MRG - What about snowboarders?

[ski_resort_observer]

I wasn't counting those early boarders at MRG. Alta has never allowed boarders. No boarder can really say what it is like to ride at MRG or Alta. If they banned Jay to skiers, tons of people would know what it was like to ski Jay. Get my point?

I'm running for office in 08

I got your point the first time. When it comes to banning snowboarders from a ski hill, that's ok but if your talking about banning skiers, that's not cool at all. :wink:

 

[SnowRider]

Do you wanna know why Sugarbush (or Sugarloaf I forget which one) lifted there ban back in the day. Todd Richards in a pro snowber and a true rider from Paxton MA. One day while in his 20's or 30's he was surfing and he met the owner of Sugarbush on the beach. Todd taught him how to surf and the man noticed there is nothing wrong with snowboarders. That winter riders were there shredding it up. Wanna know how I know this? Todd Richards Biography! P3 Parks, Pipe, Powder. GET THE BOOK It will give you so much more of an perspective in what snowbers had to go through to gain the respect. To know that there are still mountains out there that wont let us in.....its just un american.

 

[JimG.]

Simple snowboarding bring in more money.

What it was about snowboarding is that when it hit the slopes, The popularity of it surged quicker than any change within the history of the ski industry.
(except perhapsthe invention of the chairlift-though that could also be argued)
The mountains who opened themselves up to snowboarding saw the potential untapped market for increased revenue for their mountain ops.

The Demographic was key, young Males (teens and twenties) with disposable income.
So when these mountians reported skier visits nearly doubling from the years before snowboarding was allowed, every other mountain wiped the crust from their eyes and opened their piggy banks because snowboarding changed snow-sports.

Dynamically snowboarding has a sharper learning curve than skiing, so those who tried were able to pick it up pretty well within the first season (and the gifted ones were liknking turns on their first day out) as opposed to the learning curve with skiing. So those new to the sport were hooked quicker, and increasing visits to the mountains.

The shape of snowboards has also helped skiers through the advent of parabolic skis, though there are many who will detest that statement, I ask how long would skiers still be skiing on straight skis if not for snowboarding?

Avoiding progress at the attempt to remember the "good ol' days" is as senseless as commuting on horse and buggy and typing with a typewriter.

So IF MRG really wants to hold onto classic skiing (as is the "reasoning" for the snowboard ban) I say, lace up yor leather boots, strap into your leather strap bindings on your 15' wooden skis (with matching leather tethers) , grab your single balance pole skin those puppies up and and hike to the top, oh make sure you leave your duo-folds, hot chillys, high-impact helmets, polarized bolle goggles, gore-tex gloves and battery-powered boot warmers at home we wouldnt want any technological advancements ruining the classic vibe here at this is classic mountain.

(holy crap the idiot has a point) :blink:

Excellent response!

 

[nhski]

I got your point the first time. When it comes to banning snowboarders from a ski hill, that's ok but if your talking about banning skiers, that's not cool at all. :wink:

I didn't say banning snowboarders was okay. All i've said about it really is that boarders would have a hell of a time getting around at Alta. Maybe a new mountain should open up for boarders only, i seriously doubt it would bother me too much. I guess i wouldn't know until i was on that side of the argument.

 

[AdironRider]

I say we have an AZ snowboard hike/gettogether at MRG, hike the bastard, ride down and stake our claim.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I say we have an AZ snowboard hike/gettogether at MRG, hike the bastard, ride down and stake our claim.

U a rebel with a cause.

 

[David Metsky]

What is it about snowboarding that got the vast majority to change this policy?
Snowboarding brings in more money.

But it's not about money. MRG doesn't need to make more money, they are doing just fine. It could be a problem in the future but it isn't a problem now. And I think you could make a strong argument that snowboards at MRG would be a net money loser, as you'd lose some of the core skiers that keep MRG going in good years and bad and then the place would be in trouble.

<rant>Avoiding progress at the attempt to remember the "good ol' days" is as senseless as commuting on horse and buggy and typing with a typewriter.
...
(holy crap the idiot has a point) :blink:

I think this line of argument has some merit, but not enough. 8) For whatever reason, the lines have been drawn where they are drawn (snowmaking, grooming, lifts, snowboards). All else is fair game. But you do see a higher percentage of old alpine skis, old school tele's with leather boots, and wool at MRG than you do at other ski areas.

-dave-

 

[ctenidae]

Business decision
Business decision
Business decision.

If you're a boarder who wants to go to MRG, buy a share or get some skis. If you're a skier who wants MRG to allow boards, buy a share or don't go there, and tell them why.

I don't think there's a MRG-wide ethics question here. The majority of shareholders, for each one's own individual reason, has voted to uphold the ban. We can argue each point until we're blue in the face, but we'll still all be wrong.

