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*****Official 2026/2027 Ski Thread*****

5,118 Views | 85 Replies | Last: 6 days ago by Yesterday
Charismatic Megafauna
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 8:44p, 9/7/26
AG
Just fkn send it. Nobody breaks a femur from a crooked mount. Every binding has a forward pressure indicator and if you are concerned about release and can't be satisfied by kicking the heel and toe loose from either side, take it to a shop and have them stick a Vermont calibrator on them to check, which I can almost guarantee they would not do if you paid them $80 to do your mount.
Take your time, measure measure measure, drill clean blow glue screw (huh?). Bindings are designed so that they will be safe even when mounted by a stoned teenager, because they usually are.
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Charismatic Megafauna
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In reply to txcincinnatus • 8:57p, 9/7/26
AG
You will be hard pressed to beat Taos for instructor quality.
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ChipFTAC01
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In reply to Bayou City • 11:35p, 9/7/26
AG
Bayou City said:
El Niño will be good to UT & CA. Have you thought about Heavenly? They should have great snow this year and are epic local unlimited.


Going to heavenly for guy's trip in Feb.
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rather be fishing
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In reply to Charismatic Megafauna • 2:20p, 9/8/26
AG
Charismatic Megafauna said:
Bindings are designed so that they will be safe even when mounted by a stoned teenager, because they usually are.

Don't forget, that stoned teenager is being mentored by a stoned 30 year old who can freaking shred on a snowskate on the bunny hill.
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Bayou City
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In reply to rather be fishing • 2:32p, 9/8/26
Naw - they're mostly alcoholic boarders. Alcohol is by far the drug of choice in ski shops. Not even close. Hate to say it but coke also probably tops weed.
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Cibalo
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In reply to txcincinnatus • 7:08a, 9/9/26
txcincinnatus said:
Hoping to take my 6 and 8 year old on their first ski trip this spring. Their spring break is on the earlier side (Mar 8 - 12), so hopefully we'll be just ahead of peak spring break crowds.

Trying to narrow in on a ski resort that balances convenient travel from Houston, ease of skiing day logistics, ski school quality, and cost. I'm an intermediate / advanced skier, so I don't need expert terrain to have a great time.

I've recently skied Telluride, Deer Valley, Northstar, and Breck. Don't really care to go back Breck. The others seem crazy expensive with kids and ski school factored in.

Any thoughts?

My kids are the same ages and for the past 2 spring breaks we have gone to Snow Basin on UT.

They have one of the top rated ski schools and it is about half the price of other places. The mountain has never felt busy and families get to park in the front lot which makes for an easy walk.

There are no places to stay at the resort. We stay at a place about 20 min away. Lots of restaurants around there, a playground, and warmer temps. Also if you don't want to ski every single day there is a great children's museum, an awesome dinosaur park, indoor wave pool/climbing wall/laser tag/arcade.
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txcincinnatus
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8:50a, 9/9/26
AG
Thanks all! Will give them a look.Taos and Snowbasin both look promising.
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MAS444
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4:52p, 9/9/26
AG
Just saw this thread...

Telluride/Ridgway after Christmas through New Years and then back again for Spring Break. Can't wait!!! Praying for snow!!! Just bought our Epic Passes after we got screwed last year with strike and no snow.
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Tecolote
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 5:03p, 9/9/26
AG
MouthBQ98 said:
Practice mounted one of the bindings to a board using the template last night and it went well. Might do the skis Monday. Learned a few things so I am glad I did a test run

I saw Bayou's comment just below of offering advice but I'm not even going to read down to see any more comments as I'm pretty sure I know what he is going to so but I'm going to say it without even asking:

ARE YOU ****ING CRAZY!!!

Never should anyone without any experience mount their own bindings!!!!
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Bayou City
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In reply to Tecolote • 5:14p, 9/9/26
Praying my guy has a low deductible health plan.
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RangerRick9211
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In reply to Bayou City • 6:12p, 9/9/26
AG
Bayou City said:
Praying my guy has a low deductible health plan.

You did just say ski techs are alcoholics or cocaine addicts, lol. And I'd trust either before REI with my bindings - yet every year.

It's not rocket science. A jig helps, paper template if you're competent. Collared drill bit. A GOOD tap threader, don't skimp. Freedom Bindings has most of the templates.

Again, there are legit ski techs out there and I have my go-to guy because I can. But if the stoner tech can do it, so can you. I've only mounted pin bindings before, but it was pretty simple. But I also enjoy this part of my hobbies. I self-tune all my skis. I build my own bikes. I MYOG my own rope bags for crevice touring. Tinkering with a beer is half the fun.

