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Midwest kids will fuck ur bitch

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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,058
The amount of crazy good skiers, especially kids, is absolutely absurd in the Midwest. Nowhere else will ever compare. Change my mind. Rope rows are a magical thing.
Mar 31 2020 12:07AM
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dolanslebensraum
Posts: 5959 - Karma: -13,099
Meh. Id wager a large amount of money that colby stevenson is going to be winning alot more slope golds in years to come. He was untouchable at this years xg slope.

mceachran was sick too but colby fucking hit the bottom hip switch and nailed it perfectly—that was beyond what anybody else in the field was doing.
Mar 31 2020 12:18AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51664 - Karma: 162,493
I don't think this is true. I think it's more park to mountain ratio. The midwest doesn't have the sickets non park skiing so it's all people do/all you see. Also kids are gonnna stick with it instead of getting into cliffs and big lines because that shit doesn't exist.
Mar 31 2020 12:39AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51664 - Karma: 162,493
Rope tows and fast laps are sick though. It goes both ways to some extent. The amount of comfort you can get lapping the same features fast, and work through tricks is insane. The flow and hitting various features from big parks is also sick.

Some people are just savages and born to shred regardless of their origins.
Mar 31 2020 12:44AM
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ScaryDumpTruck
Posts: 584 - Karma: 3,392
Here in the Midwest we have two options (for most mountains). A: 1 min run down the hill (on average) or B: Quick laps on the park. So if you have the desire to learn park you get super fast laps and the only limit is the amount of features which doesn't matter that much.
Mar 31 2020 12:53AM
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tiger_shart
Posts: 510 - Karma: 1,592
Your forgetting about ruka
Mar 31 2020 1:47AM
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rubberpantaloons
Posts: 506 - Karma: 3,094
ShireRatYour forgetting about ruka

Factual
Mar 31 2020 2:34AM
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5034 - Karma: 51,145
there are tons of good skiers from the midwest, but I just feel like it's a little over hyped sometimes, like every midwesterner is always like "kids are so sick out here, rope tows, so much passion so core" whereas people from the east and west don't do that as much. Idk it reminds me of Canadian's inferiority complex where they have to point out every famous Canadian and lord shit over Americans all the time (source: am Canadian)
Mar 31 2020 10:00AM
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,578
To extent you are right, but there is also a "talent gap" of sorts. For every kid in the midwest that is crushing it, there are 6-10 others who are, well, not.
Mar 31 2020 10:49AM
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Ginger_Drew
Posts: 649 - Karma: 2,528
r00kieTo extent you are right, but there is also a "talent gap" of sorts. For every kid in the midwest that is crushing it, there are 6-10 others who are, well, not.


Doesn't that speak for all resorts throughout the world? Nobody magically gets good at skiing where everyone sucked at one point. A lot of those who "aren't crushing it" are learning and will soon be the ones crushing it. With ropes littered throughout the midwest, I've seen new skiers become some of the better skiers on the hill in a single season.
Mar 31 2020 11:43AM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,058
DolanReloadedMeh. Id wager a large amount of money that colby stevenson is going to be winning alot more slope golds in years to come. He was untouchable at this years xg slope.

mceachran was sick too but colby fucking hit the bottom hip switch and nailed it perfectly—that was beyond what anybody else in the field was doing.


Literally nobody was even talking about these two and this response is super far off topic and doesn’t make sense.
Mar 31 2020 12:02PM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,058
r00kieTo extent you are right, but there is also a "talent gap" of sorts. For every kid in the midwest that is crushing it, there are 6-10 others who are, well, not.


That’s everywhere. But that good to average ratio is seemingly much higher in the Midwest b
Mar 31 2020 12:04PM
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Schoess
Posts: 2080 - Karma: 24,895
Speaking in generalizations almost always makes you wrong in some way. We have a number of really talented and dedicated guys out here. Part of what makes those who get really good is the fact that to ski out here you really have to love it. It's not glamorous. Tow ropes are definitely a contributing factor to laps as well, but the downside to that is how exhausting it can be to ride day after day. That mixed with ice, flat light and ruts makes for some really demotivating challenges year after year.
Mar 31 2020 12:34PM
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wasatch_rat
Posts: 1772 - Karma: 2,951
That's how I feel at park city. On any given day about half of the kids there would have been slopestyle podium threats 10 years ago.
Mar 31 2020 12:42PM
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
theabortionatorI don't think this is true. I think it's more park to mountain ratio. The midwest doesn't have the sickets non park skiing so it's all people do/all you see. Also kids are gonnna stick with it instead of getting into cliffs and big lines because that shit doesn't exist.

