Philpug Posted February 15, 2006 Report Posted February 15, 2006 No boarders is MRG's choice. If you want to them to allow boarders hurt their bottom line by never skiing there. When their numbers are affected they'll change the rule. It's kinda like the smoking thing. If you don't like it don't go where it is. BTW, my personal opinion is that boarders should be allowed anywhere and so should smokers, but I don't think I have the right to a business to bend to my will just because I want them to. I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you. I am not going to say it will never happen...but it will never happen. MRG is basicly a "non-profit" ski area. The co-op runs it and the share holders are very subborn. They put (example) 1.5m into refurnishing the single chair vs. 1.2m for the cost of replacing it with a newer chair (the numbers are probably wrong, but you get the idea). Betsy sold MRG to the co-op for about 60 cents on the dollar so a big conglomerate wouldn't some in and homoginize the place. As far as discrimination, hardly. And please do not put up snowboarders on the level of what happened with african-americans, it makes you sound very foolish. Quote
pyro_boarder Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 No, you can't ride there cause your board will screw up the lift. As soon as you get off, you have to get up a hill, which you can't do on a board. I can go up hill on a snowboard, especially when i'm unstrapped because i'm on the lift. Quote
Granola Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Dude I made a shout out to you in my rap...you're alot more likely to see plaid and duct tape than Bogner at MRG.. what about mullets and trans ams(the ones from the 80s)? cause if you see them im going there tommarow. Quote
Philpug Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 MRG is run by a bunch of rich snobs who are full of hate. End of story. Yep, stay at "Bear Creek" Quote
VTmark Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Yep, stay at "Bear Creek" not everyone has the neccasry resorces to go north or west as offten as you. i for one have never been to either. just rember time on the snow even if it not "the best conditions" is still time on the snow. and its not about getting to the resort to complain about conditions its about whos having hte most fun. Quote
Schif Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 I hope pyro_boarder finds this thread soon Quote
Philpug Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 not everyone has the neccasry resorces to go north or west as offten as you. i for one have never been to either. just rember time on the snow even if it not "the best conditions" is still time on the snow. and its not about getting to the resort to complain about conditions its about whos having hte most fun. I have no problem with someone having to ski their "home mountain" 24/7, but don't talk trash about somehting you know nothing about i.e. slamming MRG saying that the owners are snobs and such and that they know the "end all" of it. Quote
adrian Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 oh my, youre right. the mad river co op is so open minded and welcoming. Quote
Schif Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Whats the big deal. Its one mountain. Let the skiers have it. If we were riders and lived in the neighborhood it might be different, but if I'm going north, its a trip anyway so skipping one place isn't a huge deal to me. Quote
skidude Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Whats the big deal. Its one mountain. Let the skiers have it. If we were riders and lived in the neighborhood it might be different, but if I'm going north, its a trip anyway so skipping one place isn't a huge deal to me. Amen...Its somewhere I want to go ski sometime...But I don't think anyone on this board has skied all the places up north, so until thats the only one you haven't skied, I don't want to hear you guys complain about it. Why don't you make a snowboards only mountain Quote
VTmark Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Why don't you make a snowboards only mountain do you really think we would be able to get away with that? Quote
skidude Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 do you really think we would be able to get away with that? Get away with? Do I think a boarder (or boarders) could make it...yes Do I think it would work, no... but no one has tried yet either... Quote
LineSki Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 actually I think bear mountain tried it. Im not POSITIVE on it, but I think when they first opened it was snowboarders only. By the way the whole mountain is one big park with 150 jumps. Quote
adrian Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 a mountain cant survive without the skier majority or a cartel of incredibly wealthy riders. Quote
VTmark Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Get away with? Do I think a boarder (or boarders) could make it...yes Do I think it would work, no... but no one has tried yet either... it is my personal opion that it wount work because the ski area would get slamed with some bs lawsuits that say were discrimating. and besides what mt. would be take over? Quote
skidude Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 a mountain cant survive without the skier majority or a cartel of incredibly wealthy riders. If it was done right, in the right place it could...Gotta make it so good that all the riders want to go there. it is my personal opion that it wount work because the ski area would get slamed with some bs lawsuits that say were discrimating. and besides what mt. would be take over? Can't happen...They are not discrimiating against the snowboarers, just the snowboards. (can you sue CB for not letting you ride your snowmobile there?) Tons of lost ski areas that already have cut trails...Or any other mountain that is going out of business, or make one on a hilll... Quote
