If you’d ever like to repost on Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com, we’d love to have you. Still lacking a blogger on skiing.

Keep up the good work!

Hi Matt,

You picked up on something I wrote last year, again, it was some KJ action at some ski resort in Utah Ski Patrollers with a radar gun and cracking on riders going too fast.

There are a ton of forces all pushing the small time owners out of the business and cause big time corporate takeover of ski resorts, however, to go into that more deeply would bring in discussions I decidedly do not want here.

Most of the ski resorts I ski at are small time but even here we see resort ownership consolidation occurring. Blackjack was a family owned establishment, but for reasons not known to myself they got out of the business. Another resort ownership group (that owns Nordic Mountain) picked up Blackjack and operates the place now. Not big time corporate but consolidation none-the-less.

Most of the resorts around here have their own flavor and are not yet corporate homogenous. I don’t suspect they ever will, as they are not real big (even the ones in Big Snow Country).

I hang out at Ski Brule after the day and there is a party atmosphere, people hanging out sharing pitchers, watching some NCAA hoops, or NFL football, etc. We hang out and chat with the regulars have a few beers, and head home and then either cook some dinner or hit a local supper club.

I hear you on the first paragraph. The weather around here has been lame and even up North they are getting the snow & cold we need.

Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting here!
Mark

I definitely wanted to mention the corporate aspect that takes a freewheeling, rowdy sport and transforms it into a bland, soulless family activity enjoyed by the masses (not just skiing, either – bungee jumping, kayaking, mountain biking, even sky diving have been adopted and corporatized in recent years).

I don’t know. Part of me yearns to go back and experience the freewheeling 70s and 80s, but part of me appreciates the improvements that come with the age of the mega-resort (better food, grooming and – especially this year – snowmaking).

I’m definitely not going to stop skiing and switch to the next “rebel” sport (Red Bull Crushed Ice?) before “the man” makes it uncool. I’m just going to try to make each day as fun as the days that it sounds like you have. Thanks again for checking out my silly little blog.