Ski Area Haters....always amuse / amaze me

[snafu]

Is it ok to hate on a mountain that hates on my choice of how I get down said mountain?

Just need a little clarification on that

 

[jaja111]

I think a corollary to this is being able to enjoy a day of skiing with a friend that can only ski easy blues, or a large group of very mixed abilities. That sometimes also gets you on a mountain you'd never otherwise be on.

Skiing doesn't have to be always about the steepest, fastest, tallest. Try picking up one foot, keeping it picked up, and ski turning in both directions, and see how far you can go. Your goal should be at least 300 feet vertical, or at least 15 turns before putting your foot down. That will make the easy blues a lot harder for most. Play with pure carving, zero skid. Drill on precise technique. See how sharp you can turn at the slowest speed possible. See how fast you can turn, which means the most turns per minute on a gentle slope. Not only are these very challenging, but they improve your skiing. And you won't be bored on the easy blue. (Of course a few times a day you take the same lift and a different trail and meet at the bottom.)

Now there's a definition of success out here in the far reaches of skiable terrain in Western NY. The spectrum of how much you love skiing, boarding, or whatever, is too wide to ever make everybody happy all the time. It has to be remembered, skiing is NOT a team sport. We are all challenging ourselves. Out here in no man's land, the only way you can challenge yourself is to make your own challenges - the terrain is not gonna do it for you. Most here get bored quickly because they simply want speed, so their day is perpetually spent on the lift. Such people complain that I ski too slow, making "too many turns". I say I'm getting the value in my lift ticket. Then we go out west, and the complaints are that I ski too fast. WTF?

I'll admit to being a Killington hater, and its because of the crowds of poor skiers attracted to the "biggest" aspect of the mountain. But have I not found a little corner to play in, in such a large sandbox at K? No, never. (Just don't go with a group of people who find Great Northern or Eastern or any other deadly over crowded catwalk mech access road to be the trail they have to stay on.)

 

[snowmonster]

Lapped Polecat all weekend long - first weekend off May a few years back, with Bobr, Snowmonster, and Snoseek. One of my favorite skiing memories. Never got bored of it and we all left with smiles as wide as you could ever imagine!

IIRC, that was Cinco de Mayo. I still have the lift pass from that day.

To quote an old bumper sticker: I'd Rather Be Skiing.

 

[4aprice]

I'm not a hater of any ski area, however, I am a fan of some more then others. There are places I won't ski at not because I hate them but just because they are not my cup of tea. I think its natural competiveness that gets people in a snit over their favorite places. They like to hear validation of thier choices and hearing other opinions upsets them. I'm constantly hearing bashing of my home mountain for this or that but it is what it is. I know its not the biggest or the best but it serves its purpose well and like HD333 said "it works for us".

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[billski]

I thought this was going to be a thread about tree-huggers who think mountains look ugly with big strips carved out of them.

I never think "hate" when reading these forums. It always felt like good-natured "teasing" which does not come across the proper intonation via text.

I sure support people speaking their minds on likes/dislikes. Gather 10 skiers/boarders in a room and most of them will have different likes/dislikes. It's been said before, if you're having fun, that's all that matters.

But to the point, your ski experience is what you make of it. I can have fun anywhere, small, or large, near or far, ice or pow. Well, maybe that's because I've skied long enough that I'm pretty comfortable shifting my skiing style to match conditions.

 

[WakeboardMom]

my motivation for this thread is mainly the Waterville, Loon, Ski Top Ten and similar threads with people railing on particular mountains.

I'm really is it that bad to ski there? Do you have that awful of a time at such places that you'd rather be stuck behind a desk bitching about how much you dislike the area? Wouldn't you rather be skiing......

Geoff thinks that Loon's demographics are folks who wouldn't tend to post on an internet message board. I think it's possible that many (several?) Loon skiers read this board, but don't feel like posting because there are some here tend to disparage Loon.

I like it a lot; but I'm a person who learned to ski late in life and I've had some scary experiences on unfamiliar terrain. I'm happy there. : )

I personally don't care for Waterville at all; and I can only take Gunstock for a day a season. When I read that folks like those places and why they do, it gives me a different perspective on those mountains.

Yup. There's nothing like being in good company sitting on a chair at any mountain on a day when you're supposed to be working...!

 

[neil]

I find it funny how uptight some people get involving an activity that is supposed to be fun.

