TR from non-jibbers

[Ski]

Okay, so Ty and I got to BB around noon and were struck by how green everything was, despite so much snow through Tobyhanna and other places. The lot was fairly packed and the only snow was on Freedom and they made some effort to skiers left.

 

Anyway, just by accident my ticket was free, since my jacket is red and my boots are blue. Ty was $20.

 

The little park was crowded as hell, with maybe 500+ kids and only a handful of non-park people squeezing down the left side of the slope. Coverage was decent, with just a little muck at the lift. Lift lines were less than 10 minute, but always more than 5.

 

On our first time down, Ty got bowled over rally hard by an out of control snowboarder and I was pretty scared. She was just shaken and not bruised. I asked the kid what the hell he was doing and he said he didn't know how to stop. I told him he was a fucking idiot.

 

So I convinced Ty to 'get back on the horse' and we kept skiing, even though she was pretty shaken up. Later, when we are leaving, some 40-something guy comes up to me and asks why I yelled at his kid. I asked him where he was when his kid was balling down the slope without the ability to stop and running into people over and over. He said he paid for his ticket and so he could go wherever he wanted and I shouldn't yell at his kid.

 

Then it got a little worse.

 

My thought on the subject is that if a slope is crowded and your kid can't stop and is running into people, then there's something really wrong. I'd never just dump my kid on a slope and let him/her run into people. The kid was three times Ty's size and she got completely wiped out from behind. I saw the kid nearly go into the woods twice, as well as run into two groups of boarders waiting to drop. But everyone else he hit was bigger than him.

 

So when I wouldn't apologize for yelling at his kid, he calls me a asshole and a few other names, so I told him he could take the first shot. I put down my skis and poles down and offered one freebie, but explained it better be an great one or he was in a crapload of trouble. I told him he should check a mirror and see what his teeth looked like because he was about to lose several of them.

 

He decided against the freebie and slunk off to the parking lot and got into his pickup truck with Maryland plates.

 

So, one day of skiing and one near fight.

 

Ty and I had a decent time and totally respected landing areas and never barged an in-run.

 

If you are a carving skier/boarder, the Freedom Park is not for you. Not with 500 other people. And it isn't the jibbers that make it too dangerous for little kids, but parents that don't teach their kids Doug's version of Smartstyle.

 

Props to BB for being open and thanks for the comp ticket...

[Kyle]

its cool that you got a free ticket and it sucks that ty got plowed by some kid. but that guy had no right to approach you in the parking lot and try to start something. but anyway was it worth the trip? and hows the park setup looking like?

[Ski]

its cool that you got a free ticket and it sucks that ty got plowed by some kid. but that guy had no right to approach you in the parking lot and try to start something. but anyway was it worth the trip? and hows the park setup looking like?

 

Sorry, Kyle, I can barely spell 'park', let alone describe it...eh, two long rails side by side at the top...then a small jump...then a couple of rails toward the bottom. Oh, and is it a butter box that you jump on and do spins? Well, one of those. That's the best I can do

[Kyle]

Sorry, Kyle, I can barely spell 'park', let alone describe it...eh, two long rails side by side at the top...then a small jump...then a couple of rails toward the bottom. Oh, and is it a butter box that you jump on and do spins? Well, one of those. That's the best I can do

 

haha thats good enough. oakley21 posted up all the features they had.

[snowboarddude]

pics??

[setagehtta]

doesnt sound like fun, however telling someone to "take the first shot" is stupid. Nothing like getting laid out in front of your girl while trying to sound tough. Plus you never know what anyone has/knows.

[Kyle]

not if the guy is being a real dick about it. he had no really good reason to approach ski. if ski would've hit his son or something then thats different. ski was just watching out for his kid like every parent does.

Edited November 10, 2007 by kyle

[skifreak]

Wow that guy was an asshole. I don't even know why he thought he had the right to even come up to you and say anything. So what if he bought a ticket, his kid was out of control. If his kid got hurt from running into someone, he'd probably say it's the persons fault for not getting out of the way. That guy needs a smartstyle lesson...

 

Otherwise sounded like a good trip.

[Schif]

This is the biggest problem with marketing skiing/snowboarding as a vacation. I know its how the mountains make money but maybe they should throw some smartstyle into the gaper ads. This guy and his kid came with and attitude similar to that of going to an amusement park. Unfortunately instead of just riding a ride, he has to control his decent. A lot of people have the amusement park mentality when they hit the snow instead of the actuality that every time you strap or click in you are risking your own life as well as the lives of everyone around you. Thats something that a lot of people don't want to hear on vacation, but it is the truth.

 

As much as we joke about Doug's smartstyle school it really would be a great idea.

[poconoceancity]

Okay, so Ty and I got to BB around noon and were struck by how green everything was, despite so much snow through Tobyhanna and other places. The lot was fairly packed and the only snow was on Freedom and they made some effort to skiers left.

