Squaw
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ok Divas, I am curious to know of your woes and miracles with skis lost on powder days. Or any day for that matter. 
OK here is mine, from this last week's epic dump in the Sierra:
Key player: 17 year old son. Very aggressive, skilled freestyle and big mountain skier. Supporting players: best ski buddy of said son, patient mother, frustrated father, several back country shovels.
The Action Sequence:
1) said son drops Adrenaline, a noteworthy hunk of rock off the Headwall chair at Squaw Valley. About 70 feet drop at the moment. He stomps it, as the saying goes. Down on the groomer on the way back to the chair: OOPS, broken Gotamas. (I even saw him across the mountain, when I was on the chair, stop and lift his ski. I groaned, as I somehow "intuitively"
knew what was coming.)
2) Our hero talks mom and dad into a demo due to the epic powder. We take the bait. Oh foolish parents. Had to agree that skinny competition bump skis are not great in powder. I forgot about his old Karmas lurking in the team locker room.
3) Next morning, on Volkl Kuros ($$$$), second run, first turn, or rather first air into Dead Tree. Take clues from the name and the knowledge that this kid likes adventure as to what this chute is like. Double release on landing. OOPS forgot to crank up the DIN setting. UH UH
where DID that second ski go?
I'm on the chair, just getting off for my first run into still untracked powder and my phone rings with that special tune which is only my sweet baby boy. UH OH. Having just spoken 20 minutes ago about the other serious item in his life besides skiing -- the whereabouts of his yummy sandwich he'd left in the condo -- I knew that the call was either that he was hurt or had done something to the demo ski.
Good News: he is not hurt. Bad News: the demo is gone.
Cutting to the Chase: We slide, and we dig, and we scrape. 2 1/2 hours worth. Surprisingly a TON of skiers come down this chute (it is pretty fine in powder). But not a one bumps into a lone ski.
Now keep in mind this is one FAT sucker. The widest Volkl makes. How does a ski like that HIDE?
I talk to mountain security, who have encouraging words about the return rate on lost skis. I talk to the shop, and they assure me that they will reimburse us, even 3 months out. But in the meantime of course $812 please. Actually the ski is heavily discounted - it is the bindings making up a good part of the price!
The week goes by. Son and his team make frequent visits to Dead Tree. We spread the word to be on the lookout to all we know. No ski.
Yesterday IN THE RAIN, my husband, son and I head back to Dead Tree. Even with a metal detector we have talked the ski patrol into lending. No ski. 3 hours of shoveling sopping snow, foggy goggles, freezing hands, shortening tempers. And on a degree of slope you stop and think about.
So can anyone give me hope? What do you think our chances are of this ski turning up?
Son's coach is actually making some calls to his rep contacts, seeing if nothing else we can get a good aka cheap price on the binding and/or ski, to offer to the shop as a replacement. And of course we are still in the market for a new powder ski. (Anyone got a good one at about 185 out there!?)
Needless to say, we have new agreements in our family for demos: if you rent it, you need your own funds in place that day to buy it. Please welcome one more 17 year old to the world of adult accountability.
OK, now for your stories. I need something to commiserate with or make me laugh.
Jen
OK here is mine, from this last week's epic dump in the Sierra:
Key player: 17 year old son. Very aggressive, skilled freestyle and big mountain skier. Supporting players: best ski buddy of said son, patient mother, frustrated father, several back country shovels.
The Action Sequence:
1) said son drops Adrenaline, a noteworthy hunk of rock off the Headwall chair at Squaw Valley. About 70 feet drop at the moment. He stomps it, as the saying goes. Down on the groomer on the way back to the chair: OOPS, broken Gotamas. (I even saw him across the mountain, when I was on the chair, stop and lift his ski. I groaned, as I somehow "intuitively"
knew what was coming.)2) Our hero talks mom and dad into a demo due to the epic powder. We take the bait. Oh foolish parents. Had to agree that skinny competition bump skis are not great in powder. I forgot about his old Karmas lurking in the team locker room.
3) Next morning, on Volkl Kuros ($$$$), second run, first turn, or rather first air into Dead Tree. Take clues from the name and the knowledge that this kid likes adventure as to what this chute is like. Double release on landing. OOPS forgot to crank up the DIN setting. UH UH
where DID that second ski go?I'm on the chair, just getting off for my first run into still untracked powder and my phone rings with that special tune which is only my sweet baby boy. UH OH. Having just spoken 20 minutes ago about the other serious item in his life besides skiing -- the whereabouts of his yummy sandwich he'd left in the condo -- I knew that the call was either that he was hurt or had done something to the demo ski.
Good News: he is not hurt. Bad News: the demo is gone.
Cutting to the Chase: We slide, and we dig, and we scrape. 2 1/2 hours worth. Surprisingly a TON of skiers come down this chute (it is pretty fine in powder). But not a one bumps into a lone ski.
Now keep in mind this is one FAT sucker. The widest Volkl makes. How does a ski like that HIDE?
I talk to mountain security, who have encouraging words about the return rate on lost skis. I talk to the shop, and they assure me that they will reimburse us, even 3 months out. But in the meantime of course $812 please. Actually the ski is heavily discounted - it is the bindings making up a good part of the price!
The week goes by. Son and his team make frequent visits to Dead Tree. We spread the word to be on the lookout to all we know. No ski.
Yesterday IN THE RAIN, my husband, son and I head back to Dead Tree. Even with a metal detector we have talked the ski patrol into lending. No ski. 3 hours of shoveling sopping snow, foggy goggles, freezing hands, shortening tempers. And on a degree of slope you stop and think about.
So can anyone give me hope? What do you think our chances are of this ski turning up?
Son's coach is actually making some calls to his rep contacts, seeing if nothing else we can get a good aka cheap price on the binding and/or ski, to offer to the shop as a replacement. And of course we are still in the market for a new powder ski. (Anyone got a good one at about 185 out there!?)
Needless to say, we have new agreements in our family for demos: if you rent it, you need your own funds in place that day to buy it. Please welcome one more 17 year old to the world of adult accountability.OK, now for your stories. I need something to commiserate with or make me laugh.
Jen
So....keep hunting, and hope for the best.....How did he wind up getting down to base?
on one ski often better than I do on two.... though as he went down even the groomer, he kept popping out of the binding. He then went an got another set of skis and the shovels.
