Expert Skier/Rider?

[smootharc]

This Pandora....

Good points... It's a "Pandora's Box"

....who is she, and why doesn't she just lock her box ???

This is an interesting topic...and as Riv stated one that's been touched upon here and there to various degrees.

So much of the "right" answer lies in subjective and personal preferences here (ie, there is no right answer). I respect all types of "experts" at sliding on snow, regardless of their tool or terrain of choice.

For me personally, my idea of the ultimate expert category is difficult/technical natural terrain with natural snow. This terrain can be accessed by lift, cat, copter or burning thighs. It usually consists of steeper terrain, which can contain a host of obstacles that require expert attention....trees, rocks, cliffs....and changing snow conditions from the sweetest pow to breakable crust on crud. It demands of the skier an understanding of both the terrain and how the terrain "plays" at that moment based on weather and snow conditions.

By definition, "natural" excludes groomers, bumps, and parks....all machine or man-made. I don't disrespect anyone who thrives in those arenas....and personally if there's no pow around I love carving fresh corduroy, pounding bumps, and playing (very casually and old man style) in park features.

So if you're an expert in any category I tip my hat. If you're an expert in my preferred category, then you're one of the ski heroes on my powdery Mount Rushmore.

P.S. I also think there's "degrees" of expert, sort of like baseball....the Majors, AAA, AA, A....etc...

 

[riverc0il]

perhaps we could suggest that park riders and skiers fall into another catagory, just like the folks doing big cliff hucks out west. that is all part of the "extreme" aspect of the sport. i define it as an "aspect" instead of a "technical skiing/riding catagory." not that the extreme aspect of the sport does not require skill and technical ability and practice, because it does. i just see it as being seperate. JD brought up some good points. unless you can skin without over heating and de-skin without taking your skis off, you might not be an expert. how about skinning two miles in less than an hour? where do we stop?? do i need to learn the telemark turn to truly be considered an expert i just don't see it. and then if you were to include parking in the expert definition, how big would you have to go? that is envelope pushing, that is extreme aspect, that is not skiing/riding turning skill.

 

[skibum1321]

I liked the earlier definition that you should be able to ski anywhere on the mountain without looking at a map. This includes the trees, bumps and anywhere else you cant find. The park, however would not really count. You can ski through the park without actually going off any jumps. I think you should be able to take graceful straight airs off of smaller jumps, but by no means do you need to be able to go off of a 60 foot hip to be an expert. With no park skiing experience, I'm not just going to go find a huge hit and do it - that would be stupid and reckless.

 

[smootharc]

And, heaven's to Betsy....

....let's not forget the most important expertise of all.....

....apres ski activities expertise. Alas, my former All-America status has been reduced to rubble as "middle aged married with kids-ness" creeps, infests, and and strangles my tortured soul.....and jiggling love handles.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

you are an expert if you ware a full camo outfit and sit on top of the run-ins to park jumps, not actually going off the jumps but just sitting there in the way. I really look up to those guys.

I don't get that kind of adult prejudice toward park kids. That's what they like to do, hang out with there friends and take turns doing tricks. I'd rather see any kid of mine doing that then sitting home playing video games all day.

 

[meat]

I don't get that kind of adult prejudice toward park kids. That's what they like to do, hang out with there friends and take turns doing tricks. I'd rather see any kid of mine doing that then sitting home playing video games all day.

I don't have any prejudice towards park kids in general, I have friends that were/still are park kids and they kick A$$. Its just a pet peeve of mine to see some of these posers in the park who can't even hit the jumps and they just sit there, smoke cigs and swear every other word. I don't even care that much, I was just trying to lighten things up their

 

[kcyanks1]

I don't think the park/pipe should count, especially if by gracefully you mean doing tricks, as opposed to going off the jumps and landingly gracefully but doing nothing in the air--but even requiring that might be too harsh. I consider myself an expert, though I highly doubt I'm as good as many people here, and I rarely go into parks at all. I've just never been interested in doing jumps and tricks. I like to challenge myself with terrain -- trees, bumps, steep trails. If think if you can ski those well, I think that's enough.