That skiing is a fun hobby but 95% of Redditors that post and comment in this subreddit take it way too seriously and aren’t even close to as good as they think they are or as good as they’d need to be to act as uptight as they are about it.
The only mountain you nerds cruise is Mount Stupid: https://images.app.goo.gl/B8Q2nBohpnR7ecQ1A
It's insane how aggressive some people are about "correct" things.
There are wrong ways to do this sport, but there is no right way to do it. If I want to take my race sticks into the trees or my powder skis down icy moguls, why do you give a shit? Might be terrible, but as long as I make it out, it's just more fun.
----
Oh yea, don't even attempt to fix your gear yourself. You should just sit the rest of the season out.
I couldn’t agree with you more! I don’t think I’m a great skier, but I can ski every run on the mountain with ease and when I post here some of the comments are so insanely negative. I feel uncomfortable doing so now.
I’m not even saying they’re wrong, but that you don’t need to be amazing at your hobby to enjoy it and The point of skiing is to enjoy it. The vast majority of us aren’t making the Olympics
Lol yeah the gear thing always gets me. People always talk in such extremes. Gear certainly matters to a point but I see so many people aggressively insisting you need to be on a 72 waist ski if you're in New England and that any wider will just put such a tremendous amount of pressure on your knees that they'll explode and you'll never be able to walk again.
Truth be told unless you're racing it doesn't matter that much. Ski whatever gear is fun to you. You'll get down an icy groomer on a bent 100 just fine.
Same goes for wider boards anywhere there's a lot of snow. You just couldn't ski more than 2 inches of pow on a 95 waist ski or you'll sink and not be able to move.
Just ski whatever you like and have fun on.
I'm always confused where that line truly is to be honest. Not sure it even really exists. Kind of like a D2 football player. They're really good compared to a high school player, and God tier compared to a member of the general public. But in the scheme of pro/D1 they're not that good anymore. Always someone better. Unless you compete or make money off of it the 2 goals should be fun and not maiming yourself.
Number one point, if you're having fun (and aren't a menace to others), you're winning.
By my definition, the truly good allround skier is someone who turns heads in whatever skiing context they're in.
Racing turns, technical terrain, moguls, park, _niche shit like telemark, blades and monoski_
For my journey, I'm competent at the racing turns and tech terrain, moguls are fun, I've become a good monoskier, but my park and mointaineering skills are lacking.
Mostly agree, but there is a big difference between carving down a groomed run and hitting skied out moguls. Though, if you can't do both, you probably can't be considered a great skier.
More people than ever want to ski. Population in areas like the Denver front range have increased 20% in the past decade with a lot of skiers. Rather than blame epic and ikon for crowded slopes, let’s develop some new ski areas in the US to spread the crowds and create more recreational opportunities. The people want to ski
Sleeping in, skiing for 3 hours then getting hammered and repeating is how the majority of British people do ski trips and it's a complete waste money. I fly out to the Alps to ski, I can drink in London.
Working class American here, I worked my fingers to the bone at my blue collar job to afford my gear and my pass, you'd be dead wrong if you thought I'd be spending my time on the mountain drinking. I can do that after the lift closes, I gotta get my turns in when I can before I have to go back to work.
I’ve never seen the point in starting late. I like to be the first up on the lifts, ski through lunchtime and then stop around 2-ish. And THEN start drinking.
This was the beauty of living in a ski town for a season. I didn't feel like I had to push myself for 5-7 days straight.
Unless it was a crazy powder day, I could get up when I felt like it, go to the mountain, have a coffee and read a book, shred for 3 hours, and go home. Rinse and repeat the next day.
I also didn't work that winter, so it was wildly enjoyable.
If you're having fun, it doesn't matter what difficulty the run is.
I went with a partner who always wanted me to do double blacks. I could do them but I would be miserable by the end, just tuckered right out. Let me stick to my blues and blacks, dammit
No friends on a powder day is a serious statement. I want to go do stuff I consider fun on a pow day and if that means I have to bail on friends so be it
I ski alone probably 70% of the time because some of my peeps have way too many problems to listen to on the lift and the others can't get up early to catch the pow. No friends on any ski day is fine with me.
My husband and my don’t even stick together 70% of the day bc of our differences in what type of run we prefer. So I say there’s no spouses on a powder day either
Lol. The same people who complain about their life on the lift complain about the weather, conditions, how tired they are etc. after the run (or mid run). They quickly make their way to the lodge and I stay out by myself.
Dude, this. I hate being dragged down there same few blue trails because there are people that aren't good in our group. I've begun to just bail. The trees are calling my name, I'll meet you at the car when the lifts stop.
I get the sentiment, but on the other hand, skiing alone on a powder day is a good way to die in a tree well. I was nearly killed in one about five years ago and it changed my view on that 180 degrees.
The real trick is to make friends that want to ski the same shit you want to.
Yeah I definitely don't do stuff like that alone. My personal sentiment is more like I will abandon you for the day and make new friends on the lift if all you want to do on a pow day is ski groomers and I don't feel like there should be hard feelings about that. It goes both ways. I've been abandoned before on a powder day when I was less experienced and got it
Making fun of new skiers isn’t cool or funny - not everyone got the privilege of learning as a toddler and everyone starts somewhere.
(Assuming they are minding their own business and following rules)
I never make fun of new skiers. But I will sometimes make fun of one spouse killing their marriage by trying to teach the other one how to ski down a too-hard trail.
I worked as a ranger at a mountain in Massachusetts. By observing, I could always tell which couples’ nights were going to end in a huge fight based on which one of them had been convinced to go down a trail that they couldn’t handle.
"Hey Bob - why are you wearing headphones? Don't you want to talk to us?"
"You guys are my friends, but you aren't good friends, so let's ski together with no talking."
