Most guys out on the hill having fun and riding with their buds DON'T GIVE A FAWK about who did what on what hill, we are just there to have fun and share some memories, enjoy the day and good company. I know my sleds get me to places I want to go, are they the fastest out there? Nope but they go plenty fast enough for me and probably can hold their own, but I'm not about challenging others, I ride for my own personal enjoyment/satisfaction, not to knock someone else down a peg. When push comes to shove, on the hill is where it counts, not on a computer screen.
Most people miss the point about sledding, they use it as a benchmark to compare themselves and their sleds to others, often times with pointless self-justifications. This isn't a motocross track you go round and round on, comparing lap times or position. Sure there is always healthy competition poking a hill or jabs taken at the guy who got stuck in the creek bed etc, but it should stay on the hill. On a track if you come in first, you might earn yourself a crappy $20 trophy, if you climb the highest on an unstable slope proving your "manhood", you might earn yourself an expensive funeral.
Truly understanding sledding means you have evolved past taking it beyond the staging area when you come off the hill, and that you ride for you and to push your boundaries or to see new terrain that you will never see in the other 3 seasons of the year, and see some terrain that others may never see, or wildlife that others may never see. To experience the silence of nature when its so quiet in the forest you can hear snow landing on your sled seat. To look over and see your buddies laughing around a fire at lunchtime eating smokies with mustard stuck on the corner of their mouth, feeling the rush of your sled pulling hard.
Stop and look around you, and realize that many people in the world will never experience these things, they are one of lifes bonuses. Some people are born and spend their whole life struggling to get by, and not for lack of effort, and could never dream of owning a sled. Seems like lots of people take this for granted. A few years back Swenson and Davidoff took some underpriveledged kids sledding, it was probably the trip of a lifetime for those youngsters. Things like these really put it into perspective and often times are few and far between. Sledding is a unique experience in that you are not bound by paved roads or developed trails, the possibility of travel is limitless if you have snow.
Seems like only the guys that have something to prove to themselves, get on the internet and brag about how much higher/farther/faster they went, or can go, then someone else.
Are some ever going to grow up, move past the brand bashing and cock measuring and just ride for themselves? The internet seems to have empowered our enemies to allowed them to share information to do irreversible damage to our reputation, are we just going to use it to pass the time bickering and drive in more "user group" wedges, while more nails are pounded in our coffin? Will we ever clue in and generate some good publicity for ourselves? When I started sledding almost 25 yrs ago, I never dreamed of the issues we face today, regulations, animal closures, etc. I'm interested to see where the next 25 yrs takes us.
Most people miss the point about sledding, they use it as a benchmark to compare themselves and their sleds to others, often times with pointless self-justifications. This isn't a motocross track you go round and round on, comparing lap times or position. Sure there is always healthy competition poking a hill or jabs taken at the guy who got stuck in the creek bed etc, but it should stay on the hill. On a track if you come in first, you might earn yourself a crappy $20 trophy, if you climb the highest on an unstable slope proving your "manhood", you might earn yourself an expensive funeral.
Truly understanding sledding means you have evolved past taking it beyond the staging area when you come off the hill, and that you ride for you and to push your boundaries or to see new terrain that you will never see in the other 3 seasons of the year, and see some terrain that others may never see, or wildlife that others may never see. To experience the silence of nature when its so quiet in the forest you can hear snow landing on your sled seat. To look over and see your buddies laughing around a fire at lunchtime eating smokies with mustard stuck on the corner of their mouth, feeling the rush of your sled pulling hard.
Stop and look around you, and realize that many people in the world will never experience these things, they are one of lifes bonuses. Some people are born and spend their whole life struggling to get by, and not for lack of effort, and could never dream of owning a sled. Seems like lots of people take this for granted. A few years back Swenson and Davidoff took some underpriveledged kids sledding, it was probably the trip of a lifetime for those youngsters. Things like these really put it into perspective and often times are few and far between. Sledding is a unique experience in that you are not bound by paved roads or developed trails, the possibility of travel is limitless if you have snow.
Seems like only the guys that have something to prove to themselves, get on the internet and brag about how much higher/farther/faster they went, or can go, then someone else.
Are some ever going to grow up, move past the brand bashing and cock measuring and just ride for themselves? The internet seems to have empowered our enemies to allowed them to share information to do irreversible damage to our reputation, are we just going to use it to pass the time bickering and drive in more "user group" wedges, while more nails are pounded in our coffin? Will we ever clue in and generate some good publicity for ourselves? When I started sledding almost 25 yrs ago, I never dreamed of the issues we face today, regulations, animal closures, etc. I'm interested to see where the next 25 yrs takes us.
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CHEERS TO THAT!
