Don't show this to your skier buddies...

Just saw this while "snurfin" the web...will have to see if it comes
true. I doubt it.








The Mobile Guide: Skiers Beware Riders of the Apocalypse
By Alex Kozinski. 15 March 1995, The Wall Street Journal, A12 (PDF
scan)
Mark my words: 25 years or so from now your grandchild will climb on
your knee and ask, "Hey, Grandpa (or Grandma), I heard that when you
were a kid they used to saw snowboards in half and put one piece on
each foot. Why'd they do that?" Stumped for an answer, you'll mumble
something like, "It was a plot hatched by orthopedists."

Sound ridiculous? Don't be so sure. Children, unburdened by the
prejudices and vanities of their elders, are voting with their feet and
deserting skiing for snowboarding in droves. My sons skied for years,
but now they're out snowboarding while their skis gather dust. Curious,
I decided to give snowboarding a try, and that's the last my own skis
saw the slopes.

Snowboards are here to stay and, like compact disks and touch-tone
phones, they'll push out the outdated technology everyone thought was
irreplaceable. Here are just a few reasons why:

Skiing is hard; snowboarding's easy. You can spend many years and the
GNP of New Guinea on lessons and still be a mediocre skier, but you can
become a darn good snowboarder in no time at all. Yes, that includes
klutzniks; I should know.

Skiing mangles knees; snowboarding doesn't. Skiing is inherently
dangerous because it requires you to strap each foot to a separate
object. During a fall these objects often move in different directions,
putting torque on the nearest joint -- usually the knee. Quick-release
bindings reduce the hazard, but highly debilitating, often permanent,
knee injuries continue to be a major risk of skiing. Snowboarders (or,
as they prefer to be called, "riders") seldom suffer such injuries
because they keep both feet firmly attached to the same object. Riders
do get injured from falls and collisions, but so do skiers. You can
reduce such injuries by wearing a helmet and wrist guards, a wise move
no matter how you propel yourself down the mountain. But no one has yet
devised foolproof protection from the debilitating joint injuries
caused by skiing.

Skiing is work; snowboarding's fun. Just watch any good skier and
you'll see his legs move as if they were disconnected from the rest of
his body. This requires an immense amount of coordination and physical
exertion; most skiers never get it right. Maneuvering a snowboard
involves small shifts of body weight. This is not only more natural and
graceful than skiing, it uses skills that can be practiced year-round
in surfing, skateboarding, even bicycling.

Skiers hate bad terrain; snowboarders don't care. Listen to skiers
after a day on the slopes and you'll hear them complain about ice,
moguls, granular snow, wet snow, etc. You seldom hear such complaints
from riders because snowboards are nearly as easy to use in bad
conditions as in good. The only real complaint snowboarders have is
about apres-ski whiners.

Ski boots hurt; snowboard boots are comfy. Need I say more?

Skiers look dweeby; snowboarders look cool. Most skiers look like
overstuffed neon sausages or hearty Tyrolean yodelers who just rolled
off the set of "Dumb and Dumber." The only ones on the slope who look
like they're having a good time are the riders.

Skiing is scary; snowboarding is exhilarating. Watch skiers as they
approach a steep ledge. They hesitate, they survey the terrain, they
pretend to be enjoying the view. What they're really doing is praying
this isn't going to be the day they discover firsthand the miracle of
arthroscopic surgery. Riders show no such hesitation because snowboards
are designed to keep you in control no matter how steep, icy or mogully
the descent. After less than a season on a snowboard, for example, I
had no trouble handling any run on the back bowls at Vail.

Ski equipment is a pain: snowboarding gear is a breeze. To go
snowboarding all you need is a snowboard, which you can sling over your
shoulders as you head for the slopes. To go skiing, you have to walk
from your car or condo in forward-leaning, rigid shell boots while
juggling skis and poles. When you take a spill on the slope, all that
equipment gets scattered about (a condition known derisively as a "yard
sale"), and you then have to go chasing it, usually uphill. Your
snowboard never leaves your feet, thank you.

Skis clutter; snowboards are neat. An adult snowboard fits within the
trunk of a Ford Taurus, and has a slim profile in a ski locker. Storing
and transporting skis, poles and hard boots for a family of four is a
job for Bekins.

