The rebelliousness that sport carried back then was attractive, but at the time I was just bored with skiing. Most skis were clunky and lacked performance characteristics. Boots were cold, stiff and uncomfortable. Resorts prohibited building jumps and limited tree skiing, access to chutes and backcountry terrain. But things have changed.
Skiing is fun again.
Since the advent of shaped skis six years ago, skis have gotten shorter, wider and easier to maneuver. Resorts are not only encouraging people to catch air, they spend hours sculpting halfpipes and sophisticated terrain parks. Tree skiing is encouraged and most resorts also now have backcountry gates that let you access wilder terrain outside the boundaries. Of the 45 to 60 days I've spent on the slopes each of the last three winters, my time spent on a snowboard has decreased each season. Three years ago, my days were split about half and half.