Podcast #31 – Swap it Like It’s Hot!

Weekly Flavor

Quick Follow Ups

  • The Fifth Grade Passport Open Doors to Vermont Resorts with Free Skiing and Riding

    Skiing and riding are magical sports and that can change lives, supporting healthier decisions and experiences that can last a lifetime. There is no better time to fall in love with snow-covered mountains of Vermont than during the final years of care-free adolescence. To help our youth get to the hills, we offer participating fifth graders up to 88 free days of skiing and riding at Vermont’s alpine and Nordic resorts with the Fifth Grade Passport

    When Will I Receive My Passport to Fun?
    Passports will not be mailed until late November. They are valid Dec 1-May 1 and mailed just prior to Dec 1.
    Please allow for 2 weeks processing during the season.

    How Does it Work?
    Passport holders receive a booklet containing coupons for free alpine lift tickets or cross-country trail passes at each resort. (You’ll get three coupons for alpine resorts, and either one or three coupons for Nordic centers, depending on the resort).

    Rules and Regulations…
    Passport holders need to be accompanied by a ticket or pass holding adult and each adult may bring up to two Passport holders. Passport coupons are not valid with other offers or discounts applied to the child. Passports are valid Dec. 1 – May 1 excluding blackout dates. For more information call (802) 223-2439 or inquire with the ticket office of the resort you plan to visit.

Ski News

  • Opening Days Announced – Killington, VT – 10/18

  • Opening Days Announced – Sunday River, ME – 10/19

  • NASA Scientist Says El Nino is “Too Big To Fail” (snowbrains.com)

    “There’s no longer a possibility that El Niño wimps out at this point. It’s too big to fail.” “And the winter over North America is definitely not going to be normal” – Bill Patzert, climatologist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California

     

  • TRAILER: After the Sky Falls (lineskis.com)

    After The Sky Falls Trailer from NIMBUS INDEPENDENT on Vimeo.

    “After The Sky Falls” captures the skiing of Eric Pollard, Chris Benchetler and Pep Fujas. Two years in the making, the film is not an epic portrayal of the sport, but instead is an attempt to relate to and inspire everyday skiers. This motion picture is not a dramatic narrative piece, it’s not a energy drink commercial, it’s not meant to make the skiers in the film into heros, it is simply a film that documents the Nimbus crew’s unique approach to skiing, and their focus on fun and creativity. (lineskis.com)

     

  • 5 days in Jackson Hole: A first-timer’s guide (ski.com)

    Whether you’re a hardcore skier or just getting into the sport, Jackson Hole is a name you probably know and it’s most likely on your short list. This resort is recognized as one of the birthplaces of big-mountain freeskiing and home to many ski pioneers. The upcoming winter season happens to be a special one for Jackson Hole, making it a great excuse to visit this bucket-list destination if you’ve never been. The 2015-16 season marks 50 years of operation, and North America’s wildest, most Western resort is pulling out all the stops. From 50th anniversary celebrations and events to expanded air service and a new chairlift, there’s never been a better time to book your first trip to Jackson Hole. (ski.com)

     

  • Russia Builds Highest Lift in Terrorist Plagued Area (ski.curbed.com)

    The third and newest stage of a gondola at Russia’s Northern Caucasus Resorts will soon be Europe’s highest ariel lift, reaching 12,621 feet. Built on the side of the 18,510-foot dormant volcano Mt. Elbrus, the gondola will have seven feet on Mont Blanc’s Aiguille du Midi tram in Chamonix, France. The gondola is part of a massive $15 billion dollar project to draw tourism to a region plagued by terrorism; in 2011, a terminal of lift at a nearby resort was bombed.

    Construction is apparently underway, with the gondola slated to be operational this upcoming season. The cabins will hold eight people, with the lift’s hourly capacity starting at 750 riders per hour and growing to 1,500 per hour as more cabins are added later on. This third stage will rise from the 11,335-foot Mir station to its terminus at the Gara-Bashi station and will serve all levels of skiers. Russia Builds Highest Lift in Terrorist Plagued Area (ski.curbed.com)

Topic: Swap It Like It’s Hot!

  • What is a ski swap?

    • Ski swap is a gathering to trade, buy, or sell new or used ski, board. or any winter equipment. Yes, it’s like ebay without the computer. An experience to actually look at equipment you may want and speak to others about the deals to be had. Picture an organized community garage sale for skis, boards, and all wonderful things winter.
    • Usually organized by a ski group or ski shop.
    • Involves some rules set up for the swap (so check ahead of time)
      • Registration process can be expected with times for bringing your stuff in to sell (possibly a small cost).
      • Rules of buying, swapping, or even not selling.
      • Payment rules : cash or check only usually, percentage taken by the organizers, price markdowns.
    • Most will offer pricing advice, but beware of setting too high or too low a price.