 

Anyway, just by accident my ticket was free, since my jacket is red and my boots are blue. Ty was $20.

 

The little park was crowded as hell, with maybe 500+ kids and only a handful of non-park people squeezing down the left side of the slope. Coverage was decent, with just a little muck at the lift. Lift lines were less than 10 minute, but always more than 5.

 

On our first time down, Ty got bowled over rally hard by an out of control snowboarder and I was pretty scared. She was just shaken and not bruised. I asked the kid what the hell he was doing and he said he didn't know how to stop. I told him he was a fucking idiot.

 

So I convinced Ty to 'get back on the horse' and we kept skiing, even though she was pretty shaken up. Later, when we are leaving, some 40-something guy comes up to me and asks why I yelled at his kid. I asked him where he was when his kid was balling down the slope without the ability to stop and running into people over and over. He said he paid for his ticket and so he could go wherever he wanted and I shouldn't yell at his kid.

 

Then it got a little worse.

 

My thought on the subject is that if a slope is crowded and your kid can't stop and is running into people, then there's something really wrong. I'd never just dump my kid on a slope and let him/her run into people. The kid was three times Ty's size and she got completely wiped out from behind. I saw the kid nearly go into the woods twice, as well as run into two groups of boarders waiting to drop. But everyone else he hit was bigger than him.

 

So when I wouldn't apologize for yelling at his kid, he calls me a asshole and a few other names, so I told him he could take the first shot. I put down my skis and poles down and offered one freebie, but explained it better be an great one or he was in a crapload of trouble. I told him he should check a mirror and see what his teeth looked like because he was about to lose several of them.

 

He decided against the freebie and slunk off to the parking lot and got into his pickup truck with Maryland plates.

 

So, one day of skiing and one near fight.

 

Way to exercise self-control...does that come with experience? If that happened to Kat 15 years ago, would you have tossed the kid off the side of the trail and went looking for his Dad?

[jkunstek]

I started snowboarding last year and I know how to do all the basic stuff, turn, stop and stuff like that, does anyone know if it would be a good idea to head out to Big Boulder just to try and get my feet wet again??? I really want to get out and start the season but I don't want to waste the day because I don't do the rails and jumps.

 

Thanks

[Ski]

doesnt sound like fun, however telling someone to "take the first shot" is stupid. Nothing like getting laid out in front of your girl while trying to sound tough. Plus you never know what anyone has/knows.

1. Giving the option of the first shot is for legal reasons. It may be stupid, but not for the reason you're thinking. Any person has the legal right to defend himself/herself with an appropriate response. IE, you can't shoot someone for punching you, but you can certainly punch someone back (even repeatedly) if they hit your first and you don't face criminal charges (even though cops usually charge everyone with disorderly conduct---it would be dismissed).2. I can size someone up in the first five seconds, so getting laid out wouldn't have happened.3. I guarantee I know more than he did. And what he has? It wasn't Mark

I started snowboarding last year and I know how to do all the basic stuff, turn, stop and stuff like that, does anyone know if it would be a good idea to head out to Big Boulder just to try and get my feet wet again??? I really want to get out and start the season but I don't want to waste the day because I don't do the rails and jumps.Thanks

Ha, if you can stop and not just ram into random people, you're fine. There's enough room to just avoid the hits and get some carves in. Just don't go with real high expectations.

Way to exercise self-control...does that come with experience? If that happened to Kat 15 years ago, would you have tossed the kid off the side of the trail and went looking for his Dad?

[Ski]

Poc, it's funny that you mention it..it did happen about 11 years ago to Kat during opening day at Hunter. We were headed down to Hellgate on our first run and a kid jumped his board off one of the blind spots that are off the trail and hit her really hard. It happened right in front of a patroller, too.

 

The kid immediately apologized and asked Kat how she was. She had a bruised leg, but was okay.

 

The patroller asked me if I wanted the kids ticket pulled and I said no.

 

Dumbass reckless sh*t happens...we've all done dumb stuff that has gotten us hurt and risked injury to others. I'm pretty chill when things like the Hunter thing happened---the guy was a great boarder and did a stupid blind jump 'cause he had first run psych. Was my first thought to kill him? Eh, maybe, but Kat said she was okay right away and the dude was seriously sorry. So it was cool.

 

But a parent sending a kid up the lift to just bang into everyone pisses me off. It pisses me off as a parent, a soccer coach, and a former ski instructor.

 

I tried to explain it to Ty this way: if she has a cute dog that bites other dogs and she lets it run free at the park and it bites another dog, then she is responsible and if someone yells at her cute but biting dog, then she'd have no place to be angry with that person. She should just apologize and train her dog.

[trackbiker]

But a parent sending a kid up the lift to just bang into everyone pisses me off. It pisses me off as a parent, a soccer coach, and a former ski instructor.