adrian Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 If it was done right, in the right place it could...Gotta make it so good that all the riders want to go there. we need some skier kids to hassle some female mountain owner at the grocery. then we're gold. Quote
skidude Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 we need some skier kids to hassle some female mountain owner at the grocery. then we're gold. huh? Quote
Metz the Jersey boy Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 Alright, I am in the Mad River Valley as we speak. I am currently skiing Sugarbush. There is about a 12-1 skier to rider ratio here. Frankly, Mad River should be able to do whatever they want, because they're really not missing out on much. I don't say this to be snobby, since I ski and I ride. I'm just saying, if getting out to mad river is such a big thing, broaden your horizons and strap on some skis. Quote
adrian Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 huh? thats how it all started with betsy. Quote
Philpug Posted February 16, 2006 Report Posted February 16, 2006 thats how it all started with betsy. Betsy is one ornery sweetheart (along with being a scratch golfer), we have spent many of nights at the Barn drinking and shooting the BS. She sold MRG to the co-op for (literally) millions less than she could have to ASC who owned Sugarbush at the time. If you go up there, you can snowboard at Sugarbush which still has some awesome terrain, most as good as MRG. Quote
adrian Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 Betsy is one ornery sweetheart (along with being a scratch golfer), we have spent many of nights at the Barn drinking and shooting the BS. She sold MRG to the co-op for (literally) millions less than she could have to ASC who owned Sugarbush at the time. she sounds pretty magnificent. Quote
skidude Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 This is a press realease... Shareholders Say No To Snowboards Despite the buzz caused by two Vermont snowboarders' Olympic glory and the fact that snowboarders now account for 25-30% of all lift tickets sold in the Unites States, don't bet the farm that Mad River Glen will lift its ban on snowboards anytime soon. While the percentage of tickets purchased by snowboarders is steadily growing at other areas, many question why a ski area would exclude this growing market. Eric Friedman, Marketing Director at Mad River Glen, one of only four ski areas in North America that don't allow snowboarding has an interesting response: "Mad River Glen doesn't make all of its decisions based on money. It's refreshing to know that there's a mountain out there like that." Mad River Glen's skier-owners (it is America 's only cooperatively owned mountain) believe there are enough skiing purists to carve out a viable market niche. Recent results prove that belief correct. "Since the co-op took over ownership of the mountain in 1995 we have shown steady growth across the board," added Friedman. "We are fortunate that there is a growing number of skiers seeking the kind of experience that we offer. Sure, we might see a spike in revenues if we allowed snowboards, but money is not our overriding concern; protecting and preserving our unique ski experience is what our owners clearly want." Many people don't realize that Mad River actually did allow snowboards early on in the history of snowboarding. Betsy Pratt, Mad River's previous owner, was friendly to snowboards, but ran into safety issues on Mad River Glen's main lift, a 1948 Single Chair. They were restricted from the Single and then, after a now legendary confrontation between Betsy and some local riders, she decided to ban snowboards completely. When the Co-op took over the mountain the shareholders voted on the issue with more than 75% voting to maintain the snowboarding ban. "We want to make clear that there is no animosity towards snowboarders. The ski industry is very competitive and our ownership believes that creating this market niche is the best course for Mad River Glen." The reasons for the snowboarding ban vary depending on who you talk to. Some say it would ruin Mad River's unique character. "Our Single Chair, the cooperative ownership, the natural snow skiing, the non-commercial atmosphere, and the skiers-only policy are what make Mad River Glen special. We don't want to end up looking like every other ski area," said Mad River shareholder Brian Carten. Other people believe that the snowboarders would ruin the legendary moguls, while still others feel that they would scrape the natural snow off Mad River Glen's sinewy trails. Whatever the reason, it is unlikely that there will be snowboarding at Mad River Glen any time soon. The only way the policy can change is if a two-thirds majority of the shareholders vote to change it. Alta and Deer Valley in Utah, and Taos in New Mexico are the three other areas that do not allow snowboards. I'm working on finding out what exactlly the safety issue was...But if you look at a trail map of MRG then its pretty week with no single chair. Quote
adrian Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 ...then, after a now legendary confrontation between Betsy and some localriders, she decided to ban snowboards completely. ... Quote
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