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Ski terminology that bugs you...

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Two for me. One is 'resort'. It conjures up an image of a tacky tourist enclave, Butlins in Benidorm. I can just about grasp the term when used for the likes of purpose-built ski areas which have no other function than tourism, e.g. Obertauern, but many are locations where a settlement existed long before skiing. Normal towns and villages where people live and work, not only in the tourism industry. I do not live in a ski resort, I live in a small town in the Austrian mountains which happens to have skiing in winter.

The other is 'ride/riding'. Skis are not a horse, nor a bike. I can vaguely accept the term in relation to snowboarding, although it still bugs me.

Any others? It must be summer, boredom has set in...
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Freerider/Freeriding
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Layne, definitely. That suggests to me that someone has stolen a bicycle. Toofy Grin
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@queenie pretty please, +1. I live in a village (a little above) with residents not a resort, sometimes I'm quite relieved when things go 'back to normal' at the end of the season.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Clothing described as if you're varnishing a table...

Base Layer
Mid Layer
Hard shell

What's wrong with shirt, jumper, coat etc ?

It's not decorating FFS.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
"Pow". Especially when used to describe freshly fallen clag.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The usage of pointless, usually American phrases in Europe that often take longer to say than the correct term.

Saying "Powpow" rather than just a simple "Powder", though usually actually used to just mean "Snow".
"Bluebird day" vs "Sunny", especially as Bluebirds are native to North America so never seen in Europe.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
This thread is ace.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Self-described “experts” ... (a habit I was thankfully cured of, in no uncertain terms, as a callow youth aged 21)....
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
any pointless transatlantic slang...
'stoked' being a shining example
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Sick!

(is that due to too many sherberts the night before? or norovirus going around again?)
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
+1 to pow, bluebird & stoked.

Also: gnar, rad, sick, gaper, punter, quiver.... I could probably go on all day.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Seasonaire
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
dialed in
sweet spot
tram
quiver killer
bin


yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Intermediate - anyone who'se been skiing more than once it seems?

Expert - I'd rather see experienced or extremely competent.

Done - as in i've done that resort......well you haven't certainly, not in one week anyway, and I also agree a resort is Butlins or Centrecraps not a ski village/ area.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.


what's that got to do with birds? you may as well call it a bluetit day

I think the worst thing is when fat, gammon faced Brits come up with this crap like they are freakin' tupac or someone. It is just embarrassing.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 6-06-19 13:46; edited 1 time in total
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Any geriatic lingo that people persist with when they could be saying "I'm getting oodinay on the umgray" or "slaying powpow and gnar gnar" on a day that is "bluebird bro". Basically "blowing sh*t up like a powdah gangsta" is da shizzle, going for "a bit of a ski then a nice lunch" is lame in da membrane. Amiright fosho, laterz hatstands and dunkmonkeys.
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Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.


No, or yes, indirectly. When the sky's clear in the winter non-migratory birds, like the North American Bluebird, take to the air looking for food. So a "Bluebird day" is one when, in North America, you see Bluebirds flying around, which happens on days when you have clear skys.

Technically a "Bluebird day" in Europe should mean the very worst of weather when the whole resort's closed and you've gone "Screw this" and headed down the valley and found a zoo with an indoor aviary that has some Bluebirds in it.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
davidof wrote:
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.


what's that got to do with birds? you may as well call it a bluetit day

I think the worst thing is when fat, gammon faced Brits come up with this crap like they are freakin' tupac or someone. It is just embarrassing.


Don't shoot the messenger. You asked for the meaning and I provided it.

Go for your life calling it a bluetit day, though some may be confuse this to be a temperature description not a a visual description.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Bunny slope
Eurocarving
Icy (when referring to hard snow)
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
queenie pretty please wrote:
One is 'resort'. It conjures up an image of a tacky tourist enclave, Butlins in Benidorm. I can just about grasp the term when used for the likes of purpose-built ski areas which have no other function than tourism, e.g. Obertauern, but many are locations where a settlement existed long before skiing. Normal towns and villages where people live and work, not only in the tourism industry. I do not live in a ski resort, I live in a small town in the Austrian mountains which happens to have skiing in winter.


