Burton launched their poaching contest, “Sabotage Stupidity” earlier this month, garnering media and resort attention. Afraid of the onslaught of poachers, Taos buckled (well, not just because of poachers, read more here) and others will now be more vigilant to one-planker knuckle-draggers on their slopes. Utah’s Alta and Deer Valley resorts will be on high-alert, I’m sure.
Whatever Burton wants to do is fine with me, but I hope people don’t go to jail for this. Give it up already… Alta and Deer Valley will not allow snowboarders in my lifetime. They have thousands of loyal skiers who revel in the fact that there are no snowboarders on their slopes. Honestly, their mountains feel more pure and even the hateful mogul runs are bearable with their fluid, skier-created lines.
Snowboards do shape the runs differently than skiers. Sadly, many of them do nothing more than shave off all the new snow when the terrain gets too challenging by doing the ever-dreaded heelside slide. There is nothing I hate more than seeing a boarder plowing all the new snow because they aren’t skilled enough to make turns. It’s almost like fingernails on a chalkboard… it is the worst form of slope abuse known to man.
However, my thoughts aside, I can see how snowboarders might feel slighted by the establishment, so hence Burton’s “sanctioned” poaching contest where the winner will walk off with $5000. And, in a surprise move, our good friends at www.evogear.com are doubling it! So, if you’ve got an ax to grind, time to kill and are willing to accept possible jailtime, have at it.
Here’s the word from www.evogear.com on upping the ante:
In a surprise move, Seattle-based ski and snowboard retailer evo (www.evogear.com) announced that they will add $5,000 cash to the total purse Burton is giving away in their “Poach for Freedom” contest. Burton’s controversial challenge referred to as “Sabotage Stupidity” offers $5,000 to the person or crew that submits the best video documentation of their poach experience from each of the last four remaining “fascist” resorts that do not allow snowboarding. Videos entries can be submitted and watched on Burton’s website at http://www.burton.com/poachers/. evo’s additional $5,000 increases each award by $1,250.
As a retailer that represents both skiers and snowboarders, evo feels the time is long overdue for archaic discriminatory practices to fall by the wayside. Owner, Bryce Phillips explains, “Burton is a leader. We see their move to challenge the resort community as a catalyst for long overdue change. Our company was founded on the concept of inclusiveness and we want to wholly support Burton’s move by adding $5,000 of prize money.”
evo regularly brings skiers and snowboarders together for events like movie premiers and other industry parties at its 6,000 sq. ft. retail location. To further promote synergy among skiers and boarders, the company sponsors a “switch day” when all employees go to the mountain together, trade ski and snowboard equipment, and ride together.
From the very start evo has given equal representation to skiers and snowboarders. Many evo customers participate in both sports and evo feels that it’s time for resorts to recognize that reality. What better way to do so than by augmenting Burton’s “Poach for Freedom” challenge. Phillips elaborates, “If you add our contribution to Burton’s generous prize, it should almost be enough to buy a season’s pass at Deer Valley after they open their doors to snowboarders.”
evo explores the collaboration between culture and sport by seamlessly joining fashion, music, art, and sport. Through unique events, movie premiers, art exhibitions, and partnerships evo is simply providing a venue to share its love. Passion for building community is a driving force; both on a national level with www.evogear.com and locally in it’s Seattle store and at www.evoseattle.com.
To find out more about this contest and enter yourself for the grand prize, visit www.burton.com/poachers.
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foot of April flake just buried the 'Bird, the Crack House is warming
up and the Rollercoaster's drying out. Epic spring lines are calling
and you better be dialed. From
Riders often push backcountry and freestyle limits much more than skiers can manage too. Your statement “many of them do nothing more than shave off all the new snow when the terrain gets more challenging” is ridiculous - do you watch other skiers just slowly slide the mountain? Or even worse, when a middle age mother of two just stands in the middle of a slope, endangering everyone else?
