SEJ Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 I love ripping under a lift when possible. Gretchen says it's a kick watching all the heads turn around as I go under. My all time favorite run at Northstar,(which is now a park) runs all the way down under the Vista chair. It was narrow, with lift poles, so almost always empty. It was like having a personal "show off" run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 There's a great carving run under the Silver Chair at Nakiska. Riceball nails it. I'm always the one who loses a toeside and slides half the way down the hill.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big canuck Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 When I watch him and his son ride the steep pitch under the Silver chair I want to sell all my gear and take up knitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donek Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Did they ever give any clues as to why they want nothing to do with alpine?The mass-market snowboard industry seems to be largely about branding and reputation... are they just averse to anything that might change the perception of their brand in any way? Or do they see alpine as a competitive threat, trying to steal their existing customers? Is it just binding manufacturers, or did you get that cold shoulder from other manufacturers as well? Bindings might be a special case since it's not something that could be easily adapted to fit both markets (boots too). Whereas apparel and accessories could serve both markets with little or no changes. The general feeling was that they felt being associated with alpine would somehow hurt their brand in the eyes of the consumer. As my employees indicate, it's a very small group that actually believes carving is lame. Those who do are the ones that fall in line and condemn it because they are unable to make their own assessment, but fear someone else more popular or with more clout will condemn it. It's high school all over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 A lone Japanese carver under the lift at Cardrona in NZ was the reason I got into the sport. Love at first sight. Whoever you were, thank you! Oh yeah, that was me <smootch> Kidding! But I've got to admit, part of the fun is the showing off. When I started alpine snowboarding it was like "I've gotta find some secluded spot for training". Now it's like "you guys have gotta see this!". And just look up....all eyes are on you! What I can't believe is that more people aren't thinking "I've got to learn THAT." Sorta like Allee...it was obsession at first sight :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Dahl Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 I, however, have gotten to the point where I want to beat them with their own sticks! As in using a freeride-lookin' stick. I ride with a group of skiers and boarders, and the skiers are much better to deal with. Hence the reason I have the 164 LSD this season...10.5 sidecut SBX type board that should be a carving machine. If it works, I'll be having a little something special built to toy with the clones. I just wanna bring a gun to a knife fight! They won't play with me any more on a race board...make 'em pay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 You're unlikely to ever see such a thing. The rest of the industry works like a well oiled machine in their attempts to quell alpine. A few years back while at SIA we were looking for a new freeride binding to carry. Over and over we were asked to leave companies booths. Their explanation was always the same: "We want nothing to do with a company involved in the alpine market." That's right. They're scared. Because they know their product is crap, and people will realize that as soon as they try to carve on it. To the OP: yes, yes you are. But if you got it, flaunt it. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahdeafcarver Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 I've been riding hardboots for 10 years now and as my login in name states, I am deaf. I've never heard all those oohs and aaahs some of you speak of. However, my friends who can hear (and now my kids) will often tell me the comments they hear. My kids even think I'm a huge show off, but I have to explain that there's really only one way to ride an alpine board and it's not skidding! Can I help it that my equipment is designed to be ridden that way and that there's rarely any other hardbooter on the mountain? Snowbasin, Utah is my home mountain now; it's disappointing how few hardbooters there are in Utah. But when I do see another hardbooter, it's always good to meet them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimo Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 With the hardbooter guys there, do you really need anymore? Represent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Soze Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Much of their reasoning has been the gangsta image and lack of control and manners that personifies snowboarding's image. Ouf, I would not associate "gangsta image" with whatever it is our young softbooting counterparts are doing. My younger brother (who is a recently converted softbooter who'd been skiing most of his life) and I were having some lunch at our local resort last time we were out riding, and we looked at softbooters passing by, sporting unbelievably enormous pants & jackets with bandanas fashioned more awkwardly than anything I can ever recall. I can't picture any single rap artist on the planet ever touching something like that, even with a ten foot pole. I remember some pictures of The Game snowboarding (which I can't seem to find right now), but he just had on an all black jacket and pants with a ski mask and goggles. Clothing not much bigger than what you see BOLers wearing. ********** EDIT ********** Found the pictures! I was off a little on the description (this was just a memory from a few years ago), but still, he doesn't look a thing like the ridiculous softbooters that most label "gangsta", and this is the current generation's big west coast gangster rapper. Can all of the BOLers REALLY say they'd never wear what he's wearing? ********** EDIT ********** Anyway, all we concluded was that we might think it's ridiculous, but we probably don't get it, as snowboarding really is it's own culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riceball Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 When I watch him and his son ride the steep pitch under the Silver chair I want to sell all my gear and take up knitting. You just made me blush... thanks for the compliment. Allee is right, North Axe under the Silver chair at Nakiska is a great "Watch Me" run. It is great when you get down to the bottom and or ride up the lift and you get questions from skiers and boarders about the equipment and the style. We were at Nakiska yesterday and two jibbers came up to Brad and I and said "dude, that looks like so much fun, is it?" - of course we said hell yea! and invited them to the Nakiska Expression Session on Jan 24. My son and I do get a kick out of turning heads, but at the same time we are trying to promote the sport and really enjoy answering the questions and handing out the "Bomber" business cards I got at SES last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Soze Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 My personal favorite was the hats with the brim turned up. Kinda of like Suicidal Tendencies look. I'm assuming this is the band you're talking about, I had no idea what Suicidal Tendencies was. Around here, it seems a good number of guys who ride their road bicycles downtown seem to always have that sort of hat on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Showing off in carhartts & jeans is extra fun, I do that after work sometimes:biggthump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Your too kind Ar(angel. I try to hold my own. Are you going to Heavenly this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar(angel Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 My kids have never been anywhere but Shasta & Bachelor, so I'm trying to plan a trip. I had so much fun at Heavenly I figure it's as good a place as any to take them. I'll keep you posted. Allee, thanks, it's good to be back. I was pretty T-d off over some board issues last year, I even thought about selling all my gear and going back to a soft set-up just to get away from all the BS. Luckily cooler heads prevailed and I'm looking forward to another season of carvin' the cord. Bobby thanks for the kind words, that's me on the Virus 2 seasons ago under the lift I was describing in my original post. Just above where I'm at in the photo is the "lip" Ralaan likes to shoot off of, it's a beautiful thing to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian M Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Definitely - I love 'performing' under the chair lifts. I really feel like my descent is a radical kind of dance with the hill, and love the fact that my track is left for a little while afterward. I'm just finishing a two-week visit at my parent's place, and the small ski hill I grew up on is very close. I got out five days while here, and have had so many compliments and comments from people that I can't remember them all. I had more than 15 people ask me in one day about my equipment. (No one usually hardboots here!) I have to say that I'm still surprised, though...that more of these people asking questions don't take the next step and TRY IT! I try extra hard to be a good ambassador for our sport, and constantly offer to let people try one of my boards. So far only one taker this season. I feel that most of you are as passionate as me about carving - I just don't understand why more people don't go for it. I said to three patroller friends at the hill today "I can't believe that something this fun is actually legal and doesn't hurt anyone!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimo Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Well... people do get hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogokoenig Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Showing off is the only reason for me doing this sport. Otherwise it would be way to exhausting and expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecarve Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 My standard run is a short blue adjacent to a chair. I like it because it's wide and on the opposite side of where most of the straightliners ride down. It's also where a resort photographer sits in the afternoon firing off images of easy-cruising families. Is it self-indulgent that I see him stand up and track me through every turn, knowing it's the most interesting thing he's shot all day? No, I get his card and check my form on his online comp sheet. :) (Hmm, I should be lower than that...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Ouf, I would not associate "gangsta image" with whatever it is our young softbooting counterparts are doing. My younger brother (who is a recently converted softbooter who'd been skiing most of his life) and I were having some lunch at our local resort last time we were out riding, and we looked at softbooters passing by, sporting unbelievably enormous pants & jackets with bandanas fashioned more awkwardly than anything I can ever recall. I can't picture any single rap artist on the planet ever touching something like that, even with a ten foot pole. I remember some pictures of The Game snowboarding (which I can't seem to find right now), but he just had on an all black jacket and pants with a ski mask and goggles. Clothing not much bigger than what you see BOLers wearing.********** EDIT ********** Found the pictures! I was off a little on the description (this was just a memory from a few years ago), but still, he doesn't look a thing like the ridiculous softbooters that most label "gangsta", and this is the current generation's big west coast gangster rapper. Can all of the BOLers REALLY say they'd never wear what he's wearing? ********** EDIT ********** Anyway, all we concluded was that we might think it's ridiculous, but we probably don't get it, as snowboarding really is it's own culture. I'll grant you that rappers may have moved on but jibber style has not.At least in our neck of the woods.But,hell I wear a chrome orange helmet and a 25 year old retro ski jacket that matches it just so I don't blend in;so who am I to talk:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Soze Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'll grant you that rappers may have moved on but jibber style has not.At least in our neck of the woods.But,hell I wear a chrome orange helmet and a 25 year old retro ski jacket that matches it just so I don't blend in;so who am I to talk:) Yeah, I'm saying that jibber style is a thing of it's own, so we're on the same page. Nothing wrong with standing out, we're hardbooting after all, aren't we? Am I the only one who started doing this to initiate more conversation with girls on the chair lift? Errr... uhh... I mean... I was actually at a couple of Thirft shops the other day and checked out a few retro jackets, don't know how brave I feel about it though, hahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingCrimson Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Welcome to the High.. Safety first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 You're unlikely to ever see such a thing. The rest of the industry works like a well oiled machine in their attempts to quell alpine. A few years back while at SIA we were looking for a new freeride binding to carry. Over and over we were asked to leave companies booths. Their explanation was always the same: "We want nothing to do with a company involved in the alpine market."The most interesting part is that every young employee I've had has expressed a desire to try alpine. Some have even made it a regular part of their riding. All agree that it improves their riding immensly. Are they afraid of losing business to alpine companies???? What a joke! Or maybe they don't want to look 1/2 assed when buyers inquire about alpine gear and why typical lunch trays have not changed in 15 years? I guess we all should be amazed that these jib-stick companies stiill know what alpine is. PS if you are railing turns like an alien you are showing off ( to the typical goofballs ) by default! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 The general feeling was that they felt being associated with alpine would somehow hurt their brand in the eyes of the consumer. As my employees indicate, it's a very small group that actually believes carving is lame. Those who do are the ones that fall in line and condemn it because they are unable to make their own assessment, but fear someone else more popular or with more clout will condemn it. It's high school all over again. Sean...Know you're in business and of course that might change your outlook but for me it's o.k., even prefered that they reject us. I for one reject norms that most hold as truth. I don't want to worship the sphere...I don't want to be a skier or a "Gangsta". I don't want to be accepted because I fit into somebody's notion of who I should be. That's part of the draw for me of alpine...It's kind of like a club for kindred spirits who choose their own path and do it for their own gratification and :) nobody else knows :lol: It's our little secret... And you, my man, are one who enables all of us to do what it is we love...Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 I had more fun, riding in the sunshine with Max, a 75 yr old aussie skier than I coould have had with any carver on the mt. It's all about the attitude:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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