This is true.

Something people tend to miss is that one of the most important factors in producing great skiers is access. The most important thing is to get on skis early and often. But all other things being equal, if you grow up in Tahoe or Jackson that is a HUGE advantage for being an all-around skier. The west has great mountains, but lots of the cities are a long way from big mountains. Kids who grow up in the bay area and are wealthy enough to go to Tahoe 3 weekends a month and get into mogul or racing programs will get REALLY good, but for many in large western population areas growing up skiing 20-40 or more days a year is just tough. The east and midwest have lots of access to skiing within a couple of hours of major population centers, so kids can get access to the snow and eventually move to the west. I don't think this is an advantage over kids who grow up in Seattle or Denver, they have access AND great mountains, but in the east and midwest there are more people who have access to skiing. A comparison might be surfers from Florida versus surfers from north of the Golden Gate. The waves are big in norcal, but coastal access is tough and it is very windy. The waves in Florida might be small, but there are lots of people who have access to the coast and can surf regularly. I don't think the surf in Florida itself helps the surfers there, it is more the access. The midwest and east are like Florida in that way, the mountains might not be great, but there is access. I grew up going to Belleayre and Hunter and Catamount. They were not great, but they were an hour and a half away. Kids in the bay area are 4 hours from some of the best mountains in the country, but you can't really night ski or do day trips from there, or at least it is not easy. It takes more money to ski regularly in the bay area when compared to the Hudson Valley, that being said, I would say that kids in the bay who grow up skiing 20-30 days a year in elementary school will tend to get better than kids who ski 20-30 days a year at that age back east, because the California kids have great terrain.

For those reasons I think the midwest and east will always produce lots of people who are really into skiing, and western mountain towns will be full of those who expatriate, so to speak. But I think growing up in the west is an advantage IF (a big if) you can get the days in.
Mar 31 2020 1:30PM
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,163
I won't change your mind but as a midwest skier I'll say that skiers out west are generally better than us. We just get more tries at tricks for the camera because of the rope tow.
Mar 31 2020 5:01PM
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Evantheshredster
Posts: 429 - Karma: 935
i love in michigan. this is true
theabortionatorI don't think this is true. I think it's more park to mountain ratio. The midwest doesn't have the sickets non park skiing so it's all people do/all you see. Also kids are gonnna stick with it instead of getting into cliffs and big lines because that shit doesn't exist.
Mar 31 2020 5:24PM
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.GUCCI.
Posts: 1297 - Karma: 6,049
DolanReloadedMeh. Id wager a large amount of money that colby stevenson is going to be winning alot more slope golds in years to come. He was untouchable at this years xg slope.

mceachran was sick too but colby fucking hit the bottom hip switch and nailed it perfectly—that was beyond what anybody else in the field was doing.


what?
Mar 31 2020 5:27PM
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Young_patty
Posts: 3282 - Karma: 37,945
I've skied all over and am currently posted up in Bozeman but all I'm gonna say is that the mid-west ski scene is the most tight knit, bout-it crowd I've skied among. night skiing, rails, skate park vibes and the density of shredders make me miss skiing in MN- it was definitely rare to pull up to a hill and not see at least one homie there shredding, I actually loved getting to shred different hills cause you'd get to see dudes you never saw at your home hill. The scene is pretty core, most kids shred and the styles are hella diverse compared to what I've seen skiing out west. It isn't huge but for what it is, I love it.
Mar 31 2020 5:57PM
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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1018 - Karma: 5,413
Moved to Portland last year and have gotten around 70 days in up at Hood. Definitely miss the MN scene, it seems like there are almost always nice people open to riding with you every hill you go to in MN.

Don’t get me wrong, I have met tons of people at Mt. Hood and have had some amazing times with them. Everyone out there is super chill and definitely a tight crew.