I'll guarantee this, though- any mountain that banned skiers wouldn't last long enough to generate a single thread about it. Boarders may be the fastest growing segment, but they're still a minority. MRG doesn't see profits from boarders sufficient enough to overcome each individual shareholder's reason for upholding the ban. That's it. One day the profits will be greater than the perceived costs, and the ban will go away. Until that time, get me my horse and a stick.

 

[nhski]

I'm a supporter of the ban but even I think this argument is without value.

If Jay Peak (my other favorite mountain) banned tele skiers I'd be mad for a while, I'd skin up (like I occasionally do now), I'd spend more time at MRG or another northern VT mountain such as Smuggs or Stowe. Such is life. I might work to convince Jay to change their policy, but if I understood the reasoning and accepted that the powers that be have no reason to change, I'd move on.

-dave-

It wasn't an argument for or against snowboarding at MRG or elsewhere. Where's my argument for or against???? It was just a correction on a comparision, thats all.

 

[David Metsky]

I say we have an AZ snowboard hike/gettogether at MRG, hike the bastard, ride down and stake our claim.

I don't think you'd get any flack if you did that. Fine by me, anyone who wants to hike the place is more than welcome Drive up to the top of Lincoln Gap to gain and take the LT south, that's the quickest way.

I'm not sure what it would prove, but more power to ya.

-dave-

 

[JimG.]

But it's not about money. MRG doesn't need to make more money, they are doing just fine. It could be a problem in the future but it isn't a problem now. And I think you could make a strong argument that snowboards at MRG would be a net money loser, as you'd lose some of the core skiers that keep MRG going in good years and bad and then the place would be in trouble.


I think this line of argument has some merit, but not enough. 8) For whatever reason, the lines have been drawn where they are drawn (snowmaking, grooming, lifts, snowboards). All else is fair game. But you do see a higher percentage of old alpine skis, old school tele's with leather boots, and wool at MRG than you do at other ski areas.

-dave-

Both points are very true. MRG is not subject to the market forces that other ski areas are subject to because of its' unique ownership situation.

And I personally love stepping back in time and looking at all the old equipment and clothes I see there when I ski there.

 

[Big Game]

I'm a supporter of the ban

That hurts man. Think about who you're hurting.

 

[dmc]

thats different b/c skiers have already had a taste of those mountains. And both Jay and the bird rock.

It'd be like if Big Jay opened up as a snowboard only mountain.

I've skied Alta and MRG... I know what I'm missing...

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I don't think you'd get any flack if you did that. Fine by me, anyone who wants to hike the place is more than welcome Drive up to the top of Lincoln Gap to gain and take the LT south, that's the quickest way.
I'm not sure what it would prove, but more power to ya.
-dave-

Actually, driving up to App Gap which is open and MRG is right there rather than driving up to a closed Lincoln Gap road 8 miles away, would be a better choice. 3/4 of the ways up the gap one of MRG's lifts top out right at the road, you could ride down, no hiking required. You wouldn't be the first nor the last.

 

[Birdman829]

I don't agree with their ban of snowboards but I will defend to my death their right to ban them! Seriously though, I don't think its very reasonable but it doesn't effect me and there's nothing I can really do about it.

 

[David Metsky]

Actually, driving up to App Gap which is open and MRG is right there rather than driving up to a closed Lincoln Gap road 8 miles away, would be a better choice. 3/4 of the ways up the gap one of MRG's lifts top out right at the road, you could ride down, no hiking required. You wouldn't be the first nor the last.

My bad, I got them reversed. I meant App Gap. That lift by the road is the practice slope, it's not very much vertical and the terrain is nothing special. To get to the top of the double requires some hiking. To get to the top of the single or Paradise requires a bit more hiking. You can also take the snowshoe trail up from the base, but I think the LT is quicker.

-dave-

 

[nhski]

I've skied Alta and MRG... I know what I'm missing...

But i would venture to say most boarders don't.

 

[dmc]

But i would venture to say most boarders don't.

I'm not like most people... I was a pretty decent skier back in the day(80's-90's) - skied Alta and MRG... kinda pictured myself as a Scott Schmit kinda extreme skier with the K2 TNCs or Extremes..... And now I'm taking up telemark skiing for the hell of it...

But that makes me more dangerous to the anti-snowboard crew... Because I KNOW what I'm missing and I communicate it to noobs...

 

[nhski]

I've never skiied MRG, and love skiing jay

would it suck if all of a sudden MRG became a snowboard only moutiain....yes
would it suck even more if Jay suddenly bacame a snowboard only mountain...i think so

that was my only point. I won't waste any more thread space trying to make it.

 

[loafer89]

My best friend and skiing buddy tried snowboarding at Solitude two years back. He had fun, but he said he liked skiing better and he was been a skier for almost 15 years. My son has not expressed any interest in snowboarding as of yet, but I have no problem if he decides to snowboard as long as he sticks to some kind of outdoor sport to keep him away from things he should not be doing when he becomes a teenager. So far the people that I have met in person from AZ have been skiers, but this is more from chance than anything else.