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What makes you a local? - Page 2

post #31 of 127
3/9/07 at 9:27pm
A local ignores/avoids the tourists on the hill. Lies to them about the stashes. Happily maps out the mountain while gladly showing them all the great groomers. Also, lives there year round and has for quite a while. My next door neighbor has owned his house for 20 years but is only there 2-3 months a year...not a local, never will be. To be a local you have to embrace the real part of the town not the tourist traps. Sure to be a local you make a living off the tourists and treat them with respect (off mountain). You're glad they are there spending their money at your business but really can't wait for it to dump powder because they won't show their faces that day.
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post #32 of 127
3/9/07 at 11:39pm
I’m pretty much passin’ through. Never cared about being a local – the petty politics and worryin’ about other people’s laundry. Don’t much care what anyone owns or drives – can look in yer eye and tell if you’re a “local” at heart… squatter-come-lately or native, it doesn’t matter.

I’m a long way away from my roots in CO, so I’m trespassing where I don’t belong. A tourist by definition. Funny thing though, I speak to more neighbors and greet more people by their first name when I’m at the mountain than I even know at “home”.

My family had a saying … if you weren’t born in Colorado, get the hell out!! I was born there and got out anyway. Not sure I want to go back … too many tourists…
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post #33 of 127
3/10/07 at 4:54am
I hate to say it, but sometimes what defines a "local" can be not so great, when defined by those who aren't.

I'm a local at the Bozeman areas--I ski them a lot and have friends at all three. But I just got back from a week in Colorado where I would, without fail, hear some "local" giving the treatment to people on a crowded gondola who paid a lot just to have a few good days on the mountain. I found most, not all, of these "locals" to be condescending, patronizing, and arrogant when there was no reason to be. But riding in the gondola almost always started some guy on "Yeah, it was epic last week" or "If you have the right skis, it might be OK today" or "It's really crowded today, but should get better by Tuesday. When did you say you were leaving?" Etc. etc. etc. It seemed to have no purpose other than to ruin the day of some midwestern family or something.

I kinda wish there is a pan-local secret sign just to show that you are a local somewhere else and you can see through the guy's false bravado and that he knows you can.

On the other hand, I met some who were generous with their knowledge of the mountain and the town.

Does a certain responsibility to represent your area well come with being a local? SHould it?
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post #34 of 127
3/10/07 at 5:01am
Locals are folks who live in the area, hate tourists but gladly accept their money while working at the local convenience store, then bad mouth them after they leave.
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post #35 of 127
3/10/07 at 5:22am
Rule of thumb:
If you are are contemplating whether or not you are a "local", odds are that you're probably not one!
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post #36 of 127
3/10/07 at 5:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by faber View Post
On the other hand, I met some who were generous with their knowledge of the mountain and the town.

Does a certain responsibility to represent your area well come with being a local? SHould it?
Surfers don't tell or let everybody in their spot, fishermen don't tell anybody where they are catching rad fish, skiers shouldn't be telling every manny moe and jack where all the good stuff is. Big problem with these forums online, and sure I'm part of it, is all the good stuff (backcountry and lift riding) is getting pimped out to everyone because somewhere, someone wants to be awesome with the knowledge of some spot to prove how core they are. If you were core you wouldn't tell everybody where it was. Or care if anybody thought you were core.

If you feel want everyone in the world to start crowding the place you love, then by all means, tell everyone everything. If you want to keep it to yourself until it does, and it will, getting junked up with too many hotels, too many fancy people changing rules, and all the other crap that goes with selling out the soul of the sport, then map out the groomers for all the gapers. That's all they really want.

No friends on a powder, and definately no tour guiding to non locals on a powder day.

And to the idea that lifties knowing you makes you local, non of the people bumpin' chairs around these parts is local, they are all from the southern hemisphere. And no, I'm not being racist or stereotyping. They really are mostly from south america and new zealand/australia.

