Old Schoolers,

RKF

RKF

Active member
Old and new members,

I have hardly been present in this community for a number of years but I did realize recently that I have been a member for slightly more than 20 years. yeah. that sucks when you realize that! (comes with free glasses and hip surgery), not to mention the baldness!

I was however going to do some writing about the progression of the sport after I spent an evening watching some of my favourites like: propaganda (pbp). ski movie 3, the front line (msp). royalty (iberg). and it occurred to me that when i joined this site as a spry 13 year old, that this type of skiing really was "new school". now it just is. when I joined I had to argue with snowboarders on the hill that skiers could do more grabs because we had twice the edges. now that doesn't happen. If a snowboarder is ancient and says skiers cant do something its not even worth bringing it up, its a write off, you just ski away and do something way sicker. the movement is so strong it defends itself. So I want to know when a movement stops being a movement. when does the teeter tip to being a norm? Obviously the sport will always progress, but I mean for the average person that is still a dedicated skier... those that maybe almost did a double one time into a foam pit but still get scared to do a 5 on snow. Or the ones that raced a while till they hated the rukes and got into park skiing and realized that there are now just as many rules (thanks FIS!)...I am just looking to collect info for an essay that I may or may not publish. I welcome all thoughts and perspectives. I look back on the days when this site started and Matt Harvey was living in Ottawa and asking all the time for donations to keep this site going, Chris O'C took over, that was a big move, many of you don't even know who the hell I am talking about. Maybe I should reach out to them and write a history of this site! But in reality I really just want to find a way to document this change in the sport we love. I just find after so many years its amazing where we as skiers have progressed, and I think it would be an injustice to the ones who paved the way on NS and at their own little local hills to not write something down. Give me what you got.

Have at it NS!
 
14483572:PimpChimpin said:
Too much old heads on this website
Click to expand...

This is off to an incredible start. It’s nice to see the stupidity of youth is still strong on the ski community.

keep it going.
 
14483577:RKF said:
This is off to an incredible start. It’s nice to see the stupidity of youth is still strong on the ski community.

keep it going.
Click to expand...

Can't expect much from 18-21 year olds honestly. Keep in mind these kids are gonna run our country one day lol damn
 
14483577:RKF said:
This is off to an incredible start. It’s nice to see the stupidity of youth is still strong on the ski community.

keep it going.
Click to expand...

Best part is i would guess half the active users on this site are over 20, but we all still act like 13 year olds.
 
I’d say it stopped being a movement when freestyle skiing became mainstream. Pretty much 2007-2011 was the sweet spot when we arrived in my opinion.

There was so much money and things going on at that time. The XGames Super Pipe Tanner Hall vs. Dumont Era. All the new double flips and double corks being invented. Oakley crowbars were a huge hit, you could fully customize the color and pattern of every individual piece on their website. They put so much money into their goggle builder website but eventually pulled the plug. Salomon made park skis back then too. The G-Suit, Magic Suit, Saga, Jibberish and Level 1 clothing collabs. Jon Olsson Super Sessions, Rails to Riches, Gatorade Free Flow Tour, Salomon Jib Academy, Dumont Cup are all gone because sponsors pulled the plug after skiing peaked. We made our arrival and it was over pretty quick.

**This post was edited on Nov 25th 2022 at 9:40:50pm
 
14483589:STEEZUS_CHRI5T said:
I’d say it stopped being a movement when freestyle skiing became mainstream. Pretty much 2007-2011 was the sweet spot when we arrived in my opinion.

There was so much money and things going on at that time. The XGames Super Pipe Tanner Hall vs. Dumont Era. All the new double flips and double corks being invented. Oakley crowbars were a huge hit, you could fully customize the color and pattern on their website before they pulled the plug. Salomon made park skis back then too. The G-Suit, Magic Suit, Saga, Jibberish and Level 1 clothing collabs. Jon Olsson Super Sessions, Rails to Riches, Gatorade Free Flow Tour, Salomon Jib Academy, Dumont Cup are all gone because sponsors pulled the plug after skiing peaked. We made our arrival and it was over pretty quick.
Click to expand...

