Gapers

Due to having so many midterms and planning for the Enchanted Castle, this week has flown by. We had our first snowfall in the valley on Monday and the campus was filled with excitement. Since the season is getting closer and closer, I'd like to talk about my opinion of gapers. I'll admit I had never heard the term before I came out here, but I quickly learned what they were because people of all ages make fun of them on a daily basis.

As defined by urbandictionary.com, a gaper is "A beginner skier or snowboarder who has no clue as to what they're doing on the mountain. They crash all over the place and get in your way. Referred to as a gaper because of the gap between their hat and goggles, also known as a gaper-gap."
Ex: I couldn't ski fast because I was too busy dodging all the gapers.

It seems to me like a lot of these kids have forgotten all about that day. That day they first strapped a board or pair of skis to their feet, struggled to get on a lift and had anxiety the entire way up, not knowing what to expect when they got to the top. They've forgotten how excited they were when they first figured out how to carve, and that feeling of accomplishment they had after they made it down a run without falling once. We were all there once; yes at one time or another, we were all gapers. Some of us loved the sport so much we chose to move to towns where we had easy access to a mountain and could meet people who shared our passion. However, just because some people choose to remain in a city where they have to drive an hour or more to the mountain, allowing them to go only a few times per season, doesn’t mean we need to put ourselves above them. Most of us take up leisure activities to fill our time in the off season, like running or fishing for example. That doesn't mean we are olympic quality runners or that we catch large enough fish to feed a family for a week. Yet just because we don't particularly excel at it doesn’t mean we should be made fun of for going out there and trying. The way I see it, as long as you're having fun, who cares? I mean that is what snowsports are supposed to be about- isn’t it?

If people decide to dress in neon one piece outfits rather than ridiculously long tall tees, let them. And if you see that they are catching an edge why don't you help them out instead of spraying them? Or simply just let them be. I find it funny that a town that survives on tourism takes such joy in making fun of gapers. In reality, we should be thanking them for supporting our industry and keeping this sport alive.