You know what really grinds my gears?

[AdironRider]

So as I pack up my stuff for the treck back to the Northcountry and prepare to tackle the face again I was thinking about the things that really erk me on the hill. Figured this thread would be a good place to vent our problems and be done with it. Noone gets offended, just a little vent session.

My worst erk with skiing is the inexperienced skiier who gets in over his head. You know the type. The one you slog behind for what seems like an entire run waiting for a chance to slip by. You get his timing down and just as you make that pass he decides to cut across the entire run running right into you. Often his arms are spread eagle as he has no real "control". I hate this with a passion. Im a very courteous guy on the mt and I know the downhill skier is always in the right, but this is garbage. If you cant ski the goods with confidence get the hell off the hill. These types make the mt more dangerous if you ask me. Almost as bad as the morons who sit right below a steep on a trail then flip out when you almost hit them even though you couldnt see them at all.

 

[Marc]

Meehhh....


I'm consistently in over my head. Less and less now that I'm improving my all mountain ability, but if I only skied trails that I can ski flawlessly, how would I improve?


I think a more accurate grip would simply be, those who are unaware that other skiers exist and might even be on the same trail.

Because I know they type you're talking about, oblivious to all, and that drives me nuts as well.




Along with Cheetos, I mean, bright orange powdered cheese? What gives??

 

[ctenidae]

Cheetos bother me, too, but not nearly as much as Chinos. Man, Cheeto buildup all over a pair of poorly pressed chinos really chaps my hide.

Oblivious people, in general, do too.

 

[kingslug]

I just ski real close behind them. When they turn I turn the other way, fast. Haven't hit anybody in 8 years. My wife was the only one. She skied right in front of me then stopped. Double yard sale right under the lift at Windham. By the time the patrol got there we where back on the lift. Hurting for sure, and I needed new poles, they where pretzels.

 

[riverc0il]

My worst erk with skiing is the inexperienced skiier who gets in over his head. You know the type.

yea, all of us for example likely embodied this type of skier at one point. who here has never gotten in over there head big time whether for the right or wrong reason? pushing your boundaries is what makes great skiers, learning your boundaries and respecting them also makes a great skier. i think we have all made mistakes out there, so who are we to judge? yea, it sucks when a hack ruins your line and perfect snow. but you let them pass and go on your way.

 

[NYDrew]

Hey man, as irritating as they are, you have to respect them to handleing something above their head. Wait for them to fall, help them up, give them a tip and suggest a good trail for their ability. Suck it up, you were him at some point in your life.

As far as collisions go, passer is always wrong...ALWAYS. Ive had three major collisions in my life. One was during an instructor training drill, It was 100% my fault and I am very lucky I was the only one hurt....emergency room hurt.
Second was at windham where a boarder hit my helmit while jumping off of a kicker behind a snowgun ( and I thought I was safe by the gun). I almost killed him cause he didnt even stop. Held my pole to his gut and made him apologize...he gashed my carbon fiber helmit...thats how hard it was. Damn punk, should have just beaten the crap out of him and done the world a favor.
Third was at stratton, boarder caught my tails from behind. Damaged my ACL (gets worse every year) I was basically fine though and I have health insurance to cover that. He apologized, and apologized...and so on. Total accident, he had trouble handleing the crud on ice conditions and couldnt get over on edge to avoid me. I shook his hand and told him not to worry
bout it.

 

[Greg]

My worst erk with skiing is the inexperienced skiier who gets in over his head. You know the type.

yea, all of us for example likely embodied this type of skier at one point. who here has never gotten in over there head big time whether for the right or wrong reason? pushing your boundaries is what makes great skiers, learning your boundaries and respecting them also makes a great skier. i think we have all made mistakes out there, so who are we to judge? yea, it sucks when a hack ruins your line and perfect snow. but you let them pass and go on your way.

I agree with Marc, Steve and Drew. I probably pissed off a ton of skiers my first few years. The challenging trails were what made the sport so addicting. I recall many times looking back up a run and thinking to myself, "did I just ski that?" I know what you mean though about getting behind somebody that might potentially ruin the run. My solution? I stop, take a breather and take in the view. A newb will clear off of most runs within a few minutes. Sometimes they'll wipe and if they're okay, it's a good time to pass.

 

[riverc0il]

another thing to consider, is if you really don't like the people you are skiing with, master trails that allow you to ski where only the best skiers dare lay tracks. i seldom have issues with these types of situations except when i am skiing on what i consider a "status trail."

"oh yea, i skied that double diamond at that mountain!"

i only get irrate when someone without the needed skills for a trail does something to put me at risk. this happened a few years back when a side slipping snowboard lost his heal edge and almost took me out after he started sliding uncontrolably in kinsman glade. dangerous situation.

slip sliding down a powder trail, now that is reason to irrate!
:beer:

 

[Marc]

Cheetos bother me, too, but not nearly as much as Chinos. Man, Cheeto buildup all over a pair of poorly pressed chinos really chaps my hide.