I don't actually mind 'resort' but see it as having a very specific meaning that covers a ski area but not necessarally the 'accomodation'. As an example I ski the Portes du Soleil, staying in the town (not resort) of Morzine and usually spending the first day skiing the Morzine/Les Gets resort, but the rest of the week in the Avorias and connected resorts.

The other option is "ski area" but that just feel a little clunky.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.


what's that got to do with birds? you may as well call it a bluetit day

I think the worst thing is when fat, gammon faced Brits come up with this crap like they are freakin' tupac or someone. It is just embarrassing.


Don't shoot the messenger. You asked for the meaning and I provided it.

Go for your life calling it a bluetit day, though some may be confuse this to be a temperature description not a a visual description.


I'm actually liking the idea of Bluetit days - but it probably is my inner 12 year-old.

Actually there's a whole set here:
Coal tit day - early/late season day when the dirts coming through the snow.
Great tit day - that day when you make a complete tit of yourself but misjudging a snow spreay stop, etc.
Gold tit day - any time you spot someone in gold lame ski gear.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Mjit, Skigebiet = ski area is the normal terminology here, although we do have a few variations on this theme:

Skiparadies = ski paradise

Skizentrum = ski centre

Skischaukel = ski swing (!)

Loving this thread. snowHead
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Tour Operator - how do you operate a Tour, and what gives the TO's (assuming that's indeed a thing) the right to say they are the ones who have a unique right to operate a tour effectively, presumably because thats what they call themselves and especially given its generally a bunch of resort based uni grads with very little experience or customer service acumen, its a surprise they do? I think most of us that travel independently seem to get from A to B reasonably efficiently in my experience, and dont need an expert TO to operate our ski holiday. Laughing Laughing
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Mjit, The French equivalent of "resort" is a ski "station".
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Groomers.

Always think of old men who should be on 'the list'.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
davidof wrote:
yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


I was under the impression it meant it's snowed the night before, and the next day it's blue skies
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Markymark29 wrote:
Tour Operator - how do you operate a Tour, and what gives the TO's (assuming that's indeed a thing) the right to say they are the ones who have a unique right to operate a tour effectively, presumably because thats what they call themselves and especially given its generally a bunch of resort based uni grads with very little experience or customer service acumen, its a surprise they do? I think most of us that travel independently seem to get from A to B reasonably efficiently in my experience, and dont need an expert TO to operate our ski holiday. Laughing Laughing


Basically agree but having taken my parents on a summer holiday to Austria the use of a TO proved valuable from a one throat to choke perspective and for deflecting any anxiety over something I may or may not have done (having successfully travelled independently on all continents in the world bar Antarctica you'd think I might have some clue). I can see why in a family or a group of friends there may be similar benefits in avoiding being the fall guy.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
"Shushing" Shocked Laughing
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Markymark29 wrote:
Tour Operator - how do you operate a Tour, and what gives the TO's (assuming that's indeed a thing) the right to say they are the ones who have a unique right to operate a tour effectively, presumably because thats what they call themselves and especially given its generally a bunch of resort based uni grads with very little experience or customer service acumen, its a surprise they do? I think most of us that travel independently seem to get from A to B reasonably efficiently in my experience, and dont need an expert TO to operate our ski holiday. Laughing Laughing


A Tour Operator is just a pretentious name for a Travel Agent who sells package holidays.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
boilerplate nooooo it is just icy.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Téléphérique instead of téléférique. It's become endemic I guess due to Parisians' obsession with the péréphérique. It's an "iron way" as in Chemin-de-fer, not something you're circumnavigating. Rant over! Toofy Grin
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Mjit wrote:
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:
Mike Pow wrote:
davidof wrote:

yeah I hate bluebird, what is it supposed to mean anyway?