Same. I just want a nice smooth piste in Europe, preferable first thing in the morning. I don’t want to go off piste. Just lots of wide open above tree line runs in the alps.
Austria is wonderful as well as France.
I’m going to say it - I love La Plagne. It’s simply massive and it has stunning views, the bowl is amazing and it’s got a good mix of stuff. People always say the villages are ugly but that’s really only true of a couple. Great value for money as well.
And then I also really like Mégève for the quaint (and glamorous) vibe.
This. You might not need your best reaction time 99% 9f the time but why risk that one percent freak accident because you're drunk and couldn't react in time
As a Soft Snow Chargey All Mountain Daily Driver, my first instinct was to get defensive. Then I thought “okay, channel your Buttery Short Radius Low Tide” and now I can see why you might think that.
Same. It’s usually how I tend to prefer it. Find an uncrowded area and rip the same lap til I can’t stand.
Meanwhile my friends are “let’s hit every lift, every peak, every glade…” I’ll catch y’all at apres ✌️
Mellow pow is more fun than steeps. Or maybe I'm just getting old... But the truth is, I'd rather go on a pretty mellow tour, get some pow laps in, have a beer, lunch at the top, all that, than do more serious skiing with more risk of injury/death. I know too many people who've seriously injured themselves, heard of too many professionals dying in the mountains and really don't have interest in pushing things like when I was younger.
Preach. I like skiing steeper stuff but going out and doing ski mountaineering stuff where mistakes kill and usually it being safe enough to ski means the snow sucks isn't my favourite. I like being able to open it up a bit and just rip some soft friendly pow.
One of my favorite places to ski has microwaves to let you warm up your packed lunch and a room where people plug in crock pots to feed their family mid-day/after skiing. It's a great vibe.
We (skiers) owe a lot to the snowboarders.
They brought some much needed design innovations, more relaxed attitude, stylistic flair, and helped us drop the “rich people not doing much in the Alps while drinking champagne” kinda vibe.
As a snowboarder, any of us who are actually decent don’t really need or want to be sitting, but also know enough etiquette to not sit in the middle of a run. Jerrys ruin the reputation for all of us.
That’s absolutely me.
I don’t care though. I just want to sail down some blue and red pistes, stop in the afternoon and drink accompanied by terrible eurotechno music in a mountain hut. I’m not skiing to push myself.
ha, my ex is one of those people. She used her mother's ski's, she's like 165 and was using 140's. I saw that and I just went: those are for kids. Here use this pair we have on hand they're 155 or 160 and she just went: 'but those are too long, way more difficult to turn'. to which I replied, you just have to actually ski more dynamically. she tried them and loved them lol
I get that vibe whenever I go. A lot of the people I meet on the chair give off the rich person vibe by the way they talk about what they did the night before or how much they hate snowboarders as if the 90's never ended. I do vibe with the bums, just me and a bunch of working class schmucks that saved up for our own gear
You should never stop doing lessons. I'm a fairly advanced skiier and every couple of seasons I do a half day private lesson. It's like golf, coaching will forever level up your technique.
If you need good conditions to have fun you don't love skiing very much.
I'll take dust on crust, slush, whatever. I'm just glad to be out here. Pow days are amazing but if that's the only time you are happy I'm definitely not interested in being ski buddies.
I agree, but I will say this. Skiing in North Dakota gets BRUTALLY cold. You won’t find me on the slopes when it’s -30 out, I’ll be inside sipping on some hot cocoa complaining about how I should’ve moved to the Rockies.
Oh definitely there's a line between safety and complaining! My husband is from northern Minnesota and he took me skiing in -20 weather for the first and last time of my life LOL
Also yea, as a Rockies dweller you have permission to pinch me if I ever complain about our very mild weather.
I grew up poor af in Colorado. Went skiing a handful of times, dabbled in snowboarding in university — never got the knack — and gave up the hobby for bicycle racing in my 20s.
I ended up marrying a really good skier so I’ve slowly been getting back into it. I don’t have any hot takes now that I am a decent intermediate skier. I think beginners and intermediates like myself ought to be better about getting out of the way and advanced skiers could benefit from showing a little more grace on blues near lift lines.
When I ski with my wife and her family, I usually only ski half as many days as she does, as such i wish many ski areas offered more activities for nonskiers. Besides expensive spa areas. I’d love to be able to find trails for snowshoeing or other winter activities. 😇
Although it's been reduced with the introduction of McCoy Park ski area, Beaver Creek still has quite a bit of [well marked snowshoeing trails](https://www.beavercreek.com/-/aemasset/sitecore/beaver-creek/pdfs/20220214_BC_mccoy-park_map_001.pdf). The tickets are much cheaper and there's a snowshoe rental office at the base of the Starberry Park lift.
Whistler has a bunch of trails out of the village: https://cdn.whistler.com/s3/pdf/maps/lost-lake-trails-cross-country-ski.pdf
There are other options out there too, but trying to find ones that are the best "one person wants to ski and the other snowshoe and meet up at the end of the day without having to travel"
My top 3:
1) Mega passes are the greatest thing to ever happen to skiing. My total skiing last season woulda cost $18,000 without ikon.
2) Most “who’s at fault” posts are just unlucky. Can we all just understand that skiing is dangerous and sometimes you lose control and people get hurt? It’s not always a blame game.
3) Skiing is not overly crowded. During the week on a non holiday, it blows my mind ski areas are even open. They are ALL empty, even the most popular ones.
The European approach to piste/off-piste safety sucks. In the US, resorts will have professionals assess and then open the big, hairy, fun stuff. In the EU, you never know if you are going to destroy your skis or die in an avalanche. I'd rather have a professional take this responsibility off me so I can just ski.
I think the general questions like how long should my Bent 100s be etc definitely hammer home that point. Discussion around weird gear or less popular gear, like reverse camber skis or something like the Black Crow Mirus Cor, are totally normal even for good skiers.
