Disappointed With MC

"Most great skiers moved near a mountain and made it work before they every got middle aged. That's how they became a great skier. Many olympians/back country extreme skiers are not the rich class of people jetsetting around the world. THey're normal people who moved where the big mountains are and practiced like crazy. I guess if you have family commitments/tied down and fell in love with skiing after you hit middle aged then you're stuck doing crazy drives all the time. I'd rather just get a pass at a local hill and ski that as do many people. I find it more enjoyable to ski 1000 vertical feet(mountain creek is a medium sized place) and drive 20 minutes than drive 6 hours round trip for a 1500 vertical. Just my 2 cents" Powderassasin


Maybe. For some. Life has a way of handing you shit that's not part of your plan. How you deal with it is often a display of your character, sometimes doing the right thing means forgoing your dreams of ski bumming (insert whatever wild dream someone might have) and going "pro". I have skied with some very serious skiers over the years and most of the really big pros come from money, not all, but most do. There are the ridiculously naturally talented for sure or the fairy tale stories of pros that had a single mom working three jobs just so her kids could ski everyday but that's not real for most of us. It takes a lot of time to become super sick. And I mean super sick as in standing out from all of the other very talented people that live in mountain towns. The big pros actually are often "jetsetting" and there isn't anything wrong with that. For a lot of us it's just never going to be a reality though.

What Coach Z said about working hard and moving to the mountains so his kids could have it better is a story of someone being a hero, maybe more so than the hero's in ski movies. That deserves respect.

I am someone that moved away from New Jersey to be a ski bum, and I practiced like crazy. Some tell me that I was pretty good too but now that I am approaching 40 it's not that important to me any longer. I wasn't really the best person those years unfortunately, I was very selfish and becoming a parent and growing up has made me see that. I'm on this forum because in a way I respect and admire the core east coast skier that despite the less than ideal location persists and toughs it out. When I was in high school during the early 90's I would go skiing somewhere every weekend to ski powder. I would drive 9 hours in snow coming down sideways to get fresh tracks at Mad River Glen for one or two days then head back to NJ. I don't think I would do that now, I'm just not that motivated and I have been spoiled but I love those memories.

Speaking of the early 90's do any of you folks remember the winters of 92 and 93? We got a lot of snow out east those years!

PowderAssassin wrote

Glade Runner wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

snoloco wrote

2 hours is NOT a little ways away.  MC is only 15 minutes away so I can go even if my parents don't want to.  My parents cannot drop me off at Hunter or even one of the PA mountains.  I will basically be stuck skiing the mole hills of Mount Peter and Tuxedo Ridge which get boring after a few hours for 2 whole weeks.

Yeah exactly.The people on here are crazy. 4 hours roundtrip is basically an overnighter.

And the others are whiney sissies.  My limit for a day trip is 10 hrs round trip.  Farthest so far in a day is Mad River Glen.  4 hrs round trip to the catskills is an easy day trip for me.  I can still get home and get something done.

Dude...you're hardcore(NOT sarcasm). No one is questioning YOU. It's only a matter of time before you move to near a big mountain in central vt or out west. You want the goods.

I simply say I don't want to drive that far. It ruins it for me. And many others are the same.

Oh, my!  An honest to goodness response to something, both respectful and deserving of respect.  Who'da thunk PA had it in him!

Here's the problem PA, it's your first quote in that exchange.  And before I say this let me dispel something.....it's not about whether you are core or not.  Sure, there are some around here you might consider core, but we all aren't, certainly not me.  So here's the thing.  You come on a site where people have a passion for what they do.  People who can appreciate quality over quantity.  People who want to experience time in the mountains and the wilderness.  People who appreciate the beauty and splendor of a powder covered mountain..... the silence, the solitude, the peace, along with the challenge it throws at them.  People who are willing to sacrifice and work hard to experience something meaningful to them in life, to realize experiences and moments most people never will.............and then you call them crazy.  That's never going to come off well, which I'm sure you know, but you let the little devil troll on your shoulder slip you in to your rhetoric and hyperbole.  That's a shame, because your last quote is human, it's real.  Yeah, different strokes for different folks, you understand why others do it, but it's not for you, it's not for everyone.  We can all respect that.  Try being real more often...and you might just find yourself getting chased off less discussion boards.  I know....but where's the fun in that?

I'll actually throw in with Loco here.  2 hours each way isn't right around the corner when you are talking skiing every day, or for a few hours at night, when someone has to drop you off.  I'm not sure anyone travels NJ to the Cats for that, unless it becomes your profession and commute.  Give Loco credit, they make the round trips on weekends.  I'm sure once he can drive himself he will do it more.  Dare I say, he will grow up to grow out of the park rat scene and one day appreciate taking a hit or a jib off natural features, launching a cliff band as opposed to a kicker, floating through powder versus scraping the Jersey man made.  There's hope for the kid!  PA....not so sure, but I can respect his desire to ski locally and avoid driving he finds unpleasant, even if it's not what I'd do.

