Let's see if this has any legs!

[deadheadskier]

I'm sure that was better as an earn your turn powder bowl, but it sure does look sweet with all the bumps too.

 

[Cornhead]

I'm sure that was better as an earn your turn powder bowl, but it sure does look sweet with all the bumps too.

Yep, there were a shitload, zero ice too, ah memories. It's funny, my first day at Abasin last year I thought to myself, "It's so nice skiing bumps out West, no ice in the troughs." Then it dawned on me, there were no icy troughs back home last year. Very few thaw freeze cycles. I hope this year is the same...with more snow.

 

[mbedle]

I haven't heard that to be the case in Taos.

DHS- not sure your reply was to mine. Was Taos forced to allow snowboarders? If not, that is a big difference. Taos chose to allow snowboarders and with open arms. Alta, is being forced to allow them. Don't expect them to roll out the red carpet for them. I see no racks, no equipment sales, no rentals, no parks, and a couple of lift line attendants having some fun at the expense of a inexperienced boarder. Don't expect the ski patrol to be to kind to them. Slightest infraction will result in a ticket being pulled.

 

[deadheadskier]

They were not forced no. But, there was definitely a long history of similar types like you have at MRG and Alta who were decidedly anti-snowboarding. There was concern of animosity when the ban was lifted. It was pretty big news. That didn't materialize from what I've read and Cornhead confirms.

Even if by force, I'm not so certain people wouldn't warm up very quickly to snowboarders at Alta. Unless the people there really are that big of jerks.

I'm in agreement that the court case is a joke. However, I also feel snowboarding bans are a joke.

 

[marcski]

However, I also feel snowboarding bans are a joke.

Really? We never heard you say that before. [emoji1]

 

[thetrailboss]

DHS- not sure your reply was to mine. Was Taos forced to allow snowboarders? If not, that is a big difference. Taos chose to allow snowboarders and with open arms. Alta, is being forced to allow them. Don't expect them to roll out the red carpet for them. I see no racks, no equipment sales, no rentals, no parks, and a couple of lift line attendants having some fun at the expense of a inexperienced boarder. Don't expect the ski patrol to be to kind to them. Slightest infraction will result in a ticket being pulled.

In all fairness, and from skiing regularly at Alta, I can say that the management and staff are awesome and really don't care from what I see. It's their customers and ownership that want to keep it as it is. Some customers are very vocal about it, others not. Is it different? Yes, I think so. I am a skier and I enjoy it. The snow surfaces are different, but I think that is in large part due to less traffic. Is the vibe different? Yes. It is old school with a lot of mountain gear heads and the "earn your turn" crowd that hikes for the goods off the lift accessed terrain.

Snowbird is right next door and while very similar it is quite different. IMHO the terrain variety at Snowbird is better but that is thanks to a different lift design (all terrain is accessible with little if any real hiking) because of the Tram. Alta didn't have the money or technology in 1938 to have this. Also, Snowbird is huge. Add that the crowd is younger and more diverse and the vibe is different. However, the gaper factor is much higher.

 

[mbedle]

In all fairness, and from skiing regularly at Alta, I can say that the management and staff are awesome and really don't care from what I see. It's their customers and ownership that want to keep it as it is. Some customers are very vocal about it, others not. Is it different? Yes, I think so. I am a skier and I enjoy it. The snow surfaces are different, but I think that is in large part due to less traffic. Is the vibe different? Yes. It is old school with a lot of mountain gear heads and the "earn your turn" crowd that hikes for the goods off the lift accessed terrain.

Snowbird is right next door and while very similar it is quite different. IMHO the terrain variety at Snowbird is better but that is thanks to a different lift design (all terrain is accessible with little if any real hiking) because of the Tram. Alta didn't have the money or technology in 1938 to have this. Also, Snowbird is huge. Add that the crowd is younger and more diverse and the vibe is different. However, the gaper factor is much higher.

That makes sense and I wasn't thinking that employees may not have the same feelings that the company that owns Alta does. None the less, a company that is forced to allow snowboarding is not necessarily going to open the gates with love for snowboarders. If it does happen, its also not really going to change the vibe at Alta. I got to believe for at least a couple of years, most snowboarders will avoid the place. Even if the lose in court, pretty sure they are not going to require them to advertise that they now welcome snowboarders.