Making them non local.
Non local recognizing you does not make you local.
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post #37 of 127
3/10/07 at 5:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sphrrt View Post
Rule of thumb:
If you are are contemplating whether or not you are a "local", odds are that you're probably not one!
ding ding ding
we have a winner!
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post #38 of 127
3/10/07 at 5:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sphrrt View Post
Rule of thumb:
If you are are contemplating whether or not you are a "local", odds are that you're probably not one!
Last week I was riding up the chair with a lovely women that mentioned she had a house in one of the high end resorts nearby. That got the 2 kids started that were on the chair on "How crowded it was." The 2 locals were talking about how they never ski weekends and blah blah blah. I said you are today, it was Sunday. Anyway, after I got finished with them since they were 20 and I'd skied this Mt. 32 years the were calling me Sir and have a good day.:-)
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post #39 of 127
3/10/07 at 7:11am
We live 1 hour away. Ski 3+ times a week. Seasons passes for 5 years. Would say I am a local.
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post #40 of 127
3/10/07 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by splitter View Post
Doesn't stand in a line at Cherries for coffee (this one is for truckeelocal, and if you don't know cherries, you better change your name ), has a breakfast named after them at local breakfast spot, and
has an account at town hardware store. Also, owns own snowblower, and has had to fix it at least once.
Joe Coffee guy here (with an account). Had a John Deere snowblower that needed constant fixing - big mistake. Traded out for a Honda.
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post #41 of 127
3/10/07 at 7:33am
Born there. Never moved away, 'cept maybe a few years fer some book-learn'n. Parents born there too, and also never left. Grandparents born there too, and also never left. Otherwise, you are and always will be an outsider.
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post #42 of 127
3/10/07 at 8:01am
I know a family from Antwerp, Belgium. They say they can't really say they are from Antwerp, because the family moved there from some place 30km away...350 years ago.

It is easier at a ski area. I'm not sure of the exact process, but it involves a lot of duct tape.
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post #43 of 127
3/10/07 at 8:36am
A True local owns the resort, hires and fires every workers.
A Tourist owns a store in the resort and pays the rent to the local.
An accidental Tourist just uses the resort for enjoyment.
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post #44 of 127
3/10/07 at 8:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by splitter View Post
. . . none of the people bumpin' chairs around these parts is local, they are all from the southern hemisphere. And no, I'm not being racist or stereotyping. They really are mostly from south america and new zealand/australia.

Making them non local.
Non local recognizing you does not make you local.
So even if you live in the ski town and work everyday at the area you are a "non-local" because you were born in another country? Yeah, that's not racist.
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post #45 of 127
3/10/07 at 8:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by splitter View Post
someone wants to be awesome with the knowledge of some spot to prove how core they are. If you were core you wouldn't tell everybody where it was. Or care if anybody thought you were core.

No friends on a powder, and definately no tour guiding to non locals on a powder day.

.
Geez, We asked an Alta local for some tips once. Her reply: "Can you ski? Do mind hiking a bit? Ok, I'll show you the best"

She was a core local, but also a generous and nice person. Not angry with the world either.
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post #46 of 127
3/10/07 at 9:19am
This is quickly turning into the "What is an Expert" thread. Within two pages we will establish that no one is a 'true local' except Bode Miller and Jamie Pierre.
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post #47 of 127
3/10/07 at 9:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mudfoot View Post
So even if you live in the ski town and work everyday at the area you are a "non-local" because you were born in another country? Yeah, that's not racist.
I think you're confusing racism with xenophobia - niether of which I think splitter is guilty of.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post
Geez, We asked an Alta local for some tips once. Her reply: "Can you ski? Do mind hiking a bit? Ok, I'll show you the best"

She was a core local, but also a generous and nice person. Not angry with the world either.
As long as they can keep up and they don't do obvious gaper moves like cutting low traverses (i.e. - they have a brain and show some level of respect for the mountain and those around them), I have no problem showing people around.

The whole local thing is kinda stupid. Who cares weather or not you meet the criteria of some exclusive clique?
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post #48 of 127
3/10/07 at 9:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry_Morgan View Post
What is the unwritten rule at your local ski area that distinguishes between the locals and the weekenders, tourists, transients and other infringers?
I think you have somewhat answered your own question just by the names. For someone to be a local you must live in that local or location. I don't care how many weekends you have, your not a local. I agree with others that someone here for a season or two from some other country doesn't qualify. Locals live here year round. My daughter was born here. She may qualify.
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post #49 of 127
3/10/07 at 10:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post
.... I'm not sure of the exact process, but it involves a lot of duct tape.
word
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post #50 of 127
3/10/07 at 12:37pm
One must have been conceived inteh town hall park or continue to endure Newby status for decades and BTW "YOUR home is always mantionws in the original builders name never yours until you go to the Great ski Hill in teh SkY

that said at my "local hill --90 minutes distant i know the owners, The SSD and most of the lifties on a first name basis, and they are like old friends . I've been to some of their homes for some toddys

This place is definitiely retro and is set in a Currier and Ives landscape . No party skiers or poseurs here just really good folks who luv to ski and KNOW your name kinda like CHEERS
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post #51 of 127
3/10/07 at 6:55pm
You know you're a local when your ski tech asks for beer instead of money. When they stop charging you altogether for tunes, waxing, mounting and demos, then you've really arrived. Or maybe need to get a life, I'm not sure which.
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post #52 of 127
3/10/07 at 7:08pm
umm you guys are redicoulous noones cares if your "local" or not except well other locals so my answer of "when the others locals accept you, your a local " holds true" this may take weeks months years but there is no min time limit.

