advanced:
"Patch Adams: Large Base Repairs Can be Fun"
 - What epoxy should I use for a Base Patch and How do I do It?"

Dude, 20 minutes?!
Maybe some of these topics could be discussed in a Gondola and on a run to give you more time and avoid dozing by people thinking about Chicken Cordon Bleu!

Edited by Tog - 1/6/10 at 8:38am

Shall we schedule the Hike Highlands Bowl day just prior to the Ski Tuning and Base Repair evening?
That may work out well for Geib 

Shhhh, no one's supposed to know about my secret disco ball!

Well I have an idea...
The Ski Patrol at Aspen Highlands has a very nice place up there with a large deck.It is open grated, but it would work. Maybe we could do something there. The views are stunning.
There's also outside at that mid lodge at Highlands for lunch - if it's sunny.

Alpinord,

Bob was just telling me the other day of a skier that would remove his skis one at a time and polish the edges during each lift ride up.  No ski time lost at all!  

Maybe you could design a cordless iron and market a complete lift ride tune and hot wax kit?

On what type of lift?
As for the on hill tuning lecture - well there's lunch and Gondola rides.

Didn't ask.  I assumed riding solo on a t-bar, where else?

Does it make a difference for the iron?

See, everyone (well only a few actually but let's not split hairs), decries the loss of  "the good old days".  This incident just goes to show you how much better it is today though. How are you going to cram a 205cm ski into a gondola and move it around enough to tune it? You've got to stick it out the window, turn it around, all the while hoping to get other passengers to cooperate. Skiing on a 180cm ski makes it sooo much easier to tune - even if you're on the t-bar. For hot waxing, you use a liquid fuel powered iron - sheesh obviously you've never tuned a ski in a gondola.  You must have missed the iron thread in the tuning section.

More ideas for the ski tuning session at Esa:

- Generation WTF ("Why Tune french Fries") how to talk to your kids about tuning.
  Answering such questions as:
 "My kids think tuning is for dorks"
 "Should I detune the tips and tails of rockered skis?"
 "How do I address their cool new ski that looks like a glue sandwich?"
 
With the brilliant technique talk:
 - ACG: Asphalt, Concrete, Gravel: How to use common materials at a ski area to tune skis  shaped like potato chips. 
  note: East Coast uses Granite for Gravel; a driver's license is recommended but not necessary for these techniques
 Addressing issues:
- Young Racers on Rockers: How They Can Recover Through Tuning.
- Why Kids Huck - The Tuning Connection.
- Over the Edge, Over 110mm : Should You Through in the Towel?
- Keep the Light On: The Proper Tune for Skiing Switch.

Moving on to other issues:
-The Coming of the CDX Ski and the Implication for Tuners: Grab Your Sander
-Binding Placement for the CDX: Does it Really Matter? - We Look for Answers
-How to Tune a Ski Using the Kramelet Binding
-The Kramelet Binding: What This Tells us about Bob B and Should he be Stopped?

Tog, Great list.  However, you missed the important topic of wax alignment and why  unbalanced waxing is sure to screw up your turns.  Also, the correct use of the phantom move in repairing bases.

Mike

Oh, posted in the wrong thread...
However, we're not allowed to talk about the Phantom thing.
How about: "The Move You Don't Need to Do Yet Has Three Books Written On It"
Or... "The Move I Can't Tell You About Before I See A Card"

I posted another lecture list on Bootfitting for Gregfits. It's Here: Originally Posted by Tog 

And for coreshots?  Seaweed and snot?

Thanks for a very informative session on ski tuning, Alpinord, and for tirelessly training us to tune our own. The conditions couldn't have cooperated more in this regard. 

 Terry, I was happy with the time you spent skiing with our group and chatting with students about tuning and waxing.  I know that at least two of them got a one on one lesson from you on waxing and tuning that evening which is a valuable service.  Thank you Thank you!


Psst, those are my skis on the right.

Alpinord, your videos are always incredibly helpful and informative, but I think your son is starting to show you up! Wish I could have been there for the session, but his video is a great substitute