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Living up to the hype, is it ever possible, yay or nay?

Après Skier

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Perhaps it was walking into the "ski" shops right at the base, but I was done pretty quickly. $2,000 white leather ski jackets covered with sequins and fur, big fuzzy après moon boots, mens' one-piece outfits with epaulets and excessive stitching....
Those shops can be great shops for fun. The shop girls are always very sweet and offer complimentary wine. I may even be guilty of making a few wine-fueled impulse purchases with sequins and excessive stitching.
E5AE8495-0323-4ACF-A707-F0459997D694.jpeg
 

Posaune

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I saw a woman dressed similarly to the one on the left at Mt. Baker this past season. It was sort of like seeing a kangaroo there. Very, very strange.
 

Après Skier

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Under-hyped: skiing in the alps
I could not agree more! Skiing in the Alps is a “total package“ experience. The food, the scenery, the parties! In the US I usually lose an inch of waistline after a 2-week ski trip, in Europe I always come back 10 lbs heavier.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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Those shops can be great shops for fun. The shop girls are always very sweet and offer complimentary wine. I may even be guilty of making a few wine-fueled impulse purchases with sequins and excessive stitching.
View attachment 105398
Is that ski shop in Aspen? Not sure if I have ever seen anything like that on the slopes. I have seen some fancy ski jackets in my time, but nothing like these in the photo. Did someone say that a ski shop was serving wine?
 

Ogg

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Is that ski shop in Aspen? Not sure if I have ever seen anything like that on the slopes. I have seen some fancy ski jackets in my time, but nothing like these in the photo. Did someone say that a ski shop was serving wine?
Those clothes aren't for skiing. They're for the Apre fashion show.
 

LiquidFeet

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Last season I saw two men at my mountain in New Hampshire in matching white Bogner ski jackets with big fur collars and lots of bling. These guys were skiing, so those outfits were managing to keep them warm and dry.

But that wasn't the true function of those jackets. In the context of that ski area, where most people don't wear Bogner but some do, the purpose of those jackets was to signal that they were members of that Bogner-buying social group. The matching part was probably an additional signal.
 
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Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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Last season I saw two men at my mountain in New Hampshire in matching white Bogner ski jackets with big fur collars. They were skiing, so those outfits were managing to keep them warm and dry.

But that wasn't the true function of those jackets. In the context of that ski area, where most people don't wear Bogner but some do, it was to signal that they were members of that social group. The matching part was probably an additional signal.
I am not sure that Bogner is as much of a social group icon. I was able to purchase a one piece stretch outfit made by Bogner for my wife. It did look wonderful on her and was very functional and warm. It was an end of season sale and it was not from a shop that I worked or I had any connection with. You can get some good end of season deals even on a Bogner.
 

Wasatchman

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Yellowstone for me lives up to the hype and doesn't at the same time.

Amazing wildlife and geothermal features live up to the hype. At times there is a Disney feel to tge place though during the summer - epecially around Old Faithful as cool at is. Speaking of Old Faithful, I still don't think I've entirely managed to convince my wife that the predictable timing of it isn't somehow rigged.
 

LiquidFeet

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I am not sure that Bogner is as much of a social group icon. I was able to purchase a one piece stretch outfit made by Bogner for my wife. It did look wonderful on her and was very functional and warm. It was an end of season sale and it was not from a shop that I worked or I had any connection with. You can get some good end of season deals even on a Bogner.

I've got a Bogner pair of pants. Found them at the thrift shop. Very nicely made, and the fit is fantastic. I cut off the metal Bs.
 

tch

What do I know; I'm just some guy on the internet.
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Yellowstone for me lives up to the hype and doesn't at the same time.
Amazing wildlife and geothermal features live up to the hype. At times there is a Disney feel to the place though during the summer - epecially around Old Faithful as cool at is. Speaking of Old Faithful, I still don't think I've entirely managed to convince my wife that the predictable timing of it isn't somehow rigged.
Yellowstone in the winter is a completely different place -- and it lives up to whatever hype it gets. Beautiful xc skiing around bison herds and frozen waterfalls, amazing geothermal features in snow, and no - NO - people. We watched a couple of Old Faithful cycles standing outside with 1-5 other people.
 

