What to Listen to While Driving to the Slopes?

A lot of people enjoy listening to music on an MP3 player while on the slopes, but what do you listen to if you have to drive there?

You could listen to yet more music. Or perhaps a book on tape or CD. I prefer to listen to podcasts. You can find a podcast on just about any subject you can think of, and as is the case with any medium of communication, some of them are just awful, while others are worthwhile.

My favorite podcasts come from WGN-AM, Chicago. Milton J. Rosenberg interviews authors, politicians, pundits, scholars,

on the WGN web site. Rosenberg regularly interviews authors, scholars, journalists, public officials, and other interesting people. With his guests, he informs and offers thought-provoking questions and commentary on the ancient Greeks and Romans, politics, literature, architecture, food, the use and development of the English language, and social networking media, to name just a few topics. Choose full-length replays (about an hour long) or abridged versions (one 30-minute podcast will have two 15-minute excerpts) of the show. Since there's no overlap, choose both!

For the lighter side, I enjoy Martini Shot, by Rob Long. Long was an executive for the TV show "Cheers" (one of many "great" shows I have largely neglected) who makes Hollywood interesting even for someone who never reads "People" magazine or watches many films or TV shows.

Growth of sports through family time

Is golf is declining because men are no longer willing to spend all day apart from their families, ("More Americans Are Giving Up Golf," New York Times, February 21") and if so, what implications might this have for snow sports?

First, the numbers:

The total number of people who play has declined or remained flat each year since 2000, dropping to about 26 million from 30 million, according to the National Golf Foundation and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

More troubling to golf boosters, the number of people who play 25 times a year or more fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000, a loss of about a third.

The industry now counts its core players as those who golf eight or more times a year. That number, too, has fallen, but more slowly: to 15 million in 2006 from 17.7 million in 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation.

Says Walter Hurney, a real estate developer, "There just isn’t enough time. Men won’t spend a whole day away from their family anymore."

Mr. Rocchio, a regional director of the National Golf Course Owners Association, adds to the "family first" theme:

"Years ago, men thought nothing of spending the whole day playing golf — maybe Saturday and Sunday both. Today, he is driving his kids to their soccer games. Maybe he’s playing a round early in the morning. But he has to get back home in time for lunch."

So what to make of these claims?

Like snowboarding, golf is a male-dominated sport. Only 25% of golfers are women, which is similar to (but lower than) the percentage of snowboarders who are female.

Perhaps we're becoming a nation of couch potatoes and desk jockeys? Says the Times:

The disappearance of golfers over the past several years is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities — including tennis, swimming, hiking, biking and downhill skiing — according to a number of academic and recreation industry studies.

It attributes a decline in tennis to an increased interest in skateboarding. That's plausible, given that both are (largely) warm-weather pursuits.

The Times digs up a quote from Rodney B. Warnick, a professor of recreation studies, who says that the younger generation "is not just as active" in all sports. That is a jarring conclusion, though, given the media template of Gen Xers and Millenials being more concerned about work-life balance than boomers.

Jim Kass, research director of the National Golf Foundation, blames economics, specifically the cost of golf and cutbacks in corporate memberships to country clubs. The idea that structural changes in the economy are in part responsible is intriguing. We've come a long ways since the days of Organization Man. I have yet to see hard data on corporate support for golf participation. But given the "flattening" of the economy (think "The World is Flat"), there may in fact be some softness in Fortune 500 support for the sport.

Where does snowboarding fit in? I like to play golf, but snowboarding may be more of a family-friendly activity than golf is. It's not as intimidating to children as golf is. And with golf, once your children have started a round, they're in it for the duration--at least that's the spirit of golf. By contrast, snowboarding is open to more frequent breaks for hot chocolate or just warming up in the lodge.

Blogs you should consider: Passion for Addiction

I started Grays on Trays back in 2003 because I was looking for, but failed to find, an online resource about snowboarding that was suitable for adults. Everything I could was geared toward teenagers, or even younger children. So the site was born.