However there is definitely something special about rope tow parks. The ability to be able to watch your homies work for a new trick and then finally get it is almost as good as doing it yourself. You can hit a single feature 50-60 times in an hour if you’re lapping it none stop. Makes learning new tricks (especially rail tricks) way easier.

Also, I would never have realized how much different it is to ski actual, real snow. Skiing man-made snow is way different and it was a difficult transition for a little bit I’m not going to lie. But now I feel much more comfortable in all types of terrain than I ever would have if I didn’t go out West. There are great things about the Midwest and there are great things about the mountains. I love skiing and I love both places. Thankful I’ve had the opportunity to get out there and explore. I hope everyone takes a chance with their life and goes on an adventure if you get the chance. I have lots of friends who haven’t left MN and I’m always trying to get them to come visit me and ski. Always missing the original MN homies!

**This post was edited on Mar 31st 2020 at 10:02:32pm
Mar 31 2020 10:01PM
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stove
Posts: 170 - Karma: 1,216
weastcoastThe amount of crazy good skiers, especially kids, is absolutely absurd in the Midwest. Nowhere else will ever compare. Change my mind. Rope rows are a magical thing.


rope tows are a magical thing and i will fuck ur bitch
Mar 31 2020 11:38PM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7822 - Karma: 21,855
ShireRatYour forgetting about ruka


Southern Finland, where many of those wild Finnish kids are coming from is actually similar to skiing in the midwest- there's a handful of tiny hills with T-bars. Fast park laps all day. Ruka is in a relatively sparsely populated part of Finland near the Russian border, a 13 hour drive from Helsinki. There are a few other resorts in Lapland too. Levi and Pyha are the two biggest.
Apr 1 2020 12:37AM
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a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
Night skiing is what separates the east/midwest from the west coast. Being able to ski 5-7 days a week after school is a huge advantage over only skiing 2 days on the weekend and having actual good snow to distract you from hiking/lapping rails
Apr 1 2020 12:50AM
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Lonely
Posts: 6742 - Karma: 61,666
ScaryDumpTruckHere in the Midwest we have two options (for most mountains). A: 1 min run down the hill (on average) or B: Quick laps on the park. So if you have the desire to learn park you get super fast laps and the only limit is the amount of features which doesn't matter that much.


/thread

But also boho

But boho also sucks so
Apr 1 2020 12:54AM
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Lonely
Posts: 6742 - Karma: 61,666
Young_pattyskate park vibes. The scene is pretty core


^^^^^^
Apr 1 2020 12:55AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51664 - Karma: 162,493
Also have come close to and still might move to the midwest. I've lived on various slopes on the ice coast from decent snow to straight night ice laps so I know the drill. I don't expect to be throwing down there or shredding pow but I've been following the scene for a while and I like the size of the parks, that parks are everything, and that people fucking send it.
Apr 1 2020 1:28AM
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tiger_shart
Posts: 510 - Karma: 1,592
ScootSkiLyfeMoved to Portland last year and have gotten around 70 days in up at Hood. Definitely miss the MN scene, it seems like there are almost always nice people open to riding with you every hill you go to in MN.

Don’t get me wrong, I have met tons of people at Mt. Hood and have had some amazing times with them. Everyone out there is super chill and definitely a tight crew.

However there is definitely something special about rope tow parks. The ability to be able to watch your homies work for a new trick and then finally get it is almost as good as doing it yourself. You can hit a single feature 50-60 times in an hour if you’re lapping it none stop. Makes learning new tricks (especially rail tricks) way easier.

Also, I would never have realized how much different it is to ski actual, real snow. Skiing man-made snow is way different and it was a difficult transition for a little bit I’m not going to lie. But now I feel much more comfortable in all types of terrain than I ever would have if I didn’t go out West. There are great things about the Midwest and there are great things about the mountains. I love skiing and I love both places. Thankful I’ve had the opportunity to get out there and explore. I hope everyone takes a chance with their life and goes on an adventure if you get the chance. I have lots of friends who haven’t left MN and I’m always trying to get them to come visit me and ski. Always missing the original MN homies!

