Canada is cool!

[Than_Bogan]

This has nothing to do with water skiing, but I think everyone I "know" from Canada is on this board.

 

I was in Montreal for the weekend for my wife's 40th birthday. That's a cool place. All the good stuff of Paris and none of the annoying attitude. Plus, they have Northerns, Smallmouth, and Walleye in the Biodome -- how cool is that? My kids are aquariums addicts and I'm pretty sure I've never seen any of those species in any other aquarium. (List includes Boston, New York(?), Seoul, D.C., Monterey Bay, and probably some others that I'm forgetting.)

 

The Chinese Lantern Festival is mildly cheesy but still completely awesome.

 

Ate at an Indian restaurant in Old Montreal that was Crazy Good.

 

Aussi, je peux comprendre un peu de Francais -- si vous parlez lentement.

 

Hopefully I'll get some more chances to visit other places in Canada someday.

[SkiJay]

The water at Predator bay is 59 degrees. That's pretty cool too!

[kfennell]

Its true Canada is pretty great when it's not cold.

 

I like Ottawa alot more then Montreal, especially in the winter with the giant skating rink (the whole canal) and during winterfest. Then after that I would fly to Vancouver or Calgary and rent a car to drive up through the Rockies. It is crazy beautiful.

 

 

[Killer]

Lived in MTL for 4 years, so I'm glad to hear they treated you well! I can't say my experience as an anglo Canadian has always been the same.

 

Canada is also great when its cold though: ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, dog sledding, etc.

 

besides that's why they invented Florida right? :)

[Than_Bogan]

Thanks Brent! My wife really likes Montreal, so there's a fair chance I may take you up on that someday!

 

What's the tournament scene like near there? Could be interesting to make a multi-purpose trip some summer.

[andjules]

I went to college in Montreal and have been missing it ever since. One of the few places in North America you can go that is fun, cosmopolitan, and yet isn't trying to be like NYC.

I think we have a larger East Indian population here in Toronto, but for some reason, it's always seemed like all the great Indian chefs stayed in Montreal, so not surprised you had a great meal.

I trust that at some point, someone in your party sampled Poutine. The ultimate carb-loading, fattening junk food, best eaten either i) on a cold day at a ski hill, ii) crawling out of a pub at 3am, or iii) as a last resort, trying to defeat your hangover the next day.

[Than_Bogan]

@andjules We missed Poutine entirely -- don't even recognize the name. "Isn't trying to be NYC" -- well said. I grew up right near to NYC (in Jersey) and never quite got the appeal. I actually thought I disliked cities in general until I visited Boston on a college tour as a teenager.

 

I did remember to try the Viande Fumee ("Smoked Meat" -- somehow I expected it have a more specific name in at least one of the two languages!). But that was at the airport on the way back, so may not have been the best sample. Still, quite tasty.

 

Apologies for any spelling errors in French. Hey, at least I can sorta spell in one language, which puts me above average on this board. :)

[andjules]

Oh, sorry you didn't get to try poutine! It's kind of an embarrassingly unhealthy provincial - and increasingly national - treasure. It sounds gross, but it's fries + cheese curds + gravy (specifically the gravy you'd get on a 'hot chicken sandwich' in an old school diner). I think it tends to run between 800-1300 calories depending on the size and options.

[Than_Bogan]

Uh oh -- it's food like that keep health care costs up in the U.S.! You guy's won't be able to keep your healthcare model going if people start eating stuff like that in Canada, too!

[andjules]

Yes, it's been years since my metabolism has been able to 'afford' ordering a poutine. But I remember those college days fondly.

[GaryWilkinson]

Than and others, gotta come up here when the water's warm enough to ski!.... That'd be around July! We have an extremely short skiing season, dry- suits are a must. It's also amazing how with that short season, (especially back in the day) how we produced so many champion skiers,

 

George Athans, Joel McClintock, susi Graham, Judy McClintock, Whitney, and by the we've adopted Andy Mapple as Canadian since he skied 1@41 out in stLazare a couple of years ago.

 

I've scraped the ice off my 95 Nautiques windshield for a late season set, poured hot water in a cold wetsuit, and worn winter gloves during a trick set when I was a3 event skier.

 

Glad you had a great time, drop us a line in Montreal next time you-all travel to great white north!

 

Montrealer Gary.

 

Also Lafleurs steamies and fries are the best local snack.

[GaryWilkinson]

Before I get corrected,...

 

Andy's clinic where did 1@41 was in St. Zotique at julien's private lake.

[bigtallweed]

Not all of Canada is the frozen north. In Victoria BC We ski though all of day light savings. Late March through early November.Some of the best skiing is early and late in the year as the water is calm.

[andjules]

I found it intriguing that when I lived in Williamsburg, Virginia for a year, folks started skiing about a month earlier than us, but stopped skiing around the same time (early-mid October).

[Than_Bogan]

Yeah, over a wide range of latitudes, people just adjust how hard they're willing to work at it. I'm all about the drysuit myself. It makes October in Massachusetts quite enjoyable, but by November the wind gets really bad (no more leaves to block it) and the days get awfully short. On the front end, April is pretty damn cold water even with the suit, but tolerable for the open water skiing that is needed anyhow for getting into shape.

[Laz]

I'm hoping for at least another month of skiing here in Toronto.

[SkiJay]

Predator Bay in Calgary is closing Lake Two this weekend. The high altitude makes it pretty cold at night. The northern latitude makes the days pretty short, and WestJet's direct flights to Orlando go on sale.

[Than_Bogan]

Minor note: I believe the days are still longer in Canada than FL until the equinox in late September, after which point all us northerners start losing daylight FAST.

[skihart]

My lake here in eastern Ontario is still just below 80 degrees! I should be skiing until the end of October.

Montreal is a great city. Haven't lived there in 20 years but visit all the time. Haven't skied there in a few years but I hear Benoit Allard has opened a private lake just outside of St. Agathe des monts.

[zplol]

I live almost 2 hours north of Montreal, in Mont-Tremblant. I wish I could ski more, I guess I don't know the right people...

My uncle's boat is already parked until next spring :S

[GaryWilkinson]

@skihart yes Ben has a new site in st-agate close to st-Donat. Great site, zero backwash in a natural tree lined lake. Skied there last week and the water was already cold but no dry-suit yet required. In contrast, I skied at a friends place in south western Quebec today and barely needed a short sleeve top.

 

@brent, haven't you ever scraped the windshield on your boat for an early set? My cottage faces north and at our lake, if the temp dipped below freezing during a clear night, the windshield was thick with frost and ice. When I was competing, late September, early October were the best times to train. Calm clear days, in tournament physical shape and the best part? No other nuts on the lake 'cept us slalomers.

[SM]

Given that I'm working in this part of Canada for what could be rest of the month, I think my season is over. Julien's lake will be cold by the time I get back.

[SkiJay]

@Than_Bogan you're right. Calgary still has more daylight than FL. But Calgary days are a LOT longer than they are in FL during mid-summer, which helps build warmth against the high altitude cold nights.

[jimbrake]

@SM - what kind of work are you doing?

[SM]

Making a film for Parks Canada on the Columbia Icefield. It's an awesome experience but in the prime of ski season. We had guys on snow skis today.

[SkiJay]

@SM Pretty sobering to see the date markers showing how much the glacier has receded in the past few decades, eh.

[SM]

Yup, It's going fast.