How seriously do you take skiing?

[wa-loaf]

Racings is humbling every day, from the DFL (Dead F*cking Last) people right up to the winners, who know they made a mistake on the third gate and could have been faster. I've had Bernie Resch beat me by five seconds and listened to him say how much his run sucked. And it's really funny on the first day of an adult race camp, sitting in the lodge afterwards to watch your video. The most common thing people say after seeing themselves race for the first time is "My God, I am the worst skier ever. I quit.".

Racing is about the journey. You have to be in it for the long hall and be happy with reaching small goals on the way. There are almost always more bad days than good, which isn't for everyone....

I only started racing 2 years ago, after almost 38 years of skiing, and I love it. It's addicting and every small improvement in time or even just making one perfect turn on a gate rocks. I want to do more. And yes, i suck at it. :-D

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I only started racing 2 years ago, after almost 38 years of skiing, and I love it. It's addicting and every small improvement in time or even just making one perfect turn on a gate rocks. I want to do more. And yes, i suck at it. :-D

You don't suck that bad if you're 3rd in mens silver..Two season ago when I skied alot of Nastar..I was first in the 20-29 Bronze category..but only got a silver medal on a few runs. I usually get a bronze medal in Nastar whether at Sno, Blue, or Jackson Hoie..

 

[wa-loaf]

You don't suck that bad if you're 3rd in mens silver..Two season ago when I skied alot of Nastar..I was first in the 20-29 Bronze category..but only got a silver medal on a few runs. I usually get a bronze medal in Nastar whether at Sno, Blue, or Jackson Hoie..

Well, the suits are still beating me by 4-5 seconds, so I got a long way to go.

I hit 40 this year which bumps me up a category and helps my handicap for next year, but I also think there's more competition in that age group at WA.

 

[Vortex]

Haha..I like wearing tightunderarmour because it's like a man girdle for me..it keeps the spare tire tight..lol..my diet starts tomorrow though so I shouldn't have that issue next season. Once I get skinny I'll be able to rock the mesh shirt..JEA!!!!

I don't think being serious about skiing means taking lessons and working on technique..it's more about how into the sport you are.

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east?

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you?

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season?

Do you ski in the rain?


Do you ski when there is only one trail open?

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"?

Do you think about skiing everyday?

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum?

Have you ever been a skibum?

Do you have ski posters on your walls?

yes

 

[deadheadskier]

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east? No, but definitely in November

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you? If I have the day off, yes

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season? yes, including the gf. they all now how important skiing is regarding my happiness and mental well being

Do you ski in the rain? yes

Do you ski when there is only one trail open? yes

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"? no local hill, but back during my ski bum days at Stowe yes

Do you think about skiing everyday? yes

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum? I would quit my job. I wouldn't move to the mountains as I'd still want to be within an hour or so of Boston for year round living. I wouldn't become a skibum per se. I would own a second home on a lake in the mountains within 20 minutes of a ski area and would ski at least 3 days a week. I'd also take at least one vacation out west per winter and one to south america during the summer. Can you tell I've thought about this one?

Have you ever been a skibum? Yes, two winters. 95-96 and 2000-2001

Do you have ski posters on your walls? posters no, paintings yes

 

[Moe Ghoul]

I try to distract myself between seasons because the anticipation is that much sweeter for me as Thanksgiving nears. If I wanted to be totally irresponsible and wreck my marriage, I could take the whole season off and ski anywhere. I guess I really love my wife.
She's cool about me taking off for trips, she doesn't ski, so it's a good compromise.

 

[severine]

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east?
No

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you?
No

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season?
What friends?

Do you ski in the rain?
Sometimes


Do you ski when there is only one trail open?
No

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"?
No

Do you think about skiing everyday?
Sometimes

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum?
No

Have you ever been a skibum?
No

Do you have ski posters on your walls?
Yes, Tux and A-basin (A-basin is from space and it's cool to show off what I actually skied there)

Guess I'm not that serious about skiing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east?
No

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you?
No

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season?
What friends?

Do you ski in the rain?
Sometimes


Do you ski when there is only one trail open?
No

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"?
No

Do you think about skiing everyday?
Sometimes

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum?
No

Have you ever been a skibum?
No

Do you have ski posters on your walls?
Yes, Tux and A-basin (A-basin is from space and it's cool to show off what I actually skied there)

Guess I'm not that serious about skiing.

Great list of questions.

