Our Sport

I have a question that I'd love to hear some of your responses and thoughts on: How do you view the state of our sport today? The feedback I'm curious about is ideas such as:
-Do you think our sport is stagnant at the moment?
-Do you think it still becoming more and more popular/'cool' in comparison to the sport industry or have we somewhat reached a plateau?
-What about talking to people (who aren't involved in the sport at all), what is their reaction to your being a 'skier'?
-Do you think our sport is capable of ever being more mainstrem as surfing has become? Or is the sport just too expensive and inaccessible for most people to afford?
Also,
-What kind of role do girls in the sport now have?

Am curious at what you all think...

I'm curious to know where the hell you've been. :D

I don't think we'll ever be mainstream. This sport isn't for everyone. I think I'm the only real skier in the office. Others have skis but we're talkin' two time a year, maybe. I don't know why, it just doesn't appeal to most people.

I think that skiing is still growing and going in new directions. I like where its headed. Lots of people are coming back from slowboarding becasue its not about fartbags and race skis anymore. The new direction is fun and good for the sport in my eyes.

he what hu?!?.

since when did surfing beome mainstream..

maby surf clothes are mainstream but not surfing..

you dont ski do you.

Oh I'm around, just lingering and listening in the shadows... :)

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Originally posted by DynaMeg
I have a question that I'd love to hear some of your responses and thoughts on: How do you view the state of our sport today? The feedback I'm curious about is ideas such as:
-Do you think our sport is stagnant at the moment?

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No. Between Bode Miller, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, SethMo and The Cliff Suckstables, yourself, Jamie Burge, it's growing better than ever.

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-Do you think it still becoming more and more popular/'cool' in comparison to the sport industry or have we somewhat reached a plateau?

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Yes, it's getting more cool. Blowboarding is soooooo yesterday.

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-What about talking to people (who aren't involved in the sport at all), what is their reaction to your being a 'skier'?

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Blank stare.."oh...uh-huh" (stirs drinkie)"so you're one of those extra me skiers?"...politely shambles away.

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-Do you think our sport is capable of ever being more mainstrem as surfing has become?

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Absotroutly.

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Also,
-What kind of role do girls in the sport now have?

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The racing support has gotten anaemic, but the freestyle/big mountain/pipe skiing by girls has gotten fantastic in the last year.

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Am curious at what you all think...

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Now don't get to ask too much.

Hey meg,

According to SIA, the fastest growing segment of skiers is 11-17 year olds, by a long shot. That should help answer some of your questions. I'll let the mags to the rest.

heh.

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Originally posted by dubu
he what hu?!?.

since when did surfing beome mainstream..

maby surf clothes are mainstream but not surfing..

you dont ski do you.

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Guess you haven't seen Blue Crush, or North Shore, or Step into Liquid. Surfing's pretty mainstream.

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Originally posted by dubu
he what hu?!?.

since when did surfing beome mainstream..

maby surf clothes are mainstream but not surfing..

you dont ski do you.

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Good work dude. She doesn't ski at all, she prolly sucks in real life. :rolleyes:

Sounds like your boss assigned you some market research and you've got no ideas so you've trolled here. Welcome JONG, I'll play along.

Now for your questions:
Stagnent sport? From a revenue standpoint, meaning the real estate side of the resort developement, yea it's stagnent right now. At least less active than 5 years ago. As for the skiing, for me it's not stagnent, just metamophising to a new found passion beyond the ropes. I don't really care if the industry is stagnent, just if I get stagnent.


Cool? Cool factor is relative and it's an inacurate and lousy measuring instrument for most devout skiers.

People that find out I'm a skier? Those that don't ski just go "oh" like it's just another past-time. Those that are SKIERS rarely ask that question "Are you a skier?" or rarely need to ask that question.

Mainstream like surfing? Is surfing all that mainstream? So what, they did a movie about it with some hot girls. Water/Snow is free when you surf or ski. They both require devotion and time to master. The rewards are beyond feeling and explaination and don't always come when the masses are around. That alone makes me care less about mainstream or not.

Girls role in skiing? Either they participate or not, just like the boys. When a girl rips, it's usually more fluid, more elegant and more enjoyable to watch than the guys. They ad a certain spice to the sport, any sport actually.

Perhaps 'mainstream' wasn't the right word to use, but I was referring to surfing getting publicity in shows such as MTV's "Surf Girls", ABC's "North Shore", etc. And surfing having high profile, household-known names/athletes such as Kelly Slater. And what you also mentioned about surfing being a big influence in fashion....

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Originally posted by KevinDineen
Guess you haven't seen Blue Crush, or North Shore, or Step into Liquid. Surfing's pretty mainstream.

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oh, i can't wait until Fox starts airing "Jackson Hole"

Do you really think it's possible for a sport that costs over $1000/year to keep current with will ever become mainstream?

And do you consider resort skiing a sport?

Though it's cheaper for kids, right?

Ahh, that wasn't that funny.

maybe I'm just a grumpy asshole but I could care less if this sport is popular. I actually love to here about " declining skier visits ". I pray every winter night that I will see fewer and fewer people on the hill. If ski areas shut their doors, no big deal I like to earn my turns anyway. " Skiing industry " good riddance !

dubu, meet Dynameg.
Ha!

http://www.dreamcatcherheliskiing.co...megoster02.jpg

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Originally posted by DynaMeg
Perhaps 'mainstream' wasn't the right word to use, but I was referring to surfing getting publicity in shows such as MTV's "Surf Girls", ABC's "North Shore", etc. And surfing having high profile, household-known names/athletes such as Kelly Slater. And what you also mentioned about surfing being a big influence in fashion....

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Our mostly being pretty heavily dressed, wearing helmets and goggles etc. means we'll always trail behind surfing with regard to nekkidness/sex appeal etc., and it's a pretty well known fact that sex does sell. We might get closer, but will NEVER be able to compete with something like surfing imo.

Btw. I'm as interested as powstash in knowing who'll eventually be buying your writeup on the "state of skiing"?

I'll spill the beans for all those out of the know. DynaMeg is a real-deal, ripping female skier. You've probably seen her in magazines. She's also no JONG.

and her surname rhymes with 'orange'.

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Originally posted by board
maybe I'm just a grumpy asshole but I could care less if this sport is popular. I actually love to here about " declining skier visits ". I pray every winter night that I will see fewer and fewer people on the hill. If ski areas shut their doors, no big deal I like to earn my turns anyway. " Skiing industry " good riddance !

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Less people == less industry money == less innovation & higher prices.

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Originally posted by phUnk
I'll spill the beans for all those out of the know. DynaMeg is a real-deal, ripping female skier. You've probably seen her in magazines. She's also no JONG.

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c'mon man, I was having a pretty good chuckle there...

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Originally posted by phUnk
Less people == less industry money == higher prices.

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Yup, that'd mean less spancerships to go around. Yikes ;)

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Originally posted by jayfrizzo
Do you really think it's possible for a sport that costs over $1000/year to keep current with will ever become mainstream?

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Agreed. Just like mountain biking (which will never take off, I tell ya.)

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Originally posted by Telepath
Yup, that'd mean less spancerships to go around. Yikes ;)

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Or it means no financial incentive to produce things like... fat skis, Spatulas, etc.

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Originally posted by phUnk
Less people == less industry money == less innovation & higher prices.

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No one charges me to hike, but I will be happy to pay more for my season pass if it means less people on the hill.