Skiers Behaving Badly

Near the end of a long but enjoyable day, I was riding down the final approach to the base of Buttermilk Mountain. I had even come off a pleasant exchange with some long-time skiers who are part of my social group at the lodge. And then I faced the return of The Ugly Skier.

I was riding close to the chairlift, in sight of the base, when I heard someone yell from the lift “The halfpipe is over there.”

I looked up, but did not recognize anyone. The unknown male voice shouted again “The halfpipe is over there.” It was an insistent rather than playful voice.

Me in the halfpipe? That’s about as likely (this year, at least) as the Queen of England doing a cab 1080.

Taking the call as a personal taunt (“You don’t belong here”), I considered three options.

First, I could return insult for insult, and shout something like “Stick it.” A second thought soon washed over me: don’t return evil for good, and don’t do anything to reinforce the negative reputation of snowboarders. (After all, I was now one of them).

My final thought was a more practical and immediate one: “That could be someone from our group.”

So I said nothing.

I never did find out who shouted from the lift, or even if the comment was directed toward me. I asked a few suspects back at the lodge, but all denied culpability. I’m willing to believe it was someone else, who was just having a bad day.