Sorry, snowboarders....

Sunny here.

Sorry to do nothing but gripe, but many snowboarders need to GROW UP! I am not a good skier, so I eventually tried snowboarding. I love snowboarding WAY better than skiing, but I know my limits. Unfortunately, many snowboarders are too young, too rude and crude, and too arrogant to know their limits. They blame "snobby", inexperienced, slow, and "snotty" skiers for complaints about their behavior on the mountain. They are more likely to try dangerous stunts that go wrong or result in injury, are too arrogant to admit that they don't know how to control their boards at every turn or jump, and show little or no respect for those around or in front of them because they want to show off and develop their skills, especially if they are risk takers experimenting with new moves. In general, they show a far greater lack of respect for others on the mountain than their skiing buddies. (My apologies to those boarders who respect the rules of the trails, know their limits, and test their boundaries away from the public. I also want to acknowledge the many skiers out there who don't know their limits, put others and themselves in danger, and don't have clue.)

Hey, everyone is up there to have fun. You don't own the mountain, and neither do they (look at that sentence however you want, boarders or skiers). But you have to have respect for those ahead of, in range of, and behind you. Don't run over other people; don't tear up "bumps" or try blacks without guidance or experience; don't try something new and/or risky without others close by to keep on eye on you and give advice or blaze an example; don't go off trail without permission (think of it like a flight or Scuba plan: let someone know where you are, what time you're due back, and what gear and experience you have); do give the people below you a warning about which side you're heading or turning to; do watch for children, beginners, slow movers, and the tired, elderly, injured, and those with altitude sickness; do slow down and evaluate if you notice a problem or something unusual ahead, aren't sure of the terrain, or don't think your skills can match what's coming (trees, bumps, etc.); do stop for those who have "flagged" themselves as injured or who have lost equipment/clothing/gear and need assistance; do watch for single-person ski or board tracks that disappear into tree lines or other off-limits areas (out-of-control or risk-taking skiers and boarders may need assistance if lost or injured); do carry water and drink it every chance you get!; do keep your head, hands, and feet warm and dry (if possible); do carry a trail map; and do find a way (via ski patrol, cell phone, other skiers or boarders, lift ops, whatever) to call for help for someone in need. ALWAYS stop for someone who needs assistance, even if it means you have to stop and boot back uphill. ALWAYS stop for suspicious tracks that appear to go outer limits of designated slopes, especially if there are not multiple skiing or boarding tracks in the same area. This person may be injured or lost and need help from ski patrol!

Back to why I started this: My cousin-in-law was run over during the holidays by a snowboarder at Angel Fire Ski Resort. She ended up with one broken rib and one fractured rib. She was just skiing along, so please don't write me any crap about how it was her fault, k? The guy didn't even stop, and they couldn't find him to pull his pass. My young niece (9 years old) was almost run over by a different snowboarder while she was a beginning skier at the same resort on the same weekend. (And some of you wonder why Taos still bans snowboarding. Talk to your comrades who have no respect!) This isn't about elitism or matching outfits and expensive skis or about freedom or expressing yourself with your tattoos, alternative music, and piercings; it's about safety and courtesy and fun. Hey, we're all on the mountain together, no matter which side you think you're on.

Which brings me to my next point: I found a page where this idiot not only doesn't identify himself or know how to link a site (to his own homepage, no less) but exudes in no uncertain terms exactly the kind of imperious attitude he's talking about regarding skiers. He's a snowboarder (I'm an Idiot Snowboarder.com). He thinks boarders are so special that they should be proud of a shitty, uppity attitude, the one where they run the mountain and then run over effete, pristine skiers and their uppity kids. What the fuck? (By the way, Dude, it's "effete", not "efeete" That's not being elitist on my part; it's being educated. Your whole take on skiers' attitudes rings hollow when reading your uppity opinions about the attitude boarders should have.) It's his take on boarders' attitudes that keeps people on the mountains (skiers, responsible snowboarders, resort owners, insurance companies, etc.) unhappy. He obviously thinks boarders own the mountain and fuck the rest of the people if they don't like boarders' rude and dangerous antics. What was he saying about elitist skiers? Hello????? (Check out the prices of skis and boards and all the attached gear and tell me again why boarders are so much more poor and therefore better philosophically. NOT! Oh, and if Idiot Snowboarder argues about his gear, I'll be happy to tell him about how many times I skied and boarded without a bib or anything but Scotch-guarded jeans and gators. Same difference, Dude. Snowboarders spend just as much for their Burtons and Volcoms as skiers spend on their shit.) Your contemptuous attitude sucks (you just think it's cool because it's somewhat non-traditional - reread your own message to see just how pretentious it really is).

I'll be happy to post something just as smug and rude and extremist from a skier if someone sends me one. Meanwhile, it's this type of asshole disregard for others that makes the mountain a war zone for everyone, instead of fun maze of bumps and bunny slopes and poling ramps and slalom courses: I'm an Idiot Snowboarder.com.

Blaze those trails and have fun but respect your skills, Mother Nature, and those others sharing the slopes with you!
Sunny