Old men who suck at park but dress up in the latest baggy attire

If there was a silver-lining to basically being way too old to ride the newschool wave as far as I could have if I had been younger, it was probably the experience of discovering the Blackcomb Park back in '98 when I was 25.

I grew up skiing at Crystal back in the days when they were enforcing a "no jumping" policy and on most days catching air generally meant hitting tiny-ass natural features with brutal transitions and flat landings, or at best finding an obscure cat-track with a decent downslope underneath it.

On my first trip up to Blackcomb on a perfect sunny day I literally couldn't believe what I was seeing. I remember riding up and hearing the house-music pumping (there's a 90's experience for you) from the speakers before I saw the park. Just having the music pumped onto the slopes was cool and different, but when I saw the features I almost lost my mind.

"WHAT?! They not only don't have a "no jumping" rule here, they actually spend a fortune to construct and maintain all these perfect cat-built jumps?!" I couldn't believe how perfect the jumps and the landings were and how big you could go without wrecking yourself - and within a few laps I'd busted out all of  the whack old-school triple-combos that I'd seen in places like the windlip segment on "License to Thrill," but just weren't possible on the features that we had access to until then. I have to believe (and hope) that no one before or since has ever been *that* stoked to land his first triple-daffy.

Towards the end of the day I think I started to OD on stoke and overshot a landing so badly that I delaminated 12 inches of base from the tips of both of my skis, tore my watch off on impact, and evidently cratered so hard that both the lifty and the guy running the hot-dog stand at the base of the park immediately came running up from the base of the park to see if I was okay.

 That was the hardest hit of my life (I think I'd be crippled if I took that kind of hit today), but I was much, much better than okay since I'd just had a day on skis that was literally better than anything I had even dreamed about - and I was back at it the next day.

I still plug into a bit of that feeling every time I'm in the park, which is probably part of the reason why I've never given it up.

8=D(]=8
^Dolan and TahoeRondo rubbing their tiny dicks together

Man. If you and MaryO were single...

Also, inb4 MaryO

💒

cept when im there im the best skier on the goddamn mountain

That's awesome. It's always great to see people like that. I hope I'm like that in my mid forties.

No it doesn't When I was a kid and I tried to ski park skiers weren't even allowed in the park it was snowboarders only. And yeah now that I'm past 20 I'm definitely starting to feel the effects of all the bones and ligaments I've hurt over the years.

Past 20? lol that is still incredibly young. How old are you?

Wow, how hilariously selfish of you. These 'Old men' have been skiing for a lot longer than you most likely, and have every right to wear/ski whatever they deem fit. Skiing doesn't belong to you; it's hilarious the you believe veterans of the sport have to conform to the opinions of a teenager.

hell yea. i really like what you said here. gets me excited to grow up and experience those other aspects of skiing.

If you break a lot of bones and rip as many of ligaments as I have You start to feel it. So saying that I can only imagine what I'm going to feel by the time I'm 40 that was my point.

i love this thread. no hate. its hilarious and somewhat true. just remember when its deep or steep the old guys are prolly gonna run your shit...

Just throwing this out there because whatever I'm old (33). Quit being a lawyer a few years ago to be a ski bum instead. All I do is ski park. My heroes are ten years younger than me. I suck for someone who rides PC but I'm happy being a little old fish in the fucking best pond on earth.

I make no distinction between old men who suck at park but dress up in the latest baggy attire and young kids who suck at park but dress up in the latest baggy attire. They both suck at park but dress up in the latest baggy attire.

Ermagerd BISHOP quoted me, but it brings up another thing I was reading about on brobomb. How kids are real quick to hop on the hate train in the park an aren't really accepting like these kind of instances. They see some older dude in saga/Oakley/whatever and are all "fuck that old guy poser bitch! How do my front 2's look?". We really need to avoid that kind of shit. It's lame and I want to smack every little shit that does it.