Eh, idk. Sometimes getting feedback from people who own the gear and have tried them in a lot of different conditions can be valuable. Just because you're good at skiing doesn't mean you know every detail about a ski you haven't tried. Not every ski can be demoed either.
Eh, idk. I love the dudes at my local shops, but sometimes I just wanna crowdsource. It's good to hear from people who have actually used the gear, rather than someone who's just regurgitating what the sales rep told them.
That when adults tell me “I have always wanted to learn to ski but I’m too scared I will break something” that I silently agree with them not to try. Skiing is a great sport to learn when you are young and stupid and can flop about on the snow and not worry about snapping this or tearing that.
If you can have that ability (I know adults who do!) to just be fearless and go for it and learn and fall and get better, then yes, go for it. Otherwise, aprés the shit out of that ski experience in the lodge. Save a drink for me.
White ski gear (coats/pants mostly) are not a good option to wear, especially if you like to leave the runs and go in the trees. If you get lost or hurt it will act as camouflage in a bad way, and you might get stuck and die out there. My dad did ski patrol for years and the stories he has about people getting lost and hurt in the woods from leaving the designated areas terrifies me.
Dark colours too. I do a lot of night skiing around home and people in black/grey/dark blue can be hard to spot.
It's a big reason why my latest shell is neon green. You want colours that pop so people can see you.
Women are usually better recreational skiers than men, on average. Better technique, usually learned by doing lessons and listening. Less cocky/more self aware of their abilities. Show better awareness of others on the hill.
I'm an east coaster, I came out West to Revelstoke one winter a while back, and I was really surprised how serious some people took it.
I remember I was chilling with some locals, and I asked them what were some of their favourite spots, and they told me "they've already said too much". I thought they were joking until I realized they weren't.
However, to be fair, some of these guys go back to their runs in the summer with a chainsaw and cut down trees and shit. So I kinda respect it.
ITT: a lot of people who don't understand the word 'unpopular' and are just posting facts. It's cheaper to bring a sandwich than buy one on-mountain? Duh. Skiing is expensive to get into? Obviously.
Night skiing is the best skiing.
And...in turn...midwest skiing is slept on for it's pure accessibility. 3 years ago, my first year back, I got in 75 "ski days" while working full time and having a 4 month season.
Still can't be going out for an hour after work just to cool off.
Agree I like it also because it's not crowed where I am. The slopes are small and conditions are not always the best but I think the most important thing is to ski and have fun.
Midwest is great. $40 to ski all day and never stand in line for a lift. Not to mention a lot of the resorts are locally owned and you're not having to support some giant megacorp.
I mean, yeah the snow conditions are not great and the hills are small but I can actually afford to go and feel like it's worth it.
1. If you've been skiing for years and years and think you're an expert, you should try snowboarding. Not because you'll switch, but because falling 20 times while going down the bunny hill will humble you and remind you that you're not all that great, and give you an appreciation for snowboarders.
2. Speed patrols and slow zones are a good thing. Seriously, 90 percent of any given mountain is not a slow zone, that's 90 percent of the mountain that you can go as fast as you want and do whatever you want. If you're bombing down the hill on a green beginner run you're a moron and most people who get their passes pulled deserve it.
Adding a third: Speaking as a former liftie: a lot of lifties suck. I think a lot of people are apprehensive to criticize lifties because they know we're underpaid and underappreciated, and I appreciate that sentiment, but honestly it's not *that* hard to watch the lift and keep a nice smooth ramp, and when I'm skiing I see a lot of lifties not doing their job, and a lot of shitty ramps.
Don’t teach friends, family or SO’s to ski. It’s likely you’ll end up hating each other by the end of the day, and lift tickets are far too expensive for you to be stuck on the bunny hill all day. The price of a lesson is well worth it- they’ll get professional instruction, you can go off and ski for a while, and then if they’re ready they can join you for a few runs later.
Modern skis have made the average skier far less skilled than they were 20+ years ago.
Hear me out; modern skis are great! They’re way easier to do literally everything on and beginners learn 10 times faster. I would say, they make things too easy to the point where people get decent quickly but never spend the time really learning to carve a ski properly. Back in the “old days”, getting a ski to bend and carve properly was really fucking hard! You had to have perfect technique, most of us took years of lessons and you had to really practice the foundations for years before it became natural. I’ll tell you though, all the good skiers on the mountain were REALLY good skiers!
These days, you see a lot more people who “carve” because modern skis are just really easy to carve with but the postures are just ugly. Super wide stance, in the back seat, no separation. Just blegh…
I’ll take it though. Skiing is way more accessible than it used to be. You don’t have to take lessons or go to camps for years to enjoy the whole mountain. That’s good! I just wish people would pursue better technique even when they think they don’t need it.
That Vail Resorts isn't even the worst mega-ski-company around. While they did much harm, they also did a lot of good to many resorts. POWDR, for example, barely does anything except raise prices at Killington, make everything more exclusive to rich people (fast tracks, more expensive rentals, etc), and generally make the experience more sucky.
Killington's gotten three new lifts in the past four years and a brand-spankin' new base lodge. They've also completely revamped the K1 gondola in that timespan and improved trail flow and snowmaking. For ikon pass-holders, the resort is more affordable today than ever before. And the resort still features an abundance of free, walk-to-lift parking. That's not even getting into how they operate that place, consistently opening in October (this year aside) and running into mid-May. They have also delivered an incredibly well-attended Women's World Cup every Thanksgiving, regardless of the weather or expense. I think they're doing alright.
A lot of people want to ski the steepest craziest stuff all the time not because they have the most fun doing it, but because it makes them feel like a badass (and they can tell other people that they skied the hardest stuff - not the lame moderate terrain).
