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May, 2025

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The ever decreasing number of really good skiers

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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
As the recent years have gone by and the sport of free-skiing has grown exponentially, I have noticed a troubling trend. A surprising lack of young new faces around the mountain that i would really consider really good skiers. I am pretty basically (and to many of the people on this site definitely) still a kid (only 17). I have been lucky enough to have been on snow since I took my first steps, and as I was growing up in a family of skiers I remember the one aspect of the sport that was constantly corrected and drilled into my brain harder than Alexas Texas on any given day was correct form. Because of this I like to think i have become a decent judge of a skier's ability based on what i see in the short moment i see them on the hill or from the chairlift, and i am seeing less and less skiers that i watch and think "wow he's good" (excluding racers). This is unfortunately most true in our sport of free-skiing. When skiing around the mountain I see almost no one my age that i even consider a good skier. sure i see a ton of kids that are park rats or consider themselves good free-skiers that just cannot ski technically well. good form is disappearing among the youth as accompanied by it the art of the perfect turn. for those of you who know a getting a perfect carve on a groomer of surfing the pow with good form are some of the best feelings a skier can have and i just don't see kids doing it any more. as our version of free-skiing involves more air time than ground time it seems to me that Free-skiing is turning away from good skiers and turning into what is essentially acrobatics. why is this happening? am i over exaggerating?

i want more skiers opinion on the subject that is the point of this thread
10 years ago
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PKchu
Posts: 1158 - Karma: 5,943
I've noticed a similar trend. The upcoming generation of freeskiers (those who ride park) it seems has gotten into skiing solely for riding the park. They don't take the time to learn the basics. It's sad seeing the younger generation lap the park on a powder day.
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
You must have realized by now that skiing has changed. What constitutes a good skier is no longer a "perfect form" carve, but rather an amateur that can do unnatural rodeos or do both way backside 270 pretzel out (forgive me for my lack of experience with technical rail terminology, as I only watch rails without being sure of what's actually happening). Or even one who can straight line a gnarly line or chute or toss a 3 off a natural drop on a challenging run.
Embrace this progression as it is far more entertaining and free than skiing with perfect form as decided by others.
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
PKchuI've noticed a similar trend. The upcoming generation of freeskiers (those who ride park) it seems has gotten into skiing solely for riding the park. They don't take the time to learn the basics. It's sad seeing the younger generation lap the park on a powder day.


Why do you feel this way? Are they not enjoying their day just as much on a pair of skis, progressing their skills?
10 years ago
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Jewschoolers
Posts: 1785 - Karma: 1,142
RusticlesWhy do you feel this way? Are they not enjoying their day just as much on a pair of skis, progressing their skills?


no. they arent. its totally different and i just want everyone to experience the feeling, because it is glorious. for me its not about "hating" on them as much as wanting to share what i enjoy the most with other people because I know they would love it if they gave it a shot. just my opinion
10 years ago
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PKchu
Posts: 1158 - Karma: 5,943
Jewschoolersno. they arent. its totally different and i just want everyone to experience the feeling, because it is glorious. for me its not about "hating" on them as much as wanting to share what i enjoy the most with other people because I know they would love it if they gave it a shot. just my opinion


You said it. Also, it's good to diversify oneself within skiing. I believe that to truly experience skiing, one must have experience in multiple fields of skiing, not be limited to just one. There's absolutely nothing wrong with skiing within only one aspect of the sport, but at that point, one is only limiting their experience. I myself mostly ski in the park, but I also ski the rest of the mountain, especially when it snows. It's just my belief that taking the time to learn the basics and how to ski well, and maintaining those skills, is essential before pursuing the park.
10 years ago
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Static
Posts: 8588 - Karma: 4,099
Durrrr, he can triple but can he heartcarve?
10 years ago
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K-Dot.
Posts: 3790 - Karma: 8,348
Its just fucking skiing, let people do what they want. Just because they click into a pair of skis doesn't mean they've just signed an imaginary contract that says they should ski how you think is right. If they're having fun and enjoying the sport, who are you to tell them whats good and whats bad? Op sounds like another crusty ex-racer with a holier-than-thou complex. Just aki and stop worrying about other people
10 years ago
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,126
^^^^ while dudes right having fun trumps all
i gotta say the backcountry sure has it's share of
could use some quick and easy ups
so you don't suck so bads on the downs
you aint gonna get much better skiing 15 minutes a day
nobody cares you hiked all day to ski like ass
elitests
10 years ago
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N.L.
Posts: 2420 - Karma: 2,749
i like seeing pizza turns right before dubs and trips!
10 years ago
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freestyler540
Posts: 13231 - Karma: 20,383
Ill exclude the time and money argument just because they are obvious. My point will be made on people generally getting lazy about skiing. When I mean lazy, I mean you would rather take a day off on a shit day because you can't ride what you want. In powder spots, its so bad that 90% of riders ride their heels but can do backflips with ease. If the powder isn't there, they dont ride.

