Razorskier1

Hey all! I am not interested in creating a social media shit-storm, but I thought I'd just say this to my closest group of Baller friends -- some of the best folks I know. I will keep it brief. After several weeks of mind-splitting headaches I was diagnosed on Feb 6th with a cancerous brain tumor, about 2 inches around in the right parietal lobe. It was removed in a 5 hour surgery on the 10th. At my insistence, we left the hospital less than 18 hours later. I've been home since and honestly feel better than I have in quite some time. At this point the road ahead is talking to three more experts, then six weeks of chemo and radiation starting March 6th along with continuous monitoring of blood, cancer, etc. Beyond that the future is quite a bit less clear in terms of treatments, schedules, etc. That's the bad news. The good news is I'm stubborn and strong, I have a great family, great friends, great doctors, health insurance, and financial resources to address this head on. I don't plan to turn this update into a clinically detailed blog -- you would all want me to die if I did that! Just wanted to loop y'all in. Doctor says I have no physical restrictions. Good. I was in the gym two days out of the hospital and have been there 4 more times since and have been walking with my wife every day! Cancer never sleeps -- neither do I bitch! So . . . life is interesting. I've been dealt cards I didn't like in the past too, but you still have to play to win. Somebody threw me the Joker -- I still like my odds! Please don't spread on FB or other social media. If you want to message or contact me do it direct at jim.ross@peregrine.com or cell at 612-298-7173. I don't want @Horton collecting a bunch of web traffic just for me! Cheers

Uh oh, my brother @6balls has started studying the dark arts

Step four - I like step 4! Especially if I do it in a head-to-head against @skidawg! Somebody has to put some pressure on that guy!

So step one, balance on a ski behind a moving boat, step two, get my groove back, step,three, adjust.

So suppose your settings were dialed last fall, but in becoming Achmed you finally lost that stubborn 10 lbs. do you change anything, or just start out the same?

I get knocked down, but I get up again

I get knocked down, but I get up again

Ya, I mean it.

My wife isn't going to be able to get into a rubber binding again after foot surgery, but a Vapor would work. Do they make them small enough for a women's size 8? If not, what's a good choice for something similar?

@clownfish -- good luck! I went to Nats with the team because Mitch was there at the time and because my wife and I were significant financial backers of the team trip. I hope you get to go -- it is an amazingly cool event!

@Clownfish: The one year that the team went to Nationals I told them they could be there every year if they would just commit to one thing - score points, any points, with every skier in every event. If that means some of your slalom skiers are on two skis, so be it! If that means some of the trickers need to be on combo tricks, so be it! Leave your pride at the dock! Complete a slalom pass, finish a trick, land a ride over. If each of your 5 skiers did that in every event, I am convinced you'll do regionals every year, and nationals many years. Still focus on getting better every time, but if the team wants to experience something really cool (going to Nats!), then make every skier commit to scoring points, every tournament, and see what happens.

@Wish -- yep. Importantly, ask yourself -- am I "getting on it" behind the boat, or is it simply that I am resisting and the boat, because of it's position, is building the load? Said differently, I can't load the boat, but the boat can load me! What I want at the ball is to establish direction and speed. As noted above, you can't load at the ball -- there is nothing to lean against! However, I would argue that what we all think of as "loading" behind the boat is really just the fact that by maintaining our direction, the boat is loading us!

I refuse to pull harder! Every time I do that a handle or a rope breaks!

Planning to try to get there (once my wife can walk again!)

Just donated. Good luck! I have supported the team for many years, and hope you can find a boat!

@Horton -- I've had a great time at both events I skied! As a "middle of the pack" skier, I consider it a victory to make the top 16! Whatever happens after that is a bonus! Off the water I really had fun meeting people and talking with them. Thanks!

variety. Also, do as many things that (a) require full body strength and (b) offer some assymetry. For example, if you use dumbbells to do things like lat raises or curls, do only one side at a time and don't hold an offsetting weight. This forces you to balance and use your core. If you want to make it better still, stand on one leg, or stand on one leg on a bosu ball. That throws balance into the mix in addition to core plus the main exercise you are doing. Try to make sure all of your exercises engage multiple parts and movements. Try to avoid sitting on a machine doing any exercise -- great for muscle isolation and perhaps rehab, but not very applicable to skiing. A new one I just picked up is the 'Jefferson Deadlift". Look it up -- too hard to explain!

It is tough. All of us will end up giving up various sports over the course of our lives due to injuries, age-related wear, etc. When I was in my 20s I used to play basketball 3-5 days a week. After shoulder and then ACL surgery, along with an injury to my other knee from skiing, I had to quit because my joints couldn't take the pounding. It was VERY hard for me at the time, but I migrated to skiing and strength training. I am certain that as I age other sports and activities will go onto the "no fly" list for me. I don't expect any of it to be easy. But life is just that way -- letting go is part of the deal.

If I wasn't broke right now I'd buy it and keep it in Austin

That is a steal.

@thager -- isn't that where all the fish are??? Right in the middle of the course?

Need to get the boat in the water or it isn't really fishing!

@MS -- it could happen to anybody . . .

Yikes!

my beard proves key to running 39 off