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The Sense of Entitlement among Park Rats


ben

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I know. The season has gotten off to a frustrating start, and we're all glad that the cold is finally here. The resorts are finally making tons of snow, and we're anticipating a great late season. Park rats, racers, freeriders, and family men alike, are all hoping for more terrain to open, so that they can enjoy themselves, and do what they like best.

 

And each hopes especially for terrain that will suit his style: the park rats want terrain features and the pipe, the racers gates and a pacesetter, the freeriders more of the front four, and the family men more mild traverses.

 

I page through the posts on this forum, and see that the park rats are well-represented, and clearly in the spoken majority. Like all of the other skier-types, they want their terrain to enjoy, and they want it soon; it's been a tough season so far, and they want now, like all of us, to ride the terrain they like to ride the most.

 

But wildly in contrast to the other skiers, whose terrain is also limited, and who also crave more variety than is yet available, the park rats are quite quick to complain. And they complain the loudest. Endlessly they criticize the limitedness of their terrain, their desire that it open, and the incompetence of the resort in seeing that it didn't open sooner.

 

From their posts comes a sense of entitlement, as if the resort always put some other skier first, or were actively out to disenfranchise them.

 

And through all this the other skiers stay quiet, and wait.

 

This board is the perfect place to complain, yes, to vent our frustrations in the company of like-minded people, and to feel justified when they reply in kind. But when you do so, realize this: That the other skiers are just as anxious as you, to have their terrain open, and wish their resort would focus on it, instead of terrain for everyone else.

 

Complaint fosters good criticism, and good criticism improvement, and for that reason alone it shouldn't stop. But to complain in such a way as to imply that you, above everyone else, are entitled to your terrain, and that you should have it before they theirs, detracts from your purpose, is selfish, and is no more effective than waiting quietly for the rope to drop.

 

To bring this back on topic.

 

Yes Ben you hit the nail on the head here. There can be 90% of a ski area that is fine but just let someone find that 10% that isn't and then all of the sudden the management doesn't care about it's customers, the employees don't know what they are doing, and the whole place is a waste of time. It is so old. We have people who have never made snow criticize the snowmaking, people who never groomed criticize the grooming, etc. Yes there are screw ups from time to time but as we saw this year there are many factors out of everyone's control that can cause something to not be 100%.

 

:crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore:

"waaaah waaah waaaah I wana have some more buried pipes, picnic tables, orange crates, and 2X6's to hammer up my gear on!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! Where's my 2X4's with rusty nails sticking out of em??? waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh I want it now mommy, er I mean cameltoe, now now now now now!!!!!!! gimmie gimmie gimmie!!! wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I want bigger jumps so my friend can break his wrist and I can go do the jump blind and land on him why he's in the landing!!! wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh It's OK since I yelled drop! wwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god there are death cookies on the side of the trail!! waaaaaaaaaaah daddy please hold my hand, the death cookies scare me! waaaaahhh wwwwwwaaaaaaaahhhh I'm not gonna be friends with any grommers any more cause their poopyheads waaaahhh oh no I'm on the east coast and there is ice on the slope. waaaaahhhhh where is all the fluffy powder?? waaaaahhhhhh Oh nevermind I can't ski in powder either. waaaaahhhh sob sob sobby sob

:crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore::crymore:

 

Are we having fun yet?

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if people are paid to do their job, they should do it right.

I do believe that the majority of snowmakers were new this year. Add that to very marginal temps for the first part of the season, and you get uhh not great snow.

 

You can't really blame the new people for there lack of knowledge, or the resort for the weather...

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Did i say he "specifically" said it? no. i hope you arent teaching that course.

 

Lets review genius, and we'll take it slow. In response to Ski911 statement

 

I'm sorry, Did I specifically mention Blue?

 

you replied:

 

well Blue is an "other area"... so you indirectly did.

 

Time to cut down on the headers there sport.

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hahahahaa........ this thread still lives!

