Internet ski forums are whacked

[MikeK]

I can see why FHW is such a nut job. I took some time to google that term...

I've spent some time researching this, and I think between the oxycodone and this I've really lost a lot brain cells... none of it has to do with skiing or anything remotely enjoyable... it just seems to be a bunch angry skiers (or posers) trying to outdo one another.

I had no idea what this ttips nonsense was, it died long before I ever came on an internet ski forum... or at least that is what I can surmise from reading all this stuff between 'competing forums'.

I guess what I've come to realize reading all this nonsense is that the sport of skiing is full of some really nasty, spiteful people. Who really cares if you wear plastic boots or leather boots. Who are we trying to impress here?

I think I've also used the term 'XCD' the wrong way. To me that means Nordic backcountry touring. I guess it could mean taking skate skis down black diamonds, but that seems a bit crazy to me... but hey if it's fun for you, go for it... just like skiing the Trap Dike - no one's stopping you... I'd just rather not be scraped off the Anorthosite of Mt. Colden.

Anyway I feel I've been a bit harsh on lift served skiing. I have my own issues I've dealt with in my own life that have pissed me off and led me down the path I'm on. There is really no need to impress that upon others except to say I might have never considered Alpine Touring or Telemarking as a hobby otherwise (I'm still not 100% sold on it). I can say the same for Nordic BC but the reasons are a bit different. So in essence I really stepped in that one, and didn't really know what I was stepping in. Perhaps if I had known of this feud in the internet community of backcountry skiers I would have played my cards a bit differently. Being attacked and mistaken for someone else has done me no good - I'm sure I've made a lot of enemies thus far.

I posted this in this wot snark not so you guys can throw tomatoes at me, but because it doesn't pertain to skiing... seems some people frequent skiing forum to discuss anything BUT skiing. But if throw tomatoes you must... then I suppose this is the right place.

FWIW I am a New Yorker - lived here all my life. I'm not climbhoser (really I'm not). I'm 33 years old. I'm not super thin and fit and I'm not a fatass who does nothing... I'm a regular guy. I drink beer and eat cheeseburgers. I have a wife and a dog. I'm an engineer. I'm far from perfect. I'm not god's gift to skiing... not even close... but I don't suck either.

I love the outdoors and most of all I love the Adirondacks - I've been going there since I can remember.

That is all,
Mike

[Todd Eastman]

Mike, it's all cool. Most of the folks ranting here haven't skied in the Blue Line, some have, and some of those are rather opinionated about things. If you want factual info call or email a friend in the Park, or sift through the fact or friction here. Some of us do have extensive background in the Park and can deliver useful information. As for not knowing what types of skiing are being referred to, welcome to the club and start delivering your opinions. FHW can be a bit harsh, but he (she?) is not entirely wrong and tends to fluff up the thin-skinned wankers and Vermonters.

Yes, you are correct in my opinion, lift riding is for days off and building up fat reserves for real skiing!

Have fun and welcome to the ward...

[airinwrite]

OP, why do you care what anyone thinks on this board?

[LightRanger]

OP, why do you care what anyone thinks on this board?

This. Ignore the idiots.

Also, may I suggest the TGR forums as an alternative? I'm sure if this place has put you off, you'd last even longer over there.

Seriously though, man. Who cares about a bunch of idiots on an internet forum?

[stevesliva]

As seen in the context of this group, "XCD" proponents are seemingly very satisfied that they've discovered terrain that purportedly justifies anachronistic gear selection. You can see how that might engender lots of debate AND derision.

[Danno]

the reference to "competing forums" has me thinking that he's been browsing the "new" telemarktalk, ie Ron's playground.

[RobRoyMeans]

the reference to "competing forums" has me thinking that he's been browsing the "new" telemarktalk, ie Ron's playground.

Probably over at The Biffster's Board too: NET.

East coast specialization, with some from Ron (raventele). It's pretty mellow with snark levels being quite low.

[RobRoyMeans]

I like three pin touring, you know, touring for some turns, but I prefer touring for lots of turns with either AT or Tele. It's all skiing to me and none of it bad....well, maybe my skills could be better.

We slide, therefore, we thrive. Solo or in groups we make new discoveries and have new experiences even in old, familiar places. Riding lifts is okay but a little confining...and some days that's all I can handle. One of the coolest things is getting a confirmed lift rider out into EYT land and watching them discover a different world....we choose with care where to take them, but it's a fun time.

[MikeK]

I did a lot of searching. A lot of similar names come up on different forums.

I'm not taking anyone's side. FHW definitely rubbed me wrong from the start but I don't even know that I hold that against him/her after reading what I've read. I would have probably done the same thing.

I can see that there is a lot of animosity between plastic and leather, between tele and AT, between XC and DH. Lots of chest pounding. Lots of pictures and snark. Again I ask, who are you trying to impress?

I honestly don't care if you ski at a golf course or at a resort, just don't be a dik about it and most likely no one will be a dik back to you. All this unchecked dikdom has really caused some bad blood. Walking into it is like walking into a bar fight... you're bound to catch a punch and when you throw one back you don't know which side you are hitting...

So anyway, if I threw any cheap shots at someone who was in the line of fire, I apologize.

I'm thinking as far as philosophy of skiing I fall somewhere in between what I have read:

- As far as Nordic Touring on skinny skis, it's survival when you are converting potential energy to kinetic. Turn or control speed whatever way possible. Snowplow, step turn, parallel, fall, tele then fall... I'll only drop my knee on slow, sweeping corners because that's all I can do reliably. I know some people can carve on NNN bindings with soft boots, but it isn't common... I can't do it with 3 pins... and I've never tried the two buckle plastic boots... I'm sure it would help, but probably not as much as being a better skier would.

