stop the hate

Sean Donahue
p.3
12/5/04
Writing portfolio

Skiing, the love of my life, the will in my heart, and a gift from God. Not only am I a diehard skier, I am and have been a ski racer, a ski instructor, a new school skier, and a ski bum. The past 14 years that I have been skiing I have come to know most of the regulars at our local resort, Mt. Alyeska. Not only have I met a lot of skiers, but snowboarders as well. Most of my friends are snowboarders with a skier thrown in here and there. Progressing so much these past few years I have come to see skiing as something much different than most people look at it. To me skiing is not a hobby, it is not something that I do to fulfill others need for entertainment, but rather something that has changed and touched my life in a way that cannot be described to any normal person. Skiing has become something more that that to me, it has become my way of expressing myself in my own personal style and taste in the sport.
I have come to notice the growing population in both skiing and snowboarding over the past 5 years. To me this can only mean one thing, the growing population of people sharing and expressing the thing they love as well. The only disadvantage is watching people who are there for a different reason, to dog on others, and brag of what they can and have done. Those people are there for a reason that I do not understand. We are all out there to enjoy the great gifts that God has given us, not to put others down for something that they love.
Skiing is still dominated by snowboarders, but it is definitely coming back, and coming back in a way that nobody saw coming. It is no longer about showing off, its not about who can do what and how they did it, and it is definitely not something we do for others. I am tired of listening to people go off about others saying that their form is bad, or how they threw that trick weird. It should not be like that, the way we do things is the way we were made to do them. Whether skier or snowboarder it does not matter, we are all out there for the same reason. That reason is to use our talents and our own design in tricks.
God made us all separate, no one shares the same finger print, no body shares the same look, we were all made different in our own special way. Therefore we also all have our own special taste and style. You must remember that there is no one that has the same style, taste, or desire as anyone else on the mountain or in the world. Like my good friend and professional skier Troy Murdough said “remember this, There's always someone better than you , older than you and cooler than you so ...... when you go back on the hill just remember , your style is like no one else’s because it comes from your heart and desire . And when we put all that style in a blender together the progression is only a potential domino ready to fall.�
Listen, if you have not gotten what I have said so far you must remember that this isn’t about me trying to convert people to ski, or better yet try and make them like me. It is not like that, it is about weeding out the posers. What they are doing is wrong, and not only is it that, but it is a sin. It is judging someone by who they are. Just because you see a trick you may like but I grab the wrong ski or whatever that is no reason to get on my case about it. Tricks should be looked at for what they are, not something you want them to be.
Not only am I seeing people judging people by the tricks they throw or the style they have, but now on the clothes they wear. So you get the point that we all have our own style right? Which also means we have our own taste in outer wear. More and more people are starting to dress like their role models, other pro skiers, or people they see on the hill. Which is ok, but shouldn’t we dress in out own unique way? Nobody has any right over anyone else to judge someone on what they wear. The entire sport on the whole is becoming something we all hate, drama. There is more drama to be heard in skiing than in my own school, which is pretty bad. The environment is starting to be a place for people to gossip, and talk trash about one another. When it should be a place for us all to come and enjoy what we have and what we can do.
The hate needs to stop, ever since I have been a member on www.newschoolers.com (free skiing web site) I come to notice that it has become a gossip pit. It is no longer about encouraging one another and giving props, no matter if the trick to you seems cool or not. Take a look around you people, if you were in my position all you would see is the word “progression� written in every persons own personal style.
Sure it would be nice to have sponsors, to be in videos, or even win competitions. But is that really what I am in it for? Not really. Take a look at my friend Troy Murdough again. He is sponsored, has been in videos, and won many competitions. This preseason he had the experience many dream about, he was filmed by one of the biggest most experienced film makers out there, “Teton Gravity Research�. Not only that, but was given a spot in the U.S. free skiing Open. Some people look at it in one way, that is take advantage of it and brag about what you have. Well not Troy, I am sure of that he enjoyed the experience like most would have, I am sure he is glad he got the spot, and I know he is glad he got a new sponsor. But if you actually know him and talk to him you will see what skiing should be. He sees it the exact same way I do. He did not brag or carry on about this and that, but rather thanks his friends, supporters, and most of all God for what he has and what he has achieved.
Believe me people, whether you end up where Troy is or not, there is a way for you to succeed in it as well, you just need to find the how to progress. Most of all believe in yourself and thank God for the gifts and skills he has granted you. The hate needs to stop whether I am talking to the person working on their pizza stop, or the person hucking switch cork ten’s over “Chad’s gap�. It should not matter who you are or what you do whether it be skiing or snowboarding to understand that we should atleast have peace on the mountain if we can not have it in the world. Just think of the people who do not have the opportunity to do what we do. This paper was written strait from my heart and strait out of my desire, the point I am trying to get across is to respect what we do, and who is doing it. This is Sean checking out, Peace!

'ugly people are ugly'- Sean Donahue