 |
magazine / nd07
 |
November/December 2007 issue |
|
|
|
Powder Trip (page 2)
On Prune Pickers Pass, a boarder cut
me off as I sped downhill. He was standing
off to one side, then he slid right
across my path to join his baked buddies,
like stepping into speeding traffic
without a glance. I veered sharply to
avoid knocking him over, but if I had
chosen to deliver a Gordie Howe elbow,
he'd still be seeing stars.
Another beef: novice boarders scrape
the best snow off steep hills; you can
actually hear the damage. Afraid to turn
or carve but wanting to look cool, they
slide down with their boards parallel to
the hill, digging in instead of pointing
the board straight down. It's like taking
a shovel to it. After a few hours of this,
the slope is laid open, dark wounds
among the moguls.
|
| Click map to enlarge |
On the chairlift, I grew morose.
Young people, including my nephews
in Canmore, are taking up boards and
boards only. Skis are going to be history
in a decade or two, with everyone happily
shredding on boards. I have big fun
on skis, but I'm circling the drain —
I'm going the way of the dodo and the
eight-track.
When I start asking people their opinion
on snowboards versus skis, it is like
tapping into a violent wellspring.
But Monday was different. Monday
was gangs of snowboarders. Monday was
acne and attitude and dreads and MC
Hammer pants rippling in the breeze.
"My daughter was hit three times on
one vacation and all by boarders!" says
my friend Paula Thomas in Fredericton.
"One hit her so hard, he sheared the
bindings right off her skis! I was amazed
her legs weren't broken.
"I saw three boarders get off the lift,
and they fell in a heap. One got knocked
out by the chair hitting him in the head.
The lift operator ran to help but forgot
to switch off the lift, and he got hit and
was also knocked out. A skier then hit
the red button and called for help.
I was next; it was like watching a Marx
Brothers skit!"
"Monday!" says a friend in Banff.
"They're up there on Monday because
they're all unemployed bums."
top
|
|
|