OP makes me sad :(

Let me start off by saying I am in no way an "old man", but when you played other sports your whol life, especially contact sports it takes a tole on your body. I've been playing hockey since I could walk and played 4 years of division 1 lacrosse. And let me tell you, my knees and back are shot. Not to mention, I've had 2 knee surgeries, one shoulder surgery and am in need of another shoulder surgery, it takes a tole. 5-6 years ago I was hitting everything in the park, but now when I go too big or undershoot a jump it feels like you're getting hit by a car. 4 years ago I was a lot better at skiing park had a whole bag of tricks, and I didn't wear giant ass baggy clothes back then. But now I do wear baggy ass clothes, but I guess that is just my style these days. I still ski park because there isn't much else to do in Michigan. But now, instead of skiing to be the best person in the park, I ski solely for the pure enjoyment of it. There is no doubt that my park abilities have regressed in the past couple years, but maybe that was due to college and varsity sports. Either way, I still love skiing and I am comfortable with my style.

The best part if being the old guy in the park with the "trendy" outerwear (XL First Drop), is watching you backseat riding, boner arm, park skiers flounder in powder and side-slip down steeps while pissing yourselves. You guys can have your k-Feds and mute grabs, I'll be straight lining some chutes and we can all be happy.

^ agreed... although, a lot of times when you see park skiers just side-slipping down steep trails is because our edges are almost completely ripped out underfoot.  Have you ever tried skiing aggresively on hard packed snow with absolutely no edges? it's impossible.

boom.

Do you have any friends?

Hansel is so hot right now.

Ain't nothin but hardpack n ice in SE Michigan. Stop making excuses :)

Your life must be so hard, I can't imagine being far superior to all of the other minions on this planet of idiots. LOL at those malnourished skiers who don't have the genetic makeup to be your buddy.

what the fuck am i reading. so in 10 years you have never seen a better skier than you? hahaah

I haven't skiied it in a few years. DIdn't buy the pass last 2 seasons to Squaw.

Pointless thread.

I'm 31, like many other soul seekers quit on a career to become a ski bum again, rock baggyish attire, been shredding 'snowboard parks' since '96 and everyday I see older guys killing it.

Out here in Jackson there is a living legend named Wild Bill. Wild Bill is in his sixties. He continues to jump into S&S couloir every year on his birthday (and whenever it's good). For those who don't know S&S couloir has a mando 30' entrance drop into a tight landing. Corbet's is its baby sister. This year Bill also claimed first of the year decent on the always daunting Central Coulior on Cody peak (55deg pinching exposed line with 10'-40' mando exit). Wild Bill is the guy sporting a baggy orange one piece suit or his JH Air Force embroidered jean jacket. Wild Bill has smoked more weed than all of NS combined and he's the ultimate inspiration.

Thanks for an excuse to tell an 'old guy' story.

I'm 38 and ride park with my kids in baggy clothes. Granted sometimes I feel like an old poser, but in saying that clothes and ability don't make a skier. What makes you a skier is the passion to ski. We live right in the middle of Canada. The furthest away from the west and the east. What I try to teach my kids is it doesn't matter if we don't do the best trick or are riding in the worst condition's. What matters is that we are doing what we love and that's skiing. So maybe next time when you see and old washed up dad like me sliding a rail or working my ass off just trying to spin a three. Give a thumbs up to pass on some stoke because one day we all get old, but remember we are only as old as we feel. And some days that feels really old.

Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.

tru story

I know a guy whos in his late 50s who has a solid rail game and does inverts on snow

I'm 30 and this is my 3rd year skiing, 2 year doing park. I grew up skating so I naturally wanted to get into park. It's great I feel the same excitement I used to live for when learning a new trick. I'm not out trying to kill myself but I do alright.

But hey man getting older is a part of life, you'll be the old man on the chairlift someday.

Your the reason people hate ns... I feel bad for you being 14 and ghey