Oblivious people, in general, do too.

And man, when you got an oblivious, chino wearin' cheeto eater, well... just... forget about it.



See this is why I wear stain defender Dockers. Because there's a good chance that at least half of whatever I eat or drink will somehow find its way into my lap.

 

[BeanoNYC]

See this is why I wear stain defender Dockers. Because there's a good chance that at least half of whatever I eat or drink will somehow find its way into my lap.

.... or a ladies drink over your head.

....back on topic. I am that person over my head. It's the only way I'm going to get better. Do I consistantly look over my shoulder and up the hill to make sure I'm not cutting in front of someone? .... you betcha, I want to stay safe. But I'll be damned if I don't push myself because someone may be irritated that they can't pass me at top speed. :beer:

Consequently, when I see someone who is struggling, I'm the first to give a bit of encouragement because I'm there all too often.

 

[ckofer]

It's not a matter of being "over your head". It's a matter of courtesy. For everybody.

 

[kbroderick]

There's a huge gap between pushing yourself and being in over your head. Or at least a very significant fine line.

When you're pushing yourself, you're still functioning as a skier/rider, and you should be able to continue working on applying the skills that have got you thus far and improving.

When you're in over your head, you go into survival mode. All you're trying to do is get down the hill, and that's not the time and place to be working on new skills. Doing this benefits no one and creates a generally dangerous situation.

Although people who are pushing themselves and thus getting in my way irk me, I'm quite willing to understand and accept their behavior--pushing your limits is an important part of skiing. As long as the person pushing his or her limits isn't putting anyone else in danger, that's all well and good. People who are simply in over their heads (e.g. the person we've all seen locked in a sideslip down a properly-signed upper-level trail because he/she came over the knoll at the top of the steep part and just locked up) piss me off. At that point, they're not doing themselves much benefit and they're scraping snow off the trail.

My personal pet peeve? People in race courses that don't belong there. If you went out to the park and the local high school or U14 league had a practice going on, you wouldn't try to play Ultimate Frisbee on the field, would you? OK, so WTF is it OK when you start skiing through a practice course set by a local ski club?

 

[riverc0il]

When you're in over your head, you go into survival mode. All you're trying to do is get down the hill, and that's not the time and place to be working on new skills. Doing this benefits no one and creates a generally dangerous situation.

speaking as an expert skier that still gets in over his head on a rare occasion or two and fail to see the correlation between ability level. fwiw, i haven't been over my head in bounds in a while, it is generally when i think the cover is 'okay' out back that i get in over my head. but i still wanted to point out that this happens to all ability levels. as i mentioned before, knowing the line is an important factor. but when you cross it, i think we have all gone into survival mode and we KNOW survival mode skiing is not fun. sometimes getting in over your head is a big time deturent from pushing your boundaries too far, a reality check is sometimes a good thing if it keeps people from going too far over their head.

as a former racer, yea... having people ski into your course is a breach of edicate. but why rag on them for it? they want to give racing a shot, that surely is a good sign? it isn't their fault most hills do not accomodate non-leauge racing and most hills do not have nastar, and the few hills that do have nastar have it during restricted times. i don't blame the ignorant skier that wants to try racing, i blame the ski areas for not being more accomodating with putting up terrain features that challenge people. most ski areas will build a park but not dedicate part of a run for racing gates? seems especially absured during an olympic year with the US ski team getting so much press. you want to know why the US ski team is generally not competitive except when one or two great skiers emerge from the fold every few years? it is because racing isn't encouraged, it's generally for leauge/team/college/master use only. so maybe try talking to kids who run into the race course and explaining the situation to them and encouraging them to get involved in a leauge or naster?

 

[ckofer]

I think some resorts have shown wisdom in creating groomed sections next to bumped area so that those "over their heads" can get out of the way. Next time you run into someone who got on the wrong trail, be kind and try to advise them how to get out of there the best way possible.

As far as race trails go-kbroderick is right. The resorts, however, could choose to build some common access gated areas for the rest of us.

 

[kbroderick]

The resorts, however, could choose to build some common access gated areas for the rest of us.

You and riverc0il both brought up the issue of open-to-the-public courses, and he specifically mentioned NASTAR. I can point out why most resorts offer only limited hours of NASTAR availability, if any, and limited coin-op opportunities: there's almost no public demand for it, and there's a significant cost involved (you need two staffers, one at the top and one at the bottom of the course, plus you need a crew to set and pull, and course setting could be considered a skilled endeavor). That's leaving aside the liability issues.

