Do skiier's hate Snowboarders?

[speden]

Hate seems like too strong a word, but there does seem to be some natural friction between skiers and snowboarders. So maybe annoyance would be a better word.

The two groups have some built in conflict areas, such as:

Snowboarders ride on one edge rather than two, so it tends to cut a deeper rut in the snow, which can make skiers more likely to catch an edge, or have a more bumpy ride than they otherwise would.

It seems very easy and natural for snowboarders to side slip down areas or slam on the brakes, and this can scape off a lot of snow, and make snow piles. The sideways stance also seems to encourage snowboarders to sit down on trails for a rest or a chat. When skiers stop on trails to rest they usually stay standing up, making them easier to see.

Snowboarders tend to be teenagers, and teenagers tend to be selfish and brash, and often travel around in packs. That sometimes translates into cutting people off on trails and liftlines. They seem more likely to bomb down runs, and to mouth off to people that get in their way. Anecdotally, it seems like more crashes are caused by snowboarders than by skiers.

On average, more of the beginners are on skis, while snowboarders may have started on skis and then progressed to snowboarding. So in general the snowboarders may be more experienced and skilled, and have less patience with the mistakes of beginners. So they might come off as having an attitude that rubs the gapers the wrong way.

 

[St. Bear]

In regard to MRG and the closed-mindedness that forbids snowboards, I have a problem with that. The problem is the negative propaganda excuses coming out of the mouths that benefit from the status quo there - the single chair is not for riders....snowboards scrape too much snow off...riders you just won't enjoy it here...etc. All complete BS. The real reason is that a couple of snowboarders pissed off the old lady there and she made a knee-jerk reaction to the situation. What these other excuses do is try to frame the argument that portrays snowboarding in a negative light, that riding is somehow worse on the mountain than skiing.

Plus, they'd have to print all new bumper stickers.

 

[Bumpsis]

+1
There is equal opportunity for jerks on skis as on boards. I ski with boarders who are in the 60s, some of the most laid-back dudes I know.

I suspect because boarding attracts a disproportionately large number of immature teens, there may be more jerk behavior in the boarding segment. But even if this was true, it's no reason to write off the lot. Now, maybe if we had age discrimination :dunce:

QUOTE]

This is also pretty much my opinion as well. I'd add though that the snowboarder marketing/subculture does cultivate the image of a rebel, no rules, aggro, get the F**K out of my way attitude, to which immature people seem to respond.

But there is another aspect to look at here as well. I'm firmly of the opinion that snowboarders can and do wreck bump lines for skiers. The difference in how skis and snowboards turn make for bumps that are more suitable to the predominant hardware that made the field to begin with. When more boarders rip up the slope, they will form bumps that are just weird for skiers.
Bump fields made predominantly by skiers can be more quickly scraped up (bewteen the moguls) and reshaped by boarders, thus making it less enjoyable to skiers.

I don't hate boarders but I am greateful that there are such things as snow parks.

 

[redalienx11]

im a skier but my favorite snowsports icon is jeremy jones the big mountain snowboarder. on the local hill i just find it hard to appreciate anyone...skier or boarder going way out of their way to draw attention to themselves

 

[polski]

Is there any real negative impact on a ski area because of snowboarders?
Would you be happy if your home area banned Snowboarding?

The two people who have voiced up about being MRG share holders have both indicated that they see the Ban on Riders as a possitive.

In case I didn't make this clear in the other thread, I think the ban is the right thing in the unique circumstances at MRG; I would not support banning snowboarders from the other places I ski, including Magic, which has a lot of the MRG vibe going for it.

In fact in the right circumstances I probably wouldn't object to a snowboard-only place. The old Timberside (backside of Magic) seems to be sort of shaping up as one, though it's private and doesn't yet have a t-bar so it's a bit of a different story at this point.

I think we all can get along. Just not at MRG :razz:

 

[jaywbigred]

Snowboarders ride on one edge rather than two, so it tends to cut a deeper rut in the snow, which can make skiers more likely to catch an edge, or have a more bumpy ride than they otherwise would.

You think skiers are catching edges in the ruts made by snowboarders?? Really??? I have to disagree with that. Don't notice it at all.

Snowboarders tend to be teenagers, and teenagers tend to be selfish and brash, and often travel around in packs. That sometimes translates into cutting people off on trails and liftlines. They seem more likely to bomb down runs, and to mouth off to people that get in their way. Anecdotally, it seems like more crashes are caused by snowboarders than by skiers.

