80 replies to this topic

[zeedotcom]

I think that part of the issue here, for some people, is the fact that they are using Forest Service Land to do it. Before the argument spins out of control, I know that there is a lease, which essentially gives you ownership and the whole protected class thing does not apply.

The simple issue, for me, is the "exclusivity factor." I love snowsports. I have gotten more and more into snowboarding and see it as a somewhat spiritual thing. I'm not quite the live in a shack eating granola and not shaving hippie, but I definitely enjoy the concept of "one with the mountain." I would much rather be someplace in the middle of no where with no people around, but I have limited amounts of time to go, plus safety becomes an issue. I take issue not so much with the fact that they don't let snowboarders into these resorts, but that they create the elitist attitude which doesn't help snowsports as a whole, it only fosters resentment.

I have similar issues with the Yellowstone Club because it, too, is exclusive, except that you have to buy membership. I have heard that it is a very nice place, and I fully understand that its purpose is to keep some money in America that might otherwise be going to more "high class" places in Europe or wherever. It is probably necessary and helps the economy. It also creates, I'm sure, an awesome place to snowboard and ski. It detracts from that, though, in that only a privileged (based one money) few are allowed to enjoy it, rather than the masses of passionate skiers and snowboarders. Where is the place that is only for enthusiasts. Where can I go simply to dodge Joeys and be out there with people who just love the whole thing as much as I do? (I'm sure this will spawn an entire new thread about the best places for that).

Just smile and enjoy the snow. It is winter, after all.

[Callao]

zeedotcom, on Dec 19 2007, 07:43 PM, said:

I think that part of the issue here, for some people, is the fact that they are using Forest Service Land to do it. Before the argument spins out of control, I know that there is a lease, which essentially gives you ownership and the whole protected class thing does not apply.

The simple issue, for me, is the "exclusivity factor." I love snowsports. I have gotten more and more into snowboarding and see it as a somewhat spiritual thing. I'm not quite the live in a shack eating granola and not shaving hippie, but I definitely enjoy the concept of "one with the mountain." I would much rather be someplace in the middle of no where with no people around, but I have limited amounts of time to go, plus safety becomes an issue. I take issue not so much with the fact that they don't let snowboarders into these resorts, but that they create the elitist attitude which doesn't help snowsports as a whole, it only fosters resentment.

I have similar issues with the Yellowstone Club because it, too, is exclusive, except that you have to buy membership. I have heard that it is a very nice place, and I fully understand that its purpose is to keep some money in America that might otherwise be going to more "high class" places in Europe or wherever. It is probably necessary and helps the economy. It also creates, I'm sure, an awesome place to snowboard and ski. It detracts from that, though, in that only a privileged (based one money) few are allowed to enjoy it, rather than the masses of passionate skiers and snowboarders. Where is the place that is only for enthusiasts. Where can I go simply to dodge Joeys and be out there with people who just love the whole thing as much as I do? (I'm sure this will spawn an entire new thread about the best places for that).

Just smile and enjoy the snow. It is winter, after all.

That perfect mountain you are talking about? It's all tracked out.

[BigSkier]

lastchair_44, on Dec 18 2007, 01:00 PM, said:

What? Really?? As mentioned above, strapping into a board does not make you a rude person. In fact, I see just as many rude skiers as I do snowboarders here at Jackson Hole. I was walking to the rental shop on Saturday to get my wife's skis mounted and I witnessed a teenage skier, not snowboarder, cut an elderly woman off in front of Nick's which caused her to fall. Maybe it was an accident, but the kid did turn around, see that she was on the ground, and did not come back to help her up. (I helped her out) I wish the whole "war" between skiers and snowboarders would stop because personally I think it's extremely childish. By the way, what if a person skis and snowboards??

Yes, I know not all snowboarders are rude, but the majority of snowboarders that I've met are. Although I will admit that I have seen a few rude skiers, too, mostly between the ages of 13 and 17. I'm not against snowboarding; I just can't stand getting sprayed in the face with snow, snow being dumped on me off of a chairlift, or being used as a jib.

[Snoqualmie guy]

They should make a area closed to people who do all the things that BigSkier said.

[poloxskier]

BigSkier, on Dec 20 2007, 11:38 AM, said:

Yes, I know not all snowboarders are rude, but the majority of snowboarders that I've met are. Although I will admit that I have seen a few rude skiers, too, mostly between the ages of 13 and 17. I'm not against snowboarding; I just can't stand getting sprayed in the face with snow, snow being dumped on me off of a chairlift, or being used as a jib.

I personally am very frustrated with the lack of common courtesy on the slopes today. It has been my personal experience that there is a rudeness and a punk attitude amongst snowboarders that is more common than amongst skiers, that is not to say that it is common but this kind of attitude is much more commonly noticed and is much easier to make a stereotype about than kindness and courtesy. I personally ski and snowboard at a high level and am not against any method of enjoying the snow but I do have a problem with those we are rude while participating in their sport and interfere with others enjoying theirs.

Snoqualmie guy, on Dec 20 2007, 11:53 AM, said:

They should make a area closed to people who do all the things that BigSkier said.

How about the entire mountain?

This post has been edited by poloxskier: 21 December 2007 - 01:10 PM

[BigSkier]

poloxskier, on Dec 21 2007, 01:04 PM, said:

I personally am very frustrated with the lack of common courtesy on the slopes today. I...am not against any method of enjoying the snow but I do have a problem with those we are rude while participating in their sport and interfere with others enjoying theirs.