Oh, Tognar is your friend.
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Bayou City
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In reply to RangerRick9211 • 7:59p, 9/9/26
Those stoners learned from watching someone and having a little elf on their shoulder to help.

Once youve done it once, it's not hard but every mount is different. Getting it close doesn't count.

When he said " I learned some things" it threw up hella red flags. If you don't know EVERYTHING about the mount, you know nothing about the mount. It's really that simple.

If it didn't make a difference I wouldn't give an international give a ***** It does though.

Those stones and drunk skis techs live skiing. Literally live to ski (and raft or bike). It's like an autistic kid obsession.

Random question: did you mount you first set alone?

I've probably mounted a 1000+ pairs of bindings and I still have a homie there to double check my **** everytime. I don't need to win that lottery. I do enough dumb ass **** on the daily.
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Charismatic Megafauna
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8:23p, 9/9/26
AG
Oh man we're gonna get a panda meltdown and username change before the first chairs even start spinning this year
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Bayou City
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In reply to Charismatic Megafauna • 9:16p, 9/9/26
Na I just don't want him to get hurt. It's not my femurs. Usually I'm all for a good bad idea but not when it may hurt a homie.
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MouthBQ98
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In reply to Tecolote • 6:01a, 9/10/26
AG
For the record, I have an engineering background, a vast amount of experience building and crafting things to a great degree of precision, and am particular about precision. Building and doing thing my life depends on is nothing new.

I understand mechanically how bindings function. I understand how they must be configured to operate as designed. I understand many techniques to precisely locate and drill hardeare mounting holes to precisions of fractions of a millimeter. I have all sorts of precision measurements tools.

I think my problem is actually that I don't trust a twenty something kid at a ski shop to do as good of a job as I would because it is my ass on the line if I do not follow published specifications precisely.

But, I've had two people now either a lot of experience scoff at the idea. So, who to trust? I have to guess there is some unpublished aspect of precision installation not published by the ski and binding manufacturers that is important to consider. If so, I'd rather learn it from an expert, but I'm going to be skeptical that it can't be done by someone who precisely follows installation specifications. I'd like to watch it first hand now and see if there is something to it I should know that I don't.

My problem is I live in Austin and there is literally one shop here and I have no gauge on their skill level at a shop in Texas. I suppose I can tell them I will inspect all of the measurements to within a millimeter of symmetry when they are done, and verify all of the screw torques. Maybe I need to talk up the tech there and get a feel for their experience and dedication to quality, though I suppose liability implications typically mean quality is a given.

I maybe a batter understanding about what can go wrong would help. I know by experience an ACL replacement costs a lot more than a binding installation, but now it seems almost like a new personal challenge of a skill to learn.

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Charismatic Megafauna
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6:22a, 9/10/26
AG
You think ski techs anywhere are torquing binding screws? Lol. They are using a pozi bit in a drill. Binding screws are self tapping, you drill the pilot, add glue and screw it in until it's snug. It's easy to judge by feel. Go to goodwill and get a pair of the longest old gs skis in the barrel and practice on them. There are tons of videos on YouTube of European dudes who huck 40 footers on the reg mounting their own bindings using paper templates. Watch a couple of those and see if you think there's any voodoo involved in doing it right
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MouthBQ98
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8:20a, 9/10/26
AG
Not trying to be critical, just want to understand better. I am confident in my own abilities but I also respect knowledge and experience.
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Yesterday
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8:48a, 9/10/26
AG
Glad someone started a new thread and good to see all the familiar faces. Got our annual Park City and Beaver Creek trips lined up. I'm hoping to do a random spur of the moment trip to somewhere in the Rockies after a big dump.

Store my skis in a Texas Attic for the last three years. That has to be good...right?
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Charismatic Megafauna
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9:08a, 9/10/26
AG
Nope you need new ones. 3 pairs actually. And new boots jacket and pants. Tell your wife we said so
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Bayou City
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In reply to Yesterday • 2:19p, 9/10/26
Better than outside at a Jersey shore rental.. you should've seen them. The customer "I think they may need an edge". HAHa
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Tecolote
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 3:43p, 9/10/26
AG
MouthBQ98 said:
For the record, I have an engineering background, a vast amount of experience building and crafting things to a great degree of precision, and am particular about precision. Building and doing thing my life depends on is nothing new.

