From: johnc@yuma.acns.colostate.edu (John Cooley)
Newsgroups: rec.skiing
Subject: Re: WHAT'S NEW FOR 92/93 at Colorado Ski Areas
Summary: Yes, I'm stuck behind a desk
Date: 12 Aug 92 15:39:54 GMT
Followup-To: rec.skiing
Distribution: na
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <1992Aug11.085741@is.morgan.com> sergei@is.morgan.com (Sergei Poliakoff) writes:
>|> In article <Aug05.164149.57483@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>, johnc@yuma.acns.colostate.edu (John Cooley) writes:
>|> Winter Park, like every other major ski area, knows where the money is.  
>|> Vail's Back Bowls have been reported by many to be essentially intermediate
>|> terrain.  Keystone's Outback, likewise, is not too threatening.  The well-
>|> paid, desk-bound yuppies who are able to spend the most money at a ski area
>|> will probably appreciate Parsenne Bowl more than experts with bag lunches and
>|> three pairs of skis in the back of the truck.
>
>Can't possibly see how one can type the above unless sitting behind the desk
>in front of the CRT.

Yeah, I'm sitting at a desk.  I confess.  I sit inside too much and don't ski
enough.  Whether I'm well-paid or not is a matter of perspective.  One doesn't
usually develop financial independence at an early age while deriving one's
income solely from a university.

I ski pretty well, but I'll never ski well enough.  I suppose I can claim to
ski more and spend less than most of the customers at most ski areas, and that,
despite my desk-bound status, the ski area marketers are not especially
interested in me, since I am not a "destination" skier and don't spend huge
sums on lessons, rentals, condos and restaurants.

My original post suggested that there are, indeed, exceptions, i.e., there are
expert skiers sitting behind desks.  Nonetheless, all you high-tech hotshots
out there do not constitute the majority of the clientele at a major ski area.
Keystone is massively successful, even though most "expert" skiers turn up
their noses at it.  The big profit is in non-threatening, groomed-smooth-as-a-
baby's-butt novice and intermediate runs.  The difficult stuff is there for
image and to keep all you doofuses out there from quitting when the easier
stuff gets boring.  From management's point of view, Parsenne is great.  It's
really easy, but it gives the illusion of danger.  The intermediates go up
there, have a good time, and go home with a story to tell without actually
being frightened out of their wits.  And make no mistake - for many skiers,
it will be unusual and they *will* enjoy it.

>From another angle, on a crisp winter morning it is an utter pleasure to 
>pull on a Bogner suit, strap on a new pair of Lacroix's, take a high-speed 
>quad and on a way back to the condo overtake a couple of malnourished 
>(how can one feed properly from  a brown bag ?) expert 
>roughnecks uncomfortably chugging and lugging down  the damn intermediate 
>slope in soaking-wet military issue wool pants, tired from the long walk 
>uphill  and previous night's  efforts to tune three pairs of beat-up 
>boards.
>The best time for this is early in the morning, before 
>croissants, coffee and first cigarrette. 

I guess I'm not well-paid, after all.  Bogner suits and Lacroix skis are a
little bit out of my range.  I do carry lunch into the lodge, but I eat a hot
meal.  I know where the microwaves are.  Not gourmet, but it does the job.  I
favor insulated nylon ski pants - usually not the high end, but dry and warm.
I'm not fond of hypothermia.  My boards - well, they usually look a little
chewed up - on top.  The bottoms are carefully maintained, but not in the
middle of the night.  You see, in the Rockies, you don't have to tune your
skis every night.

Croissants - OK. but I really like steak and eggs with hashbrowns, although it
slows me down for a couple of hours!

Coffee and cigarettes?  Bleah!

I have been known to ski uphill, in any of many fine places not served by 
lifts.

     John Cooley
     Somewhere in the foothills of the Rockies, west of Fort Collins, CO
Newsgroups: rec.skiing