 

[thetrailboss]

That makes sense and I wasn't thinking that employees may not have the same feelings that the company that owns Alta does. None the less, a company that is forced to allow snowboarding is not necessarily going to open the gates with love for snowboarders. If it does happen, its also not really going to change the vibe at Alta. I got to believe for at least a couple of years, most snowboarders will avoid the place. Even if the lose in court, pretty sure they are not going to require them to advertise that they now welcome snowboarders.

Highly doubtful that Alta is going to lose


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Don't need a rack..
Don't need a park..
Don't need services..
Don't need lifties to treat me well...

Just need badass terrain..

 

[the_awesome]

What annoys me about places like MRG is the overly negative attitude towards snowboarding in general. What they don't understand is that their stereotypical vision of a snowboarder is not going to frequent MRG. They will stick to the lift accessed terrain parks & HSQ serviced groomers that are now run rampant with "freeskiers".....

 

[Funky_Catskills]

They may show up and ride MRG... Once...

 

[the_awesome]

The reasons (see excuses) I have heard have been anywhere from "Oh, snowboarders damage the single chair when unloading". All the way to "The owners wife was harassed by a group of you skiboarding hooligans in the produce section of a grocery store and swore to ban it".

Meanwhile, I'm on a lift at Sugerbush with a family whose wife is telling me it's because it's "too difficult" for snowboarders. As she proceeds to pizza down a green, her son dressed in an outfit a 5x too large for him (made by a snowboard company none the less) does this neat trick of sitting on his skis, cuts her off in the process knocking her over causing a complete train wreck...

 

[thetrailboss]

The reasons (see excuses) I have heard have been anywhere from "Oh, snowboarders damage the single chair when unloading". All the way to "The owners wife was harassed by a group of you skiboarding hooligans in the produce section of a grocery store and swore to ban it".

You're closer than you realize.

The first problem was that snowboarders had a hard time getting off the Single because of the ramp. This would result in stopping the lift to let them off or the chair derailing because the boarder had to push off.

Betsy Pratt then decided to restrict boarders from the Single because of this issue. So they could only ride the doubles at the mountain. This pissed off a lot of snowboarders. One night a group of boarders allegedly accosted and harassed Betsy while she was grocery shopping. So she banned them all completely.

It has stuck for other reasons--mainly the preference of the majority of the shareholders.

 

[Funky_Catskills]

like clockwork

 

[SnowRock]

It has stuck for other reasons--mainly the preference of the majority of the shareholders.

And this is always my problem with the bans. I probably said the same thing in this very thread but there is nothing wrong with the bans... businesses can choose to run as they wish within the boundary of law.

I'd probably visit MRG at least a few times a season based on the terrain but they don't want my money and that's fine. I will continue to give it to Stowe and Bush and I will likely enjoy Snowbird with my MC this year (so I guess I am giving Alta some money). But just own the decision for what it is... Don't start with the ruin the moguls, scrape the snow, and other dopey excuses (the sound) when so many are rocking rocking 100+ under foot.

The lawsuit is silly IMO and very surprised that it is being heard.

 

[steamboat1]

Heard they won't even serve a latte to boarders at Deer Valley.

 

[the_awesome]

But just own the decision for what it is... Don't start with the ruin the moguls, scrape the snow, and other dopey excuses (the sound) when so many are rocking rocking 100+ under foot.

x2

 

[SnowRock]

Heard they won't even serve a latte to boarders at Deer Valley.

I prefer pour over anyway.

 

[dlague]

Wow - that all I have!

 

[Funky_Catskills]

And this is always my problem with the bans. I probably said the same thing in this very thread but there is nothing wrong with the bans... businesses can choose to run as they wish within the boundary of law.

I'd probably visit MRG at least a few times a season based on the terrain but they don't want my money and that's fine. I will continue to give it to Stowe and Bush and I will likely enjoy Snowbird with my MC this year (so I guess I am giving Alta some money). But just own the decision for what it is... Don't start with the ruin the moguls, scrape the snow, and other dopey excuses (the sound) when so many are rocking rocking 100+ under foot.

The lawsuit is silly IMO and very surprised that it is being heard.

Moguls in the woods suck...
I abandon woods runs when they bump up..