ah... people
people suck!
so I was at Ski Liberty last weekend with my family
when taking a few runs on the snowboard with my ten year old son Dean on planks and Dad on board
there was a moment where we had three and in need of a SINGLE to fill the SUPER QUAD
always best not to waste a chair
I hate when people waste a chair
I want more runs... and if people are wasting chairs... that is more waiting
I hate waiting
the lift op sent this guy forward
he hesitated... I invited him along
so...
I am on the chair
there is this guy next to me
he starts in on this "why do you snowboard?"
and then there is this weird time warp where he starts in on the whole early 90's Skier vs. Snowboarders thing
it was not even funny
I had to ask him if he was real or if I was being punked
he kept going on
even after I managed to change the subject
he reverted back
I asked him if he was going to call me a knuckle dragger
he went on and went on
all that stuff about the way that the snowboard ruins the mountain
how if I wanted to surf I should go to the beach
well...
I never argued... because I know about the trajectory of the ski and the trajectory of th
e snowboard
how bumps are a skiers line and not a snowboarders line
so I made not argument as I knew he was not listening to any rebutal
instead I fed him the thought that snowboarding saved skiing
the sport of skiing was all Charlies Angels
and not the Cameron Diaz- Drew Barrymore version either
we are talking ski bunny Farrah and ski bunny Kate Jackson
snowboarding revived the sport of skiing
showing them a different way to interact with the mountain
snowboarding with its skateboard and surf roots had its own set of tricks
letting the skier know that there is more to be done then back scratchers and helicopters
but he did not listen... people rarely listen... I am not doctor... but I do not think assholes have ears
he kept going on
on and on
so much I would have liked to push him off the chair
but alas no... I am a civilized man in a civilized world
and there was no snow under the chair.... just rocks and dirt
so I worked to change the subject again
what a jerk!
he thought he was cool
he thought he was opening my eyes
this guy was stuck in his HOT TUBE TIME MACHINE!
off the chair my son asked me if I had enjoyed my conversation with that guy
I laughed and said no
then told him that I learned something
don't be that guy
I try not to be that guy
that guy sucks
in hindsight.... this guy sitting next time on the chair lift was like David Duke sitting next to Rosa Parks on the bus
only after the chair ride did I understand his hesitation
what an asshole.