**This post was edited on Mar 31st 2020 at 10:02:32pm


Go to skibowl!! Ropetow laps till 10 and upper bowl is awesome when there’s pow
Apr 1 2020 1:45AM
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K-Dot.
Posts: 3739 - Karma: 7,738
the only kind of fucking midwest kids are doing is fucking themselves up on any jump over 40 feet when they finally get to a real park
Apr 1 2020 3:22AM
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blazeonyia
Posts: 343 - Karma: 1,298
The rail game of midwest skiers is top notch.

I just want to see a 75 foot booter at a midwest hill. Literally a straight line to one jump hit.

I know the midwest doods are up for it.

That will separate the men from the boys.. Or at least the big-balled boys from the boys...
Apr 1 2020 5:26AM
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Schoess
Posts: 2080 - Karma: 24,895
blazeonyiaThe rail game of midwest skiers is top notch.

I just want to see a 75 foot booter at a midwest hill. Literally a straight line to one jump hit.

I know the midwest doods are up for it.

That will separate the men from the boys.. Or at least the big-balled boys from the boys...


Even on our double towrope hill, the biggest jump we can have is like a 50. You could build a shitty jump bigger at the bottom with a tiny landing, but we ain't tryina die.
Apr 1 2020 9:01AM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,058
a_burgerNight skiing is what separates the east/midwest from the west coast. Being able to ski 5-7 days a week after school is a huge advantage over only skiing 2 days on the weekend and having actual good snow to distract you from hiking/lapping rails

Here in PA that is not the case, it’s got a mix of those two things besides huge mountains, but I agree the further you go northeast, the less night skiing you see. Lucky to have a rope park at my home hill.
Apr 1 2020 11:04AM
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PsychicMigration
Posts: 2099 - Karma: 10,535
As a RI kid we have one rope town and two small doubles. the rope tow is where the park is. That rope tow turned out 6 professional snowboarders (the Yawgoons) and I'm convinced that the reason. There are a few up and coming riders as well.
Apr 1 2020 11:37AM
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Ginger_Drew
Posts: 649 - Karma: 2,528
SchoessEven on our double towrope hill, the biggest jump we can have is like a 50. You could build a shitty jump bigger at the bottom with a tiny landing, but we ain't tryina die.


Pshhhhhh Spirit could do a 60+... we might die test hitting it since there isn't much (or any) math going in to building their jumps, but they could do it
Apr 1 2020 11:41AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51664 - Karma: 162,493
SchoessEven on our double towrope hill, the biggest jump we can have is like a 50. You could build a shitty jump bigger at the bottom with a tiny landing, but we ain't tryina die.


West mtn in NY had an 89 footer with a landing smaller than we buikd fir 15'ers. Flat enough to park your car in neutral with no brake.

Also in a 3 jump line that went like 20, 30, 89'.

Seems friggin legit dot jpeg. Also 100% not a joke.
Apr 1 2020 11:55AM
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percs
Posts: 2280 - Karma: 5,788
theyre not good skiers theyre just good at rails. east coast kids are good skiers and good at rails. west coast kids ski powder and get pussy
Apr 1 2020 1:40PM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,058
theabortionatorWest mtn in NY had an 89 footer with a landing smaller than we buikd fir 15'ers. Flat enough to park your car in neutral with no brake.

Also in a 3 jump line that went like 20, 30, 89'.

Seems friggin legit dot jpeg. Also 100% not a joke.


I need pics of this
Apr 1 2020 1:59PM
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AsherDonati24
Posts: 213 - Karma: 936
Young_pattyI've skied all over and am currently posted up in Bozeman but all I'm gonna say is that the mid-west ski scene is the most tight knit, bout-it crowd I've skied among. night skiing, rails, skate park vibes and the density of shredders make me miss skiing in MN- it was definitely rare to pull up to a hill and not see at least one homie there shredding, I actually loved getting to shred different hills cause you'd get to see dudes you never saw at your home hill. The scene is pretty core, most kids shred and the styles are hella diverse compared to what I've seen skiing out west. It isn't huge but for what it is, I love it.