Skiers carry poles; snowboarders have free hands. One of the best
things about snowboarding is that you don't always have your hands
full. You can throw snowballs, take pictures, or just let your arms
swing free. You don't carry poles in your daily life; why should you
put up with them when you're having a good time?
Skiers have learned to endure a lot of risks and inconveniences, but it
all seems so pointless once you've streaked down the mountain on your
Burton, without fear or pain, suspended almost weightless between snow
and sky. It makes you laugh out loud and wonder, why do all these
people split snowboards in half?

Skiing is history; snowboarding rules!

Mr. Kozinski is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit.

Jrobb wrote:
Just saw this while "snurfin" the web...will have to see if it comes
true. I doubt it.

Well a good chunk of it is already false. One wonders if the good judge
ever actually rode down any mogul-y, icy slopes after his one year on a
board.

Neil

This could be a reason for the downfall of the us court system as
well...false perceptions by ill advised judges.\

J

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:35:35 GMT, "Jrobb"
allegedly wrote:

The Mobile Guide: Skiers Beware Riders of the Apocalypse
By Alex Kozinski. 15 March 1995, The Wall Street Journal, A12 (PDF
scan)

Given that it was written 11 years ago, it sounds about right for the
attitude of that time. Snowboarding was taking off quickly and seeing
more and more people go to it. At the time it seemed an easy call to
say that skiing would be dead once the new generation had made
themselves the majority.

What we didn't see was the impact that snowboard design and technology
would have on skiing itself. Twin tips and carving skis completely
revolutionised a stagnant industry. Suddenly skiing became fun again
for those that had got stuck in a rut. Some of those that moved to
boards, moved back again. Others went to blades. Still others who were
new to any form of slope sliding, saw skiing as the first option again.

The time to become comfortable on skis has reduced a lot, so it's no
longer a question of those that get 1-2 weeks a year going to boarding
because it's easier.

And it's all the better for it. Whilst the North American resorts were
coming around to snowboarding, it was still a minority sport on most
hills. Now with a new breed of freestyle skiing, there are a lot more
people to please by building epic terrain parks and pristine pipes. So
we all benefit.

Apart from those on fat skis stealing our powder fields :-)

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

Nevertheless, big fun to read. But I have to agree to my previous speaker:
Icy runs with nice mini-hills produced by anxious skiers are no fun at all.
But Powder surely is.


"Jrobb" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
oups.com...
This could be a reason for the downfall of the us court system as
well...false perceptions by ill advised judges.\

J

On 13 Apr 2006 11:23:38 GMT, Switters wrote:

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:35:35 GMT, "Jrobb"
allegedly wrote:

The Mobile Guide: Skiers Beware Riders of the Apocalypse
By Alex Kozinski. 15 March 1995, The Wall Street Journal, A12 (PDF
scan)

Given that it was written 11 years ago, it sounds about right for the
attitude of that time. Snowboarding was taking off quickly and seeing
more and more people go to it. At the time it seemed an easy call to
say that skiing would be dead once the new generation had made
themselves the majority.

What we didn't see was the impact that snowboard design and technology
would have on skiing itself. Twin tips and carving skis completely
revolutionised a stagnant industry. Suddenly skiing became fun again
for those that had got stuck in a rut. Some of those that moved to
boards, moved back again. Others went to blades. Still others who were
new to any form of slope sliding, saw skiing as the first option again.

All true, and the arguments betweem skiers amd boarders have mostly
gone too. I've spent a fair few days this season with skiers, and we
tackled the same terrain and had the same fun.

Apart from those on fat skis stealing our powder fields :-)

This is the bit I find difficult to forgive!
--
Champ

Champ wrote:
On 13 Apr 2006 11:23:38 GMT, Switters wrote:

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:35:35 GMT, "Jrobb"
allegedly wrote:

The Mobile Guide: Skiers Beware Riders of the Apocalypse
By Alex Kozinski. 15 March 1995, The Wall Street Journal, A12 (PDF
scan)

Given that it was written 11 years ago, it sounds about right for the
attitude of that time. Snowboarding was taking off quickly and
seeing more and more people go to it. At the time it seemed an easy
call to say that skiing would be dead once the new generation had
made themselves the majority.

What we didn't see was the impact that snowboard design and
technology would have on skiing itself. Twin tips and carving skis
completely revolutionised a stagnant industry. Suddenly skiing
became fun again for those that had got stuck in a rut. Some of
those that moved to boards, moved back again. Others went to
blades. Still others who were new to any form of slope sliding, saw
skiing as the first option again.

All true, and the arguments betweem skiers amd boarders have mostly
gone too. I've spent a fair few days this season with skiers, and we
tackled the same terrain and had the same fun.