Starting the blog in October of 2004 was a logical extension of that.

Since starting the blog, I've found some other blogs that are worth checking with from time to time. This isn't to say that I would write in the same way or with the same style that the authors of these blogs do. In fact, sometimes they write about things that I have little or no interest in, or use a style that I would use.

Still, I recommend checking out the sites listed blogroll if you're looking for more places to seek out information, inspiration, and stories of snowboarding.

Today I'm going to introduce one site on the roll, Passion for Addiction. The author, Pamela Valure, writes from the Hudson Valley. She works in the design field, so the layout of the blog is appealing. At least I find it appealing: It's clean and not cluttered with a lot of background artwork, like a lot of snowboards and snowboarding magazines are.

Valure is a certified snowboard instructor, which certainly adds to her credibility, though in the short tenure of the blog she hasn't written much about techniques. I realize that communicating good technique through the written word can be difficult, and that there's a limit to its utility. But here's hoping that Passion for Addiction includes some instructional tips along the way.

The Benefits of Colder Days

The other day I mentioned some of the negatives of extra-cold days on the slopes. Now it's time for some upsides.

Less crowded lift lines, parking lots and slopes. If it's cold enough, people will stay at home or in their resort-town condos.

Bluebird skies.The coldest winter days tend to be those without cloud cover. In exchange for 10 or 15 degrees, you get blue skies. Fair trade?

Greater visibility.More sunshine means more visibility of bumps, ridges, knolls, and bad surprises on the hill. Greater visibility means more confidence, which means more fun.

More speed in the flats, less skating. You can go faster on colder snow. What does this mean? You can zip through some of those flats that might otherwise make you stop and walk.

Extra-warm sweaters. You may have a favorite piece of alpine clothing, such as a sweater, that is too heavy to wear on some days. When the temperatures plummet, you get to break those articles out of the closet.

Better tasting food and drink. Expending the extra effort to snowboard in the cold will make you appreciate your meal even more, even if it's a PBJ sandwich.

Increased joy in living. There's something about being outside in the cold--and not only overcoming it but thriving in it--that is simply invigorating. You may even get a better night's sleep out of it.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Snowboarding isn't for wimps, which means that you do need to put up with some cold. In fact, you just might have thought a ponderous "duh" as you read that last sentence. After all, how can you have snow without cold?

Well, there's cold, and then there's cold.

What defines "cold" is relative, of course. A relative of mine who travels from south Florida to Michigan during August packs a sweater with her. To me, the perfect temperature for snowboarding is somewhere around 24 degrees

Today I went snowboarding. Temperature: 3 degrees. With 15 mile-per-hour winds.

I like to remind my friends who complain about 24-degree air "There's no such thing as too cold, just inadequately dressed."

After today, I'll amend that remark, just a little. You've also got to be adequately prepared by having your stuff in the right place.

You see, I've had cold, a sinus infection, or something like that, for about a month. Sometimes it's bad, sometimes not so much.

But when I was out on the hill today, the combination of cold temperature and warm air (breathing through my neck gaiter) got the old nose to running something fierce. I had been careful to pack some tissue with me, but I had buried it underneath three layers of clothing, in a zipped-up pocket.

The wind chill was strong enough that rooting through my clothes with bare hands was unwise, so it was off to the lodge to find it. And then a moment of temporary stupidity, I neglected to move the tissue to an outside pocket.

Never mind, though, making an indoor stop was useful for warming up my fingers, which got cold even with hand warmers. Must be time for new gloves.

North American Skiers, Riders, to Converge in Minnesota

I'm a member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association, which holds an annual meeting in, as you might expect, a snowy place. These meetings are great occasions for meeting with other people who share a passion for sliding on the snow and writing about it. Though it's obviously open to snowboarders, I would say that 95 percent of its members are primarily skiers, though some both ski and ride.

