Gaper

[Kimmyt]

I've been browsing epic recently and noticed that with the coming of the new season, like always, there's an influx of 'gaper' threads.

I'm curious. Why do people care so much? And why, at least it appears that way to me, do most of the people that are so obsessed with defining 'gapers' seem to be male?

It doesn't seem like we get those threads over here, of course we also don't have the volume of posts that they do over there, but it still makes me wonder.... why is 'gaperism' (or whatever term in any sport) such a hot topic?

 

[Pequenita]

Isn't it just another version of the "my car's engine is bigger than yours" and "what kind of man drives a lime green pinto?", us vs. them ego-stroking game?

 

[ISki]

Men being catty?

 

[RachelV]

I go back and forth on those threads. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they drive me crazy. I particulary hate it when they devolve into "oh, yeah, and everyone who drives up from the city (whatever city it may be) for the weekend is a gaper." Sure guys, and everyone who visits the city for the weekend is a redneck.

 

[Gloria]

gaping

I hate to say but it's just being young and having fun. Although I don't do it anymore, I used to. When you are younger everything looks good as long as it belongs in "your circle" but everything outside of it gapes. Sadly what we fail to recognize when we are taking part in this behavior ( and we must admit we all do sometimes ) is that those in the other circle are making fun of us just the same. Basically, what comes around goes around, or so they say.

 

[IntheClouds]

I've been laughing at some of the gaper humor on Epic also. And shaking my head at others. The funniest is the new one about the fear of being called a Gaper. I'm guessing some are just looking for a way to fit in, others just complaining cause other people don't conform. Others don't understand the courtesy rules, or safety rules, or are just too new to know. But man , now I know the roots of where "Fashion Police" come from. Never would I have guessed the importance of duct tape to fashion !

 

[altagirl]

I go back and forth on those threads. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they drive me crazy. I particulary hate it when they devolve into "oh, yeah, and everyone who drives up from the city (whatever city it may be) for the weekend is a gaper." Sure guys, and everyone who visits the city for the weekend is a redneck.

Oh that happens with everything. We had a friend who lived in our basement for a while and worked at Alta. He eventually moved in with a girl living in employee housing, and at that point he suddenly decided that he was a "local" and we were not, because we live ~10 miles from the resort, not in ski in/ski out lodging. Now mind you, we actually skied more often than he did, because he was generally too hungover to ski, and turned into one of those people who couldn't be bothered to leave his room unless it was a powder day. But he decided to start telling us that we were just tourists (who ski there 100 days a year and can make it up for a few runs during lunch), not a real local like he was.

All-righty then. Talk about irrelevant labels.

Don't let stupid labels like that bother you unless you have something you need to change. If you get yelled at for being a "gaper" and you're stopping in dangerous spots, blocking the entrance to the liftline, running into people because your out of control - maybe it's time to take a look at what you're doing and fix it. If it's some idiot who doesn't like the clothes you're wearing - blow it off. Some people are just idiots and there's no reason to listen to them, let alone take their comments personally.

 

[ski diva]

I think some people confuse "Gaperism" (being a newbie who doesn't have a clue about what's going on) with bad fashion sense. You can be an expert and dress like a dwebe. And shameful as it is, I'm not beyond checking out someone's attire and going, "What the heck were they thinking when they got dressed this morning?"

As for being a newbie, we were all there once, and lording it over someone who's starting out is just plain lame. I think people who do this suffer from an oversized ego and are simply revealing themselves as the jerks that they are.

 

[altagirl]

As for being a newbie, we were all there once, and lording it over someone who's starting out is just plain lame. I think people who do this suffer from an oversized ego and are simply revealing themselves as the jerks that they are.

I agree. The problem should not be with newbies, it's with people of whatever experience level who are a danger to themselves and others, and who do things that common sense should rule out.

We had to ski with a couple of guys my husband worked with once (customers too, so we had to be nice). We're talking mid-forties, adult men. Who could barely snowplow but liked to go as fast as possible, completely out of control. They decided they should go to the top of High Rustler and take their skis off and try to use them as a sled. They seriously would have killed someone, hopefully just themselves, and not some innocent bystander. Luckily we lured them away from the slopes with beer before they got to do it. But I have to tell you, they were dressed the part - blaze orange hunting hat, unzipped jacket flapping in the wind while they skied, and they carried their skis like a pile of twigs out in front of them, knocking people out of the way... You could try to give them advice, but they didn't want to hear it.

Someone can be brand new to the sport without being a danger or even a major nuisance to others. Plenty of people do it all the time - it's just the idiots that stand out.

It would be nice if the nastiness would get directed where it belongs.

 

[ski diva]

I agree 100%. Idiocy knows no bounds. It never ceases to amaze me what some people think is a great idea.

 

[RachelV]

Oh that happens with everything. ... Don't let stupid labels like that bother you unless you have something you need to change.

I know I know -- I just always to have to stop myself from jumping in when the threads go that way, because I know there's nothing good that can come of it.

(who ski there 100 days a year and can make it up for a few runs during lunch)

I feel like you throw that "we run up to alta to ski a few runs during lunch" thing out every few weeks just to drive me crazy.

 

[altagirl]

I know I know -- I just always to have to stop myself from jumping in when the threads go that way, because I know there's nothing good that can come of it.



I feel like you throw that "we run up to alta to ski a few runs during lunch" thing out every few weeks just to drive me crazy.

Sorry! I'll try to stop. ;) I honestly threw it in to state that I'm pretty dang nearby for apparently being a "tourist".

 

[Gloria]

I agree. The problem should not be with newbies, it's with people of whatever experience level who are a danger to themselves and others, and who do things that common sense should rule out.

This so reminds me of the "gaper" I had to deal with while learning how to tele several years ago. We sincerely have a grand total of 1 green circle run, so with limited terrain to spend my first day on teles, here I am on that run. There is a road cut halfway down and granted it's a pretty good jump for those who like, one snowboarder and certainly not a novice, spent the whole day lapping this run at mach speed to hit this stupid road-cut not ever even stopping to check the landing to avoid running over any of "newbies". Now I had logged in enough mountain time to learn to stay far away from this jump but there were plenty of other people learning whom didn't have the foresight. All I can say is, it even for me, was intimidating.
So I guess the question is who is the gaper here, those of us learning on a beginner run skiing too close to the landing of this jump ( which pretty much spans the whole run, as the road runs lengthwise all the way across it, and the guy was hitting it wherever he felt like ) or the
snowboarder whom had the ability to take his attitude to a higher level.

 

[Quiver Queen]

Hey, Altagirl, you go right ahead & remind us of where you live and the things you get to do--I'm glad you appreciate it, and am happy to share in it thru your descriptions. We'd all love to be such a "tourist."

 

[RachelV]

(It doesn't actually bother me -- if I could do the same it'd be all I'd talk about. ;) I can walk to... um.. the empire state building during lunch. Central Park? Not really the same. )