Alta, Deer Valley, Mad River Glen: these are names that don’t mean much outside of the winter sports community, yet these are names that make the blood of some snowboarders boil. These are the only resorts left in the country where those who choose to head down the hill standing sideways are unable to throw down for a lift ticket. Taos Ski Valley, formerly the fourth name on the list of skiers-only havens, recently decided to open to riders this March., according to its Web site.
The change in policy has fueled the fire of Burton Snowboards’ “Sabotage Stupidity” movement. It has also upped the ante for local area Mad River Glen to stick to their skiers-only roots. On Dec. 15, a group of about 40 snowboarders hiked Mad River early in the morning to snowboard down during a dedication ceremony for the area’s single chair lift.
“The Ten Commandments of Poaching”
“Poaching” refers to snowboarders who ride against the rules at skiers-only mountains. Burton is currently sponsoring a campaign which encourages riders to take a stand against these resorts. The riders “caught everyone off-guard with positivity and politeness,” according to Burton's Web site.
“Protests like this draw attention to snowboarding,” says Nate Bosshard, who works in marketing at Burton’s Burlington headquarters and is involved in the poaching project. “Many people don’t even realize there are still resorts that ban it.”
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Local riders like Greg Robitaille of Williston are taking to skiers-only mountains with encouragement from Burton in the hopes of being allowed legal lift tickets. (Photo courtesy of Greg Robitaille) |
While poaching is not encouraged by the ski area, it’s not anything new, Mad River Glen marketing director Eric Friedman says.
“We appreciated the free PR. We couldn’t have bought that if we wanted to,” he says. “It was awesome.”
The snowboarders’ peaceful protest impressed those who were present, he says.
“Ninety-seven percent of them are really decent and respectful,” Friedman says of the poachers he sees at Mad River.
The response from Mad River was positive from Burton’s point of view, Bosshard says.
“We were respectful and not obnoxious," he says. "I spoke to a lot of people at the mountain and they thought we were very professional about the whole thing.”
Both Bosshard and Friedman say it’s not often that the law gets involved in poaching, and there are rarely major consequences.
“We’re really adamant about following the rules,” Bosshard says. “If people stick to the rules we’ve laid out, they should be okay.”
“The Ten Commandments of Poaching,” as detailed on the Burton poachers Web site, include purchasing a lift ticket and being respectful. Riders are also advised, “ass out, knees bent in the moguls,” as terrain with a lot of moguls, which Mad River is famous for, can be difficult to navigate on a snowboard.
In addition to sponsoring events such as the recent Mad River protest, Burton is also offering a $5,000 prize for the best video of a poach at each of the skiers-only resorts in the country. The contest has been successful so far, Bosshard says.
“The UVM club just did one, and there are many more in the mail,” he says. “People are taking it seriously and taking the time to make their videos as professional as possible.”
Friedman has seen a small increase in the number of poachers at Mad River this year, probably due to Burton’s efforts, he says.
Bosshard stressed that while riders are serious about trying to implement change, it’s also a light-hearted endeavor.
“People who don’t understand snowboarding don’t get that a lot of the things we say are half-serious,” Bosshard says. “It’s all kind of tongue-in-cheek.”
“Put your money where your mouth is”
This isn’t the first time Burton has sponsored an initiative of this kind, Bosshard says. Around the time of the 2000 Olympics, a campaign called “Open Minds, Open Mountains” called out big resorts such as Aspen and Park City, which at that time still weren’t open to snowboarding. The progression of the sport in the past decade calls for more action, he says.
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Will Hemmingway of Hinesburg throws down at Bolton Valley. Over the past two decades, snowboarding has become an important of Vermont culture. (Photo courtesy of Mike McDonald) |
“Shaun White is now more well-known than most professional basketball players,” he says. “It’s time for a more aggressive stance against [skiers-only resorts]. This isn't about snowboarding versus skiing, it‘s about snowboarders against resorts that don‘t allow us.”
Mad River Glen is different than the majority of other resorts because of the fact that the ski area is a co-operative and is owned by shareholders, Friedman says. Any change in the policy of Mad River would have to come from the shareholders.
“Mad River is very steeped in tradition,” he says. “Snowboarders just haven’t been here, it isn’t an issue that’s been talked about much.”
“I think it’s great that a company like Burton is encouraging people to take a stand,” says Anya Brodrick, a UVM junior and Burlington resident.
