Does the west have a skier culture?

[gregnye]

Many folks seem to be misunderstanding the OP's point. Is there a WEST (singular) ski culture like there's an EAST (singular) ski culture?

It's not, do west ski areas have any culture? Obviously they do. But it's varied due to expansiveness and great differences, wheras in the east there's almost a universal (or very similar) ski culture. My 2¢.

True this was more my question. Obviously every ski area is different, but I was just wondering if there was either a unified "ski the west" culture or if not, if there was a different skiing culture for say Utah vs Colorado...etc.

 

[jimk]

This is a pretty neat topic actually. My major in college many moons ago was cultural geography. To further the discussion, you might say some of the major cities near skiing like Denver, SLC, Reno, Bozeman, Seattle, etc. have a dedicated core of locals who do the weekend warrior commuting thing like many eastern skiers from Boston, NYC, etc. Out there they also have very refined business models and resorts to host vacationing tourists coming in from far away. Unlike New England, there are many more skiers on the slopes and staying at major ski resorts on weekdays. But beyond that are the true locals who work and ski at the various major ski areas. The young locals at places like Aspen, Steamboat, Park City, etc. have to really scramble to survive, but many of these ski towns have older folks who started years ago as ski bums, instructors, waiters, etc. and now own lodges, restaurants, realty offices, etc. and have wealth. These young and old locals form the basis of the culture at these different places with often a little uniqueness to each. Aspen has great restaurant scene for its size, Taos has art, Steamboat and Jackson have hunting/fishing/ranching, Tahoe is eclectic like much of California, etc, etc. So the western ski culture has different flavors in different places, but all those great big mtns generate some very skilled, bad ass recreational skiers deserving great respect. The thrill of skiing is the same everywhere.

Favorite ski culture/character photos from my ski travels:

Wildcat, NH:

Loveland, CO, the E-tow cabin mid-mtn hangout:

Stowe, VT sidecountry:


Timberline, WV


Snowbird, UT deep powder day:

Deer Valley, UT, no denying a very special culture among the patrons here.

Aspen Highlands, CO, one time I saw a lean, 75 year old ski patroller riding on a short tow rope behind one of these cats I was riding to go up to Highland Bowl. I was impressed as hell at his stamina and toughness as he headed up for the umpteenth time to patrol the burly terrain in the Bowl.

Jackson Hole Air Force, enough said:

Kirkwood, CA: a very cultured lady :lol:

Mad River Glen, VT:

Arapahoe Basin, CO, if they want to pull your pass there is no way you are outskiing these guys:

Beaver Creek, CO, posh culture:flag:

Steamboat, CO, ski town USA, lot of Olympians from here:

Sierra at Tahoe, CA, local board meeting:

 

[Scruffy]

I've grown up and skied in the northeast most of my life.

Here, while we often poke fun of ourself for having an abundance of ice, we do have a culture. Go to Sugarbush, Smuggs, Magic or even Killington (early and late season) and you'll see plenty of cars with bumper stickers that say "ski the east". Here people are excited to ski even if their's only 5 inches of snow on the ground.

Meanwhile the times I go out west, most mountains feel corporate. Now obviously Vail and Breck really had this vibe, but even at A-Basin or Loveland I didn't really get the sense that there is a culture like the east coast. It seems like most people don't even come to the resort unless theres greater than 6 inches of snow.

Anyone who's lived in both places want to talk about the culture? Do you guys have a "ski the west" vibe?

I'm sorry, but I don't think making do with what Mother Nature gives you

( getting excited for skiing on 5 inches )​

defines a "ski culture". Just what is this "ski culture" you speak of? And why do you think it's exclusive to the east? If you want to try to define a east ski culture I can quickly think of three- five sub cultures here in the east: ( Die hards( >50 days a season), Race rats, Five to ten days only on vacation skiers with Bogner jackets hanging at Stratton , Park rats , Bump misters, Earn your turners ( Ski to Die-- NOT the stupid PC game) , etc.. So let's first agree on what a ski culture is before we start asking where this culture lives, because getting excited about skiing 5 inches is not a good definition of a ski culture, nor does it have anything to do with close proximity geographically--there are local ski bums in Jackson Hole that feel they are cut from the same cloth as the ski bums in Taos, or anywhere else in the west.