Like I said, I'm not core.  I do get limited time to ski, so when I do I'm going to make what I think is the best of it. If that means a 6 or 7 hour round trip to ski powder after a storm, or ski the Slides, or ski a mountain that will have the variety of terrain to keep me interested and challenged all day long.....well, I gladly give up an hour or two of sleep in the morning and an hour or two of assassinating something on xBox in the evening.  Not core, not crazy.

Yeah, what he said!

raisingarizona wrote

Speaking of the early 90's do any of you folks remember the winters of 92 and 93? We got a lot of snow out east those years!

Oh, yes. Mammaries.

PowderAssassin wrote

raisingarizona wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

gorgonzola wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

snoloco wrote

2 hours is NOT a little ways away.  MC is only 15 minutes away so I can go even if my parents don't want to.  My parents cannot drop me off at Hunter or even one of the PA mountains.  I will basically be stuck skiing the mole hills of Mount Peter and Tuxedo Ridge which get boring after a few hours for 2 whole weeks.

Yeah exactly.The people on here are crazy. 4 hours roundtrip is basically an overnighter.

huh? we have guys in our beer league that do just about that once a week for a few warmups, two runs and and a beer!

Why not just move near the mountain you want to ski on the ec rather than killing yourself with all the driving and then skiing all day long. It's EXAUSTING...takes away from the fun. Sorry, but if skiing was my number one priority in life I'd live out west.  You guys can just get a house near a major ski area. There's plenty of employment in denver or SLC or maybe you could get something in VT or upstate ny. Silliness and horrible to have to do all that driving. People live near major mountain resorts and make it work and their highest priority in life is not skiing.

It's like being a surfer and living in san diego vs being a surfer and living in las vegas. Screw that noise. That sucks ass

Only if life were that simple. It may be in your twenties and having only one goal in mind but things don't just work out like that.

Most great skiers moved near a mountain and made it work before they every got middle aged. That's how they became a great skier. Many olympians/back country extreme skiers are not the rich class of people jetsetting around the world. THey're normal people who moved where the big mountains are and practiced like crazy. I guess if you have family commitments/tied down and fell in love with skiing after you hit middle aged then you're stuck doing crazy drives all the time. I'd rather just get a pass at a local hill and ski that as do many people. I find it more enjoyable to ski 1000 vertical feet(mountain creek is a medium sized place) and drive 20 minutes than drive 6 hours round trip for a 1500 vertical. Just my 2 cents

Do you have a job?

agreed.  Last season I roundtripped to killi a few times early season. 4 hours each way. Sometimes the drive is as enjoyable as the turns

PowderAssassin wrote

Glade Runner wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

snoloco wrote

2 hours is NOT a little ways away.  MC is only 15 minutes away so I can go even if my parents don't want to.  My parents cannot drop me off at Hunter or even one of the PA mountains.  I will basically be stuck skiing the mole hills of Mount Peter and Tuxedo Ridge which get boring after a few hours for 2 whole weeks.

Yeah exactly.The people on here are crazy. 4 hours roundtrip is basically an overnighter.

And the others are whiney sissies.  My limit for a day trip is 10 hrs round trip.  Farthest so far in a day is Mad River Glen.  4 hrs round trip to the catskills is an easy day trip for me.  I can still get home and get something done.

Dude...you're hardcore(NOT sarcasm). No one is questioning YOU. It's only a matter of time before you move to near a big mountain in central vt or out west. You want the goods.I simply say I don't want to drive that far. It ruins it for me. And many others are the same.

It is much better to stay up there and ski a few days but other things prevent that.  I am saving more of those trips for later in the season when I have better endurance to ski the whole time for multiple days.  I doubt I will move to VT or out west.  I feel like I am in a nice central location that allows me to goto many places.  Afterall this week I was able to visit both Windham (4 hrs roundtrip) and Holiday Valley (6 hr roundtrip)  both on days I worked the day of and after midweek with no crowd.  I do want to get out west but, I feel like I still have more to see in the east.  And a little worried if I head out west, then the east won't be so exciting anymore.

LOL seems every post these days, regardless of original topic, end up on the same topic.

I too like the human tone of some of PA's recent posts.

And +1000 on Skidds post.

PowderAssassin wrote

...if you have family commitments/tied down and fell in love with skiing after you hit middle aged then you're stuck doing crazy drives all the time....

There is some truth here.  I started skiing when I was 40. My life is really good, my only complaint is my distance from the mountains.  Who's life is gives them absolute everything they want?  I'm sure there are some, hopefully they appreciate it.

Thanks to Raising AZ for the props.  At this point in my life my main mission is raising my ripper.

Sno
What happened to joining your HS ski team?

Also you used to make a big deal about how important school is to you and how much homework you have.  How do you make time to ski 4 nights a week then?

When I was your age skiing maybe Friday night and Sunday were a good ski week to me.  The other time went to school work, a job to pay for my car and skiing, and girls.

