Some 10K thoughts

Hi Newschoolers.

Maybe it’s played out to make a thread after a certain number of posts, or stupid to notice it in the first place. I don’t really care what you think, but it does mean something to me.

10,000 posts. Member 35367, join date March 4th 2004 (check my first account, guddgulf17).  I’ve been here for over 5 years, which doesn’t mean much aside from the fact that I’ve spent a bunch of time in front of a computer reading and typing responses in little boxes. I’ve grown some, matured a bit, gotten a little better at this skiing thing.

But it’s the NS part that I want to talk about, because I’ve paid my dues, and been here long enough to know one thing: Skiing, and my life in general, would have been drastically different without NS. Maybe you think that I’m just saying that, or mean it in some half sincere way that shows that I semi-care. Seriously, this place has had huge effects on me. Not the reading the forums, or the laughs that I’ve gotten, but the people. After all the bitching, bickering, and general stupidity that goes down, NS is about people. Not just any people, skiers. Crazy people that are dedicated to what they do, and far more passionate about life than many I’ve encountered. 

After watching many events go down on the east coast and central parts of the country, I was stoked to see the West Coast Session announced in the spring of ’07. Though I lived in northwest Montana, I was determined to make it to Hood. A college visit/drive day that I was just going to use to keep my attendance and avoid doing finals turned into a longer trip with my dad that exposed me to the university where I am now. Without the WCS, I wouldn’t have come to visit, or known any of the amazing people that I do here. NS is solidly responsible for placing me here, and while that may sound strange, I ended up in the right place.

Not only did I end up in the right place university wise, there also happened to be some guy building skis in his garage on the other side of Tacoma. I first got involved with ON3P after telling Scott (iggyskier) that what he was doing was cool. The benefits I have received from everything that has since transpired around ON3P since then have been enormous. I got to help build skis, a lifelong dream of mine. I met a bunch of fantastic people in the Seattle/Washington area, who I consider terrific friends. To boot, I get to ski on the funnest skis I’ve ever had, and got to help make them. That’s special, unique, and would have never happened without NS.

I made solid friends at home through NS as well. People that I might have met have become great ski buddies, and I connected with people. I was able to make friends, simply because we were on NS, and that means something. I can’t count the number of couches I’ve slept on or smiles given to me by the network of people that this place has given me. I’ve gotten to see different places, learn new things, and ski, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. Thanks NS.

The point, people, is that we can sit here and debate the latest trend until we are blue in the face. We can argue about why this contest was unfair, or bitch about how that segment makes us mad. Whether you skin every weekend or never leave the park, we’re all skiers, and have the power to make friends and live better together through NS. So the next time you see an NS sticker, say hi. Take a lap or two, be it a yo-yo swing through the bc or through the jumpline. Be proud of what you are a part of, and spread the love that we all know so well from skiing.

Shout outs:

Montana:

All you crazy Whitefish kids! Alex, Trav, Shane, Cody, Shae, Blake, Willy, David, L- Dub, Danner, Mitch, Parker, Dever; Eric, Scott and Kyle in C. Falls; Kip, Drew, Vinnie, Derek, and Pat in G. Falls; Brent, Caleb, Drew and Chase in Helena, and Collin from K-town

Washington:

The ON3P cats: Scott, Rowen, Billy, Will, Caylor, Matty, JD, Josh; Nick, Ryan, Scott, Logan and everyone else at Stevens, Greg, Kevin, Kevin, Jamie, Eric, Clint, Jake, Alex, Julia, Beau, Doug and Merbski at Snoqualmie, Matt at xtal

Oregon:

Guz, Will, Danny, and the rest of the crew, you are all ridiculous

PH, in general.

Love,

David