I remember an oldschool mogul coach getting upset about this topic in 2002. He argued 2 points; skiing has been so concentrated its acid for everyone that isn't used to it. New riders are often intimidated by the commercials blasted at them to ride like them, or there is no point. Skis too have been so adaptive to a certain aspect of skiing, no one can comfortably ride only one pair of skis for everything anymore. I need 2 or 3 pairs to ride everything.

Second point was the lack the innovation in education. The industry hires 2 types of ski instructor: the 16 year old that picked up skiing last year and the middle aged exercise driven theory zeal that cant understand that following him and watching him doing pointless exercises for a hour and 80$ later. I remember going through ski school groups dreading it every day. Racing, moguls are the same; soly focused on perfecting skill and not refining techniques to improve the feeling of skiing.

His point was to focus more on touching all aspects of skiing and discover how to fuse a style with another. Since moving from the east to west, I feel the inspiration of "always land your tricks" and the powder stoke of just huck it and love going from one extreme to the other.

But this year in the Northwest, we got to see who are the real dedicated riders.
10 years ago
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
Agree OP. I have been saying this for years now. Its really really sad to see where the state of skiing is heading. I have a racing background, so perhaps I have a biased view. But When I see young kids spending lap after lap mastering the park it troubles me. Not because they love the park, but for 2 reasons.

1. They are pathetically awful at actually at actually skiing
2. They aren't even that good at park skiing

Anyone can ski down groomers. I love railing turns one of my favorite things to do. But you can really see the difference between a good and great skier when it gets difficult...moguls, trees, steeps, etc. Anywhere that requires actual skill. I think this is really noticeable especially on pow days. When the snow gets choppy or there is more than 6 inches of fresh pow. Look at how awful people ski. Backseat, out of control, falling, etc. Diminishing number of good skiers left on the hill with the rise of freeskiing in recent years. As much as I want to stay true to my freeskiers, the race kids will be the ones ripping until they are old. Not saying there aren't any good freeskiers out there (obviously there are many), but a vast majority of these kids will struggle in a few years when they get to old to ski park 24/7.
10 years ago
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
I think what everyone is seeing is the sport diversifying, it's really hard for people to keep up with having good 'form' (I hate that word BTW) and simultaneously kill it in the park. There's just not enough hours in the day.

I have let my park skills slide as I have spent more time freeriding and racing the last few seasons, so I would probably be considered to have good technical skills, but I still have max respect for kids pushing the park scene.
10 years ago
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Oh, and OP, decreasing since when!? You were barely alive when twintips were invented...
10 years ago
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rememberscott
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 5,198
OP open your eyes.

It looks like you ski scummit county aka gaperville. Tourists are what makes your world go round. Newb after newb visit with their family for their two days of skiing a year, happens repeatedly from December thru spring break. What do you expect? Yes you have some hardcore locals and so,e badass park skiers but it sounds like you've been skiing little mountain. It comes down to location imo
10 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
Yup location. Have you been to Park City? I used to think I was a good skier until I moved to UT and now I think I'm very average, with a not so average beer consumption.
10 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
GOod thread OP something to think about.


Now that Im not an adolescent I no longer see awesome skiiers with any sort of envy or self comparison. Its not that Im content in my shredding since we all demand progression from ourselves I just don't view other folks using the hill judgementally.


