In article <398A9A5D.BE4D9...@ns.sympatico.ca>,
Rich Johnson  <rwh.john...@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:

Sure, I can be a little more explicit here, because this is not rec.skiing.

The context is the afforementioned geeks on the net.
So one of the early criticisms of many of my colleagues is not getting outside.
There's a lot of one-upsmenship in rec.skiing.  But there is one fact:
        A line, skied down, of powder snow is done once.
It's a physical conservation principle.  If you ain't first skiing a line,
you are shit out of luck.

So over the years people have tried to say which resort is better.
Not merely a personal favorite, which my preferences will calm, but "best."

So I went along with this for a while.  I will be the first to admit
that I have very finnicky tastes in skiing.  I am first and foremost a
powder skier.  I can get down ice.  But I'm not say a fan of "spring"
skiing, I'd rather go climbing.

There are a number of other long time threads in rec.skiing:
ratings (B, M, A: largely meaningless) and people's abilities
(i.e. what makes an advanced skier?) I will claim that I am an adequate
skier, of acceptable ability, and I have done 1-2 descents which some
people claim "extreme" [you fall, you die, and I have had my share of
broken legs, now].  Worse, you have people on the net claiming
(some of them people mentioned in other thread), that they can
"parallel" turn (I can tell how decent a skier is just by asking for a
kick turn).

So there are a lot of posers in r.s.a.

There was once a thread about posers, I mentioned an older woman at Sun
Valley where I first learned to downhill.  She was heavy in makeup and
in a ski suit and clumping around in ski boots (not trivial) and NOT skiing.

And the decent people are good well meaning people (I mentioned a couple
whom I've met: Baker, the net.ski patrol who hopes to get out alive at
the end of the day and not get shot, Wayne who's boss is a colleague of
mine in the real world, and so forth).

So all I ask is to ski my lines: bowls or tree skiing, you aren't a
powder skier (yet) if you aren't willing to tree ski.  And I know trees
(one broke an arm and a leg at a resort).

There are no friends on powder days.  That's not original.

So what to do with the posers?
Who might otherwise get in over their heads and wastefully cut up snow?

Send them to Vail.
Which is also a subtle message: say away from powder and Utah.
The people who knew, pattern matched, and got it instantly.

Now Vail isn't a bad resort.  It's filled with posers.
Zermatt in Switzerland is, too, but that's another story, very nice, but
touristy place.  I hope to go back in December, maybe.
It's touristy and overpriced, but it makes the cliente feel rich.
Okay, you can send them to Deer Valley, too.

And it worked.

It's really great.

You'd find some net.newbie post:
        "I hear Vail is a great place to go."

Now a few cruel people merely openly poo pooed the place.
Actually, I have enjoyed myself at Beaver Creek.  Vail is a little overrated.
hint hint.

You must always tell the truth.
Even if it's a half-truth or incomplete truth.  It's like poker in that
regard.  Lately, one can edit Xxxx.  Or Xxxxxxxx.  Or Xxxxx.  Well
this latter is in Colorado, really.

It might not make much of a dent, but it can turn Vail into a nice
national sacrifice area.  If we could only get the people to stick there.

And yes, I own copies of the Surf Punks album: with My Beach, My Wave.

I leave lots of details out (various other thread).

It's great to have a fanatic church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day
Saints (the Mormons) who have excellent liquor laws to (at least until
they got the 2002 winter Olympics [notice the scandal had not detoured
it coming to SLC]).  Every one who goes there, should have an LDS
religious tract thrust into their hands.  And think about dirnking 3.2% beer.
Tea totaling is so great.

I also tip my hat to the other "Elders" of the Law of Conservation of
Powder (which appeared in Powder magazine at their request):
Bob Geer then of Evans and Sutherland Computer Corp (makes of the
highest performance graphics systems [Sutherland every one should thank
because he is also one of the fathers of the ARPAnet]. And a slew of
other folk.

And Dugway nerve gas helps (and that was used in Close Encounters as an
excuse).

Elder Miya.

**Is it cruel to redirect clueless people to expensive resorts?
They would do better to learn skiing at resorts closer cheaper and
easier for them to save money until their skills get better.
And that's merely downhilling.  I have left out tons of issues like
avalanches which are lethal in both locations (had 3 of those).