lift line comments

[zachp13]

This last weekend I took my brother up and got him hooked on hardboots. I was amazed at the comments in the lift line you get when wth someone else on hardboots. No longer do you just look like the lone reject.

[Tommy D]

If I'm alone, I usually get funny looks and hear funny comments.

But if I'm riding with friends, I often get inquiries about the sport and other comments indicating that what I'm doing is fun, cool, and totally rad!

:D

[willywhit]

A few weeks ago I heard a trayrider tell his skiing buddy that I was riding a "speed" board.IMHO, a Purecarve Maverick 175 isn't a speed board. I think CMC's Donek 210 qualifies as a "speed" board.(1st place Ernie Reality 70.*** mph 1st time he has achieved that speed in nine years of doing the event).
What the hell was Ernie riding? JEEEEsus!:eek:

[freerider26]

I am thinking about switching to hardboots myself. I have ridden a long time in soft boots. What is the biggest thing you notice when you make the switch?

[kjl]

Originally posted by freerider26
I am thinking about switching to hardboots myself. I have ridden a long time in soft boots. What is the biggest thing you notice when you make the switch?

I just made the switch last Christmas (12/2002), and this is what I noticed:

1) My ankles didn't bend any more. This made me feel 2 inches taller, but only on my toeside, since the edge would engage immediately instead of the ankles flexing a little as I put the toeside edge in.

2) Counterrotating a heelside turn (esp. when skidding to a stop) in advanced angles and hard boots made my back knee hurt, so don't do it!

3) It was hard to get my weight forward, since bending my knees in advanced angles put my butt over the tail of the board instead of sideways over the heelside edge, like it does in softboots.

4) After 2-3 days of riding I was approximately as competent on hardboots as I was in softboots (except not where quick, nimble movements, like jump turns in steeps or trees, are necessary)

5) After 4-5 days of riding I noticed that hardbooting was the best thing ever, of all time. When you get you get your first hard, low, smooth heelside carve at high speed, you'll be hooked forever - no joke. I'm almost, almost unhappy when it dumps 3 feet of fresh powder, because it means I don't get to go carving and I have to dig the softies out and ride untracked powder. What kind of screwed up, sick snowboarder am I now?

[mirror70]

Originally posted by freerider26
I am thinking about switching to hardboots myself. I have ridden a long time in soft boots. What is the biggest thing you notice when you make the switch?

The hardest part was trusting the equipment. Alpine boards turn like nothing else you've skied, ridden, or driven. The biggest adjustment I had to make was coming to grips with the fact that, yes, I CAN turn that hard and the board will NOT come out from under me.

[freerider26]

thanks for the advice. I am thinking of using hard boots on a freeride board like a Donek Wide 169. I don't know why, but I have just become interested in trying hard boots. I got a pair of Burton Drivers this year and like how they feel so stiff, so I got to thinking that maybe hard boots would be even better. Well, maybe it is time to make the switch.

mark

[joecarve]

Two of us on plates yesterday...got this from a liftie right before the chair picked us up:

"Oh, you've got those....cool things..."

I'm also hearing "downhill board" used a lot, though my response to that is, "Actually, it's an across the downhill board"... :D

joe...

[Steve Dold]

I've heard that too, Joe, "Downhill board" I guess they get that from racing.

Hey Freerider, I started in softies on a Burton Canyon about 4 years ago and only rode it about ten days before switching to hardboots and a carving board. The Canyon with softies wasn't all that much fun, I hated the slop and felt there had to be something better.

Anyway, last season we had some powder, and after not riding the Canyon for three years I decided, just for fun, to put some plate bindings on it and and ride it with hardboots just to see what would happen.

I was surprised; It was way more fun than it ever was on softies, it did all the stuff a soft freeride board does, but with a lot more contol and precision. Try hardboots for some all-mountain riding on your board, I bet you'll like it.

[freerider26]

That sounds sweet, Steve. I will give it a try.

