Why Skiing Mag still sucks

**hardrider** · 08-17-2004, 01:09 PM

I admit Skiing has come a long way since it was a mirror image of SKI. Many of the stories now relate to "real skiing" rather than who has the best grooming and mid-mountain lattes and they've also attracted some of the best former Powder writers, which is great. Overall a greatly improved magazine but they still print stories written by self admitted gapes:

"I'd come to Chamonix carying boards with rusty edges and a lingering fear of steeps that has always kept me from feeling like a bona fide expert.", Eric Hagerman.

I find it really hard to accept the fact that a magazine called Skiing would print a story about Megan Carney (extremo world tour chica) written by someone who is admittedly not a high caliber skier. I remember a similar story last year written by someone of admittedly low skiing abilities. Maybe Im the only one who finds this annoying but in my opinion accepting these kinds of stories is what will keep Skiing from becoming a truly great mag.

**Sierra Cement** · 08-17-2004, 01:24 PM

wow you read more than I did. Add to your list the cheesy comedy attempt w/ the bogus public panel giving stereotype opinions on using reclamated shit water for snowmaking. Don't forget the F-up on the Mullitzer Avy cannon being pulled out of Sierra at Tahoe!!! when it's actually Alpine Meadows - WTF??? The only bits of useful info came from the ski town review - which was barely worth it.
I only own this one because it came with my season pass last year.

**hardrider** · 08-17-2004, 01:27 PM

Sierra had one pulled away too, not sure where the pic is from though.

**road trip** · 08-17-2004, 01:28 PM

Originally posted by hardrider
I find it really hard to accept the fact that a magazine called Skiing would print a story about Megan Carney (extremo world tour chica) written by someone who is admittedly not a high caliber skier.

$.02 ...it's tough enough to become a great writer, but to have to be great at writing AND what you are writing about might be setting the bar too high. As long as the narrator knows what she/he is talking about, I'm satisfied.. and would rather he/she admit to not being great than to try to pretend that they while writing the story. I'm sure that the larger part of their readership identifies with his ability than with Megan's.

**Stikki** · 08-17-2004, 01:38 PM

I agree with Road Trip. I'd rather read great writing by an average skier than average writing by a great skier.

Skiing magazine is so damn cheap that it's worth the $8 a year even if it only holds my interest for 20 minutes an issue.

**mtbakerskier** · 08-17-2004, 01:42 PM

any ski mag that decides to get its ski related photos from the AP and other stock agencies, is lame, I mean it isnt like there is a shortage of ski photogs looking for more assignment work that could have done better, and done it cheaper.

**freshie247** · 08-17-2004, 01:47 PM

Hey Hardrider,
Your Avatar is hilarious!!!!!!!! Ya the mags not up to snuff,but hopefully they are employing some ski bums who would otherwise have to get real jobs!

**JMO** · 08-17-2004, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by mtbakerskier
any ski mag that decides to get its ski related photos from the AP and other stock agencies, is lame, I mean it isnt like there is a shortage of ski photogs looking for more assignment work that could have done better, and done it cheaper.

Great shot in Powder, by the way!

**slim** · 08-17-2004, 01:54 PM

The problem with Skiing is that it's souless. It's a magazine about the sport of skiing. It's like reading a text book.

Powder is about the life that is skiing... that's what makes it great.

**AltaPowderDaze** · 08-17-2004, 01:57 PM

I've found some good info in skiing. With regard to the overall mag, it's tough to match your material to what everyone wants. They have to pick a target audience and go from there. Overall worth the money, but far from perfect.

Edit: If the writer has no real experience and is telling me how to ski or save and avi victim, then we have a problem. But if he/she is just relaying his viewpoint of some action or event, I'm ok with that.

**dewey** · 08-17-2004, 01:58 PM

The mag is boring and somewhat lame, but I don't think the skiing abilities of the writer have much to do with it. I can think fo a lot of good writing that comes from an outsider's perspective, or an outsider trying to get in (e.g. HS Thompson on the Hell's Angels). The layout, pseudo-core lingo, low cool-to-lame photos, unfunny comic pieces, and general commercial feel are what make it not so sweet.
On the other hand, they have been covering more obscure resorts and wierd trips, which is cool.

**JMO** · 08-17-2004, 02:01 PM

Steve Casimiro: still a great writer after all these years. It's great to see his column in there each month.

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 08-17-2004, 02:02 PM

Hardrider --

Did you see the shot of Craig on page 39? That's him on the NKO's in the photo of the Red Bull Silver Belt at Sugar Bowl.

**Gregbo** · 08-17-2004, 02:03 PM

WTF... it's too cheap to worry about - I just use it to get my early season stoke going anyway....

