Introducing Mountain Rider's Alliance

Marc_C":1dm06igw said:
This really isn't interesting any more.
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riverc0il":1dm06igw said:
Snide commentary about (any topics) from the Utah crowd continues to make this place rather unfriendly.
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Okay, so Marc C... so what have you contributed in your life? Besides pissing off and driving people away from this ski forum? I've never seen any positives comments from you on anything. Even when the skiing is great, you're grumpy. Probably forgot to take your medication again.
 
Although I have my arguments with Marc_C I have to defend him in this case. Soulskier used examples such as Alta to define his very subjective view of what makes a mountain "soulful". Marc_C explained that some of his examples to defend his opinion were patently wrong.

With all due respect Soulskier brought much of the ire upon himself. His platitudes are entirely subjective but he speaks of them in objective terms. He ripped on Mad River Glen and east coast skiing. He says base villages ruin ski mountains but can't explain why, or comment on counter opinions. Finally, he doesn't respond to negative opinion or counter ideas when it comes to his operation.

I understand it's early for his operation, but he hasn't shown us, so far, how his idea will work. I think I can speak for the vast majority of people here when I say that I would like his project to be successful. Everybody here would love a place that is inexpensive and big on terrain. The problem lies in that he has made his mission to show us that every other mountain is bad and soulless based on completely arbitrary elements, and that his mountain, because it will be bare bones, is soulful. I don't think that type of stuff works around here as most people on this forum are fairly educated and smart. It comes across as class warfare and he comes across as elitist who is only worried about one type of skier (types like himself). I think if he understood that ski mountains in the end are in the service industry, and that their main reason for existence is to allow people to have fun it would be better. Mountains can come in many different shapes and forms, one isn't correct, yet, he spends far too much time pointing out the flaws (in his eyes) of other places rather than looking at the flaws in his project.
 
rfarren":1lkpagta said:
Soulskier used examples such as Alta to define his very subjective view of what makes a mountain "soulful".
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I'm on Soul's sides on this one.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
Marc_C explained that some of his examples to defend his opinion were patently wrong.
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Talking about the village thread? I haven't had much time to spend on the ski forums lately due to work. Intrawest/Vail villages, although they look nice aren't lived in. Not sure who agreed or disagreed with that statement.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
With all due respect Soulskier brought much of the ire upon himself. His platitudes are entirely subjective but he speaks of them in objective terms.
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Regardless of people opinions on his projects and ideas. Although no longer involved (I think), he set the fire under the people at Shames about the ideas of a Coop. Guess what? Shames Coop are now selling shares.

Manitoba? Probably better demographic and location.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
He ripped on Mad River Glen and east coast skiing.
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As someone who grew up in California and not in tune with the east, are you surprised? How many times have I heard that. Anyway, he always envisioned at alpine terrain with is virtually none existant in eastern ski areas. Nuff on that point. As a MRG shareholder, I should have been the one that would have been offended, no? Not someone who talks about six-pack and heated chairs.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
He says base villages ruin ski mountains but can't explain why, or comment on counter opinions. Finally, he doesn't respond to negative opinion or counter ideas when it comes to his operation.
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Placing a base village at Manitoba mountain, Shames, etc... would be counter productive. Most artificial base villages have no soul if they only really on a transient population. The only thing it does is drive the locals (meaning people that live and work there all season) further away.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
I understand it's early for his operation, but he hasn't shown us, so far, how his idea will work.
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One step at a time. People were attacking the Shames idea. Now he's got a blank canvas to work on. Building another resort isn't the solution. This is no means a solo soulskier project. It's a collective. Requires feedback and brainstorming. He might have his ideas, I have my ideas, a bunch of people have their own vision...what is the common ground that all these people interested in Manitoba have? It's take time to work it out.


rfarren":1lkpagta said:
The problem lies in that he has made his mission to show us that every other mountain is bad and soulless based on completely arbitrary elements, and that his mountain, because it will be bare bones, is soulful.
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I believe that skiing it is purest state is soulful. Distractions like Disneyfied villages cloud it up. Do you know who I think the most soulful skiers that something write here are? icelandic and gpetrics. Again, it's my point of view.

rfarren":1lkpagta said:
Mountains can come in many different shapes and forms, one isn't correct, yet, he spends far too much time pointing out the flaws (in his eyes) of other places rather than looking at the flaws in his project.
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He pointing out something that the ski industry has lost a few people and doesn't have enough diversity.
 
rfarren":1w414fj4 said:
Although I have my arguments with Marc_C I have to defend him in this case. Soulskier used examples such as Alta to define his very subjective view of what makes a mountain "soulful". Marc_C explained that some of his examples to defend his opinion were patently wrong.

