Replying to What it has come down too.
A while ago I read an article called Bowling for attitude in a Canadian skiing magazine. It was about how skiing isn’t about skiing anymore, its about cloths, attitude, style and what other people want you to do. Well it was right, I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was right. Most all of us are whores, my self-included. We all ride around wanting to get a sponsor, win a comp, or be in a big name movie. We bitch about other people’s style, their movies and how they ride. And it’s just getting fucking ridiculous. Look in the forums, people bitching about movies; people I respect like Neil smashing his peer’s movie. I guess everyone is entitled to there own opinion, but that phase is some thing my ex-roommate would say. There is a lot of 'hate' and not enough riding, granted people cant ride all the time but that’s not the point. We are not riding for our self’s, but rather for other people (fetus540s words). And it’s true, each year a pro dose a trick and everyone tries to copy it. Dave’s flat critical is an example. A lot of people do them now, and seeing what was once a supper sick tick, is just another trick. Or blunt and nose grabs this year, they are cool too see but by end of season they got mundane. The gorilla style looks good on tanner, dose that mean it looks good on everyone else? No it doesn’t so why force it. Some call this progression but what we are doing is taking other peoples style, so the pros are progressing and we are just following them. I know there will always be some similarity of style and tricks, but we make it so we try and copy them exactly. I am guilty of theses things but not nearly as much as others are. I am going to ride more for my self this year, rather then thinking 'if I land this it will be supper sick for a hook up video' I am just going to land it and ride away happy. I think the way things are going there isn’t going to be much left of “fun� in free skiing, rather it will be the fun of competition. It’s going to turn into what Olympics sports are, kids being trained at 5 and by 12 winning the gold. Is that what you want this sport to turn into? Personally I would like it to go in a different direction, but if it’s going that way (and it is) I am not going to be apart of it. Rip what I said apart, but I hope there are some people that relies what I am trying to say.
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