[woodman]

My 8 year son and I have heard quite a few comments over the last 2 seasons of riding together. Sunday's big laugh for the day was "hey is that a one-ski?" We always poke fun at one another during the week by using the various terms we've heard. My son thinks that people calling them "monoski's" is hilarious, but that's now been replaced with the "one-ski" comment:D My personal favorite is when someone says "oh ya, thats an old form of snowboarding" I love to point out that, no it's the highest evolved form of snowboarding:D We should have a section here for all the different things people have called our sport.

Have fun on your one-ski!

Paul

[Bobby Buggs]

Yeah I was in Vail last Feb and someone asked me if my Coiler was a Ski, My wife was mocking the guy the rest of the day.

[Mellow Yellow]

My favorite comment/answer has happened a few times this season involving the Burner I bought this year....

THEM: Hey look at that board/ski/thing...what is that......hey man what is that...is that a snowboard?????

ME: Yes it is, it's an alpine/race/carving board

THEM: why does it have a split down the tail?????

ME: oh..that....well I bought this board and then thought I would rather have a pair of skis...sooo...I started to cut the board in half to make my own skis and...well.. decided it wouldn't be a good idea....so I just left it that way....

THEM: really?!?!?!? huh.....

ME: :D

EDIT ~ although 95% of the time I do refer folks to Bomber for info....

[Bobby Buggs]

Mellow, That is the best one yet:D
Now I want to get a split tail just so I can use that one:eek:

[kjl]

Originally posted by Kent
What ever happened to the response.....

"It's a race board, dude! Easy to learn, can buy equipment for cheap on ebay, and can rails turns like nothing else.....check out Bomberonline for details.....I gotta run, having too much fun"


That's my stock response (except I call it a carving or alpine board so people don't think they need to be really good at snowboarding to learn it). Also, I try to bring up the fact that I rode softies for 6 years until just recently, and that I still take the softies out on powder days so that there is some affinity between me and the all-mountain or freestyle rider asking me about the equipment.

If people are really interested in getting others interested in hardbooting (esp. in the long run), I recommend riding at small, family-friendly hills. I hide out at this tiny hill with maybe 300ft of vert when I know it's going to be crowded for a holiday or something, and I get asked all the time (like 20 times a day) about what I'm riding, 5-6 of whom want to know where to get the equipment. There seems to just be so many factors about a small hill that makes it really conducive to that spreading the word. There are a low number of stereotypical park monkeys - all the freestylers are either just learning or are egoless enough to be seen drilling on technique at a family resort, and both of those kinds of freestylers are friendly and not afraid to be interested. There's only one lift and you have to ride within view of it, so over the course of 2 runs everybody on the hill has seen you carve already. The overall skill level of the skiiers and riders is low enough that even a moderately competent carver like me is doing something noticeably more awesome than almost everybody else out there. Because there's only one real lift it's easy for people to catch up to you or wait for you if they want to ask you questions. And at family resorts it seems like everybody is pleasant to talk to.

Anyways, give it a shot. I hide there because the grooming is good and there are no crowds, but as a side effect, I direct about a dozen people here every weekend I go there (not because I wanted to tell them, but because they asked). I'm not sure how many people actually make it here, but it certainly can't hurt.

[philw]

Mostly I get "woah, is that a race board" and general positive stuff. Don't think anyone's ever been rude. Perhaps I just don't think like a victim;)

If anyone asks about the machine, I just say that it's like a normal snowboard only faster. I haven't quite figured out how to say: "and you could ride one too - say 'no' to sideslipping before it's too late".

[Stan]

To somewhat echo MellowYellow's post - sometimes people ask me what happened to the tail of my board (Oxygen Proton). For thoise not riding it - the tail is square with a half-circle cut in the middle of the tail - think SEVERELY flattened-out "Omega".

I tell them (as deadpan as I can manage) that I BARELY escaped a hungry bear . . . and that the encounter was close enough to cost me a piece of the board . . .

:D

[AllMountain]

i usually say that alpine carving gear enables me to go faster safely. with my soft gear, more speed meant less stability and more risk of hard falls.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I never get negative comments. If they ask what it is, I tell them. If they call it a race board, I tell them it's an all-mountain board - I try to make sure they know that I'm on a versatile tool, not some specialty racing equipment.