Maybe if it were 1996 this would be true, but not today. Gotta disagree here too. I think the teen crowd is pretty evenly divided now. If anything, there may be more skiers. And there are plenty of older dudes who rip on boards. Some of them are on this forum (judging from videos I've seen).

On average, more of the beginners are on skis, while snowboarders may have started on skis and then progressed to snowboarding. So in general the snowboarders may be more experienced and skilled, and have less patience with the mistakes of beginners. So they might come off as having an attitude that rubs the gapers the wrong way.

This is a strange argument. More beginners are on skis? I think there are plenty of snowboarders who never skied. I do think that snowboarding has a steeper learning curve (i.e. you can become competent at it more quickly), but I'm not sure this relates to any perceived attitude problems.

Honestly I'm shocked at some of the sentiment here. To me, snowboarders are so ingrained in the culture now, I don't notice them at all. It's not 1995 anymore!

 

[abc]

I don't hate boarders. One of my best snow buddy is a boarder.

But if I had the choice between a skier only mountain vs a mixed used mountain, I'd prefer a skier mountain. The reason had been enumerated by other posters. There're some inherent conflicts between the two type of equipment. It's not always the boarders but the board itself does make the difference.

Granted, the fact more boarders are rude teenagers doesn't help in swinging the pendulem back to the balance point.

Hyperthetically speaking, I wouldn't mind a few mountains banning skiers while a few banning boarders so we can each have our peace occasionally. Though most of the time I'd be going to a mixed used mountain to hang out with my boarding friend.

 

[billski]

To me, snowboarders are so ingrained in the culture now, I don't notice them at all. It's not 1995 anymore!

Agree. Which just goes to show that first impressions are hard to break, whether it be on a job interview or on the slope.

I suspect newbies who has been on the slopes less than 10 years would agree with you too.

It's the person, not the equipment...

 

[thorski]

I have seen packs of snowboarders going down the mountain at Killington and they will spray skiers who have fallen with Malicious Intent.

 

[BigJay]

Hyperthetically speaking, I wouldn't mind a few mountains banning skiers while a few banning boarders so we can each have our peace occasionally. Though most of the time I'd be going to a mixed used mountain to hang out with my boarding friend.

I couldn't even ride with my girlfriend on pow days because she's ripping it out on two planks?

And where would i go with my 2 best buddies? Places that accept all 3 forms of slidders?

 

[mister moose]

Yes, I have boarder friends too. One guy I used to take runs with was very laid back, and skilled on his board. He'd go anywhere, and always be right behind me, or right in front waiting. He was never in anyone's way. I have friends now that are bi-modal... they ski and board. Surprisingly enough their personality doesn't change when transitioning from board to skiis and back again. <end sarcasm>

Last weekend on the crowded zoo that was Killington, frequently there would be a group of people on the hairpin turn on Great Northern where you go straight to return to the Glades triple or take the 180 to head towards Snowdon. It was always a mix of skiers and boarders. Go figure. None of these dolts seemed to have a clue that they were all targets below a big steep patch of ice if anyone fell, and they were obstructing the better non ice path. Later on there were 2 ambassadors there, chatting away also. Doing nothing about the targets. I should have taken a picture so we could see that sliders of all types do stupid stuff, even those with mountain jackets on.

That said, it is much easier to do a heelside slide down a trail for a boarder than a skier, and as such it happens much more often. On a powder day this behavior makes my blood boil. It should make a good powder boarder's blood boil too.

Another thing boarders can do that (most) skiers can't is go in either direction. I was passing a boarder on the same overcrowded Killington day who was stopped in the middle of the trail, knees into the hill. Motionless. I pick a side, and wouldn't you know as soon as I'm committed, he gets up without looking and slides towards the side I picked. Near miss time. This is basic, and skiers start off without looking up hill too, but at least you know which way they will go if they do.

On some bump trails I've noticed a lane free of bumps that low skill skiers and riders use to avoid the bumps. I'm not talking about the half groomed type trail that is seen on a few trails. I mean an 8 foot wide strip on one side and the rest is bumped up. I figure the heel-side sliding keeps the bumps from forming, and once the lane is apparent, all the low skill sliders go there. This is actually a positive thing, as it keeps them off the bumps. Why they go on that trail just to scrape down totally eludes me, but this lane seems to be self sustaining, and is frequently used.

