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We were all there once -- GAPER SKI LIST

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
Skier
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
5,843
Location
West of CDA South of Canada
Oh this list would be LONG!
Got pushed out of chair by a girlfriend resulting in a class A face plant.
Fell out of a chair just after loading in front of the longest lift line of the year
(of course I had my ski school parka on))
Skied in untreated jeans and full rental gear.
Grabbed the wrong skis heading out for a 1st time skiing with another member on here (sorry David)
Forgot ski pants, still using the ones bought that day at the shop.
Full on tree hug while the camera was running.
Hung upside down by tips and tails over a creek (think cartoon).
Hung over a low cliff by the run away strap under the chair for a while
(friends really enjoyed that one)

Over 65 years of skiing you do some truly stupid stuff; that's enough.
 

Pajarito-bred

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
May 20, 2020
Posts
142
Location
Grand Junction CO
My dad got on the lift in front of us, sat down against the backrest hard and popped the tube off his camelbak bladder. We thought he'd been stung by a swarm of bees! He had a long wet lift ride to the top.

There was a guy at Pajarito in the 1970's that always skied wearing a helmet. I remember thinking how ridiculous that was.... After skiing helmet-less for 40 years, I got mine before my first visit to Silverton, and was glad to have it. Any place that has a run called "Concussion Woods" should be skied while wearing a helmet.

Sometime in the early 1980's, our Dodge Colt couldn't make it up the east side of Wolf Creek pass (rear wheel drive + lousy tires). We hitchhiked to the lodge, skied all day, but we got ticketed by highway patrol for "skiing on the highway" back to the car. Didn't know it was illegal..... Skiing through the avalanche shed kicked up a whole lot of sparks!

What about "doing a 360" driving to or from the ski hill? Same car, different trip to Wolf Creek.
Another Wolf Creek story: Lift op has to keep stopping the Poma since so many people are falling off. My buddy says to the lift op: They don't understand what you're telling them! Try "Y'all don't sit down!"

hmmmm... Took my 185 cm Olin Mk-IV's down a run posted 190 cm or longer skis ONLY
Is it too late to offer up an apology for destroying numerous perfectly good moguls by using short skis?
 

cantunamunch

Meh
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
21,883
Location
Behavioral sink
I fell asleep on a lift once and had to jump off when it started to round the turn at the top.

Imagine a fine -25F Quebec morning. Imagine one of our group couldn't find his ski pants. So, of course he wore khaki (better than jeans?) travel pants. Over monkey print underwear*.

*We know this. Everyone on the last several chairs, shivering under the going snowguns while waiting for him to be unstuck, knows this.
 

Posaune

sliding
Skier
Joined
Mar 26, 2016
Posts
1,912
Location
Bellingham, WA
Forgot my parka in the hotel room in Bend while at Bachelor. I had an overcoat in the back of the car, so I buttoned it up and added some safety pins to help keep the air flow down. The plugs for my helmet were also in the parka, so I used napkins from the lodge stuffed in the openings of the helmet. I skied all day like that. I'm sure I was the primo gaper of the day.
 

David Chaus

Beyond Help
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
5,529
Location
Stanwood, WA
Grabbed the wrong skis heading out for a 1st time skiing with another member on here (sorry David)

Over 65 years of skiing you do some truly stupid stuff; that's enough.
I think the Metrons still worked fine for you.
 

François Pugh

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
7,614
Location
Great White North (Eastern side currently)
Only 1, if you count having to jump off the lift at the last fraction of a second a few times; I never hit the stop bar though.
I also fit some of the above suggestions: hit in head by ski on a leash and knocked out skiing (twice).

I haven't left gear in the parking lot, but I did leave my skis in the ski rack.
 

Marker

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Posts
2,350
Location
Kennett Square, PA & Killington, VT
Texas Suitcase
View attachment 144929

How many faux pas are in this picture too?
Dang, you mean I can't click in with just my cowboy boots? When I heard I needed skis and boots, I thought I had at least one covered!

Full disclosure: I haven't owned a pair of cowboy boots in years. My wife says they make me too tall and my feet couldn't take then now anyway. And I took one look at a Texas suitcase and said "Hell no!"
 

Marker

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Posts
2,350
Location
Kennett Square, PA & Killington, VT
7 of the list plus

* "Caught air" coming off the lift because I didn't unload in time. My family will never let me live that down.
* Skied into the netting at the bottom of Superstar and the old Mouse Trap at Killington when I misjudged my speed while turning for the exit.
* Major yard sale doing hitters off the uphill side of a trail while trying to emulate the young bros.
* Double ejection and sprained both knees on a runout at Mt Snow. I still have no idea...
* Skied unprepared and unskilled into a mogul run with no idea what was over the drop off.
* Left my jacket at home, but at least it turned out to be a nice spring-type day.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Dave Petersen

Dave Petersen

Graphic Designer/Social Media Manager
Admin
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Nov 16, 2015
Posts
9,875
6

My first week long ski trip ever and I did not even think about keeping my boots dry. I knew nothing about boot driers and didn’t bring a hair drier. Every morning at the base area I had wet and incredibly smelly liners —pretty embarrassing.

On college spring ski trip to Summit County, CO I wanted a cool goggle tan, so didn’t use sun block the first day. Blisters and fever, no fun.
 

