This video is very clever and it’s hilarious. If you ski here in CO, you get it.
Vail has a problem. While on one hand they’ve brought more skiers to the slopes, make made more money, doing so has in some ways, backfired.
On busy days they park people on the side of the road — really dangerous.
On busy days you spend a lot of time in lines — really sucks.
On busy days the slopes are crowded — really dangerous.
Bitching about people on the front range, where I grew up, is not the answer. Lots of skiers come to Vail from Summit County, for example. Everyone wants to come up here and lock the door behind them.
I don’t know what the answer is, and I’m not going to even contemplate it. I have some ideas, but I’ll keep them to myself. Not my business.
I was just in Utah. I talked to a few visitors who’re over CO, who go there now instead of CO and Vail.
CO, Denver/Boulder is only going to grow. The recent tunnel expansion in Idaho Springs is basically whack a mole.
If I was an executive at Vail, I’d be very concerned about the product being sold.
Vail has become a front range ski area. They’ll never admit to it, they try like hell to avoid the tag, but that’s what’s happened. It’s not good or bad, it just is.
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I just posted this on opensnow.com:
Separate but related.
I have kids. I’m older. I get that a lot here are younger. You either have kids, or you’re planning on it.
Skiing has been taken over by what I call the “Big Lines” attitude. This was born from reverse camber skis and big, fat skis.
I was just in Utah skiing Alta and Snowbird. It’s really steep there. We skied one line “Rats Nest”?, where you had to lower yourself into it. Plenty of other, “Don’t goof here” lines.
I was surprised by how many skiers were skiing these steep lines, who, were in over their heads.
These skiers undoubtedly think they’re experts — based on the terrain they’re skiing. But technically, they’re really not even solid Intermediate skiers. This forum is full of skiers who fit the same profile, I’m sure of it.
These skiers were all pushing off their uphill foot to start the turn. I didn’t see one skier, who released their downhill foot to start the turn. Plenty of other significant flaws in their technique. Yes, they can get down anything. Yes, they go fast. But that’s courage and strength, not skill. The ski business, the ski movies, sell courage and strength — not skill.
Now that I’ve pissed you off and you want to have a race, calm down.
As the slopes get more crowded, yours and my kids are at risk. We’re at risk. While reverse camber and fat skis are not to blame, this old ski bum — who loves to ski bumps, who can bring it with anyone here so long as we keep the skis on the ground, would love to see technique become popular again.
In the 70’s ski bums skied bumps. I skied bumps. Wayne Wong was my idol. Now, today’s ski bum is about the side country. This month’s Powder brought this exact same point up.
We should all be concerned about making the slopes safer. The ski business is selling helmets, when they should be selling skill.
So go ahead and take your shots now.
I’ll meet anyone here on the slopes for a few simple exercises.
My bet is that 9 out of 10 here couldn’t make a parallel turn from a stopped position without stemming, or pushing off their uphill foot.
My bet is that if you traded your fat or reverse camber skis for a skinnier, traditional camber ski, you couldn’t hang with me. But if we both had your skis, I’d beat you to the lift.
I don’t want to race. That’s not the point.
My point is that if you stand back and look where the sport is heading, if you care about your kids on the slopes, you just might get the subliminal message in this video — which is that the slopes are dangerous — and it has nothing to do with the terrain.
It’s about the slopes, something we all love. It’s about an underlying message in this video, which is very well done.
– PK
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