 

[billski]

Geoff thinks that Loon's demographics are folks who wouldn't tend to post on an internet message board. I think it's possible that many (several?) Loon skiers read this board, but don't feel like posting because there are some here tend to disparage Loon.

+1
Folks should always express their opinion, but frame it in the context of IMHO instead of Gospel.

 

[Riverskier]

Never understood the hate. I can have fun skiing anywhere. Heck, twice last season I took the half hour trip from my house to Lost Valley and ripped the 240 feet of vert. Had a blast!

 

[tjf67]

IceFace is the place I love to hate on. Partly becuase it is such crappy skiing and more so from the fact that the IceFace lovers blinldy love the place.

I am guessing you have a hard time with the terrain. Thats OK

 

[billski]

I am guessing you have a hard time with the terrain. Thats OK

Come to think of it, I have a hard time with the terrain at Nashoba

 

[mondeo]

But I think we can all agree that Stratton is terrible.

 

[billski]

But I think we can all agree that Stratton is terrible.

:wink: Ski areas in Nebraska are dreadful :wink:

 

[skiberg]

For all of the reasons you have mentioned, I have a very strong dislike for Killington.

 

[SkiDork]

anyone who doesn't like Killington hasn't skied it enough.

 

[mondeo]

anyone who doesn't like Killington hasn't skied it enough.

+1

Disliking the changing times and what that's done to the management of the resort is one thing, but it still has a lot to offer.

And the crowds are nothing, I hardly ever see a significant lift line (partly because I know how to avoid them - avoid the K1 and SPQ.)

 

[billski]

anyone who doesn't like Killington hasn't skied it enough.

Killington is fine. It's the customers who are the problem :blink:

 

[Method9455]

There are a few kinds of hate.

Snobbery: ex. "Mount Snow is too short and flat, anybody who goes there is a pussy" Just shut the fuck up, nobody wants to hear it.

Reverse-Snobbery: ex. "Who wants to ski Stratton with all the snobs". Again, does it really offend you what the rest of the people are like at the hill? I get not liking crowded slopes and lift lines. I get not liking high ticket prices, or some of the yuppie things in the way they do the lodge, but I really could care less what the other people on the hill are like (except I guess if I'm talking to people on the lift, but usually I'm skiing with a group that fills the whole chair anyway). This is making the mountain you go to a fashion statement.

Tribal/Self Assurance: This is the kind of hate from people who just like to argue and always be right, and that their decision to choose a particular mountain means that is THE ONLY DECISION that could possibly be reached. Or people have to make a big monetary choice on what mountain to buy a pass to, and they want to be RIGHT GOD DAMN IT! and not feel like they were suckers to go to Killington when they should have been going to Jay Peak. This is about 90% of the people who bought an Xbox and are an Xbox fanboy or a PS3 and are PS3 fanboys, it makes absolutely no sense but is the basis for the some of the most irrational posts if you look deeply.

Frustration: ex. Killington managment sucks. If you are hating on the mountain owner/ops/marketing that is justifiable. Mountains are a limited resource, nobody can build another Mt. Mansfield (and even if there are other mountains that have good skiing terrain and snowfall, you probably couldn't build a new ski area these days). A lot of them are also running on NFS land, which while we love to be angry that the NFS stymies the ski operators, NFS land is OUR land. So the mountain owner runs their operations on what is collectively our mountain. It is frustrating when you are a long time skier of a mountain - probably longer than the current owners - and they are driving it into the ground (or just doing it differently than how you would). That pisses me off like crazy. When I grew up in New Jersey, the closest "mountain" was Vernon Valley/Great Gorge. Great potential, awful management. Just a disaster for year after year. The result was me driving longer and spending more of my money to go elsewhere. You better believe I was pissed. Them being inept was costing me time and money. So I used to hate on their actions all the time. This to me is 100% right to do and hopefully will drive the mountains to be better.

 

[Mapnut]

But I think we can all agree that Stratton is terrible.

No, I like Stratton (as long as I can get a discount). It's challenging enough for me.

I will probably never ski Mad River Glen, but I'm glad it exists. Heck, I'm glad Yawgoo Valley exists.

 

[SkiDork]

No, I like Stratton (as long as I can get a discount). It's challenging enough for me.

I will probably never ski Mad River Glen, but I'm glad it exists. Heck, I'm glad Yawgoo Valley exists.

mondeo was kidding of course... I too like Stratton. I actually like the western resort atmosphere. (in terms of the village/taking buses to your car etc.)