Signs off being a local

knowing the mountian
getting ask questions about the place when your not in uniform(do I really look like I live here now?!)
tipping other locals
getting first rate service from shops over other much richer customers
having a bitchin goggle tan
skiing EVERYDAY for a 100 days straight
looking outside your house up into the mountain everyday

blah blah blah as some else said if you have to ask your not
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post #53 of 127
3/11/07 at 7:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TruckeeLocal View Post
Joe Coffee guy here (with an account). Had a John Deere snowblower that needed constant fixing - big mistake. Traded out for a Honda.
The Honda is nice
How about them bacon cheeseburgers at Treat Box
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post #54 of 127
3/11/07 at 7:18am
Well, I'm sure it takes much less to be a local on the east coast or in the midwest ski towns, because, does anybody really want to be a local in one of those ski towns?

(I know, the tongue sticking out one is pretty um, well, it's pink)
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post #55 of 127
3/11/07 at 10:01am
With respect, if you think being accepted into an exclusive “club” of people is the measure of being a local, you’re missing the essence of mountain living.
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post #56 of 127
3/12/07 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mudfoot View Post
So even if you live in the ski town and work everyday at the area you are a "non-local" because you were born in another country? Yeah, that's not racist.
Many of these people live here for 4 months a year, once.

I worked as a park ranger in Denali Alaska 6 months a year for 5 years.

I sure as he*l wasn't a local there. I might have thought I was, but I can promise you they guys growing up down the street in Healy didn't think I was. And they were right.

And racist? I don't even know what to say to this, although I will admit that I put the 'this isn't racist' disclaimer up because I was sure there would be some extra touchy feely types out there that think almost everything everyone says is racist.

I was pointing out that lifties aren't necessarily considered local by many real locals, and knowing the bumpers doesn't make you local.

Once again, being recognized by a non local does not make you local.

Surprised the profile said Durango and not Boulder
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post #57 of 127
3/12/07 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom View Post
This is quickly turning into the "What is an Expert" thread. Within two pages we will establish that no one is a 'true local' except Bode Miller and Jamie Pierre.
Bode Miller is only a local on the ice coast
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post #58 of 127
3/12/07 at 9:34am
If you are a pretty girl you can be a local, or very popular, in no time at all.

If you are a guy it takes much longer.

Most locals I know are very friendly to tourists.

You have to be a complete knob to get off on lording your localness over tourists or recent transplants. I have found that most "locals" who behave like this tend to be transplants themselves.


We have a neighbor who lives in LA and comes up every so often to enjoy the mountains. We all keep an eye on his house and treat him with respect. No one really cares where he is from or how much time he spends here. It helps that he loves it up here so much and he is friendly. The only down side is when he purchased the home we were all hoping another family would move in with some kids.

Although I do get annoyed by the folks in the massive homes, with the massive bank accounts, who create their own separate community.
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post #59 of 127
3/12/07 at 1:01pm
I think that the whole question of "who is or is not a local" is only important in destination ski resorts. I consider myself a local at Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass, but I live 45 minutes away in Seattle. There's not really a town at Snoqualmie Pass. There are two modest condominium buildings, a motel 6 style hotel, and some cabins. A few "Luxury" cabins have been mushrooming up lately. However, Snoqualmie Pass isn't the sort of ski area you plan a vacation for. You just throw your skis on your Subaru and chug up to the mountain.

Almost everyone there is local. In fact, the only people who aren't local are the lifties. They mostly come from Ganjaland. Which may or may not be in the southern hemisphere.
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post #60 of 127
3/12/07 at 1:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdstarr View Post
I think that the whole question of "who is or is not a local" is only important in destination ski resorts.
Exactly.

It's a pretty-well meaningless term in parts of the country which aren't destination resorts.

Strangely enough, I don't think anybody misses it.
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