Snowboarders starting out with their back to the trail???

[uphillklimber]

x

 

[BenedictGomez]

Meh, it's the sitting on the ground in the middle of the trail that bothers me.

Especially when it's underneath a rise (which never ceases to absolutely BLOW my mind how anyone could be SO stupid).

 

[deadheadskier]

Skiers are equally as guilty of both not looking up hill before they start and stopping in the middle of the trail. Boarders it gets exagerated because they are both sitting in the middle of the trail and looking down slope at the same time, where a standing skier is going to be faced across the trail where it's easier to look up hill.

I think both activities are more related to the skier/rider's age than their preferred method of snow travel.

 

[zakyr]

Yeah I am definitely not one to jump on the "shit all over snowboarders" bandwagon (not saying this thread is about that), but I am.

Especially this weekend, snowboarders were sitting board to board across the whole entrances to trails after the lift at Gunstock...I had to bob and weave to get through them. And I had 2 close encounters when boarders were sitting in blind spots over crests.

To the OP observation - yes I have noticed this also. Seems like these boarders aren't aware of the dangers of doing this. Either that or they just dont care...

I am sure if skiers had to sit to put on their beindings it would be a very similar case....but they dont....so the spotlight is on you boarders.

GTFOOTW!

 

[BenedictGomez]

I think both activities are more related to the skier/rider's age than their preferred method of snow travel.

Absolutely. It's almost always the teen crowd that's guilty of this. But it's about 100x more dangerous with snowboarders laying on the ground than with a skier standing erect.

 

[steamboat1]

I think you guys complain to much.

Just get out there & enjoy the turns.

 

[AdironRider]

Dude, you seriously have issues with pretty much everything with skiing.

Either get used to it, or find a different hobby, but just in the last month you've had issues with lift lines, people touching your skis, and now people starting out from the side of a hill.

These are all petty aspects of skiing that you either live to learn with, or move on. Choose one.

 

[C-Rex]

Skiers are equally as guilty of both not looking up hill before they start and stopping in the middle of the trail. Boarders it gets exagerated because they are both sitting in the middle of the trail and looking down slope at the same time, where a standing skier is going to be faced across the trail where it's easier to look up hill.

I think both activities are more related to the skier/rider's age than their preferred method of snow travel.

This. And actually it might not even be age but experience. People that only go out a handful of times per year are generally oblivious to ettiquette that seems obvious to those of us that put in 30+ days a year. We also care a lot more than they do, because the sport is so much more important to us.

I'm not making excuses for them, just pointing out that skiers AND snowboarders of ALL ages do stupid things. It always falls to the expert to make way for the beginner, and I hate it. I pay for my ticket too, but I have to cater to everyone else, and at no time does anyone cater to me. I always have to slow down for beginners, and yield to downhill traffic. But those beginners never have to stay out of my way so I can have fun too.

 

[Black Phantom]

I like to stop and smoke my pipe on the side of a trail that has a great view. Please do not interrupt me.

 

[AdironRider]

Absolutely. It's almost always the teen crowd that's guilty of this. But it's about 100x more dangerous with snowboarders laying on the ground than with a skier standing erect.

Oh really. How exactly is someone blocking the trail 100x more dangerous because they are using a board as opposed to skis. Get over yourself.

 

[C-Rex]

Oh really. How exactly is someone blocking the trail 100x more dangerous because they are using a board as opposed to skis. Get over yourself.

Yeah! At least you could jump over the snowboarder!

 

[BenedictGomez]

Oh really. How exactly is someone blocking the trail 100x more dangerous because they are using a board as opposed to skis. Get over yourself.

Do you honestly have to ask this?

Yeah! At least you could jump over the snowboarder!

I think I'm getting a reading here.

 

[Cheese]

You know, thinking about the snowboarders and the way they spread sideways across the mountain... It is a social thing. They want to be able to speak to each other. If they stacked up vertically on the mountain, they'd be looking uphill at someone's butt, or they'd be sliding from setting sideways. Guess they really don't have a whole lot of options,

This.

Standing still on a snowboard is very difficult so they sit. Since their boots are mounted perpendicular to their boards instead of parallel like skiers, they have to distribute vertically across a trail instead of horizontally like skiers. Stopping and sitting in blind locations is just carelessness or inexperience.

When boarders start, they'll look down the hill or to the side as that's about as far as the neck allows them to turn. On the other hand, most of the time they will either slide heel edge straight down or jump turn and again head straight down. So, unless you planned a course to cut directly underneath them, it's unlikely they'll interupt your run.

Skiers start with more of a traverse so they're more likely to ski out in front of someone passing that thought they would remain stationary.

 

[Cannonball]

It probably goes without saying that this is entirely BS.

Skiers vs Snowboarders vs Young vs Old, really? C-Rex is right that it's about experience. Beginners (of either sport and any age) tend to not be a problem because they are off on the Bunny slope. Or they are so worried about everything that they pay lots of attention to staying out of the way. Experts aren't a problem because they already know all the issues you are bringing up. When I stop on a snowboard I usually stop facing uphill and out of the way....as do other expert riders. It's the intermediates that'll get ya......they know enough to get in trouble....but not enough to get out of it

 

[rocojerry]

the rules of the road arent tested until you mess up and (almost) hurt someone.

Lack of lessons/mentors giving the rules of the slopes lead to this IMO.... or they could read 'the code' in fine print on the back of their lift tickets......

 

[planb420]

Just gonna say I have encounted MANY tele skiers that enjoy riding in "Packs" if you will, and when doing so they like to go down about a 1/4 of the trail and then stop to watch their buddies lunge their way down...all the while stacking up one skier after another across the trail, please dont act like its only snowboarders who blindly clog trails...its more a persons own personality that spurrs the stupid decisions they make rather than the number of planks beneath their feet. There are just more and more people out on the slopes with only themselves in mind while riding and feel that whatever they payed for the lift ticket grants them 100% control over the terrain they are riding on. I have noticed that I have had to ride more and more defensivly each and every season, and since the park stuff is still pretty new that is one of the areas that have the most issues IMO. People stopping to watch others ride, stopping on jumps or not having enough speed or skill to hit something and still standing in front of it (This one still baffels me??), the one that really stands out is the parent taking their 4-7 year old on a "Tour" of the park making WIDE turns through each and every feature (HELLO, your child is shorter than most of the features so maybe you should NOT encourage them to ride infront of and behind park features!!). Now with that being said people just need to exercise more common sense while on the slopes, because wether or not you like it you do hold the life of the riders downhill of you in YOUR hands so you need to ride accordingly.....

 

[neil]

I do see a decent number of skiers who will stack up vertically

This is complete bullshit. I see skiers lined up across trails all the time.

Any skiers or snowboarders I see clogging up a trail get sprayed.

 

[jarrodski]

Meh, it's the sitting on the ground in the middle of the trail that bothers me.

Especially when it's underneath a rise (which never ceases to absolutely BLOW my mind how anyone could be SO stupid).

this is a photo of a park? they are probably "calling their drop" ..........................

 

[56fish]

2 planks or, 1......these are the same folks who tailgate on the road, want refunds if it rains or, is windy, cold, etc., ask for discounts at owner/operator bike, board & ski shops, No couth whatsoever......

 

[Black Phantom]

2 planks or, 1......these are the same folks who tailgate on the road, want refunds if it rains or, is windy, cold, etc., ask for discounts at owner/operator bike, board & ski shops, No couth whatsoever......

eggsactly!