    Benefits of a ski swap vs renting or buying retail?

    • Get to see the equipment and/or try it on before buying. (better than online in that way)
    • Previously owned so it’s a lot cheaper. Previously owned could mean new, never used to used and good for having for use, decoration, or other purposes (depending on price).
      • New, old, never used – like the treadmill or fitness bike that was never used.
      • Lightly used – people may not have liked or upgraded equipment
      • Old for specific use – like pond skimming, rock skiing/boarding, trying things out
      • To be used not on the mountain – shot skis, making furniture, even making your own ski/board throne 🙂

    What’s been your experience at a ski swap?

    Expect a crowd. Heino’s swap: mad dash at opening and grab for racing poles as well as others grabbing equipment they scouted while waiting on line. Expect equipment to change. Throughout the swap more gear may be coming in as other gear goes.

    What is you’re best buy at a swap? or best you’ve heard?

    New skis for cheap to use for powder and off trail. Because they are a second pair of skis it’s more flexible. Friend got great, used gear for daughter rather than renting. Better gear that may be good for 2 seasons, she’s going to grow fast too.

    Other fun things about a ski swap

    • Getting psyched for ski season
    • Going with friends to look at cool gear and talk about stuff you see
    • Getting a great deal

Around the Horn

  • N.J. man envisions pedestrian bridge linking Jersey City, NYC

    A city man is causing a stir with his idea for a pedestrian bridge linking the Sixth Street Embankment to Lower Manhattan.

    Kevin Shane dreamed up the concept and joined with city-based architect Jeff Jordan to create renderings depicting what they call Liberty Bridge.

    The span is envisioned as a pair of interwoven paths inside a box truss frame. The 5,000-foot long, 200-foot high bridge, which would also be open to cyclists, would reach into New York’s Battery Park.

    Asked if he’s surprised by the attention his idea is getting, Shane said he’s “hoping for more.” “I want to see this come to fruition and it needs to start somewhere,” he said.

    Shane has created an online petition calling for Mayor Steve Fulop, Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to back the plan. It has over 500 supporters so far. Fulop, an avid runner and cyclist, said he’d “love to see it” happen.

     

  • Tag Heuer Unveiling Android Smartwatch At the End of the Month

    Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer has set a date for its upcoming Android Wear smartwatch unveiling. The Tag Heuer Connected, as it’s called, will make its debut at the LVMH Tower in New York City on November 9th, according to invites sent out by the company today. The watch is reportedly based on the popular Tag Carrera and will cost around $1,800, according to a interview with Tag CEO Jean-Claude Biver on CNBC last month.

     

  • Apple Loses Patent Lawsuit

    Apple Inc could be facing up to $862 million in damages after a U.S. jury on Tuesday found the iPhone maker used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm without permission in chips found in many of its most popular devices. The jury in Madison, Wisconsin also said the patent, which improves processor efficiency, was valid. The trial will now move on to determine how much Apple owes in damages. WARF used the patent to sue Intel Corp in 2008, but the case was settled the following year on the eve of trial.

     

  • WhistlePig Opens New Distillery in Shoreham, Vermont

    WhistlePig tells BourbonBlog.com they will officially open their brand-new distillery tomorrow on October 14, 2015. The distillery will make WhistlePig one of the few American whiskey companies to conduct the entire whiskey-making process in one place, from harvesting the rye fields to distilling, barreling, aging, and bottling the liquid.

    WhistlePig has always been transparent about their whiskey being hand-selected from Canada and bottled on the WhistlePig Farm. For the past 5 years, WhistlePig has been working to transform the farm into the nation’s premier single-estate, grain-to-glass rye distillery

     

  • Hoverboards Are Harder to Ride than they Look

    Video of hoverboard falls, great entertainment and I guess everyone should realize they are hard to handle than they look on TV. May want to have some strength and skill before trying it.

     

  • Georges St-Pierre ‘training hard’ and ‘starting to get the feeling’ to come back

    St-Pierre, who is by all accounts one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. He last fought at UFC 167 in Nov. 2013. After winning a championship bout, the champ walked away in a shocking announcement that left fans, media, and UFC owner Dana White in shock.

    He said it was for personal reasons, and he needed time to clear his head. With that, he relinquished his title and the Georges St-Pierre era in the UFC was apparently over. Over the last couple years, St-Pierre has hinted at other motivations behind his departure – namely, rampant performance-enhancing drug usage in mixed martial arts. Now, with the UFC partnering with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the sport – at least on the surface – seems to be making a change for the better.

    The sport is presumably cleaner, St-Pierre is training back at his home gym in Montreal, and he is, rather incredibly, just 34 years old.

     

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