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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Is skiing's gnarliness in decline?

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GMB
Posts: 134 - Karma: 440
Hear me out. For those of you old enough, do you remember the days of Seth Morrison's rodeos/gigantic backflips off of massive cliffs? How about Scott Hibbert's double backflip attempts in the quarter pipe contest? Candide's big bertha jump/invitational? Huge gaps to rails by McFeezy and Wallisch? Dumont boosting huge in the halfpipe? I could go on, but I digress.

What I'm trying to say is that I feel as if skiing isn't going as big anymore. Or is it just me? I feel like the spins/tricks have gotten more complex, but the level of magnitude hasn't really increased. Has everything hit a plateau these last few years?

Just a thought. Not trying to stir up beef.
6 years ago
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CharlzHub
Posts: 1168 - Karma: 8,575
Jespers unrailistic 2 was pretty gnarly.

mango nollie backflip down a big urban drop

hate me for saying it but ragettlis quads

i think there’s still some pretty gnarly shit going on
6 years ago
37 1
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JAlps
Posts: 555 - Karma: 1,939
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/934056/TWENTY---An-accidental-history-of-freeriding-by-Guido-Perrini
Tell me this isn't fucking huge.
6 years ago
3 1
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pbs
Posts: 460 - Karma: 3,134
The magnitude of hits has decreased, but there is still massive stuff going down. For example Josh Daiek's huge road gap backflip. the Novelty of enormous hits has decreased as they got more common, massive jumps have "gone out of style". I learned about Andri Ragetlli's quad through Instagram, before I would see it in a full-length movie. The masses want to see swerving for 60 seconds and then they scroll away. I love seeing Massive sends, they inspired me to become a better skier, but it's nice to see some pros doing tricks that seem achievable for the average park skier. I would never be willing to huck my meat off a level 1 jump at Sun Valley, and few skiers would, that's what makes those segments so legendary. So yes, skiing isnt going as big anymore, but its still plenty gnarly. Take for example Kai Mahler's switch dub ten pre safety to tail, I think that pretty gnarly but not huge. My 2 cents, idk man.
6 years ago
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12704 - Karma: 120,014
sure man https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1597848506962053

**This post was edited on Nov 25th 2019 at 3:33:50pm
6 years ago
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Chubz.
Posts: 13918 - Karma: 25,673
They talk about this in some video I don’t remember what it was but the risk for reward factor isn’t there anymore. People were almost dying if they fucked up. For what? You get a nice poppy jump that gives you as much if not more airtime than a 140 ft monster kicker that allows people to safely throw triples and quads.


I do miss the gigantic gaps to rails tho that was always pretty gnarly. Park shoots are super tame nowadays compared to what they were years ago. Definitely argue they’re more creative but that’s just where skiings at right now. It’s an art form maaaaaannnnnn the kids wanna butters and arms thrown around rather an a 100 ft dfdfdfd or a 30 ft gap to hand rail.


it’ll probably come full circle again.
6 years ago
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GrandThings
Posts: 3297 - Karma: 33,975
Stept got to a point where I was legitimately concerned about Clayton and Cam's safety/mental well-being.

We've yet to see someone top them in terms of gnarliness and I'm not sure we ever will...
6 years ago
20 2
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GMB
Posts: 134 - Karma: 440
TRVP_ANGELsure man https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1597848506962053

**This post was edited on Nov 25th 2019 at 3:33:50pm


Damn, that is huge. I gotta check out that flick.
6 years ago
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GMB
Posts: 134 - Karma: 440
GrandThingsStept got to a point where I was legitimately concerned about Clayton and Cam's safety/mental well-being.

We've yet to see someone top them in terms of gnarliness and I'm not sure we ever will...


Very true.
6 years ago
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YeetCannon
Posts: 114 - Karma: 301
I think people are just getting more comfortable with big airs. There is a limit to how big a person can go, but we haven't found it yet. Skiers just get better and better, little kids are shredding harder than old school pros
6 years ago
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 16,914
GrandThingsStept got to a point where I was legitimately concerned about Clayton and Cam's safety/mental well-being.

We've yet to see someone top them in terms of gnarliness and I'm not sure we ever will...


I remember watching Mutiny and really didnt even enjoy the movie despite the insane skiing. I just had this bad feeling for those guys. Especially since I went to CU the same time as Nick Martini and almost lost some friends to the same shit that took Tom Warnick so everything just felt more real seeing it all and the mindset they were in.