And BTW, in the west they get excited about skiing on 5 inches too. Here's 2018 A-Basin opening day WOD:

 

[sull1102]

I love how defensive all the west people are in this thread, pretty funny.

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[Jully]

I love how defensive all the west people are in this thread, pretty funny.

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Who got defensive? Also this thread has mostly been easterners talking, very few from the west.

 

[crank]

Ski culture definitely varies area by area, hill by hill. Hunter Mountain, NY's culture is different than Mad River Glen's, which is different than Stowe, which is different than Smugglers notch culture, which i different than Whiteface's...

 

[raisingarizona]

I love how defensive all the west people are in this thread, pretty funny.

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These comparative east vs. west conversations are always started by an east coaster. Seriously, we don’t care.

You guys can have the “we are tougher because we ski when it sucks” thing. Westerners are more than completely fine with you having that claim.

 

[JimG.]

These comparative east vs. west conversations are always started by an east coaster.

Or by an east coaster who just moved out west.

 

[GregoryIsaacs]

These comparative east vs. west conversations are always started by an east coaster. Seriously, we don’t care.

You guys can have the “we are better skiers because we ski when it sucks” thing. Westerners are more than completely fine with you having that claim.

Not a claim.... just facts.

 

[dlague]

More skiers probably attended A Basin's opening day than K's and SR's combined this year. A Basin pulls from a smaller overall population too as people do come up from NYC for K's opening day. A Basin opened with one trail totalling like 26 acres. K and SR each had less than that, but when we're under 50 acres it is all fairly pitiful.

I agree with A Basin's opening day. It is a much bigger event than anything I have seen back east and we were regulars at Killington's. As far as a draw well there is a huge skier culture in the Denver area which floods the ski areas off I 70. Summit County on it's own has a significant skier culture and micro areas in towns like Breckeridge are pretty cool during ski season and is active into the night where back east it seemed like things got awfully quiet after 8. Places like Vail and Avon are a different crowd altogether.

Overall, A Basin, Loveland, Ski Cooper, Monarch etc. feel like back east and we see parallels between Cannon (the living legend) and A Basin (the legend) in terms of the crowd, type of people, vibe and so forth.

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[raisingarizona]

Not a claim.... just facts.

Cool......

Still don't care.

 

[dlague]

I've grown up and skied in the northeast most of my life.

Here, while we often poke fun of ourself for having an abundance of ice, we do have a culture. Go to Sugarbush, Smuggs, Magic or even Killington (early and late season) and you'll see plenty of cars with bumper stickers that say "ski the east". Here people are excited to ski even if their's only 5 inches of snow on the ground.

Meanwhile the times I go out west, most mountains feel corporate. Now obviously Vail and Breck really had this vibe, but even at A-Basin or Loveland I didn't really get the sense that there is a culture like the east coast. It seems like most people don't even come to the resort unless theres greater than 6 inches of snow.

Anyone who's lived in both places want to talk about the culture? Do you guys have a "ski the west" vibe?

Come to A Basin between mid April and mid June and you will see a ski culture that is amazing with parties, tailgating and fun breaking out all over in the parking lots, the deck, the court yard with live bands, inside and the attitude is great especially on May powder days. The culture is different every where. Not an easy vs west thing. We love the Colorado vibe.

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[kingslug]

I ski half my season out west.. an amazing culture out there..like ours..just different.

 

[gmcunni]

we have better snow, we don't need culture.

 

[Edd]

we have better snow, we don't need culture.

Are you out west?

 

[sull1102]

we have better snow, we don't need culture.

Dick.

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[abc]

we have better snow, we don't need culture.

The west has no culture! Ski other whatever else.

They don’t NEED “culture”. They just do it.

 

[gmcunni]

Are you out west?

yes, loving life in Colorado

 

[gmcunni]

Dick.

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