Does "Park" skiing bother you?

[4aprice]

Interesting take on our sport.

Letter To The Editor: Park Skiing Has Nothing To Do With Actual Skiing

We received this letter in the mail. It's a little hard to read, so we transcribed it below. Dear Unofficial Editor, Your constant coverage and, dare, I

unofficialnetworks.com

My son is into it. A lot of talented kids. I have no problem with it . Does take away some terrain at places like my home mountain here in Pa but that's about the only downside I see to it.

 

[Abominable]

Almost entirely unrelated, but for the past two years I have been trying to explain to my kids (all under six) why they can't have poles, and all they want are poles, and they like to steal dad's poles and pole around, and hit people / cars / each other with poles, which makes me yell about the poles....

And then we go somewhere with a decent park scene and all the cool kids are skiing fat rockered skis with no poles and now who wants those dorky old man poles anymore?

So I'm at least a little thankful for the park rats.

 

[cdskier]

Whoever wrote that has a stick up their ass. Doesn't bother me for park skiing to be called "skiing". It is just one type of skiing. Just as downhill is one type of skiing. And cross-country is one type of skiing.

 

[Hastur]

the outfits in the article are choice!

 

[ThatGuy]

Takes a real ***** to write an article like that. I love parks, keeps the riff raff away from the real trails. If you like it there more power to you, I’ll stick to the bumps and trees.

 

[Newpylong]

It certainly is "skiing" in that people are sliding on two boards, but I do have to agree with the author to a certain extent. I would never pen an article about my personal thoughts on it though lol.

 

[ThatGuy]

“I’m a very good skier, but when I tell people this, they ask if I can do a backflip or a 360. The answer is no, but I’m not trying to be the best gymnast on the mountain, I’m trying to be the best skier.”
-Ron from Montana

Watch out for Ron hes the best skier on the mountain and will challenge you to a race

 

[deadheadskier]

Ron from Montana sounds like a blast to ski or party with

 

[drjeff]

I cringe to think at what the "health" of the overall sport would be at today had the park scene not devloped over the last 25-30 years. Completely attracted so many of the younger generation (some of now of whom have become middle aged skiers/riders now with kids they're getting into the sport today.

While it's not my personal thing, I have no issue with it whatsoever

 

[djd66]

I still don't get riding on a metal rail with skis.

 

[djd66]

Ron from Montana sounds like a blast to ski or party with

I'm thinking Ron is a kid

 

[ctdubl07]

All 4 of my teenagers are relatively competent skiers with good foundational skills. All have skied Crested butte and Heavenly this season which have pathetic parks so they hit the chutes and bowls. But back at MS, they spend 85% of their days in Carinthia and any other time, in the woods. They have good behavior and wear their helmets with the ear pads installed and googles properly over the top.
But I wonder if not for the Park, would I be putting $10Ks of dollars into the skiing industry a year? and might other families be in same boat? and if not, how would that have effected the economics of the industry over last 20+ years?? Just conversational.

 

[Hastur]

I miss the half pipes. those were fun.

 

[deadheadskier]

I still don't get riding on a metal rail with skis.

It's pretty simple really. It's borrowed from skate park culture.

What kids do on the rails impresses me a ton. It takes great timing and balance to do. The few times I've tried to ski a rail , I've bailed and crashed hard. Been many years since I last tried.

 

[Hastur]

“I’m a very good skier, but when I tell people this, they ask if I can do a backflip or a 360. The answer is no, but I’m not trying to be the best gymnast on the mountain, I’m trying to be the best skier.”
-Ron from Montana

Watch out for Ron hes the best skier on the mountain and will challenge you to a race

it's interesting because in my opinion the pinnacle of the sport is the freeride world tour and all those guys are backflipping and sending huge 360's etc. clearly they have spent some time sessioning the park.

I think if you can't flow a bit in the park you aren't an all round skier or rider.

 

[jimmywilson69]

my only gripe (and its really not to that level) is that it takes snow making recourses. As others have said it also keeps younger kids interested. Eventually their bodies won't let them do it but they'll still want to ski. I enjoy watching

Good analogy about the flow in the park and free ride skiers.

I enjoy watching park competitions. The crazy **** that is done now is mesmerizing Kids have to start somewhere...

 

[djd66]

It's pretty simple really. It's borrowed from skate park culture.

What kids do on the rails impresses me a ton. It takes great timing and balance to do. The few times I've tried to ski a rail , I've bailed and crashed hard. Been many years since I last tried.

I know where it comes from, I just don't get why you would want to ride a pair of skis (that cost a lot of $$$$) on a rail. I guess that's just me. I like to carve on hard pack, if I were to put my skis on a rail, my skis would be trashed.

 

[deadheadskier]

I know where it comes from, I just don't get why you would want to ride a pair of skis (that cost a lot of $$$$) on a rail. I guess that's just me. I like to carve on hard pack, if I were to put my skis on a rail, my skis would be trashed.

I would say people want to do it for the challenge and variety of tricks you can learn to do while grinding.

I'm with you on protecting edges on the skis. I also highly value my edges to be as sharp as possible; especially in the past couple of years that I've gotten into racing.

Different strokes.....

 

[drjeff]

I know where it comes from, I just don't get why you would want to ride a pair of skis (that cost a lot of $$$$) on a rail. I guess that's just me. I like to carve on hard pack, if I were to put my skis on a rail, my skis would be trashed.

Park skiers, especially if they're sliding a bunch of boxes and rails, will really dull down/round down their edges so they're not catching them on a rail/box. As someone who enjoys tuning my own gear and loves a clean, sharp edge, I cringe everytime on of my friends tell me what their park skiing offspring due to their edges to get them ready fo boxes/rails!

 

[2Planker]

Keeps them off the rest of the hill.