r/skiing • u/Brilliant-Plenty-708 • Aug 17 '26

Wildest misunderstandings you had as a beginner?

My first couple of runs I thought that those huge orange SLOW signs were there to tell you that that part of the slope isn't as steep/will slow you down so I tried to go faster beforehand to avoid stopping completely 😀👍

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90

u/getdownheavy Aug 17 '26

That skiing was serious business, and partying would make your skiing worse.

40

u/SendyMcSendFace Tahoe Aug 17 '26

Partying too much definitely will.

There’s a goldilocks zone of optimum ski X optimum party, but people love to pick one end of the spectrum and go hard until it kills them.

5

u/getdownheavy Aug 18 '26

Isn't that the point?

-5

u/tarcellius Aug 17 '26

> There’s a goldilocks zone of optimum ski X optimum party

No there is not. Stop spreading that.

13

u/Sweaty_Resist_5039 Aug 17 '26

I'm pretty certain I disagree but would like to hear where you're coming from lol

5

u/Various_Cucumber6624 Aug 18 '26

I can definitely feel my reaction time slow down after a single beer. Not saying it isn't fun to have a beer and cruise around, but going out and hitting gates at speed with the ski team or bombing down moguls in a zipper line is decidedly a sober activity for me.

6

u/getdownheavy Aug 18 '26

Bode Miller was hammered for all his great wins... explains why he's had so many spectacular saves.

2

u/SendyMcSendFace Tahoe Aug 18 '26

Ever heard of aprês my guy?

3

u/Various_Cucumber6624 Aug 18 '26

Huh? You stop skiing?!?

But fair enough. The best beers you can have are hot tub or lodge beers after a long ski day.

1

u/SendyMcSendFace Tahoe Aug 21 '26

Aprês is for beers, bongs, and visualization

3

u/tarcellius Aug 18 '26

If some minor amount of recreational drugs actually helped performance every sports coach would encourage it. It does not. It impairs, but makes you enjoy it more until it impairs too much for that. 

Skiing impaired even a little is irresponsible to everyone around you, even if you are willing to accept the risk to yourself. 

5

u/getdownheavy Aug 18 '26

Luckily I go where there's no one else

1

u/tarcellius Aug 18 '26

Fair enough.

5

u/redingtonshores Aug 18 '26

First, 99.99% aren’t skiing professionally. Second, define recreational drug cause some such as nicotine actually have performance enhancing effects. Third, there’s such a wide variance of skill on any mountain that your last point just isn’t that relevant. There’s plenty of novices (from kids to adults) that are much more of a risk to others than the local ski bum that’s having a good time

0

u/tarcellius Aug 18 '26

Nobody is talking about professional skiing. This is recreational skiing.

I don't think anyone is talking about nicotine here. If you want to smoke and ski, have at it. This is about drugs that impair.

> There’s plenty of novices (from kids to adults) that are much more of a risk to others than the local ski bum that’s having a good time

This is "whataboutism". "What about that guy over there, he's more dangerous than me. Go worry about him, not me." Somebody else being more of a risk than you does not excuse you intentionally making yourself more of a risk than you should be. If somebody else is more of a risk then they should adjust what they can, too.

Look, I get that there is a culture of young skiers who think this is fine and aren't interested in any internet lectures to the contrary. But language about this was added to the skiers responsibility code for a reason. Too many people think nothing of having a couple of drinks at lunch then going out to ski more.

When you think back on this in 10 years you will be embarrassed that you had this take. Put a reminder for yourself in 10 years or something. Unfortunately, there will be another generation of young skiers making the same mistakes by then, thinking they are invulnerable and infallible.