[sheffy]

----everyday i hear some kind of comment----from what the hell is that?? are those ski boots??? why isnt the backend curved up?? wow that board looks cool(184 coiler pure race---thx Bruce---real head turner--black --blue flames with cateks)--you sure can rip that on edge --looks like a real rush???.....Its hard for me not to smile and go on how wicked carving is but if i go on too much i wont have the groomers to myself and a few hardcore buds :)---had the best comment the other day you guys will love this--some older guy on soft boots says to me in the lift line---so what runs you wrecking today----i reply all of them---lol---im up there 5-6 days a week( i though he was joking turns out he was pissed )---then the a==hole goes on yelling that we should be banned for carving trenches on perfectly good groomers--thats when i smiled and knew i had taken my riding to a whole new level!!!

[gawdzira]

Snowboarder in lift line with strong pulse and responsive pupil movements (sign of brain activity),
"So, is that like snowboarding?"

My actual reply was very kind and subtle but evangalistic of carving.

My fantasy reply was,
"Just like snowboarding, but, with skill."

[Bobby Buggs]

Sad part about this thread is I have NOT been in a lift line for anyone to ask me:(

[jtslalom]

I have had people ask me, "What kind of ski is that?" My reply usually is, "Its a fat one, you have to specially order them from the ski company."

[outsider]

skiboard is common for me to hear. Every once in a while i'll run into a guy that is truly into snowboarding for himself and none of the hype that so many others are influenced by. There are quite a few of these guys who are interested in switching to alpine, but dont know where to look for gear. I do the right thing and fill them in on bomber online, but i wonder how many actually follow through.


I recommend riding at small, family-friendly hills. I hide out at this tiny hill with maybe 300ft of vert

riding at small places in the midwest draws a lot of attention to anyone who stands out, which isnt hard, and most main lifts run parallel to some of the best runs for carving. exposure is huge, and every once in a while i'll even hear some hick cheering me on while im riding. the best part is that they have no idea what the hell the thing is attached to my feet yet they still think its sweet.

[Ladia]

Is this a single ski? No it's called Skwal..... ???Squirrel???
or
No, it is a fat ski, but I am so poor, I can buy only one.

[CarvCanada]

I'm 18 and am the only one of all my park duck stanced friends who rides alpine. I got into it since I've been carving it up with 50 degree angles on narrow freeride boards since age 13. I LOVE being part of the minority. Ha! They think they can carve, and I just smile and dig a eurotrench around them to demonstrate. Most parkies consider turning while making a scraping noise "carving". They all thought it wasn't cool even though only 1 of them has an idea of what carving is, and they thought that me going down green runs instead of the forest somehow meant that I'm crap rider. Haha after they watch me link super aggressive turns on my 171 down a lift trail, I now no longer get comments, just stares and an acknowledged sense of inferiority from my softy friends! We'll see what they think when they watch me burn down on my soon-to-arrive blue flamed coiler 186! They will want to try and I will lend my skier friends my donek.

[C5 Golfer]

One of my Favorites is the one where the ski guy asks on the chair lift .. Tell me about that squared off tail you have. I started with " Well, I got tired of it falling down when I stood it against the wall so I cut it off square on my band saw" He looked puzzeled then I told him the correct Alpine story. Several times I had to tell skiers it is not a mono ski then they say "I had no idea" but my best one is from a fellow snowboarder but on a free ride with straps. I am an old fart at 57 and he was about 15-17 yr old. He gets on the chair with me and asks if we can race to the bottom and I say sure, lets go. He is excited and so am I since I was riding my Volkl RT 178 at the time with TD step ins and he with the 3 strap. As we got off the lift I stepped in and left, he sat down to strap up, and I went straight to the bottom and was probably half way down while he was still strapping in. Met him at the chair he had a puzzeled look on his face and he did not ask again. Treachery and old age wins again!:D

[woodman]

That's a good one! I'll have to remember that for the next time I get asked:D Age has it's privileges:)

40 and counting......

