Snowboarding Takes Off Local Ski Resorts Make Improvements In Catering To Growing Numbers Of Snowboarders

Generation X can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

At least those who consider snowboarding an important ingredient in their recipes for fun.

The sport, invented a decade ago, is here to stay. In fact, at most area ski resorts, improvements are being made and terrain parks are being established with the snowboarder in mind.

Several resorts across the country have chosen to ban snowboarding but that isn’t the case around the Pacific Northwest and the Inland Northwest.

“Snowboarding has become a mainstream sport,” said Pat Nowak, public relations director at Silver Mountain. “The new people in the industry, for the most part, are snowboarders.”

Marketing director Kai Huschke of 49 Degrees North said the resort invested $30,000 to build a terrain park and buy a pipe dragon. The dragon, which is attached to the snow groomer, is used to shape symmetrical half-pipes.

“We also increased our rental inventory and upgraded it,” said Huschke. “We love snowboarders. They are a big part of our business.”

Mount Spokane’s PR man, Kirk Duncan, says they too have made some big improvements.

“We built a 150-yard-by-150-yard terrain park with a table-top jump. And we stuck a car out there so they can use that for bank turns and jumping,” he said.

Ten years ago, snowboarders tended to be teenagers and 20-somethings. They also tended to be a little on the rowdy side, and that didn’t sit well with the older K2 crowd.

“It used to be that parents would bring their children out and teach them to ski,” Duncan said. “Now it’s the children bringing their parents out to teach them to snowboard. There is interest in the sport from all age groups.”

Spokeswoman Caroline Halley of Schweitzer, which also invested in a pipe dragon this year, said snowboarding has another thing going for it.

“There’s an easier learning curve with snowboarding than with snow skiing,” she said. “You can take one or two lessons on a snowboard and then start heading down intermediate runs.

“We love ‘em! They’re maturing as the sport becomes mainstream and now everybody wants to give it a try. It’s a freer style of skiing and the boarders tend to have a different kind of personality and mentality. They’re out there having a great time. They spend a lot of time watching each other and cheering each other on.”

More and more females are taking up the sport according to Duncan.

“Right now, the ratio for males to females taking part in snowboarding is the same as it is in skiing … about 60-40,” he said.

Huschke pointed out that a lot of older skiers are taking to the sport for another reason.

“A lot of older people who have been avid skiers are gravitating to snowboarding because of knee problems,” he said. “Crashing on a snowboard is easier because you tend to land on your butt or hands. There’s no torque on the knees like there is in a snow skiing crash.”

Nowak pointed out that although the technology continues to grow, it’s relatively inexpensive to get started.

“We (at Silver Mountain) have a complete package - that’s boots, bindings and a board - for $299,” he said. “They’ve come up with some new step-in bindings which makes it a lot easier to get on and off the chair lifts.

“I think snowboarders got a bad rap. Snow skiers complaining about snowboarders is like motorcyclists complaining about cars. They’re here to stay. We just decided to give them a place to do their thing, cater to them a bit and hopefully they’ll spend more of their time here.

“It’s definitely the rage.”

Hope this doesn’t leave you cold Ski and snowboarding season is here. The following is a list of “alternative” exercises to help get you conditioned: Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use. If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses. Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are looking for your car. Sporadically drop things. Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed ice, and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes. Buy a new pair of gloves and immediately throw one away. Secure one of your ankles to a bedpost and ask a friend to run into you at high speed. Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of your jacket and ride a motorcycle fast enough to make the ticket lacerate your face. Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast your face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip into your clothes. Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom. - New York Times