Replying to What's the Deal with TGR's Forums? Just Me?

Hey Guys,
                  After not having posted or really looked at TGR's forums for close to a year, I decided to get back on some of their message board's in hopes of maybe finding some new partners to ski backcountry and some new areas near where I live in Summit/Eagle County, Colorado.  Wow was I surprised by what I found among TGR's members.  Within a day of posting a message reading:

"Hey Guys,
I am lookin for a potential partner to hit up some backcountry around Vail with from this upcoming Friday 12-22 through New Years. I am a 21 year old undergrad at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden where I live and I will be staying in Vail for 8 days and am lookin to check out the East Vail Chutes, Mushroom Bowl, Machine Gun Ridge/Lions Head towards Minturn/Camp Hale, Some of the BC hike access stuff off of Earl's Bowl at Blue Sky Basin, ect... I know Vail inbounds extremely well and out of bounds moderately well, and have hiked most of thesr areas before. I ski on 06' K2 Seth's mounted with the Marker Duke AT bindings and some G3 Climbing Skins, and have avy gear [Beacon, Shovel,probe, GPS, Avalung] and know how to use it. I Like to ski mostly steeps and trees but occasionally will mess around in the park and can't pass up rippin a zipper line in bumps. I have pretty good BC experience and like to hit pretty gnarly terrain and would expect the same from you. If you have an AT or Tele setup that would def. be a big ++
too; saves time and effort hiking. If you have a sled then we are golden haha... I'm also always down for hittin some of Vail's inbounds stashes, most of which I know pretty well, always am lookin for new people to ski with. Anyways yeah give me a holler if you'll be in the area and wanna hook up, also I have room at my place for 1 or 2 people for a few nights if someone wants to come up from D-Town or somewhere and ski with me a bit.
Peace,
Phil"


I had a bunch of messages blatantly calling me a dumbass and private messages with such polite requests as 'go fuck yourself'.  A more thorough search of the website's forums revealed dozens if not hundreds of posts where faceless losers trolling the abyss of useless crap known as the internet had insulted and debased people and skiing in ways I didn't even know was possible.  I like newschoolers in many ways but figured perhaps since I know newschoolers can be more park-oriented sometimes, I might have better luck finding some people for ski mountaineering/backcountry on a place like TGR, right?  TGR the company seems to be all about the 'core scene' and the local ski bum culture and rippin big mountain stuff right?  Well this might be true of their company [which I am beginning to doubt a bit too] but certainly doesn't cover all their supposed followers. 

I know there is a lot of hating and trash talking that goes on in any sort of internet forum but man, these people at TGR are taking it to a new level! Holy crap!  What are these people so angry about?  Skiing is about being outside and having fun, right?  Regardless of whether you have been skiing for 10 days or 10 years we are all here becuase we like to ski, no?  I never thought I would say this, but mad props to newschoolers on the wholw for remembering what we are here for and not gettin carried away in the bullshit and details. 

These 'maggots' at TGR could take a hint.  And thats another thing, they seem to have this obession with the word 'maggot' like it's some exclusive cult or something.  From what I understand, the word originally was synonymous with an underground fraternity of [supposedly] badass, hardcore big-mountain stylr skiers who shunned the commercialization of skiing and lives a rag-tag dirtbag lifestyle.  Now it seems it has morphed into anyone with an I.P Address and an Attitude.  The thing is though these people seem so fiercly proud of this word, like 'WE are fuckin' MAGGOTS, this is OUR word, and you guys are NOT, you are All gapers and newbs and posers."  I just don't know where all the hate is from.  Last I check the word 'maggot' was a pretty nasty, negative word with pretty bad connotations, perhaps these people are so badass they thrive on being affiliated with fresh-eating insects, becuase that somehow elevates them into another level od badassness above all us newschool gapers and punks. 

It seems the people on TGR are roughly divided into three groups:  80% mediocre, average skiers who see maybe teo week max a season on the hill and take out their rage at being from unfortunate parts of the country on the rest of us, ~9% legit, good skiers who are just out there having fun and don't need to brag about their latest cork 9 or 40-footer, and maybe 1% rediculous, pro/semi-pro big-mountain skiers who seem to be entirely out of place and post insane trips reports that provoke a mix of awe and envy in the rest of us [I'm not Hatin' on these guys they kick ass!] 

Anyways yeah maybe I'm just frustrated at some inadaquecy of my own or somethin I'm sorry to rant, but I just was really frustrated and dissapointed at the immaturity and triviality I found over at TGR.  Again, never thought I would say this, but Newschoolers, keep up the good work.

  Best Regards,
                          Phil.
    'Tis The Season To Be Steazin'.