Paul

[dragonfly jones]

That's all I hear at our home hill. It works for us as we alway lend a hand and have befriended the patrollers, ski schoolers and the mountain management - I can be doing a hundred through a slow area - with the patrol director - and they say that's just dragonfly you ain't gonna catch him - laughs all around - now I would never advocate fast riding in slow areas ever but over time and being a good citizen has enabled the team and myself a little leeway.

One question - can you ride that backwards with the broken tail? Sure follow me....... love that love it! Jaws drop and the women swoon and the drinks are free. Yep alpine is for me...

[ARCrider]

my favourite line had to be yesterday.
while waiting for the lift I had a lady look me in the eye and simply say that I was having the most fun of anyone there. I was a lone carver yesterday.
I told her my grin factor was wrinkling my face but I didn't care.

[Skwalleur]

Is this a single ski? No it's called Skwal..... ???Squirrel???
or
No, it is a fat ski, but I am so poor, I can buy only one.

I got this from a cute 8-year old skier: "Is it hard to ride on only one ski!?"

But my favourite is one I overheard carving by some dude in the slope (about myself on the Skwal): "Check out that guy! He's only got one leg!"...

(OK, I've got a narrow stance on the thing, but seriously... one leg?)

[skipuppy]

My favorite quote came from a girl boarder: "Woah!!! How did you break your board?"
"What?"
"Your board.. its broken!!"
Oh! Thanks for letting me know!

[jdgang]

I still get alot of "Is that a snowboard?" I actually find it kinda funny

[veector]

im often the only person with hardboots at blue mountain, i usually get all sorts of questions, a bit repetetive though

[kjl]

Luckily we all have those "This is Hardbooting Snowboarding" cards we got from purchasing the Bomber Season Starter Kit (http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=7105), right? ;)

[adrian barr]

The most comments i get are when riding my swallowtail with plates.

"why does that board have a piece missing at the back??"


well i was going so fast that i broke a piece of the board off !!

[ak_rider]

i busted out the hardboots, I finally didn't have a lesson to teach and the Breck groomers finally came out-not that I minded the several feet of pow. I was riding up the lift and a softbooter started asking me about it, saying he'd like to try and asking what it was like, before I could utter a word the softbooter on the other side of me said,"if you want to know what it's like just turn your bindings forward."
I told the curious boarder he should try a hardboot setup, it's a lot of fun, and you can go really fast. I just left the "know-it-all" boarder alone. I figured I'd just be wasting my breathe on him. After all-he already seemed to know everything :smashfrea

[dragonsword5]

When I tell the snowboarders in my school about Alpine boards they get this really confused look and are like....sssuuureee.....So that's when I kinda just walk away thinking about what they're missing out on.

I started this sport last season and I absolutely fell in love with it because I wasn't the type of person to do terrain parks. I'll leave all that to my brother. My uncle was the one who actually got me started and gave me his Burton Alps 157 and later his Vokel RenTiger 168.

When I ride the Vokyl I love hearing the comments. While I was waiting for the ski lift (it was going really slow) the ski attendant guy goes "I've never seen boards like that, but I am a boarder. You must go really fast on that" I'm like ya its awesome. Then he says something more and as I get on he calls it a ski-board and I yell back "It's called Alpine!" and he laughed.

Then when I came down for my last run (they were closing up unfortunately) he goes "you really go fast on that s***. I'm like yep. :biggthump

But its fun to get the points and funny looks because you rarely get that on a freestyle board or even questioned about what you do on a freestyle board but on an Alpine board you open someone up to such a great sport! :1luvu:

[veector]

Reading some of the posts on the first page reminded me of a day at work. Some guy came in just to get his snowboard waxed and he saw me walking up to the frount counter with my alpine in my hand. He says, wow an alpine board, i never thought i'd see one here. We started talking about alpine and i gave him some tips on how to ride one and where he could get one and find out a bunch of info (bomber) He was also curious if his 10 year old was ready for it, definately. Put a smile on my face and his.