They’re our mountains - not skier’s mountains. They’ve been around a lot longer than we have. We should all be able to ski or ride on them. Alta and Deer Valley - typical elitist, upper class (in a bad way) close minded mentality. Surprising you don’t live in Boston.
OPENDAWN… thanks for your comments. I’m curious where you get the idea that snowboarders push the limits of backcountry more than skiers. Funny how I’ve only seen 2-3 total snowboarders in the Wasatch backcountry in all my years of backcountry touring. And, I’ve never once seen them hit burly lines deep in the Wasatch because postholing isn’t all that much fun is it?
And, it’s a simple fact that a heelside snowboard slide results in pushing off way more snow than any pair of skis ever could. Think about it… snowboards are the perfect snowplow… big, wide and flat with more surface area than a UDOT snowplow.
I’m glad I live in UT and not in Boston, though I’ve visited there once and thought it was a great town. Great baseball team by the way.
I just skied at Alta today and it’s easy to understand why Alta will never allow snowboards. Not only will the customers not stand for it, a snowboarder couldn’t even ride half of the mountain because of all the hiking and traverses. The postholes in the traverses alone would go to fisticuffs. There are 8 other resorts in the Salt Lake City area that welcome snowboarders with open arms. Just enjoy those great resorts and forget about Alta and Deer Valley–they will remain skier-only forever.
I wonder if Bryce Phillips from Evo Gear has ever skied Alta. If he has then he’s obviously blind to how much it would suck on a board. Wake up Bryce - this isn’t Baker or Crystal.
As a skier who has also snowboarded since ‘89 I look at Alta as a traverse and flats area that would blow on my board.
If Jake Burton really wanted to make a splash he should just buy a mountain and open a snowboard only resort.
Ha… yeah, why doesn’t Burton make a snowboard-only resort? Good luck with patrollers on boards… I guess they’d have to make an exception because no patroller in their right mind would want to haul a toboggan on a board.
He could buy what’s left of Elk Meadows, expand the airport and inject some money into Beaver, UT’s economy. How about it Jake?
Have you ever ridden (a snowboard) in powder? Skiing in powder can’t even compare to it - even with the fatties. You can bop up and down and do figure 8’s all day with your pal, but I have news for you, that’s not very exciting. A patterned line is extremely uncreative - at best. “Hey guys, wasn’t that fun? We all just skied the exact same way down the mountain.”
In my opinion, two good riders should go do the cat thing at Alta. Then afterwards, if possible, one ride inbounds and one tape the whole thing. It would make people so crazy! SO funny how skiers get so crazy about snowboarders. Look at you guys, gettin’ so worked up, too!
PS: The last thing we need is another Red sox fan. Bandwagon anyone?
I can see how boards can be awesome in powder, yes… and I can see how a free-thinking snowboarder might think that logging figure 8’s in the backcountry might be boring. But, if you’ve ever ridden in the backcountry (which it sounds like you haven’t much), you’d know that preserving the untracked is the goal. That way you can have pure, unadulterated pow run after run. If untracked pow isn’t your gig, I understand… must be a skier thing.
Yup… I’m totally worked up. You should see the flames shooting from my ears as I’m typing this. Don’t get me started.
Not a Red Sox bandwagon fan… I’m just a Yankee hater. It’s kind of one and the same though, isn’t it?
Get out and ride… just don’t post-hole my traverse.
You make good points about preserving the untracked, no doubt. And while I can guarantee you’ve ridden more backcountry than I, I’ve been out there my fair share.
To me, and perhaps I’m a very small minority, there has to be a balance between preserving untracked and trying to create something new for yourself and trying to experience the terrain in new ways, all the while enjoying that feeling of epic pow.
I’m not for admiring my lines when finished, I’m for maximizing the experience on the descent. But, that being said, I see your points if it’s an open bowl, with few terrain features.
Regardless, you guys have a great site and it’s nice to read what you guys are up to and how you love gettin’ after it.
Thanks man… It’s always nice to hear other people’s perspectives–even if we disagree.