Millenials aren’t skiing enough?

MC2 5678F589 wrote

evantful wrote

And Boomers and Gen Xer's are greedy yet financially inept generations that have stood over the the accumulation of 20 trillion dollars of national debt, making healthcare virtually unaffordable, created the largest economic downturn since the great depression. All the while thinking they "had it tough and everyone else is soft". My grandparents generation basically handed the Boomers the world, the United States at its peak, with every benefit, social service or otherwise, imaginable.

See how generalizations aren't exactly reasonable?

Maybe stop worrying so much about what Millennial's are, you guys aren't exactly god's great gift to the world.

Exactly this.

Every article or post that starts with "Millennials are killing..." does a complete disservice to its readers if it fails to mention two things:

1. Things are more expensive these days, especially things that people need (health care, housing, education).
2. Salaries are garbage & working conditions suck (lots of jobs have no paid vacation, no paid sick days, crappy or no health care coverage, crappy or no retirement packages, no overtime pay, etc.).

People these days don't have money and they don't have time. I work 3 jobs in the winter to afford skiing (down from 4) and just about break even (after factoring in gas money, apres beers, equipment, and lift tickets/season pass).

The other point that evantful makes later in the thread (most of the good jobs left are in cities far away from skiing) is a good one, too. Harder to motivate when you have to drive hours to get to the mountains.

I've found that there are a lot of privileged people on this board - people who went to school when it was a lot cheaper, people who own properties that provide them a passive income every month, people who debate which $60,000 SUV to buy.

Fewer people recognize that privilege. They were privileged to grow up in a time when jobs were better and higher paying (relative to inflation), when you could afford to "put yourself through college", when the local factory job provided high school dropouts with 30 years of employment and a pension & gold watch at their retirement.

It's far easier to just declare that "Kids these days are lazy" rather than to look at what has changed and why people might not be willing to throw down $300 to slide on snow for a couple of hours.

Awesome post. Right on.

Brownski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

Did yo have your helmet on while typing that?

Awesome call back, camp. That’s why you’re the king

If people truly want to be skiers than they need to move to a place where they can ski on the cheap. Otherwise enjoy the bus rides.

campgottagopee wrote

If people truly want to be skiers than they need to move to a place where they can ski on the cheap. Otherwise enjoy the bus rides.

I think what folks are saying, myself included, is that I'd like to both being able to ski and support my family.

I've looked at moving upstate (Albany, Saratoga, etc.) and the (lack of) good paying jobs coupled with the ratio between housing prices and income levels is less favorable, for me at least, than what I make in NYC. It's the same reason I don't live in my home state of Maine which I love and where I want to live. I just can't afford to live where I grew up, at least if I don't want to eat cat food when I'm retired.

Like most Gen Xers, and perhaps millenials now too, I expect absolutely nothing to exist when I retire in terms of Social Security, Medicare. We'll be in 70s with just a crippling federal debt for money spent on endless wars and the Boomers' retirements, made all the worse by last week's tax plan. We'll be totally on our own. If you don't have a couple million in the bank when you retire you'll be on the street. So you have to save now. No one is going to help or support us, least of all our kids, who will be in even more dire an economic situation.

Yes housing is more expensive in NYC (my wife and I live in a 950 square foot apartment with 3 kids as context; that's what we can afford), but I can put much more away each month for my kids' college and my wife and my retirement living here because the income I can generate here is just that much higher. As others have pointed out, the good paying jobs are rapidly moving and consolidating in the biggest cities.

Candidly your response sounds like "Let them eat cake." It's not just a matter of choosing to live near the mountains to be near cheaper skiing; it's whether you can support your family living there too.

What I'm saying is unless a person is filthy rich one can't do both unless a family lives close to a hill. I completely hear what you're saying, but it's not feasible unless you move or win the lottery.
 This thread was about people skiing "enough". Well, to ski enough (whatever that is) sacrifices have to be made. I chose not to have kids so I could ski, hunt, fish, party with my friends etc etc. That's the sacrifice I made to ski. I don't worry about saving 2 million dollars for retirement. I don't have to save 500 G's to put kids thru college because of my sacrifices.  

You live without money --- you live without health insurance ---- you live without alot of things but MAN_0_MAN do you live!

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

If any millenials would like to ski Whiteface tomorrow, pm me. Your ticket is on me.

campgottagopee wrote

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Yes to both of these. I was a happy dirtbag in my twenties and am now a happy suburban dad.There’s really two conversations here; one about a generational shift and one about individual choices.

campgottagopee wrote

What I'm saying is unless a person is filthy rich one can't do both unless a family lives close to a hill. I completely hear what you're saying, but it's not feasible unless you move or win the lottery.
 This thread was about people skiing "enough". Well, to ski enough (whatever that is) sacrifices have to be made. I chose not to have kids so I could ski, hunt, fish, party with my friends etc etc. That's the sacrifice I made to ski. I don't worry about saving 2 million dollars for retirement. I don't have to save 500 G's to put kids thru college because of my sacrifices.  

You live without money --- you live without health insurance ---- you live without alot of things but MAN_0_MAN do you live!

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Back the original point of the thread, Millenials, like Gen X, are going to cities because that's where the jobs are, and so that itself is ending up in less skiers -- just less people in rural areas of the country with ski mountains.