[Linus]

At least you didn't get your ticket cut off by a patroller. I did last season. I think they are trained to be dumb by Intrawest. :mad: :mad:

BTW, do you guys ride a lot at Blue? I'll be there often this season since I was forced to buy my season pass this season. Let's ride togather sometime.....I'll be upthere this thursday or friday.

peace

[C5 Golfer]

A couple of comments that come to mind that are funny is one guy asked about my Volkl 178 RT, "what the heck happened to your board?" I say "you mean the square tail?" He say "Yea" I said back with a smile " I got tired of it falling over so I cut it off square, now it stands up againt the wall" I went on to explain alpine boards. Another one was a young smart ass kid, on a soft set up with 3 strap said "Is that an alpine board? I say "yes", He says "Do you want to race to the bottom?" I look down at his board, it is about a 150 and like I say the typical 3 strap, - me I am in my Step in TDs. I say "Lets do it, sure". We get off the lift I step-in smooth as silk and I wave as I see him sit down to strap in, next time I see him is at the bottom in the lift line and he just stares at me and my board setup. :lol:

[jager]

People seem to avoid me in the lift line. Hubby's kind of scary looking, I guess but I'm really tall on my board, then the helmet and goggles. And, if I have a speedsuit on (sorry, miss the course! LOL!) it's a whole other ball game cause it makes you look all muscly. LOL! He's gotten questions before.
"What's your friend DOING?"
"Well, my WIFE is snowboarding" he'll say.
"That's not really a snowboard"
"Nope! That's a REAL snowboard!" he always answers.
LOL! Married a keeper, I did!:1luvu: :D

[kevbo]

Here is a smart one..."Do those bindings work different?" 'Does that board ride the same?":smashfrea :barf:

kevbo:biggthump

[Gleb]

well my first time out on plates today got the comment "Is your board broken?". i had a good laugh. A guy that worked there said he's glad to see "one of these on the slopes," even though he gave up riding his alpine board. Turns out hardbooters are actually common at wachussett :biggthump

[NateW]

happens all the time, out some of them stick out...

Two kids behind me are talking... I overhear one say "that's a MONOski." Could't think of anything witty so I let it slide.

Guy on the 2-seat lift, good attitude, we B.S.ed a littie bit on the way up... and then he says, "hey, have you ever tried a real snowboard?" I was on the ball that time: "hey, I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Intelligent discussion followed but I don't think I made us a convert.

More recently:
"How come you're wearing two leashes?"
"If that boot breaks loose, I want my foot to stay close to the binding, so my other knee doesn't get twisted up."
That's the only one that bothers me. But technology will advance.

[mrjamie]

I'm almost, almost unhappy when it dumps 3 feet of fresh powder, because it means I don't get to go carving and I have to dig the softies out and ride untracked powder. What kind of screwed up, sick snowboarder am I now?

hah!

:biggthump

[fluke]

You guys get really amusing comments. In Germany and Austria--and I guess in every european resort--you don't hear anything similar. I guess it's because a) hardboots, though scarcely spotted nowadays, are still more common here than in the US and Canada; b) of a cultural difference: usually strangers don't chat with each other in lift lines. It's not unusual to share a chair lift with somebody you don't know and not a single word is spoken. :sleep:

[Gleb]

You guys get really amusing comments. In Germany and Austria--and I guess in every european resort--you don't hear anything similar. I guess it's because a) hardboots, though scarcely spotted nowadays, are still more common here than in the US and Canada; b) of a cultural difference: usually strangers don't chat with each other in lift lines. It's not unusual to share a chair lift with somebody you don't know and not a single word is spoken. :sleep:

We usually have to share a lift with a stranger because the lift lines can get very long and if each person was to get their own lift, we'd be standing in line for an hour. Also, when standing in a long lift line, there is little to but talk.