But I might agree with you that I am wow-ed less than I used to be.

And I totally get what you are talking about when you mean a really good skiier.


Regular life took me away from the hill in my prime save for the odd week in college or day first couple years after. It was nice to get back on skis a lot mid 20s and not have lost anything but I know that if I ever have to ski next to a really really really legit skiier I'll come up shorter than I like cause I probably don't go hard enough. LIttle too much wear and tear on the body to progress significantly and Im hard enough on myself when I pick out a shitty line in the trees or don't lean into turns on ice and skid. Not going to worry about myself in comparison to others or try and ge way better.




Another problem with being a really good skiier is that when your bombing like fuck people on the lift think you are better than you are and a pro and start calling for flips and shit when you hit an air.
10 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
I also don't think you can pick out a "really good skier" from a "good skier" just based on a brief glimpse of seeing them shred. You can definitely tell if they are "gapers" vs "not your typical weekend warrior" but there are plenty of people out there who only turnt up when needed.

Also last thing, if the talent pool at PC doesn't impress you, take a venture up north to Jackson Hole.
10 years ago
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
Who gives a fuck?

The main thing that will make skiing suck is forcing people to drill their talent. Let them enjoy it however they want.

If you love the sport, you can learn skill later.
10 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
No one should. It was already decided long ago that, I'm the best skier on the mountain.
10 years ago
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DominatorJacques
Posts: 11247 - Karma: 76,550
Mr.BishopWho gives a fuck?

The main thing that will make skiing suck is forcing people to drill their talent. Let them enjoy it however they want.

If you love the sport, you can learn skill later.


^TRUTH!
10 years ago
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mseward
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 1,242
Ive noticed it for sure but its not something that really bothers me. I got into park when i was like 14 after skiing groomers and racing for like 12 years. I know some kids who rented like twice and went out and got like fully outfitted in orage and armada. Its kind of hillarious when we leave the park just to ride trees or whatever they get totally uncomfortable.

but like bishop said who really cares if you're having a good time doing it.
10 years ago
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
StaticDurrrr, he can triple but can he heartcarve?


Thanks for mentioning it, and I was going to post anyway, but I will say this:

In 2002, I hadn't skied since about '96, and at that point I planned a trip to NZ and I had heard about these parabolic skis, but had never used them. I read about a racer on Elan skis having to change her style to suit them.

So I asked myself "what can I contribute to skiing?"
The answer that came back was "style."
Then I thought "how?" and the answer was "lose the poles, harness the parabolic skis."
But then I thought "how would I compensate, what would be my focus if I had no poles?" and I realized I had to split my body into two: top half, bottom half and then use the difference as a way to manipulate energy (or gravity.) Then I realized I must focus on the heart. At that point I went rollerblading and started playing around with different ways to carve on rollerblades.... so over 10 years later I am still going (with a new pow ski in mind.)

The issue was.. with the advent of parabolic skis in late 90s, how/who completely reengineered their technique to use them?

Anyhow, one thing I should mention was that when I first saw a real terrain park in 2008 my first reaction was ewww, reminds me of a school gymnasium, which are highly controlled, strict (you just can't go and muck around on an apparatus), level-based, coached environment. And if you wanna get good, you do it properly. To me that's not freeskiing. The terrain park is an artifical construct (as is a race course.) It didn't remind me of street-skating. I am not saying it's bad, though.

Anyhow, I didn't really explore skiing on the internet during all that time (FB didn't exist, and I did't care for ski movies) - so I thought the only innovation was parabolic skis for groomers and I new nothing of twin-tips.

I think people should do what they like and what feels comfortable to them, and if you're judging others you probably aren't that happy and need to go outside your comfort zone to find your comfort zone.
10 years ago
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APunx176
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 2,628
RusticlesEmbrace this progression as it is far more entertaining and free than skiing with perfect form as decided by others.


Realest sentence in this thread
10 years ago
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
RusticlesEmbrace this progression as it is far more entertaining and free than skiing with perfect form as decided by others.