 

To anyone who disses a park rat for any reason:

 

Please shut up. You are totally clueless and a detriment to the thing you love the most, the future and the longevity of your beloved hill. If you old bitties who go on crying about the poor attitude of the park rat don't like it, then do something to stop thier complaining and give them what they want, they are going to get it one way or another.

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"The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Sometimes, however, it does not matter how much grease you use, the wheel still squeaks. Then you go out and get a new wheel. It is impossible to give everyone everything they ask for. If we did that, we would not allow snowboards, because people complain about them (just one example).

When it comes to parks, we are admittedly in a learning process. Not just how and where to build, but, also what works with our demographic. Of course "safety" (not a word we like to use) is an issue.

It is obvious that the majority of the posters on this forum are into skiing and riding to some amazing extremes (why else would you spend all your time skiing or here posting?). It is also obvious that the majority of the posters are in some way "park rats" (no offence intended). So you would think that the more you "squeak" the faster you will get what you want.

You have to admit, that CB has made some attempt this season towards your "needs" as far as parks are concerned. It is not perfect yet, and quite honestly, I'm not sure it can be perfect for some of you.

There has been alot of "catering" to the smaller part of our clientel (meaning park rats (no offence intended)) over the last year or two. I also realize that it is a growing group, but, still the smaller one. Be part of the solution and try to give constructive critisism instead of flaming CB anytime there is an issue, and you might see more results.

Before you start, Papa, I have seen some good, constructive critisism. Some is just plain old whining.

 

(this should be good)

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Papa declares that NO ONE is allowed to "diss" a park rat! All hail our great dictator Papa! All drop to their knees any time Papa makes a proclamation! Papa can do no wrong! Free speech is dead! Correction Free speech is dead for all except Papa!

 

 

"then do something to stop thier complaining and give them what they want..."

 

How about you give some of us what we want and stop bitching all the time!

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When it comes to parks, we are admittedly in a learning process. Not just how and where to build, but, also what works with our demographic. Of course "safety" (not a word we like to use) is an issue.

(this should be good)

 

CB is under new ownership. I believed that CB would change it's ways since it was being bought by a local. It appears that I was wrong. Last season, I grumbled, this season there is no excuse for the lagging customer service. It's not just the park rats, it is across the board. Each mountain has it's own forum here, why would CB get the most flame? where there is smoke there is fire.

 

Correct these statements any where you think they are wrong.

 

CB is the biggest ski resort machine in our area yet is the slowest to respond to trends and customer service because it profits on the once or twice a year ticket, who aren't coming back. Demographics.............. As long as there is the limited terrain in close proximity to major metropolitan areas, CB will always do well, they don't care about "core" snow lovers because they don't have to, it is as simple as that.

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Toast

 

Actually it does apply to you. Once again your comments :

 

"maybe you should stop bitching all the time, if you their our (sic) bitching to stop. you are just feeding into it."

 

Your typo "their our" not withstanding, it still also applies to you.

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Papa, as far as the "core" people, do you think the Zaugg is for the Coolmore crowd? The new, larger terrain park for the once or twicers. How about the larger pipe, the "freestyle" team, the park pass, etc. Nothing will ever be enough for you or fast enough for you, so we will have to get used to that, but, it is not fair to say CB has not done anything for the "core."

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Papa, as far as the "core" people, do you think the Zaugg is for the Coolmore crowd? The new, larger terrain park for the once or twicers. How about the larger pipe, the "freestyle" team, the park pass, etc. Nothing will ever be enough for you or fast enough for you, so we will have to get used to that, but, it is not fair to say CB has not done anything for the "core."

 

I'll give you passes and raise you that the new pipe is/was of poor quality and that the comments so far on the new park are that CB is still clueless as to what they are doing. The FS team? Great idea, however it is my understandings that half of the students followed thier coach from another mtn and they wished they hadn't. So have they done anything? Yeah they are trying a little bit, I guess.

 

 

My take on the whole issue is that Camelback made a big step forward this year...They just didnt take as big a step as resorts like Bear Creek and Big Boulder.

 

I agree but when comparing to the size of the other steps they are farther behind than they were last year. I'll know more after sunday.

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