That and a few of these type of things happened some years back and the sport had to take a hard look at the direction of always going bigger and the risks that stack up fast with that progression. There is even a documentary on Seth Morrison called "Ordinary Skier" where he takes a hard look at his career and if it was all worth it.

So at the end of the day, its sick as fuck to see absolutely massive features but also know that means you are going to watch heroes die.


https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/741700/Derek-Sponge-Crash
6 years ago
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GMB
Posts: 134 - Karma: 440
All solid points in this thread. I appreciate the productive conversation!
6 years ago
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Hogis
Posts: 551 - Karma: 393
GMBDamn, that is huge. I gotta check out that flick.


You should see when Tom Ritsch(?) overshoots it...

**This post was edited on Nov 26th 2019 at 5:31:00am
6 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52602 - Karma: 174,379
As the sport was progressing things got bigger and eventually better but it was a guessing game. There was some janky shit in parks and even some of the big builds. A cool time in the sense that it was fresh new, like the wikd west and on the rise. At a certain point things got dialed in. A 120' + Step down can be sketch as fuxk even if built perfectly. The style now is that a lot of jumps rarely go over 80 with tall steep landings and steep takeoffs. Allowing people to land in one general area.

Idk I remember snowmobike tow ins being fairly common to some things. But look at Simon Dumonts crash. He came super close to dying.

Mike Wilson giant undershoot on that gap.

It was a cool vibe but the risk was insanse on some stuff. You can get super fucked up any time, but in spite of the high level of tricks, the jumps are built extremely safely and theres some consistent standards. It can always take a little to dial in a huge jump but you can go from one build to another pretty easily compared to just guess, wing it, and see if what happens.

I think we're also extremely saturated with skiing content. You dont have to wait for xgames, that mogul comp, buying a new video etc. You take out your phone and BOOM its everywhere. It becomes so common it takes a little bit away sometimes. It's still sick af but you're seeing some if the craziest shit on the reg now.

The tricks kind of plateau in a way as well. People going from 7 to 9 to 10 were big jumps even thought just another 180. The first dubs etc. When everyone has trips and you see them regularly it just doesn't seem as gnar sometimes.

Urban stuff has gotten way more intense imo the last 10 years. That's an area where people have stepped up hard.

Idk
6 years ago
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shinbangclan
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 7,552
Chubz.Park shoots are super tame nowadays compared to what they were years ago. Definitely argue they’re more creative but that’s just where skiings at right now. It’s an art form maaaaaannnnnn


Maybe it's akin to a rise in a sort of minimalism after a the "romantic" movement in skiing consisting of big airs/gaps.
You can see this kind of minimalism in a lot of vids as of late, which are mellower and tamer in tone their predecessors. Lately I think people have been letting their "tricks speak for themselves" and i dig it a lot more.
6 years ago
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NattyNine
Posts: 281 - Karma: 1,600
Fully agree.

Snowboarders kept up the gnar factor. All we did was copy their segments from 3 years ago and people loved it.
6 years ago
5 1
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dolanslebensraum
Posts: 5959 - Karma: -13,095
Now that we see freeskiing pays jack shit, park life is getting lazier.
6 years ago
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Biffbarf
Posts: 7414 - Karma: 79,466
pokermanFully agree.

Snowboarders kept up the gnar factor. All we did was copy their segments from 3 years ago and people loved it.


Kinda hate that this is true
6 years ago
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Dalonte
Posts: 367 - Karma: 28
“I don’t want to redefine gravity or do some death-defying shit, that’s just not how I perceive skiing. There’s a huge side of the sport that’s like; if you’re not putting yourself in extreme danger, then it’s not worth watching. That’s crazy in my opinion. I’ve had a lot of friends die skiing. It’s not something that I need to push. I’m not trying to be too serious or change the world because I went off a bigger cliff.”

“I think my nerves have been shot over years of standing on knife-edge peaks where, if I lost my step, I could fall to my death. Over time I began to resent that feeling. I’m just like I can’t breathe anymore, I can’t do that, let me just have fun, please. I’m not trying to promote danger, which I think I was for a long time, realistically.”

-Sean Pettit

From the perspective of a guy who was doing the gnarliest lines a couple years ago.
6 years ago
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skiguy04
Posts: 1640 - Karma: 1,275
Dalonte“I don’t want to redefine gravity or do some death-defying shit, that’s just not how I perceive skiing. There’s a huge side of the sport that’s like; if you’re not putting yourself in extreme danger, then it’s not worth watching. That’s crazy in my opinion. I’ve had a lot of friends die skiing. It’s not something that I need to push. I’m not trying to be too serious or change the world because I went off a bigger cliff.”