I understand mechanically how bindings function. I understand how they must be configured to operate as designed. I understand many techniques to precisely locate and drill hardeare mounting holes to precisions of fractions of a millimeter. I have all sorts of precision measurements tools.

I think my problem is actually that I don't trust a twenty something kid at a ski shop to do as good of a job as I would because it is my ass on the line if I do not follow published specifications precisely.

But, I've had two people now either a lot of experience scoff at the idea. So, who to trust? I have to guess there is some unpublished aspect of precision installation not published by the ski and binding manufacturers that is important to consider. If so, I'd rather learn it from an expert, but I'm going to be skeptical that it can't be done by someone who precisely follows installation specifications. I'd like to watch it first hand now and see if there is something to it I should know that I don't.

My problem is I live in Austin and there is literally one shop here and I have no gauge on their skill level at a shop in Texas. I suppose I can tell them I will inspect all of the measurements to within a millimeter of symmetry when they are done, and verify all of the screw torques. Maybe I need to talk up the tech there and get a feel for their experience and dedication to quality, though I suppose liability implications typically mean quality is a given.

I maybe a batter understanding about what can go wrong would help. I know by experience an ACL replacement costs a lot more than a binding installation, but now it seems almost like a new personal challenge of a skill to learn.

Wow! That is a classic case of you are trying to convince yourself!
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MouthBQ98
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In reply to Tecolote • 4:23p, 9/10/26
AG
Yes. Reasoning out to a solution by considering the available data and weighing the options. I have time to gather more information upon which to base my decision. I trust myself. I am trying to determine if I trust a ski shop ((in Texas) more.

I'll probably go talk up the ski shop techs and get a feel for how experienced and meticulous they are. To be honest that story about a shop damaging someone's new skis at the end of the 2025-6 thread did not give me confidence
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Aggie_Boomin 21
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4:32p, 9/10/26
AG
To distract from this thread getting pretty dramatic in record time, this was cool.

https://www.powder.com/news/aspen-snowmass-secret-lift-tickets
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MouthBQ98
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In reply to Aggie_Boomin 21 • 4:35p, 9/10/26
AG
Oops, they forgot to set a minimum on the dynamic pricing maybe?
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Aggie_Boomin 21
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 4:36p, 9/10/26
AG
I'm pretty sure it was intentional to commemorate their 80th anniversary.
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MouthBQ98
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4:55p, 9/10/26
AG
For the record I'm not trying to start drama but I apparently stumbled on a controversial topic and want to learn more.

I suppose I could take them to CO in my first trip and ski my other skis a day while these are in a shop but I have to imagine that's a very busy time of year.

It's only September, I'll figure it out.

New topic: is it really worth $300 to take a day off a trip to Purg to hit telluride for a day? Never been there.
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Bayou City
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 5:09p, 9/10/26
If you have full epic you get 7 days at Telly.

If they have snow, it's a great hill.

I totally appreciate you taking the time to want to tech your own gear from start to finish. I think it's hella cool.
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rather be fishing
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7:45p, 9/10/26
AG
Keep in mind, BC is an industry pro, so him advising you not to do your own mountings is like H&R Block asking you how confident you are filling your own taxes.

Kidding
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rather be fishing
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11:16a, 9/11/26
AG
Just got an email with 3 40% off codes for Smith. Let me know if anyone needs one.
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Aggie Athlete Involved
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In reply to rather be fishing • 1:48p, 9/11/26
AG
rather be fishing said:
Just got an email with 3 40% off codes for Smith. Let me know if anyone needs one.

I'd love one!! (email removed)

thanks!
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MouthBQ98
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In reply to rather be fishing • 2:27p, 9/11/26
AG
I've always done my own taxes. I do almost all my own car repair and home repair too. I'm almost as DIY is you can get.

I will give expert advice thoughtful consideration though.
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rather be fishing
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In reply to Aggie Athlete Involved • 3:35p, 9/11/26
AG
email sent
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Yesterday
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In reply to MouthBQ98 • 4:07p, 9/11/26
AG
MouthBQ98 said:
I've always done my own taxes. I do almost all my own car repair and home repair too. I'm almost as DIY is you can get.

I will give expert advice thoughtful consideration though.


Go for it. It's not like there's an MIT grad on a cnc machine punching bindings at nasa precision. You'll probably do it better to be honest.
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Greeze06
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In reply to rather be fishing • 9:08p, 9/11/26
AG
Will take one if available por favor. eday 2715@gmail.com
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rather be fishing
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In reply to Greeze06 • 9:56p, 9/11/26
AG
Email sent
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