The ways we sometime remember...

Some 39 years ago, my wife and I paid a visit to Park City together in order to look for a house to buy. It was my spouse’s first visit to the area. 

For some strange reasons and over the years, I had always been convinced that this visit happened around the beginning of May, as if there was a weekend falling just around the first day of that month.

We also both remembered that it was particularly cold at that time of the year and that Park City Ski Area was still in operation on what looked to be its last weekend. We had left our two children to the care of a good friend and had made the trip over a typical Saturday and Sunday. 

We were staying at the old Yarrow Hotel, now the DoubleTree, and didn’t find a house we both really liked. I was excited though, while my wife wasn’t really. 

In reality, it didn’t happen around the first of May, instead, it was on April 13 and 14, as written on the photos I took for the occasion. I would have bet big that it was the date I thought it was… 

Another proof that we should always be skeptical of certain of our strongly-held memories!

Another ski season is over…

Not only was yesterday Earth Day, but it was the last day for skiing in Park City. Since I’m not one to miss closing day, I was there and did all my turns plus some, to conclude my 71st ski season, a light one in terms of days skied (91) and total vertical (just over 1.6 million feet). 

It was a winter of “Quality” instead of “Quantity” skiing, and beyond our terrible months of November and December that only offered very scant cover and mediocre skiing, the rest of the winter was just fabulous with plenty of regular and quality snow falls. I stayed in shape, skied all my favorite runs and didn’t get hurt after my December 18 slide. 

For that ultimate day, I ran laps under the crescent chair, skied very well (at least, I thought), even though the snow began to become heavy very early as the night temperatures stayed over freezing. I came home healthy, with nothing either twisted or broken, thus keeping the promise I made my wife when I left home this morning. I’m officially done with skiing for 2023-2024!

Less plastics on Earth Day…

Today is Earth Day, and it’s one of the year’s most important celebrations to me. I love and appreciate the planet upon which I stand, and I feel that it deserves all the tender love and care we can give her. I wish political leaders of all stripes would begin paying more attention to protecting her, but they won’t. They are too short-term oriented as their time horizon is, in most cases, limited to their next mandate.

This year, the theme is all about plastics, their meteoric spread and the dangers they bring. I’ve always been in love with plastic, but the present day is proving me dead wrong. The question is, what can sustainably replace the plethora of plastics humanity is now using? Possibly more plastic-like materials derived from renewable biomass sources like corn starch or sugarcane? 

While those aren’t perfect, (they still need processing and won’t biodegrade in all environments), they could be composted in industrial facilities under specific conditions. Polylactic Acid (PLA) is one of them, made from corn starch, used for packaging, utensils, and even 3D printing filaments. There are also cellulose-based materials derived from wood pulp or other plant sources that can be molded into packaging trays, cups, and various items. 

Finally there are mushroom based solutions, with the fiber network fungi grows, it could be used to create packaging materials, even leather alternatives. These solutions aren’t widespread yet and in the meantime we should focus on reusable and refillable solutions (containers, bottles, bags), reduce plastic materials whenever possible, design easy disassembly and improve recycling technology. 

In terms of future research, we must get inspiration from nature (spider silk, seashells, etc.) or devise entirely new materials. Let’s wish that we can get rid of that pesky plastic and Happy Earth Day 2024 to all!

Temperatures and comfort in ski boots…

My wife loves skiing but doesn’t enjoy having her feet prisoner of her ski boots. Her relationship with that stiff footwear has never been idyllic. Things like cold feet to which women are more prone than men. 

Their higher percentage of body fat compared to men provides less insulation than muscle tissue, which generates more heat. Estrogen levels can also affect how the body regulates temperature and can contribute to feelings of coldness. 

This of course is exacerbated by a smaller body size along with a larger surface area to volume ratio. Finally, when it's cold, the body prioritizes keeping vital organs warm by constricting blood vessels in the extremities. Women generally have a more pronounced response in blood vessel constriction, leading to colder extremities. 

We finally vanquished the cold feet situation two seasons ago when I equipped her ski boots with the Hotronic heating devices. This left us however with another problem, a form of heat edema, which in the context of ski boots refers to a condition caused by a combination of factors related to wearing ski boots for extended periods. 

The edema refers to fluid buildup in the tissues, often causing swelling. In the case of ski boots, this swelling might occur in your feet and ankles due to restricted circulation and pressure. Also ski boots can trap heat, especially during intense activity or during spring skiing conditions. This can contribute to increased sweating and further fluid accumulation.

We’ve also begun to resolve that problem by “punching” bumps in the outer shell of my wife’s ski boots (photo), and I still have to make room under her navicular bones, in the instep area and right where the tongue is attached to the liner. 