- As far as Alpine Touring - push me down whatever... I'll probably survive. Doesn't mean I want to ski through rocks and down 50° icy slopes - it scares the hell out of me! If you've got the balls to do it, more power to ya!

- As far a modern Telemark gear... never been there. Don't have an opinion. Might try it some day. Looks great when it's right, looks scary when it's not.

I don't plan on giving up the lifts right away. There are still some hills I'd like to check out. I still spend about half my Nordic days skiing in tracks - BREIA is wicked fun to ski, I don't care what anyone says - and they get good snow.

I'm a bit jealous of NH - I might have to take a trip out there one of these days. Skiing looks great on the right day.

Yellowstone and Tahoe look like a lot of fun - I'm hoping I get to ski those places some day.

[climbhoser]

I think you're figuring it out, Mike. The history of some of us goes way, way, way back. There are topics and concepts that see quarterly rotation from new-er people (helmets, active vs neutral bindings, AT vs. Big Tele, Rockered vs not, etc...).

Pretty quickly a skier's personal biases are exposed, for better or worse, and people like Willy think it's their job to point out the flaws in logic. Forget that some people just enjoy skiing pins and leathers, for whatever reason. Forget that we're all skiers and just like enjoying the mountains sliding on snow. Remember that some people (Willy) are just so bored with their own lives that they feel compelled to spend their days nitpicking the posts of a bunch of granola eating, bearded backcountry skiers.

Honestly, don't let it bother you. I like to argue, so it can be fun to engage with Willy. If you do, know it's troll-bait that you're biting on.

I, for one, am glad you're here. The more the merrier. Telemarktips had aggregated backcountry skiers from all over the world. Since its demise the community has fragmented between several sites. This place has been semi-stale, in the rebuilding of the more quality oriented content that was shared at ttips (like TRs and ski-related threads). The more new voices we have, IMHO, the better. So, while you might find more comfort in regional communities, this is NOT a bad place and there are lots of good people here. You just have to separate the signal from the noise.

Glad to have you, Mike!

[James]

I can see that there is a lot of animosity between plastic and leather, between tele and AT, between XC and DH. Lots of chest pounding. Lots of pictures and snark. Again I ask, who are you trying to impress?

I don't think so. like always I think there are a few very vocal people. I am also waiting for anyone to show me where a big gear skier said anything negative about XCD unless it was in response to one of the endless rants from a couple of posters.

It is not really that complicated. In general if you live in an area that is flat to rolling you would tend to prefer lighter gear. If you live in an area with bigger, steeper mountains especially those with a lot of snow and have the desire to ski steeper lines then you might prefer bigger gear. There are always exceptions like those who just always prefer one over the other but my favorite are those people who don't have the skill set to ski bigger gear but pretend to hide this fact by ranting against what they don't understand. There is also no shortage of people who post here that have a lot of experince on all types of gear.

Any way welcome and I respect your change in attitude and posting style.

[freeheelwilly]

Honestly, don't let it bother you.

Physician, heal thyself. You work yourself into a sloppy lather with the predictability of a metronome. There isn't a person here that hasn't seen you screw yourself into the ground on numerous occasions.

I like to argue, so it can be fun to engage with Willy.

If you think ranting like a crazy person before purporting to seek refuge in the software's ignore feature is fun then, by all means, have at it. I think it's fun to watch you do that too.

You're not fooling anyone.

[climbhoser]

James, what about the people who don't have the skill to ski lighter gear and hide that fact by ranting against what they don't understand?

It goes all ways. There are ignoranuses in every walk of life. The one binding fact is that the internet gives us license to blather on like slobbering dipsticks semi-anonymously. We all know what we say here matters as close to none as it can get.

[MikeK]

Yeah I guess that is more what I meant. A few people causing a big stink.

Seems to me if you want to ski a lot of different stuff, you might want an array of gear. I'd love to have the one ski that does it all, but I'm told it doesn't exist, and I believe it!

Skiing around my house doesn't require much more than a Nordic Race ski. It's pretty flat.

Head an hour south to my hometown and you'll find hills (true hills, glacially carved sedimentary rock) with verts up to and over 1000'. Lots of gullies and gorges. Here you might want some bigger gear but there are still routes that are easily done on skinny skis. If you want to charge down the fall line - bring plastic - there is some steep sh*t.

Head to the ADKs... things may change again. There are golf courses to ski and groomed parks. There are rolling tours. There are birch glens. There are slides and big cliffs. Here you deal with mountains (metamorphic rock push up in a dome and shaped via glaciers)... most are no bigger vertically than the hills I am from, but terrain is different. It's steeper in spots, generally more rocky and rugged but there is more snow usually that helps cover that up. There is something for everyone.

I'm pretty sure if I lived out west it would be even more of a clear cut between xc and dh.

In a place like the Bristol Hills or the ADKs that can get pretty blurred. You'd be crazy to do some tours on heavy tele gear but you also have to have some skill (or be willing to remove your skis) to make it from point A to point B.

My intention since getting into the BC has been to ski as much stuff as I can. I just picked up another set of skis because I found a good deal. I don't NEED them but I know I'll find some areas to use them.

A 50/50 AT setup would really open me up. I'm hoping to make that plunge before next winter.

[climbhoser]

Mike,

Have you checked out Telemark Tech System? With a light pair of performance NTN boots, a light(er) performance ski it may be the ticket for your area. I've thought about it myself. Friends who do distance stuff in the Cascades and the Chugach tell me that they prefer the kick & glide of a bellowed boot with Dynafit even over and above NNN. Plus they appreciate that they can get a more performance oriented boot that's still light that way, and it'll drive bigger skis in a pinch. Call it a better middle ground.

I love systems that crop up as a middle ground between two areas.