With all due respect Soulskier brought much of the ire upon himself. His platitudes are entirely subjective but he speaks of them in objective terms. He ripped on Mad River Glen and east coast skiing. He says base villages ruin ski mountains but can't explain why, or comment on counter opinions. Finally, he doesn't respond to negative opinion or counter ideas when it comes to his operation.

I understand it's early for his operation, but he hasn't shown us, so far, how his idea will work. I think I can speak for the vast majority of people here when I say that I would like his project to be successful. Everybody here would love a place that is inexpensive and big on terrain. The problem lies in that he has made his mission to show us that every other mountain is bad and soulless based on completely arbitrary elements, and that his mountain, because it will be bare bones, is soulful. I don't think that type of stuff works around here as most people on this forum are fairly educated and smart. It comes across as class warfare and he comes across as elitist who is only worried about one type of skier (types like himself). I think if he understood that ski mountains in the end are in the service industry, and that their main reason for existence is to allow people to have fun it would be better. Mountains can come in many different shapes and forms, one isn't correct, yet, he spends far too much time pointing out the flaws (in his eyes) of other places rather than looking at the flaws in his project.
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So it is CRYSTAL CLEAR, I am not saying that there isn't a need for the current resort ski model, I am simply stating that many of us "ski bums", those that ski almost every day, from November to May, need more mountain playgrounds as the current model are not fulfilling our needs. I am not showing that every other ski area is bad and soul-less (in fact I stated Alta does have soul, but then was told I don't actually no what I am talking about), but rather just underscoring the need for an alternative, which MRA will be providing, not only in Alaska, but around the globe!

As far as East Coast skiing, after my visit last month, I have a new appreciation of what the ski areas there represent. One in particular that I visited was very soulful and community oriented. They even have their own beer.
 
Marc_C":rvvt0flm said:
This really isn't interesting any more.
Soulskier is simply far to easy to bait and reacts to every button push. He's still incredibly uninformed and ignorant of the Alta scene and it's local population (guess what? We all live in the valley - even 90% of the workers - there's very little employee housing at Alta), yet insists his own twisted view of reality is correct. His naivete and ill-informed idealistic optimism appears to have only a slim chance of success, but he's far too defensive to actually run the kind of ski operation of questionable viability he has in mind. And he should really stop talking about 10K acres being lift served - it ain't lift served terrain if you have to hike to it. And the hike there is significant.
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If I was reactive to every button you pushed, I would have already pointed out that a Republican from Utah talking about SOUL is quite comical.

BTW, I have no intention of running a ski operation. My role will be "product tester".
 
soulskier":13gmjgap said:
Republican from Utah talking about SOUL is quite comical.
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:rotfl: Not nearly as comical as that statement! Marc_C is one of the biggest commie pinko libs I've ever met!
 
Admin":627lyfp3 said:
soulskier":627lyfp3 said:
Republican from Utah talking about SOUL is quite comical.
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:rotfl: Not nearly as comical as that statement! Marc_C is one of the biggest commie pinko libs I've ever met!
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Given his continually negative slant on everything, I would have guessed he is a Tea Bagger.
 
soulskier":3ejnpchd said:
no intention of running a ski operation. My role will be "product tester".
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Should I guess that you will be an investor/supporter and business wise be setting up a B&B/hotel style place ala the one you are selling in SA? You don't have to answer... I'm just curious and speculating.

Patrick":3ejnpchd said:
He pointing out something that the ski industry has lost a few people and doesn't have enough diversity.
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oooh, now THIS is a topic for a good discussion. Demographics are changing dramatically.... anyone want to guess which diversity I'm referring to... and discuss how will the industry pull them in, educate them and etc...
 
EMSC":1b2tma1e said:
soulskier":1b2tma1e said:
no intention of running a ski operation. My role will be "product tester".
Click to expand...

Should I guess that you will be an investor/supporter and business wise be setting up a B&B/hotel style place ala the one you are selling in SA? You don't have to answer... I'm just curious and speculating.
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I am happy to answer. My role is to develop MRA, which I believe will one day be the skier's answer to Vail, Intrawest, etc. We created this entity so that we can develop, convert and one day consult other ski areas on how to be values based, eco-friendly and still be viable. We have no intention of building and flipping, we are in this for the long term.
 