**PacRimRider1** · 08-17-2004, 02:10 PM

Do all commentators in the Olympics have to be former Olympians? No. Should they be experts on the sports they are commentating on? Absolutely. Personally, I could care less if some guy can now or ever could call himself an expert skier (not totally true), as long he/she can commentate on the sport in a way that some snowplower off the bunny hill cannot. That being said, I cant remember an article in Skiing Magazine that a kid from a high school journalism class with a slow connection to the internet couldnt have written. I will therefor always put the mag back of the shelf after looking at pictures and checking out gear reviews. Ski magazines should not have investment company advertisements in them.

**fubar** · 08-17-2004, 02:13 PM

Originally posted by Gregbo
WTF... it's too cheap to worry about - I just use it to get my early season stoke going anyway....

Well, well, well, look who is back!!!!! G-Bo you ole dog! Welcome back to the stoke!

**robokill1981** · 08-17-2004, 02:13 PM

I read this at the newstand yesterday and had the same thoughts. Writing an article from the perspective of a beginner is fine if the audience is also new to the sport, but their readers are for the most part experienced skiers. Its not like there is a shortage of expert skiers who also write well. Personally I'd rather read an article from someone who really knows what they are talking about.

Hardrider- did that jacket work out for you last season?

**Jumper Bones** · 08-17-2004, 02:25 PM

You know, it's better than Ski, and better than Freeze. I'd put it on the same par as Freeskier - has some very annoying tendencies, but still an overall OK mag.

I think Skiing mag has made some great strides in recent years. And Gunder, I agree with what you're saying, but there was a huge shot of BakerBoy in it last year, right?

You want to see misguided, read the Ski magazine gear guide for this year. Either neon's making a comeback in mainstream skiing, or they seem to think that race skis are now all-mountain skis. They definitely have a racing bias - according to them, Marker bindings are the shit, Bode Miller is the coolest person alive (so we must have something about him in every issue), and you can ski a race ski anywhere, all the time!!! The most "all-mountain" ski they reviewed was the K2 Apache Big Chief, that Lawnchair replacement. They reviewed the Rossi B1 and B2, but not the B3...wtf?!?! Oh, and along the wtf front, what the fuck did Atomic do to the R:EX? Damn it's ugly now. Oh, and they had an ad for the Volant/Atomic NEOX $2,500 ski combo in it...you can definitely see who their target audience is...

**joshbu** · 08-17-2004, 02:33 PM

I go back and forth on skiing. Usually their workout programs are pretty well put together. Casimiro is always worth reading. Sometimes the photography is good, sometimes not. (I do love it when they stick one of those damn subsription cards, not the fallout ones, but the ones that are glues into the mag right in a full two page shot. Nice work dudes.

)

Usually it doesn't take me long to read Powder cover to cover (twice) so Skiing is sort of nice to have in between p-mags.

edit to fix smiles

**ak_powder_monkey** · 08-17-2004, 02:35 PM

Freeze is the best ski mag ever if for nothing else but this:http://i.timeinc.net/freeze/content/...liftie9-tn.jpg

**Jumper Bones** · 08-17-2004, 02:42 PM

Originally posted by ak_powder_monkey
Freeze is the best ski mag ever if for nothing else but this:http://i.timeinc.net/freeze/content/...liftie9-tn.jpg

You know there's porn on the internet for free, right?

**Ubersheist** · 08-17-2004, 02:51 PM

Skiing's strange ... last year they made a huge leap forward in both layout and content, although they still had a fair amount of BS last year.

This first issue has..well.. issues. There's a whole lot of its content devoted to foofy crap related to skiing. This issue seems to be a step back to me. Maybe they were trying too hard to be Powder last year, and the head honchos got scared and told them that the mag needs more BS for thier target audience (patients in dentist offices). Sure, there's definitely a good solid amount of real content, but it's the other stuff that gets me.

It's especially bad in their "best of" crap in this issue and the garbage in the front part of the magazine. I don't really care where the best parties are, or where the hippest place in Steamboat is to get sushi. Lots of BS in that issue.

**The Reverend Floater** · 08-17-2004, 02:55 PM

FWIW: Went skiing with the editor last year and he is actually a very cool guy (and a rippin' skier in the b/c) who is well aware of his product and its characteristics because he knows his reader. And guess what? It ain't us!

**Clack** · 08-17-2004, 02:57 PM

Originally posted by Sierra Cement
Don't forget the F-up on the Mullitzer Avy cannon being pulled out of Sierra at Tahoe!!! when it's actually Alpine Meadows - WTF???

Did they really take the BFG off of gunner's knob?

Originally posted by The Reverend Floater
FWIW: Went skiing with the editor last year and he is actually a very cool guy (and a rippin' skier in the b/c) who is well aware of his product and its characteristics because he knows his reader. And guess what? It ain't us!

You're right, it's my girlfriend's dad. Midweek Northstar pass holder, skiing mag subscriber.