Harvey wrote

I too like the human tone of some of PA's recent posts.

As much as I hate Belicheat.....we are the freaking Bill Belichick New England Patriots of ski discussion boards.  We can rehabilitate anyone, even PA!

On a side note, we Jets may not have been successful enough (at being unsuccessful) to Suck for the Duck, so now we gotta beat those Patriot fu@kers this weekend......

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PowderAssassin wrote

Glade Runner wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

snoloco wrote

2 hours is NOT a little ways away.  MC is only 15 minutes away so I can go even if my parents don't want to.  My parents cannot drop me off at Hunter or even one of the PA mountains.  I will basically be stuck skiing the mole hills of Mount Peter and Tuxedo Ridge which get boring after a few hours for 2 whole weeks.

Yeah exactly.The people on here are crazy. 4 hours roundtrip is basically an overnighter.

And the others are whiney sissies.  My limit for a day trip is 10 hrs round trip.  Farthest so far in a day is Mad River Glen.  4 hrs round trip to the catskills is an easy day trip for me.  I can still get home and get something done.

Dude...you're hardcore(NOT sarcasm). No one is questioning YOU. It's only a matter of time before you move to near a big mountain in central vt or out west. You want the goods.

I simply say I don't want to drive that far. It ruins it for me. And many others are the same.

If the drive is keeping you, then why isn't moving your priority? And if you aren't core about skiing why are you so core about posting about skiing?

I did find it a bit ironical that PA, the dude that apparently slays the powder when and where it is most best and awesomely accurately reported .....is driving averse.

Just a bunch of ?

Glade Runner wrote

<  And a little worried if I head out west, then the east won't be so exciting anymore.

It happened to me...

I took up skiing at age 22 in the early 80's. After my 2nd trip to Vail (visiting my brother who lived there at the time), skiing at Greek Peak just wasn't fun anymore and I ended up quitting until I took it back up about 5 years ago. Back then I was a weekend and weeknight warrior and I didn't have a pass anywhere. I never chased after it as hard as you do so I doubt that it would affect you the same way. Also back then the lift lines were a lot worse than they typically are now.

The race training was going to make you a much better skier.  It also gives you the experience of being part of a team which since you don't play other team sports you are missing.  I think I recall you are an only child.  My son is as well and it's really important for only children to gain team sport experience.

Hanging in the park just eventually leads to broken bones and clothes that are way to big!

'Loco.....what are you sliding on in the park, twin tips, snowboard, or carving skis?

Coach Z wrote

Hanging in the park just eventually leads to broken bones and clothes that are way to big!

:)))

Once upon a time I'd have agreed.....but look at the Olympics now.  Race team wouldn't do much for someone ona snowboard.  Time in the park is probably best for someone like that.  If someone is on skis, Coach is spot on.  I'll tell you, I struggle with this with my own kids.  It's hard to make teenagers appreciate the difference between just having fun, and striving to improve and be the best you can at something you do and enjoy.  For 'Loco it's a heck of a lot more fun to hang with his park friends sporting snowboards than it would be to focus his sliding time on technical drills he'll likely not get to put into practice on race day, hanging with a different set of kids......but it won't be that long, relative speaking, before the park friends all go off to life and 'Loco decides he want to do other things besides hitting 25 foot jumps and slide rails in the park.  It's just as big a thrill to stomp a 10 ft cliff and land in powder or side slip a waterfall, and some day he'll wish he developed the technical skills to do that.  Ski team wouldn't be instant gratification for 'Loco, but in the long run......

If you want to compete in snowboard or freestyle skiing you can't just hang in the park.  You need coaching not just on snow but in gymnastics

I coached a kid when he was younger developing his ski fundamentals.   Now at 15 he trains full time 6 days a week and will likely make the US team soon.  He won Easterns in his age group last year.

Added a video.  Brian really throws it down but there is a ton of work going into it.



I had to embed from my laptop.  My ipad does not embed properly for some reason.  I think its Apple purposely messing with Google that owns Youtube.

Coach Z wrote

If you want to compete in snowboard or freestyle skiing you can't just hang in the park.  You need coaching not just on snow but in gymnastics

I coached a kid when he was younger developing his ski fundamentals.   Now at 15 he trains full time 6 days a week and will likely make the US team soon.  He won Easterns in his age group last year.

Added a video.  Brian really throws it down but there is a ton of work going into it.

<nabble_embed>http://youtu.be/ECGMQaL56Rk</nabble_embed>

Agreed.  That said, for someone who wants to have fun in the park on a snowboard with no aspirations to compete, the coaching benefits you point out might not do much.  However, for anyone one two planks, whether they ever hope to compete in slope style or skier cross or not......the technical foundation they'd get from a racing background will always be invaluable to any skiing they do, now or in the future, wherever it may be (east/west, groomers/woods, cord/powder, etc./etc.)  Getting a lot of kids to hear that and understand that, there's the rub.