Boom.
10 years ago
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T-MC-G
Posts: 14 - Karma: 31
I agree with OP. That Loon mountain NS edit that was posted looks like a bunch of roller bladers strapped on skis for the day.
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
Jewschoolersno. they arent. its totally different and i just want everyone to experience the feeling, because it is glorious. for me its not about "hating" on them as much as wanting to share what i enjoy the most with other people because I know they would love it if they gave it a shot. just my opinion


Maybe they are?!?!? Maybe they've skied all over the mountain, maybe they've had a race coach drilling them to practice proper form, Maybe they've skied pow and still prefer park. Over the last 15 or so years that I've been skiing I've lucked out and had many endless lap dick deep pow days in the back country and I'd still say I enjoyed slushy sunny spring days learning new tricks or even just tossing backflips everywhere just as much as the pow days. They've found the part of skiing they enjoy the most and they're still good skiers if they can do a clean switch 7 but struggle down some icy moggle run.
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
RusticlesYou must have realized by now that skiing has changed. What constitutes a good skier is no longer a "perfect form" carve, but rather an amateur that can do unnatural rodeos or do both way backside 270 pretzel out (forgive me for my lack of experience with technical rail terminology, as I only watch rails without being sure of what's actually happening). Or even one who can straight line a gnarly line or chute or toss a 3 off a natural drop on a challenging run.
Embrace this progression as it is far more entertaining and free than skiing with perfect form as decided by others.

But this is wrong though. being good at park does not make you a good SKIER, it makes you good at park. i have a ton of amigos that are better at flipping than i am but can't do diddly fuck when the terrain gets challenging. back in the early life of the freeride community (moguls etc.) form was really important, those guys could fucking rip. but for some reason the present park skiing community does not care. i am just curious as to why this is true. being a well rounded, well "formed", good skier is really fucking fun. and based not only on my experience but on those of my friends skiing only gets more fun as you get better technically.


Also it is easy to pick out a good skier vs a great skier on the mountain. the way one stands and completes a turn in a challenging environment, and a skier's ability to react quickly and ski any terrain with good form is what constitutes a great skier
10 years ago
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Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
For a brief overview, I'm 26 and have managed our park for 6 years. I started a grom series this year, 4 events ages 5-12. First event had 25, 2nd 35, 3rd, 45 and the last Saturday, 60!! We do an hour coaching session and then a 30 minute comp. This tells me that there is a want for kids related park initiatives.

I'll be looking at having kids soon and I want them to have the opportunity to learn park safely, and have the proper progression with a group of riders and a coach. In sense, I started building our park for the best riders, but as they get older and move on, we have less and less "great" riders in the park. With that, I am going to start a club (atleast work on it) to get the kids involved in a program at a young age and build the want for parks. Start young in the park with a great program, parents will love it and in sense it will build the park community in a whole from beginner to advanced.
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
ProphetmattFor a brief overview, I'm 26 and have managed our park for 6 years. I started a grom series this year, 4 events ages 5-12. First event had 25, 2nd 35, 3rd, 45 and the last Saturday, 60!! We do an hour coaching session and then a 30 minute comp. This tells me that there is a want for kids related park initiatives.

I'll be looking at having kids soon and I want them to have the opportunity to learn park safely, and have the proper progression with a group of riders and a coach. In sense, I started building our park for the best riders, but as they get older and move on, we have less and less "great" riders in the park. With that, I am going to start a club (atleast work on it) to get the kids involved in a program at a young age and build the want for parks. Start young in the park with a great program, parents will love it and in sense it will build the park community in a whole from beginner to advanced.

I am confused. Is this an advertisement?
10 years ago
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3mania
Posts: 2648 - Karma: 10,800
Mr.BishopWho gives a fuck?

The main thing that will make skiing suck is forcing people to drill their talent. Let them enjoy it however they want.

If you love the sport, you can learn skill later.

This is the same mentality that they apply to little kid soccer games, let's not keep score as long as the kids are having fun!!! I'm not complaining though, cause this is why I' m still the best skier on the mountain. I like doing some drills, go no poles, drop a ski, hop turns, work on some lead change, ski switch, these things all develop muscle memory. So when it's on I'm ready to throw down.
10 years ago
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,299
Have we considered that in any given population the you'll likely have something along the lines of

beginners>intermediates>experts>pros

Meaning the number of beginners is greater than intermediates and so on. It follows that beginners are significantly more numerous than experts and pros.

