"Beater" Haters
With the commencement of ski season upon us, I’ve been thinking about the local “core” ski community’s relationship with “beaters,” or in common vernacular, tourists who don’t get the luxury of skiing everyday. On the one hand, I hear loud voices of discontent with these “beaters” or “gapers” from local riders. Locals yell when a fatigued skier from out of state stops in the middle of a run or a traverse, and shop employees get annoyed when tourists ask them seemingly stupid questions about ski or snowboard equipment.
Brant Moles has got it down (including the ski carrying technique).
On the other hand, we have a fascination with these “beaters.” We have annual days at the resorts where we dress up like them and people ride around the mountain, sometimes after consuming copious amounts of alcohol, and imitate them. We mimic their jerky movements down the hill. We try to replicate their outdated methods of clothing themselves in ski wear. We have even perfected and labeled the “gaper gap,” which is the strip of forehead skin that sticks out when ski goggles and helmet or hat don’t match up.
Caroline Gleich, Iris Noack, and Michelle Silver on Alta’s Closing day 2008
Beneath all this fascination and parody is an underlying dependence. We, as local ski bums, are entirely dependent on these “gapers,” these non-locals, to come in and fuel our industry. We need them to buy day passes at the resorts, pay for lodging and services at the hotels, and rent or buy skis from our shops. If all of a sudden, the “beaters” stopped going on their annual ski vacation, most of us would be out of luck.
My gaper gap (the gap between my goggles and helmet is covered by an underlying hat–but you get the idea).
So let’s be fair and realize our true place in the hierarchy. Next time a fatigued Manhattan resident is pausing on a traverse, catching their breath, give them a break. Politely say, “on your left,” and pass them without blowing a bunch of cold smoke in their gaper-gap face from the rooster tail on your twin tip skis. In the shop, do your best to explain to them the difference between reverse camber and regular skis and to answer all their other questions, as ignorant as they may sound. Instead of spraying the poor soul who just wiped out on the groomer, stop and help her/him pick up their equipment from the yard sale.
An unidentified Alta skier at closing day 2006
So let’s all respect the beaters. Besides, it’s good karma. Let’s do what we can to ensure the future persistence of our way of life–our lifestyle of sofa surfing, beer drinking, and endless days of deep powder freeskiing.