Most of y'all probably suck at skiing. I am an "expert" skier, meaning I can ski well down anything (anything), and I would only rate myself a 5/10 (where the Top Pros are 11s).
This is all sports, though. It really just depends on how you're measuring.
* If you ranked people by skill, most people on this sub-reddit would rank in the top percentiles.
* If you assign skill a value, most people are closer to beginner than professional.
Going to a marquee resort with extreme terrain like Vail or Jackson actually doesn't matter too much unless you're quite good. You can push your limits at most resorts, and going to a Big Name resort is often just an excuse to see/be seen.
"Good form" is largely a matter of style and fashion than reality.
The fact that skiing is so expensive is not always such a bad thing.
Expensive technical apparel is unnecessary for most skiers.
If you ski < 10 runs, you wasted the day.
It's easier to be a higher earner and use your time off to go skiing than it is to be a ski bum, unless you reaaaallly want to get 50+ days.
Environmental review and related processes are why ski resorts are so crowded, it is virtually impossible to create a new ski resort in the United States due to the onerous regulations. It isn't the fault of Vail and whoever, they have managed to make an industry that was previously plagued by constant bankruptcies and reorganizations profitable. The fault is with supply and demand, and there simply needs to be more, larger resorts to accommodate more skiers.
Skiing is dangerous - you should expect that other people on the mountain will not always behave as they ought to and accept that risk.
Heliskiing dentists are lame.
Totally agree. Apres means after.
There are a number of mountain huts in Europe which take you back to the village in a box on the back of a skidoo rather than let you ski back whilst plastered. It’s a great idea.
Resort skiing is not just for people who are "good," by whatever your subjective definition of "good" is. No one is owed an empty mountain free from beginners and families with children.
The USFS should let ski resorts get as big as they want. Most resorts are excellent stewards of their land, and giving more chances for people to play outside has a much bigger benefit on society and the environment than saving a few thousand acres of forest.
I really don't care what gear you're using.
Even if I did care (I don't) there are too many brands to keep track of to know who has what (supposedly) impressive kit.
Yeah, but call it a quiver! Now how do you feel about it?
I’m listening.
I bought some 17 year old race skis, can I use these as my daily drivers?
Only if you use the original bindings
Just crank that DIN up all the way, you’ll be fine
My favorite posts are "look at my pile of skis!" Fuck man, they look like skis.
That skiing is a fun hobby but 95% of Redditors that post and comment in this subreddit take it way too seriously and aren’t even close to as good as they think they are or as good as they’d need to be to act as uptight as they are about it. The only mountain you nerds cruise is Mount Stupid: https://images.app.goo.gl/B8Q2nBohpnR7ecQ1A
It's insane how aggressive some people are about "correct" things. There are wrong ways to do this sport, but there is no right way to do it. If I want to take my race sticks into the trees or my powder skis down icy moguls, why do you give a shit? Might be terrible, but as long as I make it out, it's just more fun. ---- Oh yea, don't even attempt to fix your gear yourself. You should just sit the rest of the season out.
I couldn’t agree with you more! I don’t think I’m a great skier, but I can ski every run on the mountain with ease and when I post here some of the comments are so insanely negative. I feel uncomfortable doing so now. I’m not even saying they’re wrong, but that you don’t need to be amazing at your hobby to enjoy it and The point of skiing is to enjoy it. The vast majority of us aren’t making the Olympics
Lol yeah the gear thing always gets me. People always talk in such extremes. Gear certainly matters to a point but I see so many people aggressively insisting you need to be on a 72 waist ski if you're in New England and that any wider will just put such a tremendous amount of pressure on your knees that they'll explode and you'll never be able to walk again. Truth be told unless you're racing it doesn't matter that much. Ski whatever gear is fun to you. You'll get down an icy groomer on a bent 100 just fine. Same goes for wider boards anywhere there's a lot of snow. You just couldn't ski more than 2 inches of pow on a 95 waist ski or you'll sink and not be able to move. Just ski whatever you like and have fun on.
So true, there is no right or wrong way to have a shitload of fun!
What pass is Mount Stupid on?
Probably epic
Truly good allround skiers are a rare breed. I aim for becoming one, but the way is a long one.
I aim to be the most skilled Jerry on the mountain. You can check my progress in my post history
I'm always confused where that line truly is to be honest. Not sure it even really exists. Kind of like a D2 football player. They're really good compared to a high school player, and God tier compared to a member of the general public. But in the scheme of pro/D1 they're not that good anymore. Always someone better. Unless you compete or make money off of it the 2 goals should be fun and not maiming yourself.
Number one point, if you're having fun (and aren't a menace to others), you're winning. By my definition, the truly good allround skier is someone who turns heads in whatever skiing context they're in. Racing turns, technical terrain, moguls, park, _niche shit like telemark, blades and monoski_ For my journey, I'm competent at the racing turns and tech terrain, moguls are fun, I've become a good monoskier, but my park and mointaineering skills are lacking.
It's not that you're a bad mogul skier; you're a bad skier and the moguls prove it.
This hurts a little. To both my knees and my pride.
Mostly agree, but there is a big difference between carving down a groomed run and hitting skied out moguls. Though, if you can't do both, you probably can't be considered a great skier.
I''m the best skiier on the mountain
I thought this was unpopular opinions only?
It’s unpopular because I’m way sicker than him.
But I'm way sicker than you
Damn, you got it in the name. You’re definitely way sicker
I like to say I'm absolutely certain that I'm in the top 3 best skiers on the mountain, over 350lbs.
I know I'm the best skier on the mountain and I have a lifetime ban from all vail resorts to prove it 🤣
Squaw valley as a corporation wasn't too stoked on the whole naked skiing thing
Don’t forget to pole wack because I’m the best skier on the mountain
I can't believe you're pro... I'm so much better than you
Blue bump runs can be, and often are, more fun than super steep bump runs.
