Ok this is about the progression of skiing versus snowboarding thing. I think what may be the point in which we are equal with snowboarders or past them in progression is when seeing a switch take off or landing in powder is normal instead of say, the last clip of a segment yet all the other jumps are forward takeoffs and landings, in the past 2 years we have seen a big step in backcountry booters, with cork 5's and 9's into powder, and the odd switch cork 7, these are the tricks we want to see, we have seen them a million times on park jumps and it is now a time where the pros need to step up those tricks to the backcountry which they are aware of, this is because every mountain you go to there will be a kid throwing those tricks over tables.
Also spinning onto urban rails on a snowboard is at a stage where it is a normal trick right now, in skiing we don't even really see spins onto urban rails yet.
There are alot of things snowboarders have on us right now but skiing is getting really close, I say in about 2 years we will be equal or ahead of snowboarding if everything goes as well as I imagine. I also think a big part of skiing's progression is making it far into the marketing industry like snowboarding already has done, they have tons of video games, magazines, even toys! You are considered "cool" if you snowboard, yet right now if you freestyle ski you have to earn respect, and you don't start off with it.
About the unnatural thing I totally agree with Lanks...there are alot of shots in movies that are unnatural but it's not exactly the styliest trick yet they get more recognition than if it was the same trick natural but the natural spin or slide was 100 times more stylie...look at snowboarding, they don't even claim unnatural spins.
-Matt Hollman
-Enhanced Media