Does Mad River Scare You a Little? NO!

[deadheadskier]

If you want to start talking business, you're out of your mind if you think business would decrease at MRG if they allowed boarders.

My argument boils down to this. Take someone like Cannonball who both skis and snowboards. Give me 3 good reasons why a MRG guest would have a better experience spending the day with Cannonball on skis compared to if he was on a board.

Honestly I can't think of one.

That's why the ban is utterly stupid

 

[Cannonball]

If you want to start talking business, you're out of your mind if you think business would decrease at MRG if they allowed boarders.

My argument boils down to this. Take someone like Cannonball who both skis and snowboards. Give me 3 good reasons why a MRG guest would have a better experience spending the day with Cannonball on skis compared to if he was on a board.

Honestly I can't think of one.

That's why the ban is utterly stupid

Let me take this one....there aren't 3 reasons. There isn't even 1. Because although I fully respect their right to have the ban I won't even SKI there as long as they don't allow snowboarding. And this isn't conjecture (like most of this thread) it's the straight up reality of the past 20 years.

Here's my view:
Running a small business in a competitive industry is extremely tough. You need to do everything you can to create your own market. for MRG they are in the difficult position of being down the street from Sugarbush, a resort that offers pretty much anything a skiing or snowboarding customer could want. MRG clearly can't compete head to head from an economic perspective of offering amenities. So they need to create a unique experience that draws in a certain demographic. That includes stripped-down amenities, cheap tickets, open eoods policy, slow lifts, limited grooming, a challenging mystique (despite the spin some people in this thread have attempted), and the snowboard ban. To me that is a smart business decision. They understand that there is a marketplace of people who desire no snowboarding around them. I have no problem with the niche MRG has identified and the business decision to market to that demographic.

What I do have a problem with is the demographic itself! This is the core of DHS's question above. If these people care what i put on my feet they have some issues. And you can throw out all of the pseudo-justifications about mogul quality, challenging lift unloads, etc. Because I am a far better snowboarder than skier. Me on skis is WAY more likely to be a terrain/lift issue than me on a board.

Bottom line: as long as there are people who don't like snowboarders as a group, MRG is smart to market to them. And as long as those people dominate MRG's market I won't be skiing there.

 

[twinplanx]

So... your cool with fruit booters?

 

[Cannonball]

So... your cool with fruit booters?

If that question is to me, I'm sorry I have no idea what it means.

 

[twinplanx]

Fruit Booters = ski blades

 

[Cannonball]

Oh. Then yes. And so is MRG right?

 

[twinplanx]

I don't judge the rider by what is on his/her feet. MRG as a private enterprise, is free to do so...

 

[Cannonball]

I don't judge the rider by what is on his/her feet.

Yeah, sounds like it.

So... your cool with fruit booters?

 

[twinplanx]

Fruit Booter, knuckle drager, whatever guy you don't know me. Only God can judge me.

 

[Cannonball]

I guess the obvious question is....

So... your cool with fruit booters?

 

[twinplanx]

Actually, yes. Most of them are to slow though...

 

[Cannonball]

Great, I guess we're on the same page. That was bizarre little aside to this thread. But at least I learned a new term (can't promise I'll use it)

 

[deadheadskier]

I don't judge the rider by what is on his/her feet. MRG as a private enterprise, is free to do so...

But you yourself have said you don't want to see snowboarders there. Why?

 

[twinplanx]

Because it makes the place unique.

 

[BenedictGomez]

MRG clearly can't compete head to head from an economic perspective of offering amenities. So they need to create a unique experience that draws in a certain demographic. That includes stripped-down amenities, cheap tickets, open eoods policy, slow lifts, limited grooming, a challenging mystique, and the snowboard ban. To me that is a smart business decision.

Which is all that matters.

Though I think your (seeming?) belief that the snowboard ban is the most important item noted in your lengthy list, is off-base. I do think it helps make them unique from the historical angle and from the mogul quality angle, but to me the snowboard ban is the least important of those items. The old age, old school attitude with disdain for grooming, and "lost in time" feel to MRG is what I liked most about the place, and I suspect there are many if not most who feel the same way. I look forward to going back.

 

[Cannonball]

Which is all that matters.

Though I think your (seeming?) belief that the snowboard ban is the most important item noted in your lengthy list, is off-base. I so think it helps make them unique from the historical angle and from the mogul quality angle, but to me the snowboard ban is the least important of those items. The old age, old school attitude with disdain for grooming, and "lost in time" feel to the place is what I liked most about the place, and I suspect their are many if not most who feel the same way. I look forward to going back.

Never said it was the most important...just the one we were talking about. And the one that's kept me from buying a ticket there for 20 years.

 

[Smellytele]

Skied MRG yesterday. They should ban as many people as possible on weekends. Singles line was ski on until about 11 then the masses showed up and it went up to about 45 minutes. Skied the double which was only about a 10/15 minute wait at that point. Later around 3 the single wasn't as bad because everyone was on the deck.

 

[dlague]

At a time where women are allowed at Augusta and business shut down because they refused to serve LBHS, it seems that what someone wears to slide should not make a difference either. We are all brother and sisters of winter - can't we all just get along and share?

 

[Cannonball]

Singles line was ski on until about 11 then the masses showed up and it went up to about 45 minutes. Skied the double which was only about a 10/15 minute wait at that point.

Now THAT scares me! 45min?!?! We were complaining about the 10min wait at Cannon yesterday.

 

[Puck it]

Now THAT scares me! 45min?!?! We were complaining about the 10min wait at Cannon yesterday.

Were they from Loon too?