Does Mad River Scare You a Little? NO!

[Cannonball]

Look like it is to me.

It's evolution baby!

 

[dlague]

It's evolution baby!

Said in an Austin Power's voice?

 

[Cannonball]

Said in an Austin Power's voice?

Eddie Vedder

 

[deadheadskier]

The "no snowboarders" is a rule that goes back to Betsy Pratt, former owner. She had MRG up for sale for more than a decade, but would only sell it to a concern that agreed to hold it to her tenets. While the resort has reformed a little (some grooming, some snowmaking), most of her reasons have prevailed. It's also part of their "pirate flag" thinking. You don't have to come; you don't have to like us. We don't care, we are doing just fine without growth, and that includes boarding.

Right. And the story goes some snowboarders were rude to her, so she said no more. From 1986-1992 snowboarding was allowed at MRG.

I've shared my unpopular opinion before, but I believe if you're a shareholder at MRG and don't want to share the slopes with snowboarders, then you're a dick. It is absolutely ridiculous that the ban exists at MRG, Alta and Deer Valley still. People sometimes say, "if you want snowboarders to be allowed, then buy a share and vote your choice." I'd argue that if they opened up to snowboarding, they'd sell hundreds of new shares. The timing right now would be appropriate as apparently management has been talking of a massive investment in the base facilities. That won't happen on operating revenue alone.

 

[KevinF]

Right. And the story goes some snowboarders were rude to her, so she said no more. From 1986-1992 snowboarding was allowed at MRG.

I've shared my unpopular opinion before, but I believe if you're a shareholder at MRG and don't want to share the slopes with snowboarders, then you're a dick. It is absolutely ridiculous that the ban exists at MRG, Alta and Deer Valley still. People sometimes say, "if you want snowboarders to be allowed, then buy a share and vote your choice." I'd argue that if they opened up to snowboarding, they'd sell hundreds of new shares. The timing right now would be appropriate as apparently management has been talking of a massive investment in the base facilities. That won't happen on operating revenue alone.

A "massive investment in base facilities"? At MRG? What would that consist of, painting a few things? This is a place whose off-season "improvements" list once contained: "fixed a dripping faucet".

 

[deadheadskier]

Nope, major upgrade. Replacing ski patrol building and expanding the base lodge by 50%. This was told to me by a shareholder. I want to say the figure was in the $5M range. Big money.

 

[mr magoo]

I do agree with the image problem, for instance, a few weeks ago when I was planning this trip and told my gf we'd be going there, the first thing out of her mouth was, "will I be able to ski there?" Turns out she absolutely loved it, even though there were moguls on quite a bit of the intermediate terrain, which she's not keen on.

One reason your gf was pleasantly surprised is that the moguls ARE different. Be it the absence of snowboarders scraping or beginner skiers cutting across the fall line, the ungroomed at MRG sets up nicely and remains easier to flow. Its ok to dump your snowboarder friends.

 

[BenedictGomez]

One reason your gf was pleasantly surprised is that the moguls ARE different.

I've never seen more perfect moguls, in more places, in my entire skiing life.

It reinforces my long-held hypothesis that poor snowboarding is worse for mogul development than poor skiing. The only other possible explanation is that the concentration of poor skiers is much lower at MRG than everywhere else. At any rate, it was interesting to see.

 

[Edd]

I've shared my unpopular opinion before, but I believe if you're a shareholder at MRG and don't want to share the slopes with snowboarders, then you're a dick. It is absolutely ridiculous that the ban exists at MRG, Alta and Deer Valley still.

100%. The entire thought process is baffling. Snowboarders ruin bumps? OK, I guess, but so do crappy bump skiers, of which I am one. So what are we really talking about? It seems like complete nonsense.

 

[bdfreetuna]

MRG is scary and sneaky in that it has more open wooded areas that funnel into small chutes and you come around a bend and there is a 6 footer with no way around.

Exactly. MRG has more than it's fair share of tight & steep spots.

 

[Domeskier]

I'm a little scared about riding the lift all by myself.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'm a little scared about riding the lift all by myself.

Boarding that chair for the first time the other day, was the only time I'd ever had to "think" about getting on a chair in a few decades. I didn't even know about the little safety bar thing that you pull across that also attaches to the foot rest.

 

[marcski]

Boarding that chair for the first time the other day, was the only time I'd ever had to "think" about getting on a chair in a few decades. I didn't even know about the little safety bar thing that you pull across that also attaches to the foot rest.

The original chair had a hook up the pole to hang your poles from while going uphill. Now that was riding in style!

 

[crank]

I snowboard as well as ski and all I have to say is that when I am skiing at Alta and MRG I do not miss the boarders. I am not nearly good enough of a boarder to handle moguls and also have no desire to deal with ALTA: Another Long Traverse Again on a board.

Back in there were a fair amount of double chairs with a center pole and individual safety bar/foot rest thingy like MRG's single. On cold days they used to toss you a wool blanket for the ride up both at MRG and at Stowe. (yeah I am getting old and have been skiing a long time)

 

[selski]

Well I guess this shows my ignorance of MRG, I used the think the "ski it if you can" slogan was taken literally, as in we're so old school we don't even make snow here so we may not be open, rather than a challenge to a skiers ability to ski it.

I believe you are correct, it was originally about getting after it while it was open

 

[boston_e]

100%. The entire thought process is baffling. Snowboarders ruin bumps? OK, I guess, but so do crappy bump skiers, of which I am one. So what are we really talking about? It seems like complete nonsense.

Yeah none of the arguments for banning snowboarding hold any water at all. Totally stupid.

Being primarily a skier now, I personally don't really care that they do... but at the same time, I'm unlikely to go as I'm not ditching a snowboarding friend or family member. I personally didn't find that the terrain is any different from a multitude of other Vermont resorts, so why ditch a friend?

Granted, I've only been to MRG a few times (and not at all in the past 10 years), so maybe I didn't go to the right places to find the unique terrain and more perfectly formed moguls, but lets face it, MRG is in the same mountain range as other resorts so how different is it really going to be?

 

[deadheadskier]

What I'd like to know is were the moguls completely awful from 1986-1992 when snowboarders were allowed? Was it really that terrible having boarders there?

As great as the bumps are at MRG, they are just as good next door at Sugarbush North. Lincoln Peak you get some crappy ones on trails like Steins and Ripcord, but I'd say low level skiers and frequent grooming are equal to blame as snowboarders. Steins is the perfect example for that. Almost always GS push pile bumps because it gets groomed. Next trail over the Mall hardly ever gets groomed and usually has perfect bumps.

 

[crank]

Always thought the bump config on Stein's had something to do with the double fall line.

 

[Savemeasammy]

As far as bumps go, the only thing MRG has going for it is the quantity. The quality thing - I don't buy it. I don't find the bumps there to be "better" than other places. Personally, I think the best bumps are found at Killington, and there several other places that are at least on par or better than MRG. The one thing I WILL credit MRG for is the lack of crappy bumps. I can't recall a time that I've seen a run full of lousy GS bumps there. I think that the higher caliber of skier there is to be credited. To continue the derailment of this thread, I'm sure that if snowboarders were ever allowed, it would be the good snowboarders that would show up, and they wouldn't hurt the bumps...


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[Savemeasammy]

Always thought the bump config on Stein's had something to do with the double fall line.

My theory is that every gaper and his brother who go to SB feel compelled to ski what many feel is the signature run - and ruin it...


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