I would think as a skier you'd want health insurance.

That said, and with no idea what your individual politics are so this isn't directed at you, it's clear that overall, and unlike every other first world country, we here in the US have decided that "owning the libtards" and embracing the "rugged individualism" mythology of our past is far more important than to recognize that we all need help from time to time. We can't risk being effeminate "cucks" who might admit that pooling and socializing risk works better than letting a bad diagnosis bankrupt a family. Far better for us to pay more in health care per capita for a system that still can't provide basic healthcare to all. Better to be macho and dead than alive and share a bit.

Finally, curious, you will eventually get old and need to be cared for. Who is going to pay for your old age? As I said in an earlier post, I know that as a 45 year old I can count on no one - not the government, not a employer, not my kids, to care for me. My wife and I will have whatever we save now. After that, cat food on the street time. No one will help us I know. How are you planning to get by in old age, both for living expenses and health needs?

Welfare

Brownski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Yes to both of these. I was a happy dirtbag in my twenties and am now a happy suburban dad.There’s really two conversations here; one about a generational shift and one about individual choices.

Exactly --- I have a professional job now and I'm not going back.

And yes, there are two conversations ---- it seems to me the generational shift part isn't willing to go without. As for individual choices, that's what makes it interesting.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

If any millenials would like to ski Whiteface tomorrow, pm me. Your ticket is on me.

dammiitttttt ---- I'm too old!

campgottagopee wrote

Brownski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Yes to both of these. I was a happy dirtbag in my twenties and am now a happy suburban dad.There’s really two conversations here; one about a generational shift and one about individual choices.

Exactly --- I have a professional job now and I'm not going back.

And yes, there are two conversations ---- it seems to me the generational shift part isn't willing to go without. As for individual choices, that's what makes it interesting.

Curious to hear more re "isn't willing to go without"? Who isn't willing to go without what?

brooklynrob wrote

campgottagopee wrote

Brownski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Yes to both of these. I was a happy dirtbag in my twenties and am now a happy suburban dad.There’s really two conversations here; one about a generational shift and one about individual choices.

Exactly --- I have a professional job now and I'm not going back.

And yes, there are two conversations ---- it seems to me the generational shift part isn't willing to go without. As for individual choices, that's what makes it interesting.

Curious to hear more re "isn't willing to go without"? Who isn't willing to go without what?

Health insurance
money for gas, food etc
security of a place to live
cell phones
TV
power

that's just off the top of my head

I forgot the who ---- people who want to be ski bums

campgottagopee wrote

Welfare

I assume you're joking. You get that given our current deficits and debt level - as well as the self proclaimed dream since his keg party days of the Speaker of the House - that welfare, like social security and medicare, are going away, right? Entitlements, especially for Gen X and Millennials, are going the way of small ski areas.

Partly joking, yes. But the "fuck it" part of me (the ski bum part) just wont let myself worry about it. I've been jumping over hurdles for a long time now.

campgottagopee wrote

brooklynrob wrote

campgottagopee wrote

Brownski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

It's like RA said --- ski bums are weird

Broski has an understanding about what I mean ---- he lived it for a while as well.

Yes to both of these. I was a happy dirtbag in my twenties and am now a happy suburban dad.There’s really two conversations here; one about a generational shift and one about individual choices.

Exactly --- I have a professional job now and I'm not going back.

And yes, there are two conversations ---- it seems to me the generational shift part isn't willing to go without. As for individual choices, that's what makes it interesting.

Curious to hear more re "isn't willing to go without"? Who isn't willing to go without what?

Health insurance
money for gas, food etc
security of a place to live
cell phones
TV
power

that's just off the top of my head

I forgot the who ---- people who want to be ski bums

Ha! That list made me laugh. I came home one day back then, a couple weeks after my housemate just disappeared in the night, to find the electric turned off. The dude hadn’t been paying the bills for months even though I was paying him cash for my part of it. Turned out he wasn’t paying the rent either. I still stayed til the end of the month

LOL --- similar situation here. We didn't have power for 6 weeks once --- it took us that long to save up the 90 bucks to have it turned back on!

A bit off topic, yes, but...  

Today was cold as fuck.  At Gore there was lots of terrain and good snow.

The place was busy and people were skiing, not just hanging in the lodges.

Some dedicated skiers. I think I saw millennials too.

campgottagopee wrote

Johnnyonthespot wrote

If any millenials would like to ski Whiteface tomorrow, pm me. Your ticket is on me.

dammiitttttt ---- I'm too old!

Get here and I got you.

Harvey wrote

A bit off topic, yes, but...  

Today was cold as fuck.  At Gore there was lots of terrain and good snow.

The place was busy and people were skiing, not just hanging in the lodges.

Some dedicated skiers. I think I saw millennials too.

Given the conditions out west it's entirely possible that despite the cold Gore may have the best skiing in the country right now (I'd otherwise suggest that's Sugarloaf right now given the dumps they've gotten but my buddy who has a place there said that it's effectively too cold to ski, and that's saying a lot for a bunch of Mainers; it's running 10 degrees colder than Gore from what I've been seeing).

Happy to see Gore having a solid start to the year - special place.