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east?
Yes

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you?
Yes

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season?
Yes the ones who don't, but most of the people I hang with these days are skiers

Do you ski in the rain?
Yes, but not all day

Do you ski when there is only one trail open?
Yes, laps in November.

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"?
I know many liftees

Do you think about skiing everyday?
Yes

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum?
Well I'd ski most days but with that kinda money I wouldn't qualify as a ski bum.

Have you ever been a skibum?
No

Do you have ski posters on your walls?
Yes, Whiteface

Do I take it serious. I guess it's a lifestyle thing for me.

 

[gmcunni]

In general i try not to take too many things seriously, but my wife does call me "obsessed" with regards to skiing during the winter.

When i ski i do try to continually improve and push myself to ski better and try new things. i watch other around me who ski better than i and try to learn from them. I'd like to ski more days than i get to. but most of all, i ski to have fun!

 

[ski9]

I haven't given up on racing just yet...The course at Sno is actually a really good course to learn on...much better than the course at Blue for a novice racer. Ski9, in the summer do you think about running gates and nailing the perfect line? Earlier today I was thinking about skiing moguls. Wow I miss skiing..

Well, this is the first spring I've taken off from grass skiing...I've broken two bones and dislocated three shoulders in the last three grass skiing seasons. So I guess I never stop working on making turns. But I coach soccer camps, then Ty's team through the fall, so it takes my mind off skiing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I only started racing 2 years ago, after almost 38 years of skiing, and I love it. It's addicting and every small improvement in time or even just making one perfect turn on a gate rocks. I want to do more. And yes, i suck at it. :-D

I like NASTAR alot, but this season was tuff. Last season I got my handicap to 17 and was in the Gold division for my age group. I hoped to keep improving, but my handicap this season was in the low 20's and I was in the Silver division. I got some gold, but not enough.

My best friend was always my main rival, this year he got better and I got worse and was no competition for him. He actually scored a platium. I'll be back for more self abuse next season.

 

[Geoff]

Do you need to ski the first weekend there is lift served skiing in the east?

Always. Unfortunately, that was Sunday River this year instead of KMart and I only skied Saturday.

Does the thought of missing a powder day kill you?

I don't worry about it if I have a work conflict. I get my fair share of midweek powder days.

Do your friends understand why you aren't around much during ski season?

It's been the standing joke for my whole life. I vanish after Halloween and don't return until Memorial Day

Do you ski in the rain?

Sure. I own Gore Tex. I last skied in the rain on May 10th at Sugarbush.

Do you ski when there is only one trail open?

Absolutely. I ski when there are zero trails open.

Do the liftees at the local hill say,"Are you always here"?

No. I don't bother with the local hill. Gunstock only lights the flat lower mountain.

Do you think about skiing everyday?

Yep.

If you were to win the lottery..would you quit your job and become a skibum?

A skibum doesn't have any money. I would quit my job and become part of the retiree ski club

Have you ever been a skibum?

Nope. I have taken 2 years off and skied but I wasn't washing dishes or waiting tables

Do you have ski posters on your walls?

No. I have art on my walls. The framed ski stuff is at work.

I've skied every weekend for most of my life. It's what I do. It's a lifestyle. I'm not fanatical about all the nuances. I have never aspired to be the best skier on the mountain. I have lots of friends who ski far better than I do with a line of trophys to show for it. I'm there for me, not to compete. Skiing is about being outdoors getting some exercise. Skiing is about being social with all my friends. Skiing is about meeting new friends. Skiing is all about that sensual feeling of powder and corn snow. Skiing is springtime tailgate BBQs. I take the lifestyle seriously but every turn doesn't need to be perfect and there are days where I'll only go out for a few hours when the conditions or weather are marginal.

My mom skied 100 days per year until her late 60's when she dialed it back. I'm looking at my bank balance trying to decide when I can start doing that. Every weekend just isn't quite cutting it for me.

 

[mondeo]

Sometimes I'm just out there for pure fun, but I enjoy the challenge of getting better. I'm planning on spending at least a night a week next year on the bunny hill at Sundown. It's not as fun doing drills as doing bumps, but the feeling of accomplishment when I hit that next milestone (whatever it may be) is worth it.

So yes, I'd say I take skiing seriously.