Same here - I'm not fussed who I ride with as long as I have fun.

Trouble is we still seem to get a lot of 'gays on trays' jibes from fellow
Brits whereas I've never experienced this from continental Europeans or
North Americans...


Apart from those on fat skis stealing our powder fields :-)

This is the bit I find difficult to forgive!

lol - at least there's the refuge of *some* space off piste when all the
skiers hit the mountains at the weekend!

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:05:59 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

All true, and the arguments betweem skiers amd boarders have mostly
gone too. I've spent a fair few days this season with skiers, and we
tackled the same terrain and had the same fun.

Same here - I'm not fussed who I ride with as long as I have fun.

Trouble is we still seem to get a lot of 'gays on trays' jibes from fellow
Brits whereas I've never experienced this from continental Europeans or
North Americans...

Yeah, well the British are very class conscious, and a lot of the
original antagonism was because skiing was a *very* middle class
activity, and boarders tended to be younger and more working class.
Not surprised some English are still clinging on to some outdated
ideas. (I'm English myself, for ref).
--
Champ

Champ wrote:
On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:05:59 +0100, " cupra"
wrote:

All true, and the arguments betweem skiers amd boarders have mostly
gone too. I've spent a fair few days this season with skiers, and
we tackled the same terrain and had the same fun.

Same here - I'm not fussed who I ride with as long as I have fun.

Trouble is we still seem to get a lot of 'gays on trays' jibes from
fellow Brits whereas I've never experienced this from continental
Europeans or North Americans...

Yeah, well the British are very class conscious, and a lot of the
original antagonism was because skiing was a *very* middle class
activity, and boarders tended to be younger and more working class.
Not surprised some English are still clinging on to some outdated
ideas. (I'm English myself, for ref).

I'd be interested what young skiers and boarders say to each other these
days to see if there's any change in attitude (since I'm turning into an old
git these days!)

Just saw this while "snurfin" the web...will have to see if it comes
true. I doubt it.

LMAO! As Switters says, its outdated. I have a 3 year old daughter - old
enough to ski but a few years before she'll be on a board. It just so
happens that hitting the slopes with my grom is *much* easier when I'm also
on skis. So, for the first time in 13 years give or take, I've spent some
time on two planks this season. Most of it is spent chasing my grom
around, but I've spent a little time skiing just to get some practice in so
I can set a good example for her.

I have a pair of Atomic Metron M11 172's. They retail for more than any
snowboard I own, even my beloved Donek Olympic and Coiler Custom, but I
scored them "lightly demoed" from a local Atomic rep for a fraction of their
cost. There have a 12m sidecut which is tighter than half my snowboards,
and *ridiculously* tight for a pair of skis.

Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say "If it were easy it would
be called snowboarding"? Fuggetaboutit. Skiing on these M11's is SOOOOOO
easy. I skied for about 8 years before switching to snowboarding. I
skied parallel but never carved. I was carving on my *second run* on these
skis. All you do is tip 'em on edge, point your knees into the turn, bend
the inside knee, straighten the outside one, and Presto! You look and feel
like a racer. Granted, I spent most of my snoboarding time digging
trenches, so I have the feel down from that, but leaving twin trenches on my
second run? It's that easy.

The boots are still less comfy that snowboard boots - and I ride hardshell
snowboard boots most of the time. Hard snowboard boots flex more at the
ankle, this is what IMHO makes them more comfy than ski boots. But my $89
Heads from eBay (great deal - probably a little soft, but still very stiff
compared to my snowboard hardshells) are not bad. I can ski all day with
my grom (no kidding - she went from 10 - 4 last weekend, with two breaks)
and my feet don't hurt.

I don't use poles. Why would I? These skis are so easy to rail turns on
without them. I don't even *own* a pair of poles.

Now having said all this, skiiing is still a distant 3rd behind hardboot
snowboarding and softboot snowboarding for me. It just feels better.
Leaving twin trenches on skis is fun, don't get me wrong. But carving hard
on a snowboard is downright exhilterating. Skiinig the downhill edge still
feels grouned in some way. Riding the downhill edge on a snowboard feels
like you're in suspended animation, especially on a steep slope where you're
switching edges while pointed across the hill. Surfing powder on a
snowboard is pure nirvana. I probably won't find out what skiing in deep
powder is like because I will be on my board instead, but when I picture it
in my mind it's not the same.

Mike T



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