Missing the point about skiing...

[mtnbikerskierchick]

All of my coworkers know I ski. They try to relate to me by asking questions that just get annoying unfortunately. Questions like, "Are you going skiing again this weekend?" Of course I am, I go skiing every weekend, that's how I ski at least 50 days a year minimum. Then my coworker called me a SKI BUNNY. He totally meant it as a compliment, but I looked at him with glaring eyes and he's like, "What, did I say something wrong?" Yeah, you just called me a fluff chick on skis, John, thanks "Really, that's what ski bunny means?"

[powderfarmer]

That's why my job is great. My job is to teach youngings to be SKIERS FOR LIFE. I love it, alot of the denver kids come up and like to ski, and rip when I start working with them. I don't care how much they get better(well, to some extent.....) as long as I can show them why skiing can be an all encompasing life activity. ^^^^^I know she knows what I am talking about.

[72Twenty]

I'm not angry about it, and I'm not trying to sound like I am acting elite to these people. To tell you the truth, I smile and nod everytime and sound liek I fully relate. I'm just saying that inside, this is what I am feeling.

I'm ronreeeeeeee.....

[Tippster]

There's a point?

Well, yes and no. The Spooning was nice, tho.

[DJMingus]

I'll have to try the 'ski bunny' thing on my wife. She'll appreciate that!

I have a guy in my office that started skiing two years ago and educating him has been difficult at times. You should have heard him trying to explain to me why 'these parabolics' were fundamentally different from the 'old straight skis'. It took me several conversations to get through to him that those old boards actually had sidecut and the look of amazement when he finally got it was priceless.

[upallnight]

And when they see my reaction as kind of a roll eyes along with disinterest and I move on to something else, they can't understand why I didn't find that terribly funny.

Maybe they find it funny when you roll your eyes and groan! Maybe the are using any ski-related item as an excuse to put you through this painful process and watch your reaction?

[upallnight]

Do you know what I am trying to say?

I know what you mean. It is hard for the average person to relate to how hardcore one can be in an activity -- but that's not exclusive to skiing.

As everyone here does, I get a lot of "what ski/boot/binding should I buy?" from the once-a-year skier.... or phone calls saying my friend so-and-so from high school (beginner skier) is coming to jackson to ski (sit in the lodge when it's storming)...can you show him/her around?

[Vinman]

how about the ones that say

"Be careful" or "Don get hurt". I fucking hate that. I always feel like saying "Don't get an a car wreck on the way home from sitting on your ass all day".

[DownhillRider]

Just act interested and smile - they're just trying to be nice. I do have one retarded story though (I still just said damn, that sucks..shoulda just taken the person out!):

In math yesterday I was talking to some guy who sits beside me, and he knows I like to ski so he started talking about his day at sunshine over the weekend. "I was taking the ski out (long cattrack to parking lot) and somebody turned right infront of me! So I had to CARVE (emphasized carve pretty damn hard) and fell in to the trees off the side!"

I don't think he knew how stupid he sounded, but still...at least hes starting conversation (assigned seating is a bitch, plus I don't have many friends in that class - no good friends, most people in it have no life outside of school)

[El Chupacabra]

I find it exceedingly difficult to recommend skis to beginners/intermediates. Any ski I'd know the first thing about is going to be wholly unsuitable.

sure, the ski you're looking for is called an M103, get the 193 and if the sales dude gives you any guff tell him he's a pussy. Yes, 2-6 DIN bindings should be fine.

Heh. I had one of those moments yesterday, riding the chairlift in a storm, sitting next to a woman from North Carolina with some very short and very narrow rental skis. She said she was going to be in Tahoe through the weekend (10+ inches of pow on the ground, with a lot more forecast before the weekend). I suggested she rent some fat skis. She looked at the Spatulas hanging off my boots and asked "should I get some of those?"

Didn't really know what to say...

[poorcollegekid]

its pretty bad in college too, i get kids on my floor telling me that they ski a lot, and they go into the backcountry like every weekend, i make the mistake of going skiing with tme and they cant even ski down black diamonds back east

[snowsprite]

^^Love the screen name! ^^

Sprite

[snowsprite]

Oh, and as for the original query: if they are trying to show off it irritates me and makes me want to get away from them quick.

But if they are just being nice, I will engage in conversation w/ them--and perhaps even arrange to ski w/ them. In fact, some of my best ski days ever have been taking people out who either can't ski at all or are really just learning.

Nothing like seeing the first glimmers of "I LOVE THIS" light in a newbie's eyes. Not that it happens all the time (sometimes really they hate it). But when it does, and you witness that, now that's special.

Sprite

[alberta_hoser]

When I told this girl in my class that I skied she responded by saying;
"Oh, really I thought you looked like a snowboarder...you seemed like the type that would do extreme sports." And my response of course was to knock her out and walk away shaking my head.

[skiaholik]

It is annoying/frustrating, but like others have said sometimes they are just trying to be nice/friendly. If it is someone trying to show off though I usually am not as tolerant and make some smart ass remark that shuts them up. I also have a funny story to share.

Two years ago right before thanksgiving I fell off a rail and landed on my side on the knuckle of the shark fin the rail was on. Because of the rock hard ice and the freak nature of it I managed to get a class 3 rupture of my spleen. After skiing down and convincing ski patrol to post a note for my friend to drive me to the hospital because I wasn't going to pay for an ambulance from the mountain I had the entertaining opportunity multiple times to try and explain what happened to the doctors and nurses (I know some of these people ski so this isn't a stereotypical thing by any means) who had no idea what I was talking about.

Doc: So how'd this happen?
Me: Well I looped out off this rail and hit the shark fin on my side pretty hard.
Doc: Ugh, you did what?
Me: I was grinding a rail on my skis and fell off onto my side
Doc: I don't get it.
Me: Ok, so you know those hand rails they have outside the building, well they have them on the mountain too and you can slide on top of them with your skis/snowboards.
Doc: Why would you want to do that?
Me: Nevermind, just tell me the damage.

[altagirl]

Heh ^

When I tore my ACL in a DH MTB race and was discussing returning to riding with my doc:

"You won't need knee braces for biking"

"Uh, but I race DH"

"Skiing? Yeah, you should wear braces for skiing."

"No, DH mountain biking."

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about bracing for mountain biking."

"But it's something where you are jumping off stuff and can wreck really hard.... Uh... (conveniently there was a poster with Tyler Klassen hucking off of something on the wall behind me) like this kind of thing."

"Oh..... Right. Well wear your knee braces for that."

[powderfarmer]

Heh ^

When I tore my ACL in a DH MTB race and was discussing returning to riding with my doc:

"You won't need knee braces for biking"

"Uh, but I race DH"

"Skiing? Yeah, you should wear braces for skiing."

"No, DH mountain biking."

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about bracing for mountain biking."

"But it's something where you are jumping off stuff and can wreck really hard.... Uh... (conveniently there was a poster with Tyler Klassen hucking off of something on the wall behind me) like this kind of thing."

"Oh..... Right. Well wear your knee braces for that."

Ha, I get the opposite kind of response from most of my docs when they see my medical history. It goes more like this.

Doc: So if you don't ski you don't make money right?
Me: Yup
Doc: Well then you probably know the drill
Me: yup
Doc: Do what you got to do
Me:yup
Doc: See ya next year
Me:Probably