[skipuppy]

Nah, in Europe its a whole different ball game. My parents took us (my little sister and I) back when we were younger. We were constantly being knocked down by "mature" adults in the lift line shoving their way through to the front with complete disregard for people who were there already. Its a cultural thing- you just gotta tough it and learn how to stand your ground. As 7 and 10 yros its a bit hard though. In addition, they also stand in line (sometimes even longer lines) and sit on the lift together. As was said earlier, they just don't TALK to each other. I personally think this is a cultural thing too and I have found that if you smile and start up a conversation there it is VERY EASY (unless it is an older "uppity" person) to get a great intellectual discussion on the ride up or joke around. It's just the first move of actually opening the mouth that isn't done all that often.

[Allee]

I had my A159 Rossi (with the totally retro fighter jet graphics) out on the weekend, parked against the garbage bin at Sunshine. A group of jibbers walked past, one of them stopped, looked, scratched his head, called his mates over, and they all scratched their heads and looked a bit confused before shrugging their shoulders and wandering off. Funny to watch looking out the window.

[CarveItUp]

im often the only person with hardboots at blue mountain, i usually get all sorts of questions, a bit repetetive though


There are quite a few of us that ride Blue in Collingwood on a regular basis. There's often a thread wondering what day everyone is going up before the weekend.

b.

[bjvircks]

I wonder if the lack of chat in euro lines and lifts with strangers comes from them creating their own portable private zones. I do know that in spas over there in some settings speaking or making any kind of disruption of the serenity is strictly forbidden. Last January in Germany I had just left a sauna and was standing alone on an outdoor overlook viewing the Alps when an attractive woman came along and stood nearby. (within 5 ft) When I said hello she shot me a pained look and promptly left. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we were both completely naked?

[astrokel]

Nah, in Europe its a whole different ball game.

It's actually pretty amazing how rough the lift lines are in Europe. And it's not only the lift lines but any line you get into. I almost got into a fight because some huge Austrian guy reached OVER me (I'm rarely the largest guy in the room) cutting in front or rather over me to get his lift ticket at the ticket window. My freinds had to hold me back from leaping in and getting utterly destroyed by this gorilla ;) . There's also some kind of thing that makes them think that if they put their skis/board on top of the back of your board that it'll somehow make the line move faster in front of you. Reminds me of driving in NYC for Pete's sake.

[Jutta]

I guess we're just more used to crowded conditions. Crowded cities, crowded countryside, crowded runs, crowded lift lines. A very crowded spring break day at an American resort is still fairly empty by European standards. The only time I've ever encountered European conditions over here was the first few weekends that A-Basin was open: 30 min lift lines, 5 min run.

Across the pond, there is no regulated standing in line: it's a big funnel and cutting in line is an art form. Notes:
Always stay on the sides, it's faster than the middle.
Do not - under any circumstances - let anyone move past your shoulders.
Kids are best picked up and carried, swinging skis will give you more room.
Being small is actually an advantage: the smaller you are the easier you can slip into an opening.
But is is admittedly rough; poles can and will be used as "weapons", it's certainly not a topsheet friendly environment. Until I learned to simply be patient, I routinely "lost" my hubby in lift lines and had to wait 15 minutes at the top for him to fianally catch up with me.
BTW, my dad's mantra is "I'm not cutting in line, I'm simply utilizing available space."

On the no-talking issue: yep, it's cultural. People tend to go places in groups and stay with their buddies, "outsiders" tend to be regarded as somwhat suspicious. (And that's not only directed towards foreigners but towards all people.) Of course there are exceptions, but spending a 20 min lift ride in silence is by no means uncommon.

[bobdea]

well my first time out on plates today got the comment "Is your board broken?". i had a good laugh. A guy that worked there said he's glad to see "one of these on the slopes," even though he gave up riding his alpine board. Turns out hardbooters are actually common at wachussett :biggthump

email me sometime and we can hookup!

[mnovak]

I feel left out :confused: -- few ever notice the gear, but do notice the actually carving -- especially if there is a group of us carving together.

[Baka Dasai]

Australia is a little more like Europe than like America when it comes to lift-line culture and the general reluctance to start a conversation with strangers.

But Japan is something else - even when it's crowded and the lines are long, people are extremely reluctant to get on a lift with people they don't know. It's frustrating to stand in a lift-line while half-empty chairs go whizzing up the mountain.