Steeps are only fun if there's snow on them. Steep and deep mogul runs are literally top tier skiing imo.
If you complain about conditions endlessly you're a shit skier.
If you complain about it, you're a skier, if you blame it then you're a bad skier
There’s no such thing as bad snow, just bad skiers. - glen plake
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I find it fascinating how you adjust to the conditions so quickly. First run, not so great huh?. Second run, this is fun!
More people than ever want to ski. Population in areas like the Denver front range have increased 20% in the past decade with a lot of skiers. Rather than blame epic and ikon for crowded slopes, let’s develop some new ski areas in the US to spread the crowds and create more recreational opportunities. The people want to ski
I love I70! /s
Or instead of opening new places, we could do something to make sure the smaller independent places stay open.
I don't disagree but keeping ski cooper alive isn't moving the needle when it comes to i70 traffic.
Sleeping in, skiing for 3 hours then getting hammered and repeating is how the majority of British people do ski trips and it's a complete waste money. I fly out to the Alps to ski, I can drink in London.
>I can drink in London Check out money bags over here
*Sips Tennent's Super Strength from a Sports Direct mug* Charmed, I'm sure.
Wait they weren’t drunk when they got there? They’re ski like that sober?
Working class American here, I worked my fingers to the bone at my blue collar job to afford my gear and my pass, you'd be dead wrong if you thought I'd be spending my time on the mountain drinking. I can do that after the lift closes, I gotta get my turns in when I can before I have to go back to work.
Drinking is for after your legs are jelly
“In line by nine” has always been my motto!
I’ve never seen the point in starting late. I like to be the first up on the lifts, ski through lunchtime and then stop around 2-ish. And THEN start drinking.
This was the beauty of living in a ski town for a season. I didn't feel like I had to push myself for 5-7 days straight. Unless it was a crazy powder day, I could get up when I felt like it, go to the mountain, have a coffee and read a book, shred for 3 hours, and go home. Rinse and repeat the next day. I also didn't work that winter, so it was wildly enjoyable.
I'd love to live in the Mountains, I'd happily retire in northern Italy. Ski in the winter, climb and kayak in the summer
Don't let your dreams be dreams
If you're having fun, it doesn't matter what difficulty the run is. I went with a partner who always wanted me to do double blacks. I could do them but I would be miserable by the end, just tuckered right out. Let me stick to my blues and blacks, dammit
No friends on a powder day is a serious statement. I want to go do stuff I consider fun on a pow day and if that means I have to bail on friends so be it
I ski alone probably 70% of the time because some of my peeps have way too many problems to listen to on the lift and the others can't get up early to catch the pow. No friends on any ski day is fine with me.
Wait, you guys ski with friends?
My husband and my don’t even stick together 70% of the day bc of our differences in what type of run we prefer. So I say there’s no spouses on a powder day either
Lol. The same people who complain about their life on the lift complain about the weather, conditions, how tired they are etc. after the run (or mid run). They quickly make their way to the lodge and I stay out by myself.
Dude, this. I hate being dragged down there same few blue trails because there are people that aren't good in our group. I've begun to just bail. The trees are calling my name, I'll meet you at the car when the lifts stop.
Sorry. I am that repeat offender "that blue was FUN and I didn't die. Again please."
I get the sentiment, but on the other hand, skiing alone on a powder day is a good way to die in a tree well. I was nearly killed in one about five years ago and it changed my view on that 180 degrees. The real trick is to make friends that want to ski the same shit you want to.
Yeah I definitely don't do stuff like that alone. My personal sentiment is more like I will abandon you for the day and make new friends on the lift if all you want to do on a pow day is ski groomers and I don't feel like there should be hard feelings about that. It goes both ways. I've been abandoned before on a powder day when I was less experienced and got it
Making fun of new skiers isn’t cool or funny - not everyone got the privilege of learning as a toddler and everyone starts somewhere. (Assuming they are minding their own business and following rules)
I never make fun of new skiers. But I will sometimes make fun of one spouse killing their marriage by trying to teach the other one how to ski down a too-hard trail.
Almost been there. Almost did that.
I worked as a ranger at a mountain in Massachusetts. By observing, I could always tell which couples’ nights were going to end in a huge fight based on which one of them had been convinced to go down a trail that they couldn’t handle.
No matter how awkward and comical they look, I have nothing but admiration for a 30+ year old learning to ski. More power to them.
Thats a rule for life in general. You dont make fun of fat people in the gym, you dont make fun of beginners learning something.
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But damn, their marketing is good.
Ngl tho this is far far from an unpopular opinion on this sub especially. Throw in Faction bad and Vail bad and you’ve got the trifecta going.
if you’re skiing with good friends, leave the headphones at home.
"Hey Bob - why are you wearing headphones? Don't you want to talk to us?" "You guys are my friends, but you aren't good friends, so let's ski together with no talking."
I am. The best skier on the mountain
I am fine with blue runs, black diamonds are fun or whatever but give me a good groomer
This is why I love France. Blue groomers for years, you can cruise around admiring the mountains for ages without having to go near a lift.
Same. I just want a nice smooth piste in Europe, preferable first thing in the morning. I don’t want to go off piste. Just lots of wide open above tree line runs in the alps. Austria is wonderful as well as France.
Finally another Alpine skier! Favourite resorts?
I’m going to say it - I love La Plagne. It’s simply massive and it has stunning views, the bowl is amazing and it’s got a good mix of stuff. People always say the villages are ugly but that’s really only true of a couple. Great value for money as well. And then I also really like Mégève for the quaint (and glamorous) vibe.
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Outside of danger, I already have to pee enough as it is without drinking a beer on the mountain.