Brodrick, who learned to snowboard in high school, has become much more involved in the sport since beginning college. She would probably ride Mad River if given the chance, she says. However, she notes that the terrain at Mad River is not as attractive to snowboarders.
“I might be a little worried about all the moguls,” she says.
Brodrick has a Triple Major pass, which allows college students in Vermont access to Bolton Valley, Jay Peak and Mad River for a low price. She is content with what Bolton and Jay have to offer and doesn‘t feel slighted by her lack of access to Mad River, she says.
“I would think about poaching it if it were in a group like they did in December,” she says. “I snowboard mostly with other snowboarders, but I think it’s important to have the two sports mix.”
Chelsea Hendrickson lives in Shelburne and has been skiing since she was a small child. Hendrickson skis a variety of area mountains and has been to Mad River but doesn’t feel strongly that it should remain skiers-only.
“I can see why many people like it the way it is,” she says, “It’s pretty unique. But I really don’t think having snowboarders would be a problem or ruin that.”
Hendrickson notes that there are plenty of other places for people to ride in Vermont, but she understands the reasoning behind Burton’s campaign, she says.
“I think it’s good that they’re taking action,” Hendrickson says. “It’s kind of funny. They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do.”
“I find it ironic because this is a huge corporation, with Jake Burton [Carpenter] doing American Express commercials and everything,” Friedman says. “They‘re trying to stay edgy and relevant. They’re thumbing their nose at ‘the man’ when they are the man. We‘re this little ski area in a tough industry. Getting picked on by the big guy is kind of comical.”
Bosshard stresses that the campaign is about the idea of integration and equality.
“There are no riders-only mountains, and there are no plans for one,” he says. “That would be sinking to their level, that would make us hypocrites. The goal is to not have things be exclusive. We want free choice for everybody.”
“You can have ‘em”
Taos Ski Valley, a New Mexico resort that has been skiers-only, will start selling lift tickets to snowboarders in mid-March, according to its Web site. This cuts the number of skiers-only resorts from four to three.
“I was joking last year with a friend who works there about the possibility of them opening to snowboarders, and he said ‘it will be sooner than you think,’ so I knew it was coming,” Friedman says. “Our main reaction is you can have ‘em.”
The news is encouraging for riders and for the campaign, Bosshard says.
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Riders are face-planting when it comes to getting Mad River to budge. The resort has taken a hard line in favor of their share holders. (Photo courtesy of Greg Robitaille) |
“We’re excited,” he says. “It’s a victory for snowboarding and a good thing for all snowboarders.”
“It was definitely a good move on their part,” Brodrick says. “There are so few mountains that don’t allow snowboarding, I don’t know why the rule should still exist anywhere. It seems outrageously unfair.”
While Mad River doesn’t plan to follow suit any time soon, the change in policy at Taos is still affecting local skiers, Friedman says.
“I think there is some disappointment among our skiers,” he says. “We have a very close relationship with some of the mountains like Taos, and it’s possible that some people won’t go out there to ski anymore.”
Mad River has not been swayed by the potential financial benefits of inviting riders onto its trails, Friedman says. He also points out that snowboarders have always had the option of buying Mad River Glen shares of their own.
“Snowboarders had the chance to be here back in ‘95,” he says. “We were severely threatened, and they didn’t step up to the plate. If they’re serious about it they should buy a share, put your money where your mouth is. Jake [Burton Carpenter] could come buy a share. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Hendrickson isn’t upset by the change at Taos, she says. She skis with both skiers and snowboarders, and would rather be at a place that accommodates both.
“It’s a positive change I think,” Hendrickson says. “It shows that the industry is changing.”
Friedman attributes the change at Taos to finances, he says.
“It’s a different economic reality for them, and I understand what they’re up against,” Friedman says. “We’re so fortunate with the amount of great skiing we have in this area. I’ve heard of snowboarders showing up at Taos on vacation and being turned away. Here, we aren’t making or breaking someone’s trip.”
Earlier in the season, a group of junior high snowboarders asked to interview Friedman for a poaching video. When asked if he was concerned for the future because of the number of people who are becoming snowboarders, he brought them to a window and showed them the large number of young families with small children learning to ski outside, he says.
“Of course there are concerns about the future, but it’s going to be best secured by being true to who we are and sticking to our strengths. We‘re not for everybody and we don‘t try to be,” Friedman says. “The policy will change when the shareholders want it to.”