 

Good call, the kid at Hunter realized his mistake, took responsibility for his actions, and apologized.

The kid at BB shouldn't have even been on the slope, and his father is not doing him any favors. Maybe you should have given him a copy of the Responsibility Code.

If it were my kid, you wouldn't have had to yell at him, I would have done it first after making sure your daughter was OK and that he had apologized.

 

I would have asked that dumb-ass father why he wasn't with his kid, why he even let his kid on the slope without the most basic of skills, "the ability to stop", and was he such a cheap bastard that he wouldn't pay for a lesson for the kid?

[method9455]

I'm with Ski on this one. My dad is super laid back, I've never seen him yell at anyone for anything - unless its someone fucking with my brother and I. Theres just no way. And then he comes and gives you crap about, thats low.

[jkunstek]

Thanks Ski, I would feel horrible if I knocked someone over, if it came down to me knocking someone over or hurting myself, I would rather do something to hurt myself then someone else. I felt bad when I got to close to someone when I was first learning last year.

[phillycore]

There's an A-hole in every crowd... Glad Ty is ok and sounds like you had fun regardless just being able to get out there this early..

[Ski]

There's an A-hole in every crowd... Glad Ty is ok and sounds like you had fun regardless just being able to get out there this early..

Thanks, Philly. I wish CB and other local ski areas could see the madhouse turnout they passed up on. And BB didn't squeeze everyone for max $, despite being the only place open. Hell, we both could have skied for free, but Ty has a new black Spyder jacket and there was no way she was wearing her old blue coat.

[A_B]

hey anyone know if they are going to try to open monday or midweek this week? im thinkin about goin up tomorrow but it would be nice to go monday n beat some of the crowds...any word?

[skier89]

on the site monday to friday 3 to 9

and they are blowing snow now

[A_B]

yea weather permitting..but it looks good so im hopin they stay open. def goin up monday instead of tomorrow

[CaptDave]

Okay, so Ty and I got to BB around noon and were struck by how green everything was, despite so much snow through Tobyhanna and other places. The lot was fairly packed and the only snow was on Freedom and they made some effort to skiers left.

 

Anyway, just by accident my ticket was free, since my jacket is red and my boots are blue. Ty was $20.

 

The little park was crowded as hell, with maybe 500+ kids and only a handful of non-park people squeezing down the left side of the slope. Coverage was decent, with just a little muck at the lift. Lift lines were less than 10 minute, but always more than 5.

 

On our first time down, Ty got bowled over rally hard by an out of control snowboarder and I was pretty scared. She was just shaken and not bruised. I asked the kid what the hell he was doing and he said he didn't know how to stop. I told him he was a fucking idiot.

 

So I convinced Ty to 'get back on the horse' and we kept skiing, even though she was pretty shaken up. Later, when we are leaving, some 40-something guy comes up to me and asks why I yelled at his kid. I asked him where he was when his kid was balling down the slope without the ability to stop and running into people over and over. He said he paid for his ticket and so he could go wherever he wanted and I shouldn't yell at his kid.

 

Then it got a little worse.

 

My thought on the subject is that if a slope is crowded and your kid can't stop and is running into people, then there's something really wrong. I'd never just dump my kid on a slope and let him/her run into people. The kid was three times Ty's size and she got completely wiped out from behind. I saw the kid nearly go into the woods twice, as well as run into two groups of boarders waiting to drop. But everyone else he hit was bigger than him.

 

So when I wouldn't apologize for yelling at his kid, he calls me a asshole and a few other names, so I told him he could take the first shot. I put down my skis and poles down and offered one freebie, but explained it better be an great one or he was in a crapload of trouble. I told him he should check a mirror and see what his teeth looked like because he was about to lose several of them.

 

He decided against the freebie and slunk off to the parking lot and got into his pickup truck with Maryland plates.

 

So, one day of skiing and one near fight.

 

Ty and I had a decent time and totally respected landing areas and never barged an in-run.

 

If you are a carving skier/boarder, the Freedom Park is not for you. Not with 500 other people. And it isn't the jibbers that make it too dangerous for little kids, but parents that don't teach their kids Doug's version of Smartstyle.

 

Props to BB for being open and thanks for the comp ticket...

 

Did the kid even apologize? If not thats weak.

 

Would love to have see the look on this guy's face when you told him you were "dropping the skis" so he could take the first shot. lol

 

Whether its a kid or grownup. if they are out of control on the slopes that bad news waiting to happen. Unfortunately that story replays itself season after season.

[Ski]

Did the kid even apologize? If not thats weak.

 

All he said was "I don't know how to stop."

 

 

But I already knew that

[bigdaddyk]

All he said was "I don't know how to stop."

 

You could have helped him by knocking him over

[Ski]

You could have helped him by knocking him over

Ha, don't torture me, Big...