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,095
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
View attachment 144920
Hi, I'm Phil and I have a SkiTote problem.
You know... I have one of those in my garage, complete with skis and poles in it. And I can't figure out how to open it. (It was my brother's and probably hasn't been opened since 1991 or so...)
 

Mister Tea

The skier formerly known as Walt
Skier
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Posts
298
Location
Michigan, the part with all the trolls
Curious about the "driving to the resort in ski boots" item. Do any gapers actually do that?

I have about a 7 minute drive to the two resorts near my ski condo, and put my boots on in the condo before driving to the hill. Much easier to get my 130 flex size 8 95mm last boots onto my size 11 1/2 feet in the nice warm condo instead of in the parking lot. Yeah, there was a learning curve to driving in ski boots, but much less steep than anything else I've had to learn in order to ski.

Now, leaving your boots in the car overnight is definitely a gaper move.
 
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Mister Tea

The skier formerly known as Walt
Skier
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Posts
298
Location
Michigan, the part with all the trolls
* Carried ski boots to ski area in original box. - Yes, I did that. The bootfitter worked at the shop at the bottom of the hill, and I chose him because he came highly recommended and because being able to take a few runs and then come in for adjustments is the best way to get a good fit. I don't see this as gaper behavior.

* Sat down on a surface lift. - Yep. No T-bars where I learned to ski and I sat down in the first encounter with one. But only once.

* Left equipment in parking lot. Poles left at some ski area in New England. A brand new pair of poles purchased the day after my poles were stolen at Killington.

* Bought boots too big. My first pair of boots were rear entry. Too big by definition.

* Never saw Hot Dog - Is this a thing? I'm sure there are lots of crappy ski movies I haven't seen.

*Checked boots as luggage. - Did that once . Learned that it is impossible to ski in rental boots. Never again.

* Grabbed onto somebody/something to stop. - First season, skiing at the Porkies, grabbed a tree on the side of the trail to stop. Was catapulted off the trail into the trees. Didn't make that mistake again.

* Driven to/from ski area in ski boots. - Still do that all the time. It's less than ten minutes. What's the problem?
 
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crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,321
Location
The Bull City
Again, I'm totally down with one boot for a short trip to the base/better parking spot..
 

pchewn

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Posts
2,607
Location
Beaverton OR USA
We were driving back from A-Basin (1972?) and my dad let us out to ski down from the top of Loveland Valley. We met the car at LL Valley and started driving down I70. Suddenly we lost all of the skis on one side of the ski rack. Cars swerving all over the road to miss them. Yep, SOMEBODY forgot to latch the rack.
 

eok

Slopefossil
Skier
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Posts
856
Location
PNW
For me, I've got at least 8 on the list.

The goofiest & most pathetic thing for me [from the 70s]:

After arriving early at the local mtn I hiked to the lodge, racked my skis and then went to a table outside the lodge to gear-up. But: no boots! So I rushed to the car & it was then that I realized I left my boots home. Dang!! So I left what gear I had at the mountain (skis in the rack, gear under a table outside the lodge) and attempted to drive home to get my boots. It was around 6am and I figured I could complete the round trip by around 9am.

About half way on the drive home to get my boots the gear shift lever in the 4 speed Ford Pinto I was driving (yes, yes, I know, but it was the 70s, I was around 18 and it was my Mom's car) sheared off completely at it's base during a downshift into 3rd. The feel of the shifter coming loose and being floppy in its shifter boot was the most sickening feeling - as was pulling the shifter out of the boot. My younger brother was with me riding shotgun & I still remember the "WTF!!" look on his face when it happened and I handed the sheared shifter to him while still driving.

It was probably dumb luck I didn't instinctively pull over & stop. If I'd stopped I'd have never been able to get going again. Managed to limp most the way home - stuck in 3rd, so slow going. Stalled it at a 4-way stop. No way to push-start a Pinto stuck in 3rd (looking back, I think it best to just put broken Pintos out of their misery). So, then a tow. It was late when I got home & took forever to convince my parents father I didn't somehow destroy the shifter on purpose (boy, was he ever pissed off). Also, too late to call the resort about my gear that night. Ultimately, I never saw any of that gear again. The skis were Harts (Rooks or Freestyles - can't remember), with Look Nevada bindings.

PS: If you are wondering... my younger brother stayed asleep in the car while I was all gung-ho about getting to the lodge & geared up early. So his gear stayed on & in the car. I couldn't leave him alone at the lodge.
 
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Moose32

Attacking the Fall Line
Skier
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Posts
780
Location
Niwot & Whitefish (via WNY)
Read twice - never did any on list.

I jumped off a chairlift once (Snow Ridge, Turin NY) and certainly fell getting on one early as a kid (Bristol Mtn, Naples NY) but not sure that is same as “falling off”. Or dangling off like what happened at Bristol last year.

Three biggest prides:
-Never skied in jeans
-Never had boot gaiters
-Never had a rear-entry boot on my foot

I did break my leg badly after a GS under the lift at Ski Valley (Naples NY) when 12. So while that was embarrassing, the pain and going into shock seemingly took priority. As an adult, I tore an ACL on small Midwestern hill (Wilmot, WI) - that may be the hardest to swallow.
 
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