EMSC":smx9ifqm said:
oooh, now THIS is a topic for a good discussion. Demographics are changing dramatically.... anyone want to guess which diversity I'm referring to... and discuss how will the industry pull them in, educate them and etc...
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Yes, that one also... The ski industry has gone after the high end of the market with villages/condos/heated gondolas. I heard Vail at $100 lift ticket. How much for lessons, ski equipment for someone that has never seen snow. Yeah, I know, pass are cheaper, deals are everywhere, etc. But what is the price of a day ticket? I suspect that the product has increased much more than inflation in the last 20-30 years. People that start skiing aren't going to be buying passes, they are showing up at the hill.

Immigrant population in the Golden Age of Ski areas development last century where from European countries with a skiing tradition. You didn't have to sell the sport as much. That aspect has definitely changed.
 
Admin":kuyasvmq said:
soulskier":kuyasvmq said:
Republican from Utah talking about SOUL is quite comical.
Click to expand...

:rotfl: Not nearly as comical as that statement! Marc_C is one of the biggest commie pinko libs I've ever met!
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Admin, either you have a short memory :-" or you are so far to the right that everyone left would appear to be a commie pinko to you. :rotfl:
 
Patrick":2r0opdga said:
Admin":2r0opdga said:
soulskier":2r0opdga said:
Republican from Utah talking about SOUL is quite comical.
Click to expand...

:rotfl: Not nearly as comical as that statement! Marc_C is one of the biggest commie pinko libs I've ever met!
Click to expand...

Admin, either you have a short memory :-" or you are so far to the right that everyone left would appear to be a commie pinko to you. :rotfl:
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Note: "one of." :wink:
 
Patrick":2vrn4ud3 said:
I believe that skiing it is purest state is soulful. Distractions like Disneyfied villages cloud it up. Do you know who I think the most soulful skiers that something write here are? icelandic and gpetrics. Again, it's my point of view.
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Is your mind on the village when there is a big powder day? I just don't see how a base village, whether created specifically for a resort or an older village prior to the resort changes the skiing on a mountain. I wasn't concerned with the Arrabelle when I was skiing the back bowls and blue sky after 16 inches. I can honestly say it didn't make my skiing less soulful. When the day was done, I had a few beers in the base village, and again it didn't feel unsoulful.

Personally, I find a perfectly brewed latte very soulful, so by virtue of that the whole state of Colorado during my last visit was lacking in soul, but admittedly that is subjective, about as subjective as people's opinions on soulfulness in general....
Patrick":2vrn4ud3 said:
The ski industry has gone after the high end of the market with villages/condos/heated gondolas. I heard Vail at $100 lift ticket. How much for lessons, ski equipment for someone that has never seen snow. Yeah, I know, pass are cheaper, deals are everywhere, etc. But what is the price of a day ticket? I suspect that the product has increased much more than inflation in the last 20-30 years. People that start skiing aren't going to be buying passes, they are showing up at the hill.
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Vail isn't the type of place you go to to learn how to ski. It wouldn't be worth learning how to ski at a mountain like Vail unless you were a local, at which point you can have a friend with a season pass take you, and you can get a pretty darn good deal. Beside there are smaller cheaper places that around vail which are better suited towards beginners. Frankly, I think it's better to learn at a small place, as things don't seem so overwhelming. That being said, my wife made her major improvement at Whistler whilst in Ski School and she did very well.
 
EMSC":3v0w9079 said:
anyone want to guess which diversity I'm referring to
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I would guess ethnic diversity. There was an L.A. Times article and FTO thread about Mountain High trying to appeal to the new demographic, and there were a few FTO posters who looked down their noses at it.

Patrick":3v0w9079 said:
Immigrant population in the Golden Age of Ski areas development last century where from European countries with a skiing tradition.
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U.S. immigration was severely restricted from 1924-1965, so immigration had little to do with the U.S. skier population. WWII did have key impacts upon ski area development, first with refugees from Nazi Europe, then more importantly with veterans of the 10th Mountain Division. Perhaps this history was different in Canada, and if so I suspect Patrick can enlighten us.

My fervent hope for MRA is that soulskier remains the visionary of MRA and that he leaves the nuts and bolts decisions in the hands of local managers, such as Dave Scanlon who is supposedly in charge of the Manitoba project.
 
Tony Crocker":2t2odfq4 said:
My fervent hope for MRA is that soulskier remains the visionary of MRA and that he leaves the nuts and bolts decisions in the hands of local managers, such as Dave Scanlon who is supposedly in charge of the Manitoba project.
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BINGO!!!
 
Tony Crocker":2ex3zswl said:
My fervent hope for MRA is that soulskier remains the visionary of MRA and that he leaves the nuts and bolts decisions in the hands of local managers, such as Dave Scanlon who is supposedly in charge of the Manitoba project.
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I'd like to present to you all, Mr Dave Scanlan

http://vimeo.com/20598009
 
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