Different mountains seem to have different cultures as well. A bunch of us skied Okemo last year, and pretty much stuck to the farmed bump runs. We virtually never saw people on those runs that were snowplowing/sideslipping/scraping. Riding up the lift with a few people, they frequently commented on "staying off the bumps" because they didn't like them. Killington on the other hand seems to have a more macho culture. I'm here to ski the Beast, and I'm going to get my belt notched on every trail! How often have you heard "I can get down anything"? I mean an ice ax and crampons can get down anything, but it won't leave very good tracks. On crowded hills it would go a long way if everyone asked themselves if they were doing the considerate thing, the situational awareness thing.

I think stereotypes evolve from legitimate patterns sometimes. People are more wary of petting a German Shepard than a Labrador. Are all German Shepards aggressive, or trained as attack dogs? No, but some are, and it has created a stereotype that people are aware of. Are all Labradors docile slobbery furballs? No, I got cornered by 3 adult snarling barking males once. But most are docile, and they have that reputation.

So at the end of the day I know I have been irritated or treated poorly by people of all types, from all states, and on all types of equipment. I don't let any of them ruin my day though.

 

[Glenn]

I skied and boarded for a few seasons. My cliff notes: Each group has their fair share of toolboxes.

I think boarders get a bad rap because it's still mostly a younger crowd. We'll have to see how that changes once the demographics age.

 

[4aprice]

Boarders don't bother me generally but there are two or three things that SOME boarders do that irk me. 1. Like Jaybigred said is the chaos that is boarding in the moguls. 2. The sitting in the middle of the trail, however, that is something that I saw more of as boarding was first becoming popular and I feel most boarders have gotton much better about that. 3. At my home mountain there are trails which are cut across the mountain and some of the boarders tend to want to use the higher side of the trails as bonking areas. Problem there is they have a blind spot and tend to come swooping down on you because they can't see you. My wife got hit pretty hard one day by a kid doing that.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Smellytele]

I hate to say this but at a mountain I go to regularly I am glad there are snowboarders becasue if there weren't then maybe the punks would still my skis instead of all the snowboards that get stolen. Actually they wouldn't steal my tele's but could steal my family's skis. 90% of the equipment stolen is snowboards.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

+1
There is equal opportunity for jerks on skis as on boards. I ski with boarders who are in the 60s, some of the most laid-back dudes I know.

I suspect because boarding attracts a disproportionately large number of immature teens, there may be more jerk behavior in the boarding segment. But even if this was true, it's no reason to write off the lot. Now, maybe if we had age discrimination :dunce:

I definitely got the impression that Whaleback is predominately a teen hangout. Hint.

I would have agreed with this years ago, but nowadays there are a ton of punk little skiers as well, with there baggy baggy pants and shit stained underwear showing and ipods in there ears and potty mouths....becuase there down. Then you go see them go jump in mommy and daddys suburban and ask the for 10 bucks so they can eat. Basically it's come full circle, the image of the punk snowboarder is now moved to the young skier, much like while I was young in the 90's the movement of urban dress moved to suburbia.

Honestly I don't get how skiers/boarders can dress like that, but to each there own.

And yes Whaleback has alot of these type, but Thursday nights or a night following a good dump it is fun to head from the office with friends and ride and ski under the lights.

 

[snoseek]

I have seen packs of snowboarders going down the mountain at Killington and they will spray skiers who have fallen with Malicious Intent.

So what are you saying?

 

[KingM]

I have no problems with snowboarders. They do tend to be younger and younger people on the mountain are often still learning proper trail/lift/line etiquette, but that's natural.

 

[deadheadskier]

have friends that ride, friends that ski......don't really care one way or another what peoples choice in sliding down a hill is. I don't agree with the ban at MRG, but do support the ownerships right to enact it.

What I will say is that back when I did both, part of the reason why I chose to ski was that I didn't really care for the 'image/attitude' that seemed to be mostly regulated to riders back in the late 80s, early 90s. This would hold true for any sport though. Just because you ski, ride, whatever, doesn't make you 'cool'. Just be yourself. There was another thread where this concept was discussed in that in young people, most people's 'expressing their individuality' is really not about being an individual at all, but about being accepted by a certain group of people. Gang mentality

 

[WJenness]

So what are you saying?

he's saying Killington sucks, duh...

-w

 

[JD]

Sounds like at least some of us do pass judgement on people because they happen to be on Snowboards. No wonder the entire world is a shit show...human nature to focus on differences, not simularities? Or just our American condition created by mass media fear mongering and perpetuating contempt for people who are not like us? Either way, I'm glad that my resort-free snow sliding exsistance is completely void of this demension, except for the 2-3 days a year I go skin the single chair side when it's on wind hold afer a nice Nor'easter. On those days I miss my knuckle dragging bredrens.