“I think my nerves have been shot over years of standing on knife-edge peaks where, if I lost my step, I could fall to my death. Over time I began to resent that feeling. I’m just like I can’t breathe anymore, I can’t do that, let me just have fun, please. I’m not trying to promote danger, which I think I was for a long time, realistically.”

-Sean Pettit

From the perspective of a guy who was doing the gnarliest lines a couple years ago.

Interesting to read
also breaking news he kinda broke the mold and beginning or shall we say rebirthing with snowboarding takes balls as much as standing on that cliff analogy - just you feel it in a different way


rollerblading is taking a path to recapture it’s gnarliness... don’t see it happening for skiing though because weeding out the negative is the only way towards the light

Inline could make the sport incline but that takes time
6 years ago
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9728 - Karma: 65,683
Dalonte“I don’t want to redefine gravity or do some death-defying shit, that’s just not how I perceive skiing. There’s a huge side of the sport that’s like; if you’re not putting yourself in extreme danger, then it’s not worth watching. That’s crazy in my opinion. I’ve had a lot of friends die skiing. It’s not something that I need to push. I’m not trying to be too serious or change the world because I went off a bigger cliff.”

“I think my nerves have been shot over years of standing on knife-edge peaks where, if I lost my step, I could fall to my death. Over time I began to resent that feeling. I’m just like I can’t breathe anymore, I can’t do that, let me just have fun, please. I’m not trying to promote danger, which I think I was for a long time, realistically.”

-Sean Pettit

From the perspective of a guy who was doing the gnarliest lines a couple years ago.

What’s that quote from?
6 years ago
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Dalonte
Posts: 367 - Karma: 28
https://www.powder.com/stories/interviews/why-is-sean-pettit-snowboarding/
6 years ago
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NattyNine
Posts: 281 - Karma: 1,600
Dalonte“I don’t want to redefine gravity or do some death-defying shit, that’s just not how I perceive skiing. There’s a huge side of the sport that’s like; if you’re not putting yourself in extreme danger, then it’s not worth watching. That’s crazy in my opinion. I’ve had a lot of friends die skiing. It’s not something that I need to push. I’m not trying to be too serious or change the world because I went off a bigger cliff.”

“I think my nerves have been shot over years of standing on knife-edge peaks where, if I lost my step, I could fall to my death. Over time I began to resent that feeling. I’m just like I can’t breathe anymore, I can’t do that, let me just have fun, please. I’m not trying to promote danger, which I think I was for a long time, realistically.”

-Sean Pettit

From the perspective of a guy who was doing the gnarliest lines a couple years ago.


Valid.

However that mentality has always been around and always will be. Not everyone will be willing to risk it all for a career making hit.

Back in the day there were very few willing to step outside the norms now there are virtually none.....
6 years ago
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JmckR
Posts: 1332 - Karma: 6,085
It's all happening still, it's just not getting the exposure it used to.
Everyone is too busy being inundated with hand-drag 3s at windells on instagram all year
6 years ago
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gundo
Posts: 46 - Karma: 86
I had this same question after the last Warren Miller movie. I think there are still plenty of huge lines and airs going on, you just have to look. The last few Warren movies have seemed like big ski vacation ads. I've started branching out from the standard few ski movies that I used to watch and have been happy to find plenty of stuff that still seems gnarly.
6 years ago
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GMB
Posts: 134 - Karma: 440
gundoI had this same question after the last Warren Miller movie. I think there are still plenty of huge lines and airs going on, you just have to look. The last few Warren movies have seemed like big ski vacation ads. I've started branching out from the standard few ski movies that I used to watch and have been happy to find plenty of stuff that still seems gnarly.


For sure. Earlier TGR and MSP flicks have some really wild stuff. Dean Cummings, Seth, Shane, Kreitler, Jeremy Nobis pretty much straightlining AK spines, etc.
6 years ago
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k_tivnan
Posts: 84 - Karma: 463
urban is where the gnariliest shots are now. A lot of underrated skiers like the group Forre are crushing now. I think skiing just seems less unique that everyone’s just getting better.
6 years ago
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skiguy04
Posts: 1640 - Karma: 1,275
k_tivnanurban is where the gnariliest shots are now. A lot of underrated skiers like the group Forre are crushing now. I think skiing just seems less unique that everyone’s just getting better.


First post && this!
6 years ago
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