Uncle-A

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I've got a Bogner pair of pants. Found them at the thrift shop. Very nicely made, and the fit is fantastic. I cut off the metal Bs.
Why cut off the "B's" it still is a clasp of some type. What did you use instead. The only "B's" that are less functional are the zipper pulls. I guess you could use just the tab on the zipper but that is difficult with gloves on.
 

LiquidFeet

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^^Can't remember how I dealt with the zipper pulls. I may have covered them up with black gorilla tape.

Why bother to remove the emblems of the brand from these ski pants? Because I don't want to be identified as a person who an afford Bogner skiwear. Those prices are way beyond my budgetary restrictions. Nor do I want to be identified by other instructors in my ski school as a person who wants to be thought of as belonging to that social group.

There is a notable number of wealthy people who frequent my mountain. Often they can be identified by their clothing, especially the women, but not always. Many of them belong to a private club that has its own lodge next to the regular-people lodge. The "public" cannot go in that lodge. They enjoy valet parking, they get early lift privileges a half hour before the mountain opens, and they have a separate line for themselves at the gondola that eliminates the wait. I'm fine with that. The mountain benefits from their revenue.

I'm firmly not in the 1% and very OK with that too. Those Bs had to go.
Bogner logo.jpg
 
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Bad Bob

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60's-70's Bogner was the Helley Hanson of the day. High quality functional and durable. Head tried to go after them around 70. Watch the movie Downhill Racer, you will see lots of Head and some Bogner.
Had a few pairs in the day. Remember they had good fabric, fit, and different colors.
 

Wasatchman

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I wonder if Shane McConkey made Bogner uncool with some factions of the ski crowd.

I wonder if it's lost on people that Arc'teryx is super spendy but that's okay and even considered cool by many. Show up in a Bogner piece with a certain part of the ski crowd and you will be the subject of ridicule. There is a certain irony to it.

Forgot who posted earlier about buying their wife a stretchy Bogner ski wear, but I bet it's sexy as hell......

Edit: @LiquidFeet think about it for a moment why Bogner illicits your hate but Arc'teryx does not. And I am not immune. I feel the same thing against Canada Goose when I see it all over NYC and Chicago and when said people show up on the hill wearing it.
 
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LiquidFeet

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Hey @Wasatchman, I get the Gorsuch catalog in the mail oh I don't know maybe four times a year. I do this for a lark. It helps me recognize Bogner by its look, as well as some of the other clothing brands.

I look through this catalog with delight when it comes, checking the amazing prices. Before Covid19 I'd have friends over and we'd laugh at what people would pay for items of clothing, but honestly it's not a laughing matter, is it? The boot below is listed at $1,198.00.

When this last catalog came, I noticed something I've not noticed before. All the female models but one were blonde. Odd. I need to go back and check the previous catalogues to see if this is what Gorsuch always does. Just an observation.

 
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Wasatchman

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Hey @Wasatchman, I get the Gorsuch catalog in the mail oh I don't know maybe four times a year. I do this for a lark. It helps me recognize Bogner by its look, as well as some of the other clothing brands.

I look through this catalog with delight when it comes, checking the amazing prices. Before Covid19 I'd have friends over and we'd laugh at what people would pay for items of clothing, but honestly it's not a laughing matter, is it?

Those are sure some ugly boots if you ask me, especially with dead animal fur all over it. Not my taste.

I get your distaste for extravagantly priced clothes. I I have the same distaste seeing all the Canada Goose for urban wear. At the same time it's all relative. Many would have a distaste for skiing in general as an extravagant sport. Those who live in poverty in emerging economies would probably have a similar distaste for us in general on what we would consider middle class. It's never black and white.
 

Wasatchman

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Granted, not black and white. Humongous differences can tempt one to think that, though.
Agreed. What is interesting is I sometimes think we think too much about the enormous differences within our society and not enough about the enormous differences between us and the developing world.
 

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