I agree. We have a rope tow and resort within 5 minutes of each other. Most of the time, everyone chooses to go to the rope tow. Sometimes we got 10-15 people hanging out and hitting the jumps and rails. The bigger mountains and resorts are nice though because you can transfer your skills to bigger features, especially with my home hills. Our rope had two small jumps, a rail, and a box, where as our resort (Loon Mountain in Lincoln,NH) has 10+ foot long rails and 20+ foot gap jumps. There have been so many good skiers from the comp team at the resort, but some of them still ski at the rope tow. Nothing beats rope tows.
Apr 1 2020 2:21PM
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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1018 - Karma: 5,413
ShireRatGo to skibowl!! Ropetow laps till 10 and upper bowl is awesome when there’s pow


I’m there ! Had a night pass this season. Skied there like 3-4 nights a week :)
Apr 1 2020 2:24PM
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crustyboot.420
Posts: 989 - Karma: 4,275
ShireRatYour forgetting about ruka


Hate to break it to yall but the whole Ruka thing is just an illusion. Ruka just has the best Park in Finland so everyone goes to ski there. Very few of the "Ruka kids" are actually from Ruka.
Apr 1 2020 5:26PM
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flavourtown
Posts: 278 - Karma: 1,602
a_burgerNight skiing is what separates the east/midwest from the west coast. Being able to ski 5-7 days a week after school is a huge advantage over only skiing 2 days on the weekend and having actual good snow to distract you from hiking/lapping rails


Idk about the US but here in western Canada there are tons of hill right next to or in cities, in Calgary COP is located in the city, Norquay has night skiing and is a very short drive from Banff and Canmore, Edmonton has Rabbit hill and Vancouver has Seymour, Grouse and Cypress. I definitely agree about how night skiing helps with progression.
Apr 1 2020 5:35PM
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SoggyOatmeal420
Posts: 296 - Karma: 1,527
The midwest scene is fucking sick. Rope tow laps all day are so much fun and at the smaller resorts like tyrol basin pretty much everyone is super nice. The parks are very much like skate parks and they make up for the lack of vertical for sure.
Apr 1 2020 9:28PM
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Lonely
Posts: 6742 - Karma: 61,666
blazeonyiaThe rail game of midwest skiers is top notch.

I just want to see a 75 foot booter at a midwest hill. Literally a straight line to one jump hit.

I know the midwest doods are up for it.

That will separate the men from the boys.. Or at least the big-balled boys from the boys...


I believe spirit has gotten close to that size. IDK ask @John18_6
Apr 1 2020 10:15PM
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X_ANKILLA
Posts: 2386 - Karma: -6,456
MidWest Kids Shall Forever Be the Savages of the Ski Game.
Apr 1 2020 11:40PM
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SoggyOatmeal420
Posts: 296 - Karma: 1,527
blazeonyiaThe rail game of midwest skiers is top notch.

I just want to see a 75 foot booter at a midwest hill. Literally a straight line to one jump hit.

I know the midwest doods are up for it.

That will separate the men from the boys.. Or at least the big-balled boys from the boys...


Haha there used to be a jump at my ski area that you had to bomb the whole hill to clear the knuckle. I learned that the hard way. Nothing like a 75 foot jump but pretty damn big for the midwest.
Apr 1 2020 11:49PM
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,163
LonelyI believe spirit has gotten close to that size. IDK ask @John18_6


40 feet tops usually, there was one year that our big jump was pushing 60 feet though. here's a link if you wanna see
https://youtu.be/vJFc8rWACBo?t=107

That's probably the biggest jump in Minnesota in recent memory. Rumor has it that Giants Ridge built an 80 footer for shits and giggles back in the mid/early 2000s
Apr 2 2020 10:07PM
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PRing
Posts: 353 - Karma: 3,307
Moved to Utah and love it but miss rope tows and home mountain vibe. Didn’t realize what I had til I left. Now every time I go back to Wisconsin I have a new heightened appreciation. Yeah the Midwest doesn’t have mountains but it has the basics to ski and keeps the kids hungry. You definitely get to ski more too when your resorts are way closer and open 9am to 10pm. So much love for the Midwest, don’t sleep on it. As long as you’re having fun and loving it go skiing wherever you are, and as for the kid saying 6/10 kids are trash that’s not what this shit is about.
Apr 3 2020 2:53AM
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