I would be inclined to concur. I am looking for all the input from the whole community though to really capture it all. So you as a mature and intelligent human have contributed but I also want the moronic teenaged kids to talk. I want a full picture of what skiings online comminity

has become.
 
the downfall of ski films and the film skier, the downfall of grassroots events (/events overall??)

the growth of private coaching, legitimization of freestyle skiing as some sort of sport

other industries balance inner culture and mainstream culture but freestyle skiing has always had trouble doing so IMO
 
NS today is basically 20-30 people trolling each other for the most part. Instagram has more or less taken over ski media aside from a few crews throwing down independent ski films like Child Labor etc. I would say Child Labor is probably the closest thing we have to STEPT today. MSP and WME are cringy commercial garbage so core skiing has really moved to street skiing IMO. The swerve factor is toning down and most of the edits this season had a pretty chill mid 2000s vibe. There is actually a pretty big divide between amateur content and mainstream productions but there is a lot of really good stuff out right now on the AM side.

There are also a lot more independent ski manufacturers and some pros are starting to make their own companies with mixed success. 4FRNT was revamped and is pretty successful now which is dope. I have posted 5 paragraph essays on all this before so I may have to dig them up. Basically the phases were:

Late 1990s- Warren Miller films and early days of NS

Early 2000s- PHP and Matchstick started throwing down with films like Propaganda and Yearbook

Mid 2000s- PHP ramping up production quality and new Athlete set coming in like Sammy, Charley Ager etc

Late 2000s- Annual films a norm from WME, PHP and Matchstick. STEPT started becoming more popular.

Early 2010s- PHP and STEPT ended their run. Crews like TheHoodCrew kind of picked up the torch.

Mid 2010s- THC kind of stopped and other armature crews started becoming popular. Sweve skiing becomes a thing.

Late 2010s- Similar pattern to mid 2010s but more focus on Instagram shots for a lot of Athletes. Swerve skiing chills out.

Hit me up if you want more info. I have been involved in 'Newschool' skiing since the beginning.
 
Stopped being a movement when parents started asking what place their kid got in small local railjams. Idk lady, we picked top 3, your kid is somewhere after that. The whole organized comp thing, Usasa/fis was when it stopped being a movement. Not saying they ruined the sport it just changed it, imo. Freestyle academies didn't really exist yet, kids were becoming pro from all over, random small mountains even. Still see this in street skiing, love seeing regional crews put out edits/movies. The money isnt really there so it just seems more pure and genuine. Idk maybe I just got older and don't follow who is who anymore so not as intune to skiing as I was between 2007 to 2015

One thing that does seem like it is making a comeback is comp skiers putting out movie parts or mini projects and I love it.
 
Shit, I dont even know how to say this…skiing is more than skiing… Passed down through generations, and entire cultures. Initially as a way to survive in snowy climates, but morphing into a way to express life, and to live it to the fullest.

Obviously these days for some, it’s is just a stupid vacation activity to spend $ on. But Besides the few tiny cultures that actually use it for survival ( and a way to enjoy life), I like to think of the “new schoolers” culture as a crowd who embrace skiing as a way of life, and to carry on the torch of what it really means to be a skier. To embrace life and live it to the fullest. To ski for the enjoyment, not the reward. Ski life itself is the reward. Fuck it, I dunno. Do you guys/girls love this shit or not?
 
It stopped being a movement when I noticed I was no longer one of only two (if not the only) skiers in the park. Nowadays, I’d argue there are more skiers than snowboarders in the park. I can, also, remember how limited the options for equipment was and how directional the skis were. I look back on my dad’s first gen Atomic Tweaks (I had the jr - which was definitely NOT a twin tip in anyway) and the shovel was the width of what I ski underfoot now.

Its crazy how much it changed. There’s no longer the feeling of “oh yeah you’re one of us” because everyone else is on skis now too.
 
From my perspective of getting into park skiing in like 2016-2017 and skiing mostly at resorts in Canada it honestly still feels like park skiing is still pretty small. Sure on Ns or Instagram I’ll see tons of other people doing crazy tricks and skiing park. But actually being at a hill in person there’s max 5 people actually doing tricks in the park.

now this could also just be because I mostly ski at norquay (a small resort outside of Banff), but it feels as if park skiing is a very small sport and that’s why I think less money and attention is being put into it. For example canceling real ski.

Idk how small ns used to be but I will say if def feels niche now.
 
I am an old head, been skiing since the early 80's and have seen many changes. I will say one of the biggest influences(besides the twin tip ski) for skiing I can say is this website and any social media page. I was stubborn for many years and didnt jump onto any social media until around 2018... found NS in 2019 due to an injury so I dont have any room to talk but information, fads, in-things travel so much faster these days. Like [tag=273152]@BradFiAusNzCoCa[/tag] stated above, its gone from 1-2 of you in the liftline/park with twin tips to now everyone has them. I am happy skiing is always changing and I am glad to witness these changes. I just kick myself for not getting on board with NS years ago.
 