I'll agree that there are more bad skiers than good ones if you watch from the lift. I don't know about less good skiers. Was every seventeen year old ridiculous ten years ago? I never raced or anything, but I know I'm a good skier. I've been skiing since I was five and I'll be 23 in a few weeks. I know I can turn properly. I didn't start park till high school. I was a beginner at one point, though.

Point is, I feel like you'd observe this in 1988, 1998 and 2015 all the same, and any member of the higher skill classes is likely to observe there's more people who are worse than they are. It's probably a bell curve. If Tom Wallisch gets on a lift it'd be pretty easy for him to count how many people are worse than he is.
10 years ago
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,299
Mr.BishopWho gives a fuck?

The main thing that will make skiing suck is forcing people to drill their talent. Let them enjoy it however they want.

If you love the sport, you can learn skill later.


This too. The majority of beginners are probably satisfied with their skill set, or otherwise unable to get any better. Most skiers don't see a reason to send themselves over a 50ft kicker or rail a turn at 70mph for fear of killing themselves. It's a hobby they do on weekends and they're totally fine with that. This is likely why there's more beginners than experts, at least in part. If they make it down the mountain they don't care if they pizza'd the entire time. So, there's more beginners than experts.

To observe that there's less good skiers and to observe that there's more beginners than experts are different. The first somehow validates experts by making them part of a dwindling elite. The second just quantifies something without implying anything. Not saying op or anybody is looking to feel special, but I'm sure some people are motivated by that.

As to the issue; fine. Let the bad skiers stay on the easy slopes so there's actually snow on the harder ones, and it's not shaved ice because people pizza down it all day. I'm not concerned about a dwindling number of good skiers. I'm not even sure that's actually the case.
10 years ago
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MikeWeinerONE
Posts: 501 - Karma: 1,215
brov1As the recent years have gone by and the sport of free-skiing has grown exponentially, I have noticed a troubling trend. A surprising lack of young new faces around the mountain that i would really consider really good skiers. I am pretty basically (and to many of the people on this site definitely) still a kid (only 17). I have been lucky enough to have been on snow since I took my first steps, and as I was growing up in a family of skiers I remember the one aspect of the sport that was constantly corrected and drilled into my brain harder than Alexas Texas on any given day was correct form. Because of this I like to think i have become a decent judge of a skier's ability based on what i see in the short moment i see them on the hill or from the chairlift, and i am seeing less and less skiers that i watch and think "wow he's good" (excluding racers). This is unfortunately most true in our sport of free-skiing. When skiing around the mountain I see almost no one my age that i even consider a good skier. sure i see a ton of kids that are park rats or consider themselves good free-skiers that just cannot ski technically well. good form is disappearing among the youth as accompanied by it the art of the perfect turn. for those of you who know a getting a perfect carve on a groomer of surfing the pow with good form are some of the best feelings a skier can have and i just don't see kids doing it any more. as our version of free-skiing involves more air time than ground time it seems to me that Free-skiing is turning away from good skiers and turning into what is essentially acrobatics. why is this happening? am i over exaggerating?

i want more skiers opinion on the subject that is the point of this thread


Um no. If you think the skiing levels are decreasing you should probably watch the junior IFSA tour since I think you were alluding to the fact kids can't ski the whole mountain. Go to a North Face Park and Pipe series if you want to see the level in park increasing. There are more kids right now that can shred hard then ever before in every aspect of skiing. There are soooo many kids that throw down in the park and ride big mountain better then lots of pro's competing as 12-14 year olds at IFSA events. Really. It's getting insane to be honest how good kids are getting at actual skiing the mountain.
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
MikeWeinerONEUm no. If you think the skiing levels are decreasing you should probably watch the junior IFSA tour since I think you were alluding to the fact kids can't ski the whole mountain. Go to a North Face Park and Pipe series if you want to see the level in park increasing. There are more kids right now that can shred hard then ever before in every aspect of skiing. There are soooo many kids that throw down in the park and ride big mountain better then lots of pro's competing as 12-14 year olds at IFSA events. Really. It's getting insane to be honest how good kids are getting at actual skiing the mountain.


my point was that the ration of technically good skiers is proportionally decreasing as tons and tons of kids are just skiing park and not learning to really ski
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
brov1my point was that the ration of technically good skiers is proportionally decreasing as tons and tons of kids are just skiing park and not learning to really ski


Skiing park is actually "really skiing".

