Your name, age, location:
Anthony, age 15, Spokane, WA
How you got into skiing.
My uncle bought me gear and a season pass to Schweitzer one year and gave me lessons when I was four. I quickly became addicted: I skied more and more, until now, when I'm up every weekend during the season.
Why you ski and what it means to you.
The mountains are awesome. Skiing is my life and I couldn't imagine life without it. I ski because there's something about skiing that lets you forget about all your problems, worries, work. The mountain is also a place where everyone is friends, even if you don't know them (i.e. talking to someone on the chairlift - they'll always be friendly).
How often you ski.
40+ days per year. That's every weekend, Winter Break, Spring Break, and any other days off school (MLK Day, Presidents' Day, etc.)
How much money you spend on skiing.
Not a huge amount. $500/year excluding food and stuff on the mountain. That would only bring it to like $600 though.
What your goals for skiing are.
To have fun, improve my skills to the best of my abilities, meet new people, and (possibly) get a job at the resort - it would be awesome to get paid to ski and be on the mountain.
What brands you like.
K2, Line and Armada for skis, Marker for bindings, Nordica and Salomon for boots, Scott for poles, REI brand gloves (the best), Smith and Giro for helmets, Dragon, Spy and Oakley goggles and Saga, Sessions and 686 outerwear.
And what you think about ski media.
Ski media has really helped mold the sport into what it is today. I think ski movies are a great promotional tool and are important to keep our sport in its growing state. I think it's important for production companies to innovate to keep it fresh and new.
I think Freeskier Magazine does not represent our sport very well, so instead I subscribe to Skiing and Powder Magazines. I also think it's important for these magazines to keep innovating as well, especially in choosing which photos and stories they print, athletes they support and readers they cater to.
That said, I think ski media works well in that it has reminded us all of why we ski. I also think NS is great because no other sport has such a great meeting place.