You could say that it’s work in progress. But what is not? 

My progress in tapping into cosmic energy…

When I meditate these days, I believe that I am managing to connect with the cosmic energy each and every time. The results, in terms of intensity and perceived benefits vary with each individual session. It always takes time to get “in the groove” that also varies widely everyday. 

To achieve this, I follow a process that is hard to describe and is something that is still evolving, session after session. The day I feel more secure with the approach and can systematize it with precision, will be the time when it can be explained to third parties.

For the moment, my method of getting there is far from being fully understood, systematized and controlled. It’s still work in progress, to say the least. When I do connect, I feel a pleasurable and powerful signal that suggests that I’m gaining energy, mental clarity and creativity. 

Yet, I still have a very long way to go, but still continue to believe that I’m on to something powerful and beneficial and this conviction seems to reinforce itself as my practice goes on. As I always say: “Stay tuned for more...”

Does cosmic energy exit?

Personally, I believe that there is a some kind of force or energy in the universe or the cosmos. I have no facts or proofs to support my belief, but the intense, tumultuous and continued activity in the universe is enough for me to see that there’s energy going on, and plenty of it. Sure, to prove this, or anything for that matter, science relies on evidence that can be observed, measured, and tested repeatedly.

There certainly are scientific phenomena that no one fully understand yet, which has led others than myself to believe they might be evidence of a cosmic force. Things like Dark Matter and Dark Energy, these mysterious substances making up most of the universe's mass and energy. 

While we can't directly observe them, their gravitational effects are quite real and their mystery has led some to proposed theories about forces beyond science’s current understanding of physics. In addition, the nature of the universe has to be fine-tuned for life to exist. 

For instance, if the strength of the electromagnetic force were to change, stars wouldn't be able to survive and their ability to fine-tune has led some to believe in a special force. Finally, the nature of consciousness is still a scientific mystery. How does physical matter give rise to subjective experience? Some scientists believe that consciousness could be a fundamental property of the universe, suggesting a deeper reality. 

Just like for religious issues, scientists hold their own view on these points. Their understanding of the universe is constantly expanding, yet what they don't know today might be explained by future scientific discoveries. They also prefer naturally based explanations and would only bring a cosmic force as a last resort when all other explanations have been exhausted. 

This means that the existence of a cosmic force or energy can’t be proved or disproved it at this point by scientists. However, as we continues to explore the universe's mysteries and discover new insights, we will continue to gain a better understanding of these questions in the future...

Rough times at Scott…

Since 1958, back in Sun Valley, Idaho, when Ed Scott, launched an aluminum ski pole to replace good old bamboo, change has always been the order of the day. In 1970, the firm entered the motocross goggle market with the first ever motocross specific product, before introduced motocross boots, grips and accessories. 

The following year, it added the world's lightest ski boot along with first ski goggles using foam ventilation. In 1981, Ed Scott was replaced at the helm of the company by Chuck Ferries, a former US Ski Team member from 1960 through 1964 who made two Olympic teams in ‘60 and ’64, and became the first American to ever win Austria’s famous Hahnenkamm slalom. 

In the meantime, Scott opened its European headquarters in 1978 near Fribourg, Switzerland where eventually Tom Stendahl became Ferries business partner. Then progressively, the European branch of the company took over the lead as it got deeper into bicycling and Beat Feugg became the big boss as Ferries and Stendahl walked into the sunset with cash after relinquishing their interests and “Scott USA” became “Scott Sports” indicated a shift into Swiss-based management.

Soon, the firm added sport clothing, skis and e-bike with varying degrees of success as it was spreading itself too thin, leaving major openings for Leki, Oakley and the legacy bike companies. This is probably what led the Korean Youngone Corporation to purchase a 50.1% stake in the company in 2015, while Beat Zaugg retained the remaining 49.9% but lost financial control. 

Youngone employs 90,000 people worldwide. It supplies brands like Patagonia, Adidas, Lululemon, Outdoor Research, and The North Face, with factories in Korea, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. It also is a majority share owner of Outdoor Research. 

A few days ago, Scott Sports Board of Directors replaced CEO Beat Zaugg "to refresh Scott's development to become a world-class manufacturer in bikes and other outdoor sport categories." Sales have not been good for Scott that fell victim to its over-diversification and loss of focus. 

This didn’t play well with the 66 year old Zaugg who claims that the move was improperly initiated and doesn’t feel good at the idea that he may have to sell his remaining 47% interest in the company, but that’s what eventually happens when you exchange controlling interests for hard cash...