Bob Howard's ski deck is For Sale. This is 3-time World Freestyle Champion Bob Howard (who also credits ski deck training for that status). The deck is a beast, and I mean that in the very best way. It's total length is 92' (including the extended top deck & carpet runout) and 12' wide. Instructors can even stand on these big side wings right next to their students, as Kris Buttenberg does here (Right) in coaching ski instructor Barbara Barry.
And what a legacy - this deck has been around the country demoing trick skiing for Volvo tours, welcomed a new President and served clients up in Marin at a huge center that included 3 trampolines. Tight seam stitching, beautiful carpet and completely mobile, I'm in love.
Of course, in its current incarnation it's too big for the Studio and we'd need to get a new variable speed motor. But here's my chance to drive up to Reno and take her for a ride. 4 hrs, 10 min later, I pull up. And she's a beauty. I can't wait to get on! I scurry to get my boots on and approach the deck. But it's at a temporary location here, so no easy stairs to get up on The Beast.
I hesitate and Bob just grabs me and lifts me up onto the deck. I put my board on as elegantly as possible.
One, Two, Three GO! That's how Bob lets you know he going to start it up and you better be steady & ready. This deck doesn't have a variable-speed motor, which we'd install if we brought it to San Francisco. So that baby goes from OFF to ON HIGH.
I get to try both skiing and boarding, although not as aggressively as I'd hoped. Honestly, I was planning to be impressive - flying all over the deck, maybe a few 360s. Seriously, I am capable of that. But it was not to be - I had to be Cautious & Careful. Since I didn't want to go flying off the deck onto the...driveway it was on at the time. And there's no back bar yet, so fly off I would, as apparently the pros who use this deck to practice regularly do.
And since the front bar wasn't set up, Bob steadies me with ski poles. Bob claims he is impressed with my stamina as I'm skiing forever. (Well, what else was he going to say? He couldn't exactly compliment my technique, I was so worried about flying off. And worried I would have to explain breaking a leg on an Endless Slope - now how would that look?)
But even with all the caution, it was just super fun. You could float up to the top and take several turns down. So freeing to have all that room. Maybe it was that stunning blue sky and sunny Reno day in January, but I was hooked.
Now it's time to work on the specs and try to squeeze it into my San Francisco Studio. Wish me luck!
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