But it was fun to push through and jump onto an otherwise empty spot on a chair, and watch the looks of horror as your fellow chair-riders realised they would have to share their chair with a stranger, and, possibly even worse, a big scary foreigner.

But there are lots of alpine riders, and they were always interested in talking to me.

[FTA2R]

"But is is admittedly rough; poles can and will be used as "weapons",

what!!! LOL funny but f that. I never had the chance to ski in Spain when I lived there (or any of the other countries i visited). how does this work? do they actually swing the pole and make contact? or do they use teh pole as a sword/light saber to keep you at bay while they move fwd?

European carvers, please describe this comical phenomonon

===
Barry

[astrokel]

Kids are best picked up and carried, swinging skis will give you more room.

I love that... Swing your kids around your head and make some room!!! :lol:

[Jutta]

Well, you'd be amazed how well some people can get others to move along (or out of the way) with strategic pole placement: a slight shove on the back of a binding will get almost anyone going and a pole placed in just the right spot can keep you stationary long enough for your "attacker" to squeeze by.

Along more aggressive lines: Topsheet hits are common (in the late 80s I had a pair of those yellow Voelkl Renntiger skis that ended up being mostly silver after a few seasons), I've had my (ski) bindings opened by others and occasionally you get people who experience something like "lift line rage" who will actually poke or hit you if they don't approve of your conduct. I'm not saying I never deserved it, but even as an innocent bystander you've got to beware...

[Gleb]

email me sometime and we can hookup!

hell ya man! The more the merrier. I was about to go today but i figured i should actually start studying for finals. First one is saturday morning:flamethro

[carvedog]

You guys get really amusing comments. In Germany and Austria--and I guess in every european resort--you don't hear anything similar. I guess it's because a) hardboots, though scarcely spotted nowadays, are still more common here than in the US and Canada; b) of a cultural difference: usually strangers don't chat with each other in lift lines. It's not unusual to share a chair lift with somebody you don't know and not a single word is spoken. :sleep:

I dont let anybody get away with that. Usually I am so effing jacked up by the time I get to the bottom that I explode on the lift with a non-stop stream of adrenaline fueled chatter.

I get lots of comments on the Burners. Everything from the skiers "Why did you stop there?", to the one guy who blatantly asked "What the hell do you call that thing?". My response: A low altitude flight simulator with the ultimate traction control device. That gets some funny looks.

[snow|3oarder]

Wow...I hope these comments about Europe are not true. Its so disappointing that people behave in a way thats so uncivilized. I would get angry quickly.

[astan100]

I got a great response just 2 days ago. I was waiting by the liftline looking for my friend and a really old ski instructor comes up to me.

He looks my board up and down and goes,

"Finally, someone riding a real snowboard"

and pushes off.

IT was great!

[jager]

This may be mean but if someone is crowding me in the line, I just turn, smile sweetly and ask them to back up a bit. They do and I bring my tail up and give a few good tail slaps. Then I turn back, smile sweetly again, and say "Thank you! The snow on top creates too much drag you know!" Then I turn around and enjoy my space. And no I don't tail slap anything but the ground. No skis, boards, or people! LOL!

[dantheman0177]

Alpine gear is NEVER seen on the hills in Oz, so I get a few comments. Usually just the same stuff everyone else has been mentioning though.



I
"Finally, someone riding a real snowboard"



You know, this would make a fantastic slogan for a T-shirt or sticker or something! :biggthump

[kjl]

This may be mean but if someone is crowding me in the line, I just turn, smile sweetly and ask them to back up a bit. They do and I bring my tail up and give a few good tail slaps. Then I turn back, smile sweetly again, and say "Thank you! The snow on top creates too much drag you know!" Then I turn around and enjoy my space. And no I don't tail slap anything but the ground. No skis, boards, or people! LOL!

I usually just raise one edge of the board up. People can wreck their bases on my square tail if they want ;)

[Gleb]

I usually just raise one edge of the board up. People can wreck their bases on my square tail if they want ;)

that is quite possibly the best idea ive ever heard.:eplus2: