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Most important attributes of hardcore skiers?

Poll Results: What are the most important attributes of hardcore skiers?

This is a multiple choice poll
  • 6% (14)
    Sense of humor
  • 3% (8)
    Intelligence
  • 10% (24)
    Sensory awareness
  • 5% (12)
    Strength/power
  • 0% (0)
    Height/length of limbs
  • 0% (2)
    Ambidextrous
  • 2% (6)
    Sharp vision
  • 5% (12)
    Courage
  • 9% (21)
    Common sense
  • 7% (17)
    Cold tolerance
  • 14% (32)
    Confidence
  • 0% (1)
    Environmentalism
  • 6% (14)
    Optimism
  • 0% (1)
    Egotism
  • 11% (26)
    Perseverance
  • 3% (7)
    Mountain job
  • 3% (7)
    Winter unemployment
  • 0% (2)
    Ski sponsorship
  • 4% (11)
    Trust fund
  • 1% (4)
    Good looks
221 Total Votes  
post #1 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 

It's awfully hot out. Let's refresh ourselves with a frothy poll.

 

Let's say skills and ability are given, since I left those two attributes off the list...

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post #2 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:30pm

Strong quads and a weak mind?

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post #3 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 

I'm going with sense of humor, optimism, and common sense. 

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post #4 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:44pm

Confidence; the feeling you have just before you fully understand the situation.  Just not too sustainable after the third or fourth big crash.

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post #5 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:45pm

Passion

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post #6 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:50pm

Cold tolerance.  One bail out due to conditions can scar a kid for life against skiing.  Intelligence and common sense enhance cold tolerance. 

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post #7 of 60
7/9/12 at 6:57pm

Sensory awareness, common sense, confidence, optimism, sense of humor.  Well, at least I have the last one.

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post #8 of 60
7/9/12 at 7:02pm

Balls & no brains........

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post #9 of 60
7/9/12 at 8:45pm

This poll is not flawed.

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post #10 of 60
7/9/12 at 8:58pm
It is not an attribute, it is an attitude!

Oh, & perseverance helps smile.gif
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post #11 of 60
7/9/12 at 10:07pm

blpic13261.jpg

 

More here: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/142-Steep-and-Deep-Thoughts-by-Jack-Handy

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post #12 of 60
7/9/12 at 11:17pm

Free time, money, and reliable transportation to places with snow. Hopefully they're only a 10-20 minute drive away at the most.

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post #13 of 60
7/10/12 at 7:01am

Define hardcore. Seems like all you need is time, gear, a pass, and cold resistance.

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post #14 of 60
7/10/12 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 

Hardcore = YOU

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post #15 of 60
7/10/12 at 7:44am

above-average duct tape skills

tolerance for frost-lined sleeping bags when required to sleep in unheated vans or snow caves (I guess that falls under cold tolerance)

a "toute neige, tout terrain" skillset and mindset to keep from getting discouraged when it hasn't snowed for a while...

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post #16 of 60
7/10/12 at 8:01am

Like any addiction, skiing cuts across all personality, gender and class lines.  If you are exposed to enough of the good stuff and have an addictive personality you will foresake everything in pursuit of more skiing.  Like all additictions, the more you have the bigger dose it takes to get you off the next time, but in the mean time you'll take anything you can get.   snowfalling.gifdevil.gif

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post #17 of 60
7/10/12 at 8:59am

I figure hard core means me because I'm in NW Montana and I got 83 days in last year.  So...cold resistance, a sense of humor (we've also got fog), common sense (prevents day- or season-wasting trips to the hospital, I should know), and perseverance.  

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post #18 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mudfoot View Post

Like any addiction, skiing cuts across all personality, gender and class lines.  If you are exposed to enough of the good stuff and have an addictive personality you will foresake everything in pursuit of more skiing.  Like all additictions, the more you have the bigger dose it takes to get you off the next time, but in the mean time you'll take anything you can get.   snowfalling.gifdevil.gif

Could genetic be a factor do you think?  spit.gif

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post #19 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:16am
Quote:

Originally Posted by sibhusky View Post
 

I'm in NW Montana...a sense of humor (we've also got fog)...

 

Reminds me of a time when I was visiting a friend in Whitefish and on the first day we were getting ready to ski at Big WMR or whatever it is now.  Getting ready to go out the door I grabbed my sunglasses, and turned around to catch the questioning looks on my friend's face.  Uh, I said, will this be a goggles day?  Response: Every day is a goggles day here.  biggrin.gif  And it was - there were whiteout conditions at least 30% of the day.  I got vertigo/dizzy on the lift.  

 

I think about that on the rare occasions I ski in foggy weather.  

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post #20 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:19am

1) Money

 

2) Time

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post #21 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Lee View Post

Quote:

Originally Posted by sibhusky View Post
 

I'm in NW Montana...a sense of humor (we've also got fog)...

 

Reminds me of a time when I was visiting a friend in Whitefish and on the first day we were getting ready to ski at Big WMR or whatever it is now.  Getting ready to go out the door I grabbed my sunglasses, and turned around to catch the questioning looks on my friend's face.  Uh, I said, will this be a goggles day?  Response: Every day is a goggles day here.  biggrin.gif  And it was - there were whiteout conditions at least 30% of the day.  I got vertigo/dizzy on the lift.  

 

I think about that on the rare occasions I ski in foggy weather.  

As my daughter keeps telling me, you're not supposed to ski with your eyes, you ski with your FEET.  As she takes off at warp speed into the mists....  

 

Unfortunately, since I lack such confidence, my reaction is a bit different and I just avoid the dizzy issue by WHERE I ski.  

 

I have one pair of "sunny day" goggles, they get used maybe three days per season.  

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post #22 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:30am

Hmmm....well hardcore doesn't necessarily mean addiction.  Passion and committment for an activity is not the same as a pattern of maladaptive behavior that is persistent despite negative and/or harmful consequences.  

 

I'm going to shift how I think about this thread for a moment, away from some vague notion of a hardcore skier that skis every day, hucks every cliff and can be seen at ski porn showings this fall.   For the time being, let's accept the premise as Nolo indicated:  we, the Epicski regulars who are still active on this forum in July, are among the hardcore.  It doesn't have to mean skiing 80+ days a year.  To most of my friends I'm hardcore because I got around 40 days; a few people even widened their eyes when I told them that was this year alone, they thought that was a lifetime number. 

 

So I guess the poll asks the question: what are the most important attributes you have that allow you to ski as much as you do?    I know I can't speak for anyone else.   

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post #23 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stranger View Post

Could genetic be a factor do you think?  spit.gif

Some people can gamble, drink, do drugs, or ski and take it or leave it, while others taste a certain thrill and have to have more.  With some of us skiing is the most important driving factor in our lives and dictates the choice of our mate, where we live, our job, and friends.  Why does it happen to some and not others, just like with alcoholics I think being an Altaholic has got to have a genetic component.

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post #24 of 60
7/10/12 at 9:35am

Access and time.

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post #25 of 60
7/10/12 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesiredUsername View Post

Hmmm....well hardcore doesn't necessarily mean addiction.  Passion and committment for an activity is not the same as a pattern of maladaptive behavior that is persistent despite negative and/or harmful consequences.  

 

.... the Epicski regulars who are still active on this forum in July, are among the hardcore.

 

I don't know, is sleeping in your cold truck at the area parking lot to get first chair on a powder day "maladaptive behavior"?  Over the years I have certainly on occassion persisted in my skiing to the detriment of my career and personal life, which has often had "negative and harmful consequences."  You are here discussing skiing in July, what does that say about you?   It does not matter if you call it an "addiction" or a "passion," the first step is to admit you have a problem.

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post #26 of 60
7/10/12 at 11:37am

I think Hardcore isn't a function of ability; rather, it begins with a passion for skiing, continues as a mindset, and culminates in action through perseverance.  You don't need to be a great skiier to be Hardcore, but you'll never be Hardcore if you aren't passionate about skiing.  Confidence is a byproduct of perseverance, acquired through practice........or perhaps born of stupidity on occasion.  Confidence might help you become Hardcore, but passion is the kickstarter.

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post #27 of 60
7/10/12 at 1:18pm

Definitely perserverance if you come from a mining family in the industrial North West of England. An addictive streak helps as well.

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post #28 of 60
7/10/12 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mudfoot View Post

 

I don't know, is sleeping in your cold truck at the area parking lot to get first chair on a powder day "maladaptive behavior"?  Over the years I have certainly on occassion persisted in my skiing to the detriment of my career and personal life, which has often had "negative and harmful consequences."  You are here discussing skiing in July, what does that say about you?   It does not matter if you call it an "addiction" or a "passion," the first step is to admit you have a problem.

 

It's maladaptive behavior if it prevents you from fulfilling other commitments and respnsibilities, or leads to harm to yourself or others if it continues.  Sleeping in a cold truck to get a fresh turns on a powder day is being opportunitistic, provided you're not neglecting a job, family or other responsibilities.  You made a choice, rather than followed an uncontrolled compulsion, so it's not maladaptive.  I'm willing to bet you had a great time in the process.

 

Not only am I here discussing skiing in July, I was skiing in July.  Neither of which interferes with my ability to do my job (as a mental health counselor who often treats addictions as well as chronic mental health issues).   So, no, I don't believe I have a problem, at least not one that I need to admit to right now  smile.gif  

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post #29 of 60
7/11/12 at 1:04am

I would add an additional attribute to the poll.  To be truly hardcore you have to be able to ski in any kind of snow and any conditions - and love it!  blizzards, as well as blue bird days, ice as well as powder, groomers and off-piste... It all is better than being anywhere that requires real work.  Unfortunately i'm one of those who has to work to fund the skiing.

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post #30 of 60
7/11/12 at 6:38am

I went with confidence (most important), common sense and sensory awareness. Being free all winter doesn't hurt either...!

 

Would have added persistence to the poll as well. Not the same thing as perseverence.

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