Deep blue sky devoid of clouds.


what's that got to do with birds? you may as well call it a bluetit day

I think the worst thing is when fat, gammon faced Brits come up with this crap like they are freakin' tupac or someone. It is just embarrassing.


Don't shoot the messenger. You asked for the meaning and I provided it.

Go for your life calling it a bluetit day, though some may be confuse this to be a temperature description not a a visual description.


I'm actually liking the idea of Bluetit days - but it probably is my inner 12 year-old.

Actually there's a whole set here:
Coal tit day - early/late season day when the dirts coming through the snow.
Great tit day - that day when you make a complete tit of yourself but misjudging a snow spreay stop, etc.
Gold tit day - any time you spot someone in gold lame ski gear.



Reminds me of …...
http://www.montypython.net/scripts/HG-cocoscene.php
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Wow - French etymology snits too - who knew? Edumacated French speakers presumably.

To the rest of you I offfer the same defence I offer to everyone whenever involved in a somewhat reactionary conversation about decline in language - language continuously evolves, it's what makes it fun and interesting and enables sub groups in society to bond and establish identities. And some of these words in relation to skiing do have a meaning, albeit as English speakers we are disproportionately influenced by US context and derivation.

Resort is a ski area with infrastructure e.g. hotels/appartments/shops/restaurants/bars and serves a distinct meaning from Ski hill or Ski area which may just be a car park and the lifts/pistes themselves.

E.g. Ischgl is a resort, Patscherkoffl or even Axamer Lizum is a ski hill (I know the Ax Liz technically has accomodation but not really)

Boilerplate is not ice, but it is really hard and therefore unpleasant snow. Ice is something different - it glares. But like powder the term is misused rather more than it is used correctly.
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shep wrote:
Téléphérique instead of téléférique. It's become endemic I guess due to Parisians' obsession with the péréphérique. It's an "iron way" as in Chemin-de-fer, not something you're circumnavigating. Rant over! Toofy Grin


Ooh - I didn't know that
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
shep wrote:
Téléphérique instead of téléférique. It's become endemic I guess due to Parisians' obsession with the péréphérique. It's an "iron way" as in Chemin-de-fer, not something you're circumnavigating.

I'm not convinced. There is just as much iron in a téléski or télésiège, you are typically further away from the snow in a téléphérique.

EDIT: wikipedia does seem to agree with you though.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Dave of the Marmottes,
Quote:

Ischgl is a resort

Mmmm, not sure about that..... Ischgl is a town, my view of a resort is a purpose made gated place built in say a desert for a distinct sole purpose of holiday-making and/or golf etc, like many in middle east/ Turkey etc, or like I said above a Butlins/Pontins/ Disney/ Belfry/ Trump Turnberry or Centreparks where bundles of services are available under a card or all-inclusive format (not like a ski pass, thats a one-off service provided by a lift operator independent of the town and its services). Maybe there are bona-fide ski resorts in US, where the resort charges you for lift pass, food, hotels etc all under one banner, I'm unsure, but I don't know of any in Europe that meet the above.


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Thu 6-06-19 15:37; edited 1 time in total
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holidayloverxx wrote:
shep wrote:
Téléphérique instead of téléférique. It's become endemic I guess due to Parisians' obsession with the péréphérique. It's an "iron way" as in Chemin-de-fer, not something you're circumnavigating. Rant over! Toofy Grin


Ooh - I didn't know that


I'm not surprised you didn't

From greek:-

télé - far
φέρω (phero) - to carry

You wouldn't mix greek and latin (ferum - iron).
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Mjit wrote:

Coal tit day - early/late season day when the dirts coming through the snow.
Great tit day - that day when you make a complete tit of yourself but misjudging a snow spreay stop, etc.
Gold tit day - any time you spot someone in gold lame ski gear.


I hate to think what a yellow-tit day might involve
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