Is snowboarding dead? According the the NY Times, yes

[cantunamunch]

Espn seems to be doing what Mtv did years ago. Go for cheap programming and hope for a hit. Football requires(??) so many talking heads saying nothing it's expensive even after the enormous $'s paid for rights.

See, I don't quite see it that way. What ESPN (and MTV and SyFy and HIST and ...) have realised long ago is that their viewership is completely captive - the cable co. makes sure of that. If it's not a hit show, they don't care if you watch them or turn to some other channel. Their only job is to sell themselves to the cable company (just enough hit shows), and then to fill the remaining hours with programming that is as cheap per hour as possible. Mostly unscripted talking heads in a studio with some SFX maybe - that is dirt cheap.

 

[cantunamunch]

Yeah, I've given that consideration. Incidents I've personally witnessed are definitely heavy on boarder fault, but it could be that I haven't witnessed enough incidences for that to be statistically significant.

I'm surprised somebody hasn't already done a statistical study based off ski patrol reports.

 

[Monique]

I'm surprised somebody hasn't already done a statistical study based off ski patrol reports.

I wonder if they have! That would certainly be better data than my anecdotal observations (of course, a lot of incidents don't get reported, but even so).

 

[crgildart]

There are just as many jibber new school freestyle skiers in the parks these days. Same personality type, same nonchalant, but high speed skiing/riding but fewer collisions. I suspect the blind spot and only having one edge available for hard stops and hard turns have boarders at a disadvantage when it comes to collisions.

 

[Xela]

Agree when they are the behind "skier" but not when they are ahead. Good boarders don't have a problem with this because they'll be checking when making a move..however like skiers there are plenty that cruise around unaware trusting that it's everyone else's responsibility to look out for them.

There's no issue here. The code takes care of the "ahead" case. Heck, the skier ahead could be legally blind at that point. It's just that the dude in front of you isn't technically a hazard; you are. That is, unless they start or merge without looking or sit in a bind spot.

 

[eok]

...however like skiers there are plenty that cruise around unaware trusting that it's everyone else's responsibility to look out for them.

Totally agree with that. When I'm on a run with boarders - ahead or behind me - I usually have to "ski for them" too. That means being way more vigilant about them than they are for me. Even so, I've had too many close calls this season due to being in the blind spot of uphill boarders.

One of my biggest fears on the hill is getting blind-sided by a boarder uphill from me that's blindly railing a crazy fast backside turn. For me, it's the skiing equivalent of a "sneaker wave". ;^)

 

[fatbob]

Dup

 

[fatbob]

Yep all I'm advocating is a bit of self protection. Although given given the reactionary nature of certain slices of the skier demographic I'd be willing to wager that a non- negligible number of "a boarder hit me" incidents are when an overtaking skier got in a boarder's blindspot.

It's certainly happened to me on skis in a mild sense although in the case I'm thinking the boarder started an uphill move so he may not have been ahead on that vector.

 

[crgildart]

Why is it the blind spot causes so many skier collisions but not as many lift tower or other fixed obstacle collisions? The last time I got clipped I was stopping next to a maintenance shack. Why could they see that but not me?

 

[James]

Target fixation?

 

[Monique]

In theory, avoiding collisions (with any humans) is a good reason to wear skittle colors. In practice, I'm not sure it has much effect.

 

[fatbob]

Why is it the blind spot causes so many skier collisions but not as many lift tower or other fixed obstacle collisions? The last time I got clipped I was stopping next to a maintenance shack. Why could they see that but not me?

Because fixed objects are large and don't move whereas you presumably do.

 

[cantunamunch]

In theory, avoiding collisions (with any humans) is a good reason to wear skittle colors. In practice, I'm not sure it has much effect.

I don't think this is a good notion. Registering the mere presence of a human is nowhere nearly as important as registering that human's position, relative speed, and probable intent and then acting intelligently on it.

This ties in to my 'bicycles shouldn't have strobe lights' conviction but I'm much more passionate there. It also ties in to my 'people still hit giant trucks that are lit 10 ways from Sunday' observation.

 

[James]

Once again we're back to Target Fixation. This is why in trees you should not look at thr tree but where your skis will go. The white stuff. Sounds simple and stupid but people ignore it all the time. Esp beginning woods skiers.

Watch this on Target Fixation. Btw, there are way worse crash vids about this on the youtube.

 

[Tricia]

We've known it's dying for some time now. Lessons are way down. It's the walking and standing that are tough. And bumps.

It's easier to be a not very good skier. You can have some glide at least. And walk to the lift. So you've got that.
If you can't go heel to toe in a snowboard, aka make a real turn, you just scrape along. Essentially falling leaf everywhere. That's fun?

I can't remember seeing a border my one day at Chamonix (Grand Montets/Argentiere). I saw a fair amount in Verbier. Still, that would be well under 5% and maybe like 1%.

I work on a mountain where there is still a fairly strong snowboard culture, Shaun Whites home mountain during his Olympic year, giant park, Burton Snowboard Academy, Burton Store, as well as Butterbox snowboard shop in the village, yada yada.....
Yet, there are at least a half dozen snowboard instructors coming into our shop to get fitted for ski boots because they need to become ski instructors in order to get the hours they want.

 

[James]

I work on a mountain where there is still a fairly strong snowboard culture, Shaun Whites home mountain during his Olympic year, giant park, Burton Snowboard Academy, Burton Store, as well as Butterbox snowboard shop in the village, yada yada.....
Yet, there are at least a half dozen snowboard instructors coming into our shop to get fitted for ski boots because they need to become ski instructors in order to get the hours they want.

Interesting.
My how things have changed. Say around 2003-4 if you had a few days on a board they wanted you to learn to teach.

 

[Tricia]

@James That's what I thought the first time it happened, but its happening more and more each year since I started working there.

 

[nay]

Holy cow, a new Red and Grey thread!

Skiboard wall update.

I'm thinking that the Rocker2 100 186cm and Rocker2 108 190cm would be a perfect 2SQ . Feeling a little jealous of those things.

 

[crgildart]

Because fixed objects are large and don't move whereas you presumably do.

So do other boarders but they only seem to hit skiers. Perhaps they can smell the other boarders even though they don't see them?

 

[Dave Petersen]

In theory, avoiding collisions (with any humans) is a good reason to wear skittle colors. In practice, I'm not sure it has much effect.

I like that - Skittle colors.