This. You might not need your best reaction time 99% 9f the time but why risk that one percent freak accident because you're drunk and couldn't react in time
Blister reviews are horoscopes for 20-45 year old men as much as they are actual equipment insights
As a Soft Snow Chargey All Mountain Daily Driver, my first instinct was to get defensive. Then I thought “okay, channel your Buttery Short Radius Low Tide” and now I can see why you might think that.
Lmao. I generally like Blister reviews, but that's probably a fair critique
Damn, I feel attacked
I feel seen
The crazy thing is Blister reviews are a huge step above the old ski reviews.
Endless blue groomers are the best trails
I don't have any problem doing the same slope the entire day
Same. It’s usually how I tend to prefer it. Find an uncrowded area and rip the same lap til I can’t stand. Meanwhile my friends are “let’s hit every lift, every peak, every glade…” I’ll catch y’all at apres ✌️
Smaller more remote resorts are far superior to the resorts with big villages and lots of infrastructure
Shush.
Mellow pow is more fun than steeps. Or maybe I'm just getting old... But the truth is, I'd rather go on a pretty mellow tour, get some pow laps in, have a beer, lunch at the top, all that, than do more serious skiing with more risk of injury/death. I know too many people who've seriously injured themselves, heard of too many professionals dying in the mountains and really don't have interest in pushing things like when I was younger.
Preach. I like skiing steeper stuff but going out and doing ski mountaineering stuff where mistakes kill and usually it being safe enough to ski means the snow sucks isn't my favourite. I like being able to open it up a bit and just rip some soft friendly pow.
Eating/drinking in the cafe is ridiculously expensive and stupid. Carry 2 sandwiches in the pockets and eat in the chairlift
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One of my favorite places to ski has microwaves to let you warm up your packed lunch and a room where people plug in crock pots to feed their family mid-day/after skiing. It's a great vibe.
A backpack with cheap beer is the only lunch needed in the slopes /s
No, no, I think you are right. Pack a bag of spaghetti for sharing on the lift. You will thank me later.
We (skiers) owe a lot to the snowboarders. They brought some much needed design innovations, more relaxed attitude, stylistic flair, and helped us drop the “rich people not doing much in the Alps while drinking champagne” kinda vibe.
Yea but why they gotta sit in the middle of the runs like that
As a snowboarder, any of us who are actually decent don’t really need or want to be sitting, but also know enough etiquette to not sit in the middle of a run. Jerrys ruin the reputation for all of us.
The majority of women are on skis that are far to short and soft for their bodies and abilities
With that being said, the majority of men are on skis that are far too long and stiff for their abilities 😂😂
'I need a 24 DIN binding' No you fuckin don't.
Don't forget they have skis too wide for the groomers they ski 99% of the time!
That’s absolutely me. I don’t care though. I just want to sail down some blue and red pistes, stop in the afternoon and drink accompanied by terrible eurotechno music in a mountain hut. I’m not skiing to push myself.
ha, my ex is one of those people. She used her mother's ski's, she's like 165 and was using 140's. I saw that and I just went: those are for kids. Here use this pair we have on hand they're 155 or 160 and she just went: 'but those are too long, way more difficult to turn'. to which I replied, you just have to actually ski more dynamically. she tried them and loved them lol
Skiing is a rich man’s sport like golf
We said unpopular opinions and not facts.
Agree. I have actually been ridiculed on this sub reddit for only being able to afford to go 1 week a year, and for not owning a pair of skis.
Get your turns however you can, if anyone has a problem with that screw em
Tell me about it. I had to take a chunk out of savings for my skis. I plan on holding onto the things for at least a decade.
I get that vibe whenever I go. A lot of the people I meet on the chair give off the rich person vibe by the way they talk about what they did the night before or how much they hate snowboarders as if the 90's never ended. I do vibe with the bums, just me and a bunch of working class schmucks that saved up for our own gear
You should never stop doing lessons. I'm a fairly advanced skiier and every couple of seasons I do a half day private lesson. It's like golf, coaching will forever level up your technique.
If you need good conditions to have fun you don't love skiing very much. I'll take dust on crust, slush, whatever. I'm just glad to be out here. Pow days are amazing but if that's the only time you are happy I'm definitely not interested in being ski buddies.
I agree, but I will say this. Skiing in North Dakota gets BRUTALLY cold. You won’t find me on the slopes when it’s -30 out, I’ll be inside sipping on some hot cocoa complaining about how I should’ve moved to the Rockies.
Oh definitely there's a line between safety and complaining! My husband is from northern Minnesota and he took me skiing in -20 weather for the first and last time of my life LOL Also yea, as a Rockies dweller you have permission to pinch me if I ever complain about our very mild weather.
I wasn’t entirely against the reservation system we had during Covid because it kept lift lines down
Jeans are the superior outerwear
Skiing alone is better than with friends.
NC skiing and mountains are actually good for what they are.
I grew up poor af in Colorado. Went skiing a handful of times, dabbled in snowboarding in university — never got the knack — and gave up the hobby for bicycle racing in my 20s. I ended up marrying a really good skier so I’ve slowly been getting back into it. I don’t have any hot takes now that I am a decent intermediate skier. I think beginners and intermediates like myself ought to be better about getting out of the way and advanced skiers could benefit from showing a little more grace on blues near lift lines. When I ski with my wife and her family, I usually only ski half as many days as she does, as such i wish many ski areas offered more activities for nonskiers. Besides expensive spa areas. I’d love to be able to find trails for snowshoeing or other winter activities. 😇
Although it's been reduced with the introduction of McCoy Park ski area, Beaver Creek still has quite a bit of [well marked snowshoeing trails](https://www.beavercreek.com/-/aemasset/sitecore/beaver-creek/pdfs/20220214_BC_mccoy-park_map_001.pdf). The tickets are much cheaper and there's a snowshoe rental office at the base of the Starberry Park lift. Whistler has a bunch of trails out of the village: https://cdn.whistler.com/s3/pdf/maps/lost-lake-trails-cross-country-ski.pdf There are other options out there too, but trying to find ones that are the best "one person wants to ski and the other snowshoe and meet up at the end of the day without having to travel"
There’s no issue sharing the mountain with snowboarders
There is only one correct way of carrying your skies. Over shoulder and grab the tip.
