Comments on: Wait for winter or make the snow?

By: A look back at my 2010-2011 season – Shayboarder.com

A look back at my 2010-2011 season – Shayboarder.com — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:44:09 +0000

[…] Snowmaking: Do it or wait for mother nature. I’ve enjoyed the resorts that make sure winter arrives when it might be delayed. But it was a good discussion to hear everyone else’s opinions. […]

By: Shay

Shay — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:45:18 +0000

Definitely a mix of thoughts on it. Great for everyone’s comments and input!

Todd, thanks for asking. It’s good, really liking it and getting settled with it. I am the copywriter in the marketing department so being able to write is my job. I usually don’t talk about jobs since I like to keep them. All the stuff you see on shayboarder.com is done in the evenings in my free time and basically my hobby.

By: Dianna

Dianna — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:48:27 +0000

Ride the WROD, you bet. Last year was my first season ever and I am HOOKED! As far as snow making goes I like to look at the big picture. Yes it uses lots of water but in most cases most of it returns to the source or the water table. Yes it uses lots of energy but it also kick starts the economy of entire communities and longer employment opportunities. Mountain High is my home resort and as a So Cal. resort depends on snow making. I 4track when I ski and 3 track when I board and while man made groomers are great I love the float of a board on fresh pow. I am 49 yrs old and when I board I like to park also. No rails, but jumps and slide boxs and the like. Happy shedding, Dianna

By: Keither

Keither — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:13:18 +0000

Whoa that ended up being really long, sorry.

By: Keither

Keither — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:12:02 +0000

Snowmaking is the bombizzle. Riding mostly in Quebec (I live in Ottawa), it usually takes until Christmas for anything more than a couple inches to fall from the sky. Mont St. Sauveur (home of the Shakedown) opens well before any other resort in the area (Oct. 19th last year) due to their snowmaking. Not only does this provide early season awesomeness and bro-downs, it makes the season last longer. While most of the other ski hills close the last week of March, Sauveur has been known to close the SECOND WEEK OF MAY! So I say YAY for snowmaking because it makes my season last almost 7 months instead of 4. On top of that, I’m getting knee surgery in a week (finally getting that ACL fixed) and if it wasn’t for snowmaking, I wouldn’t even have a season this year. But thank you Mont St. Sauveur for giving me hope that I will get to ride this year. They may open next week, and will definately be there for me in four months when I strap in with my new knee. Though, I was lucky enough to ride the glaciers in Austria and Switzerland this summer, so I shouldn’t complain about not riding this year 😉 Regardless, you REALLY have to love snowboarding to drive 2 hours to ride one trail of WROD, 30 feet wide. Anybody who says NAY to snowmaking it’s because they’re in the weekend warrior crowd who only goes out 5 times a year and only when there’s a foot of fresh.
Me, I’m 28 years old and would ride the WROD with all the stoked out teenie boppers for the rest of my life if I had to. As long as I am snowboarding.

By: lisevolution

lisevolution — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:11:47 +0000

Growing up and living in NY I’m so desensitized to riding man made snow that its really what I’m used to for most of the season. That said I definitely do understand the ecological concerns people have with it, but without I wouldn’t be riding so…

By: PILmo

PILmo — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:04:22 +0000

I’m against snow making as it uses a ridiculous amount of water and energy. I think it would be better to wait on Mother Nature to decide on which resort opens first every season – more like a lotto!

By: Rodney Alan

Rodney Alan — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:38:27 +0000

I’m glad that Mammoth has the ability to make snow. Without it I’m sure the this year’s opening would occur in December. I’d ride the WROD.

By: Todd-O

Todd-O — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:06:09 +0000

Snow making = thumbs up. I live in Buffalo so for us too, if we didn’t have snowmaking the season would be maybe, two months long.

Shay, hows the job? You really haven’t talked much about it and I’m really interested. What are you doing there? What are your days like?

By: Ethan W.

Ethan W. — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:55:42 +0000

That’s a funny question because I live in Boone, NC, where Appalachian State is, and if it weren’t for snowguns we probably wouldn’t have a season. Maybe like a month long season. So for me, snowmaking is like a grace of God.