Riding or Gear

[JJFluff]

On a yearly basis, on average, do you spend more money on gear or on the act of riding itself. Getting to the destination to ride would be included in the riding portion.

[mike g.]

just getting there kills me. different mountain everyweek. following freinds and snow.

the season is near.:1luvu:
________
Ford Erika Platform (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_Erika_Platform)

[BlueB]

Gear hore here...
However, mountains are only 30-40min away and I get a free pass... It helps the gear addiction :D

[Mike T]

I voted gear - season pass is $800, I'll spend $400 in gas... I'll probably have neat gear expenditures in the range of $1500 this season. That includes soft goods in addition to hard goods, ski-gees, the whole deal.

Last season I spent negative $$$ on gear though, as I sold much more than I bought.

[kjl]

Riding. It costs a lot to ride in Colorado.

[lstzephyr]

Gear by a long shot. I get paid to ride, free pass, hop on a bus for 1.50 and get to the slopes. Makes my gear look crazy expensive. Think I spent a grand on gear last year.

[Puddy Tat]

Gear. I've been updating both my hard and soft set ups over the past couple of years to the tune of about a grand a season. Last year boots, this year bindings.

With the recent unveiling of the TD3s I'm glad everyone was sold out of TD2s when I started looking for end of season sales last April.

[Jon Dahl]

More on riding in the past, gear whoring is closing the gap fast. Probably will be the other way around by next season! Seasonal trips is the only factor that keeps it this way.

[Thor VonRippington]

Interesting question

I buy passes for 14 mountains and don't have to travel far... but my taste in hardware is ridiculous and usually costs more.

[b0ardski]

If I didn't get a free pass I would only get 4-5 days a season, stressing out trying to get my moneys worth:freak3:

The oil companies get as much of my ski season budget over the years as gear, which is all old & used:smashfrea
It's a toss up

[Bullwings]

Riding for sure.

About $75-$100 (depending on prices) on gas each "local" turn around trip to the mountains, which easily turns into $1500 or more. $350 season pass.

Add in any other trips to bigger mountains (probably 3 of these a year), and the added expense of lodging, tickets, travel, food, etc. and the price goes north from there.

So far for the '08-'09 season, i'm about dead even on expense.

0 trips up = $0
Tanker 192 = $400
Season pass = $350

[corey_dyck]

We drive 2.5 hours plus customs clearing (could be 2 or 30 minutes depending on the US guards feeling that day) to the closest 'good' ski hill (frostfireskiarea.com). Most of my money goes to gas over the season. I can't even buy the cheap US gas while I'm down there as the small town near the hill doesn't have premium. :(

It's about $150/day for my wife and I to hit the hill; that's including gas, lifts, food. We typically get between 5 and 15 days a season on the boards.

We do a couple trips a year to another resort (asessippi.com) that's about a 4-hour drive away but much better with some decent steeps and wider runs.

[Sinecure]

I'm a gear whore, but I I still spend more on riding if you factor in travel, lodging and kid costs. Even with a free pass.

Add up mileage (it costs way more than just the gas when you factor it all in), ski house lease, food, kids' team costs, etc and it gets expensive.

[crucible]

My gear costs have stabilized over the past 4 years.

I have upgraded for 2 pairs of used Raichle boots over the past year, and sold a freeride board to get Mike T's orange Coiler "Charlie Brown".

Once your basic quiver is established, I figure the best use of your money is to snowboard as often as possible.

The majority of my disposable cash now goes to riding costs, luckily BC has a lot of resorts and my work allows me to travel the Province.

[Dave Pushee]

I expect it will be riding this year that gets top $. Last year it was the other way around.

Not much planned for gear - fintec heels and mayber BTS.

Riding at my local mountain is free in return for some of my time, but I drive 20 miles each way. At current gas prices, that's about $4 per day x 40 or so days. I may make a couple of trips to other areas too.

[colintkemp]

Gear whore here. (A broken Virus on its first day last year hurt the gear vs. ride ratio.) However, riding won last year: Utah and Colorado trips.

PS - my fiancee will kill me if I buy another board right now.

[ursle]

Gear whore here
my pass is 280$ Stratton, Sunapee & Okemo

I spend more than that every year on bindings

[svr]

Considering my season usually consists of one trip to the US, two trips to switzerland and austria, and then the highway fees to get to the resorts in Japan, and buying new tankers every year and even with my tinkler and tanker purchases for this season, I will still spend more on getting to the mountains and riding than on my gear.

[Thor VonRippington]

my fiancee will kill me if I buy another board right now.There are some things you just don't talk about in mixed company Colin.

I remember reading a post last year about someone's stash spots around the garage and such... but if you need someone to hide gear for you there's plenty of room here.

[bigdyno]

Before I answer, do I count the cost to fly to europe to board in the gear column or the ride column?

[Wun]

Well, this season's an exception for me. I've spent over a G on gear for my first season on plates. Should definitely outweigh the college student-priced pass and gas costs. In other cases, more spent on riding. Voted riding.

[dantheman0177]

Considering I have ridden in North America for the last 6 seasons but lived in either Australia or the UK, I think that it is safe to say I couldn't possibly spend more on gear than I do on riding without single handedly bringing the world economy back from the brink of recession.

[JJFluff]

Dan, the world thanks you for all of your efforts.

[SEJ]

SES tips the scale to the ride side, but I'm spending a fair amount on gear as well. Still trying to find myself.
Need to update my avitar.

[philw]

Um, I have to pay for most of my heli turns so this is a no brainer. Strangely I will happily spend whatever it is a day on heli, but I'd never spend that much on gear in a whole year. I guess I'm not cut out for consumerism. Well not the acquisitive kind.

[xxguitarist]

I think this year i'm going to wind up spending more on gear, picked up a used axis already, and intend to upgrade to some new boots as well. From now on, I'd like to keep it with riding as more money!

[Jim Callen]

I fortunately have been able to ride quite well without spending a lot of money. That will change this year, especially if I have to buy a pass.

[T. Whit]

Generally I spend more riding than gear. But this year, I think gear wins.

[Kimo]

No new gear for me this year unless I win it. Gas and pass is all I'm spending my dinero on.

[carvedog]

I am going to try to contribute mightily to both. With the pass coming with the job, it is hard to compete with gear.

Got a couple road trips planned and with a trip to SES in the works, that will undoubtedly involve riding something that I totally fall in love with and then I will have to have one. And unless Fin decides to rework his heels to fit Burton boots step in version, then I will have to buy some new boots and a couple pair of TD3s.....with the step ins and it just keeps going..

Guess I am in the gear whore category.