What I think you meant to say is "Tons of Kids are getting really technical in the park"
10 years ago
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lukemeahan.
Posts: 1689 - Karma: 330
FREE skiing
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
RusticlesSkiing park is actually "really skiing".

What I think you meant to say is "Tons of Kids are getting really technical in the park"


skiing well* (with good form)
10 years ago
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MikeWeinerONE
Posts: 501 - Karma: 1,215
brov1my point was that the ration of technically good skiers is proportionally decreasing as tons and tons of kids are just skiing park and not learning to really ski


Possibly, but to me skiing is all about having fun. Thats it. If I wasn't having fun I'd stop skiing. But its the most fun thing to do ever. Who cares how good kids are. Move out west and watch the talent levels on the mountain. Go to Squaw, Snowbird, Jackson, Alta, Breck, Keystone, and mountains all over the world and watch kids that will blow your mind with their talent. Its incredible to watch these kids grow up and they're absolutely destroying the mountain.

The more kids that get into the sport, the more fun people are having and more money comes into the sport. This helps with R&D, better skis and technology. Enjoy life, it's all about having fun and that's whats most important. 10% of 100k is better then 10% of 10k. Let kids have fun.
10 years ago
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Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
brov1I am confused. Is this an advertisement?


No? The statement means there needs to be progression from a young age for the park world to thrive
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
ProphetmattNo? The statement means there needs to be progression from a young age for the park world to thrive

i think this thread is more confusing than i intended it to be. i am just wondering why insane park progression is causing a major regression in good regular skiers.
10 years ago
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,172
Let people have their fun. Parks are the reason why East coast skiing is surviving. Young skiers will develop form on their own accord. Telling them that they suck at real skiing because they're better at you at Park makes you seem jealous and bitter.
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
brov1i think this thread is more confusing than i intended it to be. i am just wondering why insane park progression is causing a major regression in good regular skiers.


I think it's because most (resort) skiers are pursuing the part of skiing that they enjoy or are intrigued by the most which is park. They spend most if not all of their time progressing in the park which keeps them from learning any other aspect of skiing, and if they ski at a hill where the park extends from the top of the lift to the bottom then they definitely aren't skiing anything else.

There's nothing wrong with that, I mean that's the progression that made/is making skiing popular again.

Also, a bit of a side note, With the access to the back country becoming alarmingly easier whether it's AT gear or a cheap sled more and more good skiers are leaving the resort.
10 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61949 - Karma: 126,666
I disagree with OP. I feel like its not fair to judge people on their "skiing level" when you don't even know them.

There are infinite factors to consider for each person, you might see some kid doing dope cork 7s and some tech rail tricks, maybe his 'form' isn't great skiing down to the life, but maybe this dude started skiing two years ago. What do you seriously expect from someone who started skiing in the past 5 year and started when they were 16-20? Or what if they just moved to your area from the midwest where they don't really ski on anything but parks? You gonna give someone shit because its their first or even second year at a real mountain? This person isnt gonna be as good as someone who's been doing it since they were 5 years old.

Also, people like this have existed since the beginning of park skiing, arguably 10 years + ago. Maybe they just want to ski park, they don't care about how they ski outside of the park, have you ever considered that? Just because you think they should be good skiers doesn't mean thats what they should do, its fucking FREE skiing, everyone does what they want. Why do you care?

I could go on and on but I'm going to keep this brief, stop judging others and just go ski.
10 years ago
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,168
KravtZ6 inches of fresh pow. Look at how awful people ski. Backseat,


Guilty... I can't figure out skiing pow in park skis and I don't want to buy fattys. You have to keep the tips up a little so you don't dig and tomahawk.
10 years ago
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Rusticles
Posts: 2180 - Karma: 1,337
john18061806Guilty... I can't figure out skiing pow in park skis and I don't want to buy fattys. You have to keep the tips up a little so you don't dig and tomahawk.


