Skiing and Snowboarding

[Calgarian]

Since there has been some discussion about this in the Calgary thread, I thought I would start a new thread to discuss it so we don't fill the Calgary thread with nod construction related discussions.

[NumberFive]

[sarcasm] This is an inappropriate topic. This board is for development threads. This is as bad as "Calgary Wedding Locations", or "Calgary 7-11's". [/sarcasm]

[240glt]

C'mon be nice now.

I haven't been out this year yet, but as posted in the Cgy thread, I am going on a sweet sweet skiing holiday over the Xmas break: Silver Star on the 26th for one day, then to Big White for a day, then to Red Mountain down near Rossland for a day, then two days skiing at Whitewater over new years. Which reminds me, I need to wax & edge my tired old Volkls' sometime this week!

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by 240glt

C'mon be nice now.

I haven't been out this year yet, but as posted in the Cgy thread, I am going on a sweet sweet skiing holiday over the Xmas break: Silver Star on the 26th for one day, then to Big White for a day, then to Red Mountain down near Rossland for a day, then two days skiing at Whitewater over new years. Which reminds me, I need to wax & edge my tired old Volkls' sometime this week!

Never been to Silverstar, but I was impressed with big White, that's a great resort.

[Bigtime]

I fear that with each new thread like this that gets posted we'll wake up one morning and find the SSP: Local format will have appeared here!

[Kevin_foster]

I'm a snowboarder. I started in the late 80's when snowboarders were considered "malicious criminals" to most. I learned to board from a very old school skater who instead of giving me tips; literally strapped me onto a board; rapped my knuckles and pushed me down the mountain while laughing and calling me a big "pu$$y". Punk rock, snowboarding in the winter, skateboarding in the summer. It was the culture back then! We were different, that's for sure...

That's how things were done back then! I used to frequent the parks in Edmonton; made tons of trips to Lake Louise for their board park too... I can remember the day it opened, we all couldn't believe how cool it was that a major ski resort was accomodating to boarders. When ski resorts starting using "ski and ride with care" for their warning tags, we knew that snowboarding had gone mainstream (for the better)

Now I just ride because I love it. I'm too old for tricks... I do love to scream down off limits areas or find myself deep powder; but mostly I've tamed down and just ride for the view; haha.

I tried skiiing once but I hated it.. I do have some really excellent skiiers in my family (half of which live in Jasper); and I admire their skills/talent. Skiiing, IMO is hard.

[Champion3]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

I'm a snowboarder. I started in the late 80's when snowboarders were considered "malicious criminals" to most.

I ski alongside friends who are snowboarders. Many of them are decent people, but I must ask, why do so many snowboarders like to plunk their asses down on the middle of the hill wherever the hell they feel like, regardless of their surroundings?

I have a friend who just had a big chunk torn out of his skis because a snowboarder sat down right in front of him. My friend swerved to avoid him and went right into some rocks and tore the base right off his ski.

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by Champion3

I ski alongside friends who are snowboarders. Many of them are decent people, but I must ask, why do so many snowboarders like to plunk their asses down on the middle of the hill wherever the hell they feel like, regardless of their surroundings?

I have a friend who just had a big chunk torn out of his skis because a snowboarder sat down right in front of him. My friend swerved to avoid him and went right into some rocks and tore the base right off his ski.

I don't know and I see this all the time too. I hate it as well... there should be (if there aren't already) a rule/law against this - it is dangerous. Fines should be handed out for creating a major hazard.

It is usually the newbie snowboarders that do this. They SHOULD be pulling off to the sides.

I have come down a slope before and almost killed a group of people. I have yelled at people many-a-time to move to the sides.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Champion3

I ski alongside friends who are snowboarders. Many of them are decent people, but I must ask, why do so many snowboarders like to plunk their asses down on the middle of the hill wherever the hell they feel like, regardless of their surroundings?

I'm a skier but from what I've seen with snowboarding, it's just the nature of the sport. Unlike us, where falls are somewhat rare (and often spectacular!), falling down on a board is just the inevitable result of a stop. It would be nice if more of them learned to pull over to the side when they do this, but I almost think many stay in the middle of a run on purpose - so that they're clearly visible from above, and also to keep the sides clear. I've noticed boarders really love to carve up the steep walls of a narrow run so they probably think they're doing everyone a favour by not blocking that area. They're possibly also expecting their buddy to shoot out from the trees above their head.

Also it's just more common for boarders to stop and rest, hang out, smoke a joint, whatever. I'm not among the strongest of skiers yet so on longer runs I often take a break or two - and I'm just about the only skier doing this. Boarders take breaks, skiers don't, or so I've noticed.

And of course the other place they congregate is at points where runs level out. When boarders don't get up enough speed to get over a crest or even a flat area, they pretty much have to walk. No poles = teh suck. I always know when I need to keep up some speed due to the nice massing of tired boarders congregating at the top of a ridge ahead. Suckers.