The balding part is dope. im not even 18 and I'm balding. I have a long head so If I don't have enough money for a hair transplant I'm just gonna kill myself.
 
Trust me. Just shave it dude. You’ll save yourself years of anguish, it’s obviously something you’re thinking about since you’ve been posting about it

14483687:IHatePedophiles said:
The balding part is dope. im not even 18 and I'm balding. I have a long head so If I don't have enough money for a hair transplant I'm just gonna kill myself.
Click to expand...
 
14483589:STEEZUS_CHRI5T said:
I’d say it stopped being a movement when freestyle skiing became mainstream. Pretty much 2007-2011 was the sweet spot when we arrived in my opinion.

There was so much money and things going on at that time. The XGames Super Pipe Tanner Hall vs. Dumont Era. All the new double flips and double corks being invented. Oakley crowbars were a huge hit, you could fully customize the color and pattern of every individual piece on their website. They put so much money into their goggle builder website but eventually pulled the plug. Salomon made park skis back then too. The G-Suit, Magic Suit, Saga, Jibberish and Level 1 clothing collabs. Jon Olsson Super Sessions, Rails to Riches, Gatorade Free Flow Tour, Salomon Jib Academy, Dumont Cup are all gone because sponsors pulled the plug after skiing peaked. We made our arrival and it was over pretty quick.

**This post was edited on Nov 25th 2022 at 9:40:50pm
Click to expand...

Between this and blading I’m used to getting a couple years of salad days and then “People still do that?” about my hobbies for the rest of my life.
 
From what I can tell, park skiing as you knew it was more of a definitive group where everyone was more or less the same in the sense that the tricks were similar, the styles were similar, everyone kind of shared the same goals. (Correct me if Im wrong on that). But nowadays, park skiing has branched into so many subgenres that its insanely diverse. Theres the "gangster" skiers, the artsy skiers, the traditional skiers, the weird skiers, the skiers that spin less and go big, the skiers that spin fast and go slow, etc. Theres literally so many different approaches to the sport that some of these different subgenres are almost totally different sports in of themselves. If I wanted to state all if the different ways you can ride the park it would probs take up the whole thread lol. The only issue with this is that the unity that you once had has kind of broken up a little bit. I joined NS in 2014 and when I first joined, everyone liked and shit on the same things and now theres more debating and hot takes because everyone has a different idea on how they think skiing is the most sick.

Also idk if it was like this before or not but skiing is so fucking PC and over-friendly now it pisses me off. You can't say anything remotely negative without ppl calling you a hater and assuming you dislike the entirety of the person instead of just the one thing ur calling out
 
14483710:BLandz said:
Also idk if it was like this before or not but skiing is so fucking PC and over-friendly now it pisses me off. You can't say anything remotely negative without ppl calling you a hater and assuming you dislike the entirety of the person instead of just the one thing ur calling out
Click to expand...

Because parks are now filled with swervy granola pansies wearing neck tubes as hats.

**This post was edited on Nov 26th 2022 at 9:36:16am
 
OP I’m only 19, so my perspective is a college student who pays for skiing on my own dime. I wasn’t around as much for the old days, but to me, the “new school” is much popular than it used to be. The swerve style was the “new new school” for a while but seems to be dying out. It all boils down to trends. Skiing is forever and different types and styles will ebb and flow. But I can say Newschoolers and influencers in this style of skiing have certainly changed skiing forever
 
Skiing is in a golden era rn, the money is shit and the only people making any sort of content do it out of passion, as a result we get so many sick street cuts and amateur backcountry parts. Imagine this OP, there are entire ski movies coming out that have NO SPONSORS AT ALL. That to me is a type of golden age. It sucks that people don’t get paid but it’s sick that literally everyone is filming these days and probably 500x the skiers are in the street than the 1990s and 2000s, maybe even 2010s
 
Here since 03. First profile banned. This one since 04. I'm still skiing. Got away from park for a while and now getting back into it. I have a much better mindset towards doing tricks and the ability to break it down into steps and figure it out. My body is not nearly tough as it used to be. Never stopped skiing thou. Got into teaching. Became a better fundamental skier. But never stopped making the MTN my playground. The one thing I miss is my old crew of skiers. They all stopped got too old too fast. And I'm still putting my boots on and going for it
 
It’s stopped being a movement at a couple different points for me but they right around the same time so I’ll just lump together.

when skiiers who had picked up snowboarding in the park switched back to skiing for park full time. I haven’t been on here nearly as long as you (really just lurked for years and went through a couple accounts) but I definitely remember still grabbing a board for the park a good bit until around 2012/13 ish when I made the full jump back to skis and got some line anthems and they were more fun than any board I’d ridden. Maybe that’s just me thinking that once people jump on the bandwagon it’s over but oh well. Around the same time is I think when companies started including park as a focus in all mountain skis. At that point I feel like when park skiing is part of all mountain skiing its been accepted as part of the greater ski culture in some aspect.
 