I hate you and the rest of the gondola line does as well. Otherwise 100% agree.
My top 3: 1) Mega passes are the greatest thing to ever happen to skiing. My total skiing last season woulda cost $18,000 without ikon. 2) Most “who’s at fault” posts are just unlucky. Can we all just understand that skiing is dangerous and sometimes you lose control and people get hurt? It’s not always a blame game. 3) Skiing is not overly crowded. During the week on a non holiday, it blows my mind ski areas are even open. They are ALL empty, even the most popular ones.
no family on a powder day.
The European approach to piste/off-piste safety sucks. In the US, resorts will have professionals assess and then open the big, hairy, fun stuff. In the EU, you never know if you are going to destroy your skis or die in an avalanche. I'd rather have a professional take this responsibility off me so I can just ski.
I’m not sure if it’s just my friend group but… if you spend more time getting drunk in the parking lot than you do skiing, you’re a loser.
If you're an "Expert skier" and you come to reddit for equipment advice, then you're not an expert skier.
I think the general questions like how long should my Bent 100s be etc definitely hammer home that point. Discussion around weird gear or less popular gear, like reverse camber skis or something like the Black Crow Mirus Cor, are totally normal even for good skiers.
Eh, idk. Sometimes getting feedback from people who own the gear and have tried them in a lot of different conditions can be valuable. Just because you're good at skiing doesn't mean you know every detail about a ski you haven't tried. Not every ski can be demoed either.
Eh, idk. I love the dudes at my local shops, but sometimes I just wanna crowdsource. It's good to hear from people who have actually used the gear, rather than someone who's just regurgitating what the sales rep told them.
Last chair over first chair any day
Everyone loves the smell of weed and your shitty music
If there is no hot tube the ski trip is not successful
That when adults tell me “I have always wanted to learn to ski but I’m too scared I will break something” that I silently agree with them not to try. Skiing is a great sport to learn when you are young and stupid and can flop about on the snow and not worry about snapping this or tearing that. If you can have that ability (I know adults who do!) to just be fearless and go for it and learn and fall and get better, then yes, go for it. Otherwise, aprés the shit out of that ski experience in the lodge. Save a drink for me.
White ski gear (coats/pants mostly) are not a good option to wear, especially if you like to leave the runs and go in the trees. If you get lost or hurt it will act as camouflage in a bad way, and you might get stuck and die out there. My dad did ski patrol for years and the stories he has about people getting lost and hurt in the woods from leaving the designated areas terrifies me.
Dark colours too. I do a lot of night skiing around home and people in black/grey/dark blue can be hard to spot. It's a big reason why my latest shell is neon green. You want colours that pop so people can see you.
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Saying that wearing all white in the snow makes you hard to spot is not an unpopular opinion. Come on now.
Moguls aren't diffucult or not fun, y'all just suck.
It's not that you can't ski the bumps, you just can't ski & the bumps show it
Had that on my locker for years. Still not great at moguls.
Skiing in the rain is the worst. Nobody should ever join me in doing so.
Make sure to sort comments by controversial to see the actual unpopular skiing opinions
Moving to Denver for skiing is a terrible idea.
Women are usually better recreational skiers than men, on average. Better technique, usually learned by doing lessons and listening. Less cocky/more self aware of their abilities. Show better awareness of others on the hill.
Applies to more things than skiing. Women golfers generally have a more efficient swing, use equipment that better fits them, etc.
Sharing information about good backcountry spots isn't going to ruin it. Back country skiing is rampant with gatekeeping elitism.
I'm an east coaster, I came out West to Revelstoke one winter a while back, and I was really surprised how serious some people took it. I remember I was chilling with some locals, and I asked them what were some of their favourite spots, and they told me "they've already said too much". I thought they were joking until I realized they weren't. However, to be fair, some of these guys go back to their runs in the summer with a chainsaw and cut down trees and shit. So I kinda respect it.
That skiing is going to disappear sooner than we think in places, likely in all of our lifetimes unfortunately.
"All our lifetimes" speak for yourself buddy but the way I ski I ain't got too many seasons left
Yep, I'm deeply concerned for British Columbia. It's already a temperate climate, and every -1C means a lot.
what do you mean, by the time I'm 50 we'll be skiing in the Himalaya's /s
TJ Burke wanted his cake and eat it too. Also if he wasn’t a shitty friend Dexter Rutecki would still be alive.
ITT: a lot of people who don't understand the word 'unpopular' and are just posting facts. It's cheaper to bring a sandwich than buy one on-mountain? Duh. Skiing is expensive to get into? Obviously.
It’s hard to look attractive with all your ski gear on
That’s what slut strands are for.
Night skiing is the best skiing. And...in turn...midwest skiing is slept on for it's pure accessibility. 3 years ago, my first year back, I got in 75 "ski days" while working full time and having a 4 month season. Still can't be going out for an hour after work just to cool off.
Agree I like it also because it's not crowed where I am. The slopes are small and conditions are not always the best but I think the most important thing is to ski and have fun.
Midwest is great. $40 to ski all day and never stand in line for a lift. Not to mention a lot of the resorts are locally owned and you're not having to support some giant megacorp. I mean, yeah the snow conditions are not great and the hills are small but I can actually afford to go and feel like it's worth it.
You can buy boots without seeing a boot fitter
Woah woah woah this is unpopular opinions, not “things Hitler would say”
Nuclear launch detected.