Can kind of make getting to the park a bit of a bitch when it snows haha
10 years ago
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,832
john18061806Guilty... I can't figure out skiing pow in park skis and I don't want to buy fattys. You have to keep the tips up a little so you don't dig and tomahawk.


Truu. 90mm twins are a bitch in deep snow.
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
pussyfooterI disagree with OP. I feel like its not fair to judge people on their "skiing level" when you don't even know them.

There are infinite factors to consider for each person, you might see some kid doing dope cork 7s and some tech rail tricks, maybe his 'form' isn't great skiing down to the life, but maybe this dude started skiing two years ago. What do you seriously expect from someone who started skiing in the past 5 year and started when they were 16-20? Or what if they just moved to your area from the midwest where they don't really ski on anything but parks? You gonna give someone shit because its their first or even second year at a real mountain? This person isnt gonna be as good as someone who's been doing it since they were 5 years old.

Also, people like this have existed since the beginning of park skiing, arguably 10 years + ago. Maybe they just want to ski park, they don't care about how they ski outside of the park, have you ever considered that? Just because you think they should be good skiers doesn't mean thats what they should do, its fucking FREE skiing, everyone does what they want. Why do you care?

I could go on and on but I'm going to keep this brief, stop judging others and just go ski.

this i strongly agree with. eheath, im not annoyed so much as curious as to why the massive uprising of park has caused a lessening of the value of form.
10 years ago
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brov1
Posts: 1826 - Karma: 8,838
i forgot to mention though. this thread is a product of an interview i read somewhere with Banks Gilberti. when asked his favorite trick he said it was a perfect carve because he is seeing less and less appreciation for just skiing well. i realized that this was something i had been noticing all season.
10 years ago
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marrows
Posts: 399 - Karma: 656
ADRIA-T.PIMPThanks for mentioning it, and I was going to post anyway, but I will say this:

In 2002, I hadn't skied since about '96, and at that point I planned a trip to NZ and I had heard about these parabolic skis, but had never used them. I read about a racer on Elan skis having to change her style to suit them.

So I asked myself "what can I contribute to skiing?"
The answer that came back was "style."
Then I thought "how?" and the answer was "lose the poles, harness the parabolic skis."
But then I thought "how would I compensate, what would be my focus if I had no poles?" and I realized I had to split my body into two: top half, bottom half and then use the difference as a way to manipulate energy (or gravity.) Then I realized I must focus on the heart. At that point I went rollerblading and started playing around with different ways to carve on rollerblades.... so over 10 years later I am still going (with a new pow ski in mind.)

The issue was.. with the advent of parabolic skis in late 90s, how/who completely reengineered their technique to use them?

Anyhow, one thing I should mention was that when I first saw a real terrain park in 2008 my first reaction was ewww, reminds me of a school gymnasium, which are highly controlled, strict (you just can't go and muck around on an apparatus), level-based, coached environment. And if you wanna get good, you do it properly. To me that's not freeskiing. The terrain park is an artifical construct (as is a race course.) It didn't remind me of street-skating. I am not saying it's bad, though.

Anyhow, I didn't really explore skiing on the internet during all that time (FB didn't exist, and I did't care for ski movies) - so I thought the only innovation was parabolic skis for groomers and I new nothing of twin-tips.

I think people should do what they like and what feels comfortable to them, and if you're judging others you probably aren't that happy and need to go outside your comfort zone to find your comfort zone.


hahahahahahahahhaha. you must be so awkward to talk to.
10 years ago
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,185
RusticlesEmbrace this progression as it is far more entertaining and free than skiing with perfect form as decided by others.


I don't think OP is talking about form because form is completely subjective. I think what he's talking about is the sheer ability of the younger generation to make it to the bottom of the hill when conditions and terrain get gnarly.

Find a run with some decent steeps in the late spring when it's all bumped out and watch some of these kids navigate their way down.
10 years ago
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