I'm just learning to accept their weird ways. Seems like there are more boarders than skiers these days so pretty soon they'll own the slopes once us old farts retire. Hardly anyone under 30 skis anymore.

[Xelebes]

To be honest, I've never skied or snowboarded.

[Kevin_foster]

Originally Posted by freeweed

falling down on a board is just the inevitable result of a stop..

You shouldn't have to sit down to stop on a board. The only time I would ever stop is to snap in my binding/crank my binding when I get off the lift but good ski resorts have well placed benches for that

Originally Posted by freeweed

Also it's just more common for boarders to stop and rest, hang out, smoke a joint, whatever.

Yes, this is true... but it still annoys me

[MichaelS]

Originally Posted by freeweed

I'm just learning to accept their weird ways. Seems like there are more boarders than skiers these days so pretty soon they'll own the slopes once us old farts retire. Hardly anyone under 30 skis anymore.

I think I have to disagree with this. I have been noticing more and more skiers at hills the last couple of seasons, it seems to be making a come back. I am in my mid twenties and have been skiing since I was able to walk, and have more friends that ski instead of board. I do have a couple of friends that board as well, but they are the minority.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

I think I have to disagree with this. I have been noticing more and more skiers at hills the last couple of seasons, it seems to be making a come back. I am in my mid twenties and have been skiing since I was able to walk, and have more friends that ski instead of board. I do have a couple of friends that board as well, but they are the minority.

That's always good to hear, then. I guess I'm just surprised to see so many boarders these days, as it wasn't very long ago that they were a tiny minority. Hell, I still remember when some hills didn't allow them at all. Plus, most of the young pups I work with, when I tell them I ski, give me the old "yeah, that makes sense, you're old".

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

I think I have to disagree with this. I have been noticing more and more skiers at hills the last couple of seasons, it seems to be making a come back. I am in my mid twenties and have been skiing since I was able to walk, and have more friends that ski instead of board. I do have a couple of friends that board as well, but they are the minority.

It varies from hill to hill.

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

I'm a snowboarder. I started in the late 80's when snowboarders were considered "malicious criminals" to most. I learned to board from a very old school skater who instead of giving me tips; literally strapped me onto a board; rapped my knuckles and pushed me down the mountain while laughing and calling me a big "pu$$y". Punk rock, snowboarding in the winter, skateboarding in the summer. It was the culture back then! We were different, that's for sure...

That's how things were done back then! I used to frequent the parks in Edmonton; made tons of trips to Lake Louise for their board park too... I can remember the day it opened, we all couldn't believe how cool it was that a major ski resort was accomodating to boarders. When ski resorts starting using "ski and ride with care" for their warning tags, we knew that snowboarding had gone mainstream (for the better)

Now I just ride because I love it. I'm too old for tricks... I do love to scream down off limits areas or find myself deep powder; but mostly I've tamed down and just ride for the view; haha.

I tried skiiing once but I hated it.. I do have some really excellent skiiers in my family (half of which live in Jasper); and I admire their skills/talent. Skiiing, IMO is hard.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound ignorant, but Edmonton has places to snowboard?

[Western Spaghetti]

Originally Posted by Deepstar

Sorry, I don't mean to sound ignorant, but Edmonton has places to snowboard?

There are some places in the river valley that you can ski down. They aren't the biggest hills around (about half the size of COP), but for boarders they're not a bad place to get some boarding in.

[Calgarian]

I was at Sunshine Village yesterday and the conditions were awesome, there was fresh powder all over the mountain, and I actually got to make fresh tracks. I hear Kicking Horse is unreal right now, anyone been there this season?

[ExcaliburKid]

Originally Posted by johnnyc

I was at Sunshine Village yesterday and the conditions were awesome, there was fresh powder all over the mountain, and I actually got to make fresh tracks. I hear Kicking Horse is unreal right now, anyone been there this season?

I was at Sunshine over the weekend too, and I echo those comments. It was funny though, the guy loadin us in the gondola said they need snow badly seemed pretty damn good to me!

In regards to Kicking Horse, Im going there on the 27th so I will give an update when I come back.

[240glt]

^Big White is a good hill but socked in a lot.. hence the nickname "Big Whiteout" Personally, I think Silver Star is the better hill, Especially since they developed Putnam Creek (The backside, as it is known by the locals)

What's the lastest on Fortress ? That was my favorite 1/2 day hill when I lived down there. I heard it's basically done.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^Big White is a good hill but socked in a lot.. hence the nickname "Big Whiteout" Personally, I think Silver Star is the better hill, Especially since they developed Putnam Creek (The backside, as it is known by the locals)

What's the lastest on Fortress ? That was my favorite 1/2 day hill when I lived down there. I heard it's basically done.

Fortress is finished, the new owners failed a bunch of safety inspections or something and the Province shut them down.