The annual meetings have been held in Sun Valley, Crested Butte, and Vail, among other places. But they've never been held in the Midwest. This year, that's going to change: NASJA is coming to the Midwest.

Midwestern skiing and riding? Pfft!

If that's your attitude, I understand. I live here, and the 300, 400 or 600 vertical feet we play on may not even qualify as a bunny hill in other regions.

But we Midwesterners definitely make our contributions to skiing and riding. Roughly 20 percent of the "skier visits" within the U.S. ski industry are to places in the Midwest, and the region regularly produces top-notch riders and skiers who compete at the highest levels.

When you consider terrain and off-mountain options, the best Midwestern spot may be at Lutsen, Minnesota, where NASJA will hold its 2009 meeting.

Fellow NASJA member Martin Griff visited Lutsen in late 2007, and wrote a few blog entries about it. He wrote, in part, "The runs are short by Rocky Mountain, Adirondack or New England standards, but several runs have steep drops and there are options for long, easy cruising between mountains."

Lutsen's marketing director, Jim Vick, hopes that journalists will enjoy the skiing and riding, to be sure. But "it's not just the skiing," that should interest the convention-goers, he says, "it's the winter lifestyle in northern Minnesota."

And that lifestyle means embracing the winter for all its worth. The writers who attend the meeting can participate in several other activities before the main event starts. One option is a three-day dog-mushing expedition into the wilderness, complete with two nights of camping. Another, for those who favor indoor lodging, is a three-day snowmobile trip. Finally, a more sedate option is to take a class in making your own Nordic skis.

Making Snowboarding Safe for Out--of-Date People

It's a given of advertising that words shape our understanding of reality. Political advocacy groups and politicians, for example, spend a great deal of time and money trying to figure out how to describe their ideas in ways that will maximize their public appeal and minimize public objections. Euphemisms abound both in government and in the private sector.

When I read snowboarding publications, I sometimes feel like I have stepped into another planet--and remember, this is coming from someone who has spent several years writing about snowboarding.

Someone remarked to me that he couldn't see himself "rockin' an Obermeyer jacket." I happen to wear an Obermeyer jacket, but what struck me was the word "rockin." It's apparently an all-purpose verb within snowboarding. Another person I know, while looking at a rack of snowboards, said something like "I can't imagine someone rockin' a board with those graphics."

So "rockin" (or is it "rocking?") means (1) to wear a piece of clothing; and (2) to use a piece of snowboarding equipment, such as a snowboard.

Not exactly the language I would use, but then again, every activity has its jargon and slang.

Another time I was in a conversation with two other people in the snow sports industry. "A" was lamenting that the advertising revenue on his site was declining. "B" asked him what his rates were. After "A" gave his response, "B" said "Ouch! That's really droppin' trou."

Dropping trou? I understood what "B" (a white-collar professional, about 50 years old, eager to succeed in the snow sports industry) was saying. But as with "rockin," "droppin' trou" isn't language that would even come to my mind.

Here's my approach: I think that more mature adults would enjoy snowboarding if they gave it a try. The language used within the "snowboarding community" (there's another piece of jargon!) presents an extra layer that people have to get through. So in my writing, I try to write in a straightforward, white-bread style.

So if I get rockin' non-standard English, give me a shout out, won't ya?

The Legal Environment of Skiing

One of my relatives once posed the following question: "What is a dog?" You could talk about four legs, fur, playing catch and so forth, but he went on to describe the various laws regarding dogs. (You have to understand, he sells stuff to law firms, so he's got law on the brain.)

Likewise, skiing and snowboarding are concepts bounded by the law. Check out your lift ticket. It's probably filled with legalese that references, in one way or another, state laws. Here's one example:

The purchaser or user of this ticket agrees and understands that skiing, snowboarding and tubing can be hazardous. Trail conditions vary constantly because of weather changes and individual use. Ice, rocks and debris, lift towers and other obstacles and hazards, including other skiers, snowboarders and tubers may exist throughout the area. Be aware that snowmaking and snowgrooming may be in progress at any time. Always stay in control.