And, quite frankly, it's not the people that actively poach courses that are the most annoying; at least they tend to be on their way in a reasonably quick manner. It's the ones that are oblivious to the presence of the course, and I think that a lack of education has a lot to do with it--even if there's a "RACE TRAINING IN PROGRESS, PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF COURSE" banner at the top of the hill, people seem not to realize that (a) yes, those red and blue poles are there for a reason and (b) the racers attempting to train utilizing those red and blue poles are going to be focused directly down the hill on the gates ahead of them and moving at a high rate of speed. When you wander into the track from the other side of the trail, they will probably manage not to hit you, but they may not miss by much.

Wow. That does still annoy me, and I haven't been actively racing (beer league doesn't count) in about six years.

 

[RISkier]

My worst erk with skiing is the inexperienced skiier who gets in over his head. You know the type.

yea, all of us for example likely embodied this type of skier at one point. who here has never gotten in over there head big time whether for the right or wrong reason? pushing your boundaries is what makes great skiers, learning your boundaries and respecting them also makes a great skier. i think we have all made mistakes out there, so who are we to judge? yea, it sucks when a hack ruins your line and perfect snow. but you let them pass and go on your way.

I agree with Marc, Steve and Drew. I probably pissed off a ton of skiers my first few years. The challenging trails were what made the sport so addicting. I recall many times looking back up a run and thinking to myself, "did I just ski that?" I know what you mean though about getting behind somebody that might potentially ruin the run. My solution? I stop, take a breather and take in the view. A newb will clear off of most runs within a few minutes. Sometimes they'll wipe and if they're okay, it's a good time to pass.

I think that's very well said. I've no doubt I've irritated better skiers a few times. If I'm on something with which I'm really struggling, I'll often stop at the side of the trail, look up, and try to pick my way down when it's clear. Instructors often say (and I don't remember the exact percentages) you should spend some time (say 25%) on terrain you find very easy and just work on technique, 50% of your time or so on terrain that's in your comfort zone, and 25% or so on terrain you find challenging. The only way to expand your comfort zone is to get challenge yourself by skiing terrain outside your comfort zone.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Altho it can be mildly irritating --KILL EM WITH KINDNESS AS U FLY BYE by shouting out some ENCOURAGING words.

after all we ALL have been there early on in our skiing history. I remember how i felt when given support by those better than I

 

[Skifastsailfast]

I've no doubt I've irritated better skiers a few times. If I'm on something with which I'm really struggling, I'll often stop at the side of the trail, look up, and try to pick my way down when it's clear. Instructors often say (and I don't remember the exact percentages) you should spend some time (say 25%) on terrain you find very easy and just work on technique, 50% of your time or so on terrain that's in your comfort zone, and 25% or so on terrain you find challenging. The only way to expand your comfort zone is to get challenge yourself by skiing terrain outside your comfort zone.

Bingo, that's pretty much the way I approach things. I do like to spend at least a little time skiing stuff that is outside my comfort zone, but I do all I can not to mess up other skiers who can tackle it better than I can.

My pet peeve on any hill is when I'm making some nice turns down a nice line and someone pushes off from a complete stop into my line, right in front of me, without first looking up. Even worse: the skier who does that AFTER looking up and seeing me coming down. Yes, I know the downhill skier has right of way, and it's up to me to slow down to avoid hitting them, but to cut someone off like that is rude and dangerous.

WHat ever happened to the practice of looking up before pushing off? And looking up at trail junctions?

 

[kbroderick]

My pet peeve on any hill is when I'm making some nice turns down a nice line and someone pushes off from a complete stop into my line, right in front of me, without first looking up. Even worse: the skier who does that AFTER looking up and seeing me coming down. Yes, I know the downhill skier has right of way, and it's up to me to slow down to avoid hitting them, but to cut someone off like that is rude and dangerous.

...especially when they were standing in the middle of a trail entrance with a group, and one person splits off in each direction at about the same time.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others

As noted here, the skier starting downhill does not have right of way. Yet many people seem to stop reading after #1, if they get that far. Personally, I generally treat people who pull out in front of me on skis the same way I do while driving--I leave enough room not to hit them, but I make no effort whatsoever to leave enough room for their comfort. If they don't like me skiing by at 30 MPH and less than five yards away, then they shouldn't pull out in front of me.

:beer: on that one.

 

[YardSaleDad]

I generally treat people who pull out in front of me on skis the same way I do while driving--I leave enough room not to hit them, but I make no effort whatsoever to leave enough room for their comfort. If they don't like me skiing by at 30 MPH and less than five yards away, then they shouldn't pull out in front of me.

Sounds like trail rage to me.

Everyone make mistakes, including me. Defensive skiing means anticipating people making them. The next person you buzz may be a cop/marine/biker/jedi.