 

[Beetlenut]

I'm serious about my fun! Skiing gets better every year for me. Not much for drills or technique, but I'm always looking for something fun to ski off/around/under/over... The only thing I've bothered to look into technique-wise is skiing bumps, and that was just this year. Skiing bumps with good technique = more fun, and that's my only motivation to spend the effort to do that.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Well, this is the first spring I've taken off from grass skiing...I've broken two bones and dislocated three shoulders in the last three grass skiing seasons. So I guess I never stop working on making turns. But I coach soccer camps, then Ty's team through the fall, so it takes my mind off skiing.

you'll be ez to pick out at Sno, the only guy with 3 arms and 3 poles:blink:

 

[gorgonzola]

i take skiing as serious as i take anything else - i work so i can ski,travel, bike, play hockey, feed my family - all the things that define my being . i like to work at skiing to improve and get better - i'm not anal about technique but like to measure improvements/skill by doing some nasty-r racing, completion of mogul runs - increase distance with no rest or falls skiing more aggressively, and attempt/land booters, jibs etc within reason for a 45 yo....oh yeah and try to keep up with gss on staturday mornings and now my kids! evry once in a whille you get a hiccup, plataue on the race course, tentative skiing resulting from an injury or fall, work through the aches and pains of getting a little older each year - along with being outside its what makes it a blast and on my mind every day!

to put it in perspective i' put an addition on my house this past year and still have a lot of interior renovations and odds and ends to do - people come over and say wow its beautiful but i thought you'd be done by now -i answer with a big grin - but i got 32 days of skiing in and closing in on 100 miles of trail on the mtb! its all about the balance

thank god my wife puts up with me!

 

[snoseek]

Well let's see at 35 I have little money saved, have no ambition to work in the winter, rent, am not married with kids, drive a cheap little car, own 5 pairs of pants (one of them gross ski pants that have 300+ days), eat cheap food, have moved 10 times in the last 10 years at least. However I have had a real good run avereging over 100 days per year since I was out of high school (that's right, I'm probably nearing 2000 lifetime days) and it all really seems worth it.

Every winter I say this is it and want to become a normal productive person, and every spring I go back to work and realize it will make me miserable. I swear I had all intentions of a career when I started my new job last week, but now I'm sure come November I will be pounding sand. Whatever it takes to bag another 100 days next season.

I don't take the sport of skiing seriously at all, it's just fun and a great way to spend your life. I do however take my personal time to ski very seriously and with that comes some huge sacrifices. I'm gonna die a happy broke man.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Well let's see at 35 I have little money saved, have no ambition to work in the winter, rent, am not married with kids, drive a cheap little car, own 5 pairs of pants (one of them gross ski pants that have 300+ days), eat cheap food, have moved 10 times in the last 10 years at least. However I have had a real good run avereging over 100 days per year since I was out of high school (that's right, I'm probably nearing 2000 lifetime days) and it all really seems worth it.

Every winter I say this is it and want to become a normal productive person, and every spring I go back to work and realize it will make me miserable. I swear I had all intentions of a career when I started my new job last week, but now I'm sure come November I will be pounding sand. Whatever it takes to bag another 100 days next season.

I don't take the sport of skiing seriously at all, it's just fun and a great way to spend your life. I do however take my personal time to ski very seriously and with that comes some huge sacrifices. I'm gonna die a happy broke man.

I truly admire the life path you've taken. Alot of peopel say they'd like to do it, but few actually do.

 

[Vortex]

In general i try not to take too many things seriously, but my wife does call me "obsessed" with regards to skiing during the winter.

When i ski i do try to continually improve and push myself to ski better and try new things. i watch other around me who ski better than i and try to learn from them. I'd like to ski more days than i get to. but most of all, i ski to have fun!

My wife uses the word obsesses quite often in relation to me as well.:smash: I think that terms is more accurate than serious.:roll:

 

[deadheadskier]

I truly admire the life path you've taken. Alot of peopel say they'd like to do it, but few actually do.

+1

It's not easy to do. I tried it as a 19 year old college drop out and couldn't manage being unemployed in the fall and spring, but did have a great 100 day season. I went back to college to get a degree so I could be a 'professional' ski bum. The entry level job I got after college wasn't enough without a second job to afford the cost of living in ski town, but did have the best winter of my life with another 100 days on the hill. I went away from ski town life to get more experience for a year, then went back and tried to be a professional ski bum again with middle management jobs for two years. At this point I could afford to live in the ski town, but the mountains I was working at had me working 80 hours a week during season, so I only got about a dozen days per on the hill.....not worth it for the amount of hours I had to work and so little skiing. I gave up from there.

To do what you do takes a lot of sacrifice....it ain't easy.