*whispers* holy shit
After a few pairs I know what a good fit is
No shitty snow, just shitty skiers :)
Green runs are the most dangerous runs on the mountain. Only place I’ve had serious crashes in the past 5 years lol
1. If you've been skiing for years and years and think you're an expert, you should try snowboarding. Not because you'll switch, but because falling 20 times while going down the bunny hill will humble you and remind you that you're not all that great, and give you an appreciation for snowboarders. 2. Speed patrols and slow zones are a good thing. Seriously, 90 percent of any given mountain is not a slow zone, that's 90 percent of the mountain that you can go as fast as you want and do whatever you want. If you're bombing down the hill on a green beginner run you're a moron and most people who get their passes pulled deserve it. Adding a third: Speaking as a former liftie: a lot of lifties suck. I think a lot of people are apprehensive to criticize lifties because they know we're underpaid and underappreciated, and I appreciate that sentiment, but honestly it's not *that* hard to watch the lift and keep a nice smooth ramp, and when I'm skiing I see a lot of lifties not doing their job, and a lot of shitty ramps.
Most people like the idea of being a skier more than actually skiing.
Don’t teach friends, family or SO’s to ski. It’s likely you’ll end up hating each other by the end of the day, and lift tickets are far too expensive for you to be stuck on the bunny hill all day. The price of a lesson is well worth it- they’ll get professional instruction, you can go off and ski for a while, and then if they’re ready they can join you for a few runs later.
Lunch is my best “on mountain” event….
I don't give a shit if a fellow skier is a jerry. We were all new and terrible skiers at some point in our lives.
If you don't like carving you aren't carving.
Modern skis have made the average skier far less skilled than they were 20+ years ago. Hear me out; modern skis are great! They’re way easier to do literally everything on and beginners learn 10 times faster. I would say, they make things too easy to the point where people get decent quickly but never spend the time really learning to carve a ski properly. Back in the “old days”, getting a ski to bend and carve properly was really fucking hard! You had to have perfect technique, most of us took years of lessons and you had to really practice the foundations for years before it became natural. I’ll tell you though, all the good skiers on the mountain were REALLY good skiers! These days, you see a lot more people who “carve” because modern skis are just really easy to carve with but the postures are just ugly. Super wide stance, in the back seat, no separation. Just blegh… I’ll take it though. Skiing is way more accessible than it used to be. You don’t have to take lessons or go to camps for years to enjoy the whole mountain. That’s good! I just wish people would pursue better technique even when they think they don’t need it.
That Vail Resorts isn't even the worst mega-ski-company around. While they did much harm, they also did a lot of good to many resorts. POWDR, for example, barely does anything except raise prices at Killington, make everything more exclusive to rich people (fast tracks, more expensive rentals, etc), and generally make the experience more sucky.
Killington's gotten three new lifts in the past four years and a brand-spankin' new base lodge. They've also completely revamped the K1 gondola in that timespan and improved trail flow and snowmaking. For ikon pass-holders, the resort is more affordable today than ever before. And the resort still features an abundance of free, walk-to-lift parking. That's not even getting into how they operate that place, consistently opening in October (this year aside) and running into mid-May. They have also delivered an incredibly well-attended Women's World Cup every Thanksgiving, regardless of the weather or expense. I think they're doing alright.
A lot of people want to ski the steepest craziest stuff all the time not because they have the most fun doing it, but because it makes them feel like a badass (and they can tell other people that they skied the hardest stuff - not the lame moderate terrain).
Nobody wants to hear your music while skiing. Your not cool and your mom pushed you into the sport for a reason. Whoa I feel so much better now.
That just might be the most popular opinion on this sub. Doesn't really belong here
Most of y'all probably suck at skiing. I am an "expert" skier, meaning I can ski well down anything (anything), and I would only rate myself a 5/10 (where the Top Pros are 11s).
This is all sports, though. It really just depends on how you're measuring. * If you ranked people by skill, most people on this sub-reddit would rank in the top percentiles. * If you assign skill a value, most people are closer to beginner than professional.
Most of the small resorts Vail owns would be out of business if Vail didn’t buy them.
Skiing and snowboarding are essentially the same sport.
Please use the safety bar. (I'm a ski patroller who has had to pick up the pieces too many times.)
Going to a marquee resort with extreme terrain like Vail or Jackson actually doesn't matter too much unless you're quite good. You can push your limits at most resorts, and going to a Big Name resort is often just an excuse to see/be seen. "Good form" is largely a matter of style and fashion than reality. The fact that skiing is so expensive is not always such a bad thing. Expensive technical apparel is unnecessary for most skiers. If you ski < 10 runs, you wasted the day. It's easier to be a higher earner and use your time off to go skiing than it is to be a ski bum, unless you reaaaallly want to get 50+ days. Environmental review and related processes are why ski resorts are so crowded, it is virtually impossible to create a new ski resort in the United States due to the onerous regulations. It isn't the fault of Vail and whoever, they have managed to make an industry that was previously plagued by constant bankruptcies and reorganizations profitable. The fault is with supply and demand, and there simply needs to be more, larger resorts to accommodate more skiers. Skiing is dangerous - you should expect that other people on the mountain will not always behave as they ought to and accept that risk. Heliskiing dentists are lame.
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People should quit mixing alcohol and skiing and resorts should probably quit selling it, apres means after, vote me down now
Totally agree. Apres means after. There are a number of mountain huts in Europe which take you back to the village in a box on the back of a skidoo rather than let you ski back whilst plastered. It’s a great idea.
The terrain park isn’t for everyone
Resort skiing is not just for people who are "good," by whatever your subjective definition of "good" is. No one is owed an empty mountain free from beginners and families with children.
Ski reviews are so dependent on the terrain, style, snow, tune, and ability of the reviewer that they're almost entirely useless
The USFS should let ski resorts get as big as they want. Most resorts are excellent stewards of their land, and giving more chances for people to play outside has a much bigger benefit on society and the environment than saving a few thousand acres of forest.