In using the ticket and skiing, snowboarding or tubing at the area, such dangers are recognized and accepted whether they are marked or unmarked. Ski, snowboard and tube on slopes of your ability and read trail maps.

The user realizes that falls and collisions do occur and injuries may result and therefore assumes the burdens of skiing, snowboarding and tubing under control at all times.

This ticket is revocable by management or Ski Patrol if holder hereof commits any act which endangers himself or others or which constitutes a public nuisance.

The user of this ticket assumes all risks of personal injury or loss or damage to property.

This ticket must be visibly worn at all times while on the premises.

Here's a ticket from Colorado:

Warning: Under Colorado law, a skier assumes the risk of any injury to person or property resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing and may not recover from any ski area operator for any injury resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing, including changing weather conditions; existing and changing snow conditions; bare spots; rocks; stumps; trees; collisions with natural objects, man-made objects, or other skiers; variations in terrain; and the failure of skiers to ski within their own abilities.

In addition, there are a lot of legal questions off the slopes. Ski area owners and managers deal with health and safety regulations (OSHA) governing the workplace, equal-opportunity and anti-discrimination laws governing the workforce, and dram laws (Jim gets drunk at the chalet, plows into Bill, who in turns sues the resort for serving Jim alcohol beyond what he was able to handle), for starters.

Speaking of Lifts and the Ski Patrol: Lift Tower Collapses at Whistler

This week I've written a lot about legal issues, safety concerns, and chair lifts. Coincidentally, some of these issues came to the fore at Whistler/Blackcomb during this week as well.'

Martin Griff, who writes about snow sports for several newspapers in New Jersey, reports on the events on his blog.

Start with the entry Blackcomb gondola tower collapses: 53 people rescued.

He writes, "A Google search will find numerous stories about the collapse on the web. I'm not sure about copyright issues and have yet to find stories with permalinks, so you're on your own in finding objective coverage." Then he provides a link to a press release from the W/B management. And sure enough, the ski patrol came through by evacuating people from the cabins.

The next entry from Martin's blog is "'Ice jacking' caused tower failure at Whistler Blackcomb, according to media update." In brief, the tower expanded and popped, just like what happens if you leave a can of soda/pop/beer out in very cold temperatures.

According to a CNN report, a police official says "At no time was anyone in serious risk and at no time were the cars separated from the line."

Do you have what it takes to be on ski patrol?

What does to be on the ski patrol? A lot more than knowing how to ski or ride.

A couple of years ago I went to an orientation meeting for would-be ski patrollers. I wasn't seriously interested in joining up, since I was already an instructor, but I did want to see what being on the patrol entailed.

To answer one obvious question, yes, the ski patrol includes snowboarders.

Being on the patrol doesn't require that you be the most outstanding skier or rider around, but you do have to be able to navigate all terrain, and pull someone on a sled at the same time. While you do need to have on-snow skills, that's not enough.

Though the patrol generally has the power to eject people from the ski area, its main job is not enforcing the responsibility code. (In fact, some ski areas have another group of people with that mission.) The major responsibility of the ski patrol is to administer first aid.

The requirements to become a member of the patrol are rather steep, including extensive book learning, classroom workshops, and on-the-hill training.

To get an idea of what's required, see the ski patrol page for Devil's Head, Wisconsin, a small area in the American Midwest. Candidates for the ski patrol there must:

- Attend a 4-hour class each week for 16 weeks, reading 20-50 pages a week and taking quizzes about the material, plus a final exam;
- Take an 8-hour class on CPR;
- Attend 4-hour, on-the-hill training meetings once a week for 12 weeks;
- Take a 4-hour class in how to evacuate people from a chair lift in case of emergency;
- Sign up for a weekly shift during the season;
- Shell out close to $500 for books, materials and supplies;
- Attend refresher training each year.

In exchange for all this work, most members of the patrol receive a season pass, some camaraderie, and the chance to do something they enjoy.