14483679:oldmanski said:
I am an old head, been skiing since the early 80's and have seen many changes. I will say one of the biggest influences(besides the twin tip ski) for skiing I can say is this website and any social media page. I was stubborn for many years and didnt jump onto any social media until around 2018... found NS in 2019 due to an injury so I dont have any room to talk but information, fads, in-things travel so much faster these days. Like [tag=273152]@BradFiAusNzCoCa[/tag] stated above, its gone from 1-2 of you in the liftline/park with twin tips to now everyone has them. I am happy skiing is always changing and I am glad to witness these changes. I just kick myself for not getting on board with NS years ago.
Click to expand...

I had a pair of Salomon Pocket Rockets in 03-04.

I loved the attention they got. I had someone almost always ask about them in the lift line.
 
14483604:TOAST. said:
Stopped being a movement when parents started asking what place their kid got in small local railjams. Idk lady, we picked top 3, your kid is somewhere after that. The whole organized comp thing, Usasa/fis was when it stopped being a movement. Not saying they ruined the sport it just changed it, imo. Freestyle academies didn't really exist yet, kids were becoming pro from all over, random small mountains even. Still see this in street skiing, love seeing regional crews put out edits/movies. The money isnt really there so it just seems more pure and genuine. Idk maybe I just got older and don't follow who is who anymore so not as intune to skiing as I was between 2007 to 2015

One thing that does seem like it is making a comeback is comp skiers putting out movie parts or mini projects and I love it.
Click to expand...

At one point I thought I too was out of touch but then I remember when we were growing up when there were like 4 movies coming out each fall and then the x games tour with like 20 dudes, and dew tour, and there was overlap between all of those. It was literally just easy to follow, there were maybe 50 dudes at a time producing worthwhile content.

Nowadays there are 4 movies dropping every week, from September to December practically, and every single one is good. Its just a LOT to keep up with, luckily this site makes it somewhat easier, but my friends and I wrote down every skier we knew on pieces of paper and it totaled to roughly 500, sports huge and everyone’s good lol
 
I think a history of the site published would be a great way to start digesting what your trying to write about anyway. Would love to read it.
 
Here since 2006, back in my day the old park guys were the glen plake hotdog crews...

we had like 4 twin tip models back then, and everyone was rocking line invaders.
 
14484783:first_rodeo said:
Here since 2006, back in my day the old park guys were the glen plake hotdog crews...

we had like 4 twin tip models back then, and everyone was rocking line invaders.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're fucking lying.
 
14483603:SuspiciousFish said:
Late 1990s- Warren Miller films and early days of NS

Early 2000s- PHP and Matchstick started throwing down with films like Propaganda and Yearbook

Mid 2000s- PHP ramping up production quality and new Athlete set coming in like Sammy, Charley Ager etc

Late 2000s- Annual films a norm from WME, PHP and Matchstick. STEPT started becoming more popular.

Early 2010s- PHP and STEPT ended their run. Crews like TheHoodCrew kind of picked up the torch.

Mid 2010s- THC kind of stopped and other armature crews started becoming popular. Sweve skiing becomes a thing.

Late 2010s- Similar pattern to mid 2010s but more focus on Instagram shots for a lot of Athletes. Swerve skiing chills out.
Click to expand...

PHP? Also how do you not mention Level 1?
 
14484798:danbrown said:
PHP? Also how do you not mention Level 1?
Click to expand...

I kind of threw the post together so def a few typos and not comprehensive for sure. Level 1 is legit, Long Story Short is still one of my favorite classics.
 
14484174:Dilldoes said:
I had a pair of Salomon Pocket Rockets in 03-04.

I loved the attention they got. I had someone almost always ask about them in the lift line.
Click to expand...

Hell yeah man, I still have my old setup in my basement. Someday I might remount them and screw around on the hill for fun. They are basically falling apart though so Ill have to be careful.

1056514.jpeg
 
14484859:SuspiciousFish said:
Hell yeah man, I still have my old setup in my basement. Someday I might remount them and screw around on the hill for fun. They are basically falling apart though so Ill have to be careful.

View attachment 1056514
Click to expand...

Mine died at Wolf Creek in 2011 sadly.

Massive core shot to the left one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top