I agree. I'm not against having snowboarders out there on the slopes; I just can't stand when they're rude.

[Snoqualmie guy]

Poloxskier, thats what I ment. And who can stand it if someone is rude?

[SkiBachelor]

The poaching videos have finally been updated.

http://burton.com/poachers

[Snoqualmie guy]

In one of the MRG videos, it seemed the ski patrol didn't care if the boarders were there.

[SkiBachelor]

That's because MRG probably doesn't enforce its no snowboarding policy like other resorts. While they won't sell snowboarders a lift ticket, they will allow them to ride there if they hike it. Mad River has even posted pictures of snowboarders riding there on its website.

[Jonni]

I think the only reason why they don't allow snowboarders to buy a ticket at MRG is because there is no way for them to safely unload from the single chair due to how the unload ramp is setup. Since the single serves a fairly large portion of the mountain it's not fair to only allow them to buy a ticket for just the intermediate and beginner terrain serviced by the Birdland, Sunnyside and Practice Slope double chairs. Although this is only a theory of mine.

[Snoqualmie guy]

How is it hard for boarders to unload the single?

[hyak.net]

There was a great article in TransworldSnowboarding about 10 yrs ago where a couple guys used split-boards to access ski areas with the 'no snowboarding' policy. Alta, Park City, Deer Valley and somewhere in Colorado.
What they did was purchase tickets, ride up on their split board (skiers didn't know what split boards were at that time) and ride up with the boards split. When they got off the lift they got to a safe spot, re-attached the boards then rode down. Before they got on the lift they would then re-split and ride back up. At one of the resorts they actually got in line and rode up with the snowboard attached, but the lifty called up top and they were busted. At Park City they didn't even make it halfway down the mtn before the patrol stopped them and made them walk down. I need to dig that mag out.....it was a good article.

[skiracer]

boarders need to get over the fact that they cant go to only 3 resorts, there are hundreds of others in the united states that allow it, skiing has been around alot longer than snow boarding , places that dont allow snowboarding are trying to keep the nostalgia of skiing. if a resort does not want to allow snowboarding it should never have to.

This post has been edited by skiracer: 19 March 2008 - 11:58 AM

[hyak.net]

skiracer, on Mar 19 2008, 11:54 AM, said:

boarders need to get over the fact that they cant go to only 3 resorts, there are hundreds of others in the united states that allow it, skiing has been around alot longer than snow boarding , places that dont allow snowboarding are trying to keep the nostalgia of skiing. if a resort does not want to allow snowboarding it should never have to.

I remember when ski areas began creating parks (for snowboards only) and the skiers were crying foul. Over time the ski areas gave in and allowed skiers into the parks. I personally have no interest in parks, but like anything else.....if your forbidden to go then you want in.

Park City gave in only because of the Olympics and PC wanted to host the snowboarding events. I went to PC back in '94 but when I walked into the resort I found they did not allow boards and I thought "huh?". I went down to Park West (now the Canyons) and rode there where they were very snowboarder friendly. Before that I had no idea that there were resorts around that did not allow snowboarding.

[cjb]

hyak.net, on Mar 19 2008, 07:35 AM, said:

There was a great article in TransworldSnowboarding about 10 yrs ago where a couple guys used split-boards to access ski areas with the 'no snowboarding' policy. Alta, Park City, Deer Valley and somewhere in Colorado.
What they did was purchase tickets, ride up on their split board (skiers didn't know what split boards were at that time) and ride up with the boards split. When they got off the lift they got to a safe spot, re-attached the boards then rode down. Before they got on the lift they would then re-split and ride back up. At one of the resorts they actually got in line and rode up with the snowboard attached, but the lifty called up top and they were busted. At Park City they didn't even make it halfway down the mtn before the patrol stopped them and made them walk down. I need to dig that mag out.....it was a good article.

I think the article was called 'the chameleon' or something like that. I remember it but it did come out quite a while ago.

[Jonni]

Snoqualmie guy, on Mar 19 2008, 01:04 AM, said:

How is it hard for boarders to unload the single?

It's because the unload is basically an uphill unload. When you get off the single you must ski off to the side and then side step uphill a little bit to get by the return. I've never skied there so I'm not 100% sure how the unload is setup, but this is what I have heard from people who have skied there.

Here's a cool Youtube movie of skiing there during the Valentines storm last year. These are supposed to be some of the easier trails off of the single.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=gisIjeQJ2oA

[skisox34]

I've skied at Mad River many times any basically you do step off to the side and it is not really uphill but flat unload at the top where you step off to the right and you almost have to nudge the chair a little off to the side. I rode it this year wirth the new dopp-ctec and they did not change the unload config at all!

[hyak.net]

skisox34, on Mar 21 2008, 08:38 AM, said:

I've skied at Mad River many times any basically you do step off to the side and it is not really uphill but flat unload at the top where you step off to the right and you almost have to nudge the chair a little off to the side. I rode it this year wirth the new dopp-ctec and they did not change the unload config at all!

Why would this be difficult for a snowboarder?

[djspookman]

hyak.net, on Mar 21 2008, 05:31 PM, said:

Why would this be difficult for a snowboarder?

If people push off too hard, (like what happened in the past), the chair would swing left to right a ton and end up derailing the line near or before the bullwheel.

dave