I get on the lift with some random dude. He asks if I'm hardcore.
I say I am totally hardcore.
I am a gaper hardcore.
Just heard it, and had to excuse myself to laugh. In reference to the half pipe, with the world's thickest southern accent: "Yeah, er- can y'all go find the ski patrol? Ma friend done broke his ass in y'all stunt ditch!"
A ski pal and I had parked our skis along a wall in a breezeway for a pit stop. Come back out and I grab my skis and Bob grabs his. Unfortunately Bob hits the skis next to his. Must of been 50 skis and boards all in a roll come crashing down. If that wasn't bad enough it was in a breezeway(tunnel)sound like 10,000 skis hit the pavement. Bob bought the beer that day.
Not a gaper quote but funny. A smarmy 8 year old big sister calls up hill to her mom who's struggling down an intermediate run with a non-compliant 3 or 4 yr old little one: "hurry up, I'm falling asleep you're taking so long"
Smoke dope, jump rope, eat glass and kick ass...ROCK STEADY!
Saw an odd thing in Cham not so long ago. It was snowing quite a bit, and I saw this guy in a lift line wearing no hood, no hat and no helmet. That was a little strange given the conditions, but what was really weird was that he had his goggle straps positioned so that they folded his ears out at right angles to his head. Looked really, really uncomfortable - plus his ears must have taken a battering from the wind further up.
I saw him again near the same lift later that day when I was waiting to meet a buddy; still no headgear, ears still getting mangled. He was struggling a lot with the fresh snow and stacked it quite a few times. Thing is, when he got to the bottom he had the biggest smile on his face - genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life. Which at the end of the day is what it's all about I guess.
One positive thing I've noticed is that since nothing within 2hrs of here is a destination resort, my life is refreshingly free from this shit (except for the never ending puzzlement of the beaver tail and shitty management of Snowbowl).
Kids in the park on a pow day is a classic. Used to get all internet butthurt about it, but then I realized: MORE FRESHIES FOR ME!
Overheard a man from Alabama telling his wife to look at the "turnpike" at copper (halfpipe).
I used to work at Sun Peaks. One of the things the resort was famous(infamous?) for was that it was the home of Nancy Greene, and that you could go and ski with Nancy.
She always wore goggles, but they were never on her face. Only up on top of her toque. She would never wear anything over her face so that people would recognize her.
She's drunk in this picture
^^^^paging PNWBrit.....
Quite the handsome gal.
Witnessed her just fucking go off (with language that would make a docker wince) on a TV cameraman who'd just filmed her yard sailing while she was doing a promo piece for Sun Peaks teenzy cat ski op.
She demanded the he delete the footage in front of her so it would never be seen.
I had a very pleasant encounter with her at Whistler years ago when she ran a hotel there. We were both standing at guest services at the end of the day the peak chair first opened--the top station was quite different than it is today and there were no signs pointing to where the black vs blue runs were. I was concerned that beginners (read TGR gapers) could get hurt if they stumbled onto a black run.
Nancy was beside me as I related my concerns to her, before I said "I know you!" Once I realized who she was, I suggested she tell guest services about the lack of signs. She was very polite and gave me the confidence to talk to the staff about the problem.
My brother and his family also rave about the time they skied with her at Sun Peaks--how nice she was and what an amazing skier she was.
One could find hundreds of skiers who owe their start in the sport to her wonderful approach to designing ski race programs in Canada that promoted fun before winning.
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