Powder Mag is Done

[margotron]

The vast majority mobile advertising/influencer world is a giant pyramid scheme, propped up by advertisers paying a tiny commission on app downloads, to get people to download ad laden spyware apps ("candy crush" etc), that run ads to get you to download another/different app loaded with ads and spyware, that get you to download another app, and so on...


Topic at hand - I have been a subscriber of the Ski Journal since the beginning. If I'm going to pay for something, I want it to be durable and feel thoughtful. Ski Journal issues get reread by me often.

Powder over the last 5 or so years has shifted hard to the advertorial model, and felt more and more like Ski Magazine, but for millennial yuppies rather than mid-level business managers.
It felt like the entire editorial content was designed around someone trying to check boxes for San Francisco dwelling 4x trips to Mammoth a year Audi buying Facebook employees. "You'll never believe that in Montana, they don't all ski with guns. Find out more in this 9 part video series whoring out small town ski culture and areas with a snappy and cute Californian Millennial ex-ski racer blonde from Sun Valley who grew up privileged JUST LIKE YOU!"


Even the SJW stuff, never felt heartfelt. (I can appreciate it, if well done/thoughtful.) Add in the wanton consumerism and increasingly thin page count... go figure.

If you're sad about the loss of Powder mag, support the Ski Journal.

I laughed. Ty

[margotron]

Sure, if we're talking about a celeb like KimK. But if we're talking about the TikTok influencers etc that's a different deal, imho.

It’s the exact same deal. The problem for society that Instagram and tiktok have created has specifically to do with reach. It’s all eyeballs. A magazine was one of the best ways to reach consumers — and it required shoots, articles, photographers, etc. Now you can reach more eyeballs for cheaper. Of course that model will win. You don’t need to know anything about the platform to know it’ll win


Is it absurd a 16 year old can make millions for posting content (good or bad)? Is it absurd child actors and singers can make millions? Yes again. Do the latter have more talent? Most likely. Is the majority of their revenue due to the fact people adore them and are fans? Absolutely.

Different day, same shit. All comes down to reach and popularity (eyeballs)

[Bobcat Sig]

It’s the exact same deal. The problem for society that Instagram and tiktok have created has specifically to do with reach. It’s all eyeballs. A magazine was one of the best ways to reach consumers — and it required shoots, articles, photographers, etc. Now you can reach more eyeballs for cheaper. Of course that model will win. You don’t need to know anything about the platform to know it’ll win


Is it absurd a 16 year old can make millions for posting content (good or bad)? Is it absurd child actors and singers can make millions? Yes again. Do the latter have more talent? Most likely. Is the majority of their revenue due to the fact people adore them and are fans? Absolutely.

Different day, same shit. All comes down to reach and popularity (eyeballs)

Bingo. Same end-game, just through a different means.

[John_B]

Powder Mag died for me with the end of the Jaded Local. On that note it's about time for my pre season training and ski tuning.
https://www.powder.com/stories/pre-season-tips/
https://www.powder.com/stories/jaded...s-6-tuning-in/

[Bobcat Sig]

Powder Mag died for me with the end of the Jaded Local. On that note it's about time for my pre season training and ski tuning.
https://www.powder.com/stories/pre-season-tips/
https://www.powder.com/stories/jaded...s-6-tuning-in/

That's gold.

It also reminds me that I should pull all of my stick out of the rafter and see how poor of a condition I left them after last season cut short.

[Long duc dong]

It felt like the entire editorial content was designed around someone trying to check boxes for San Francisco dwelling 4x trips to Mammoth a year Audi buying Facebook employees.

.

I would have to say I'm a bit curious as to why Menlo Park based Facebook employees would go to Mammoth 4 times a year? If they go to Mammoth that many times, how many times would they hit Tahoe? To get to Mammoth from Meno Park you either have to drive past Tahoe to Reno, then down the 395 for three more hours, or you have to fly. The flight into Mammoth sucks, it is bumpy and it gets canceled quite regularly. Going to Mammoth regularly from San Fran makes no sense at all. My wife and I make about ten weekend trips and two week long trips to Mammoth in a typical year, it is pretty much a socal destination. For the most part we rarely encounter folks from up north there. We occasionally have silicon valley friends from my Tahoe ski bum days visit us, but they all do their ski leases in Tahoe. Going to Mammoth from San Francisco even remotely regularly does not make a whole lot of sense, unless one enjoys bumpy flights that are regularly canceled. I've actually had friends fly into LAX from the bay and drive up with us rather than drive to Mammoth.

But I know the people you are talking about. In a sense my wife and I are slightly more dedicated socal-based versions of that.



One of the truly great Jaded Local columns was the one where you were supposed to fill out a questionnaire to determine just how jaded you were. I think one level had a response along the lines of 'you are just ski bumming for a couple of years after college. You will eventually leave, become a weekend warrior, and bore your cubicle coworkers to death while you talk endlessly about your days hucking cliffs at Mt. Shredly.' I don't remember the exact words, but my wife read that and laughed because that is basically exactly what I was. I work remotely now, but I bored the fuck out of my office dwellers back in the day with those stories. The local really nailed it with that one.

[margotron]

I think he was being facetious about mammoth

[Iwantmy2dollars]

Very sad to hear about this. Back in the 80s I ran into Captain Pow where we didn't get much. On line at Killington VT. He was dressed in a gray suit with a crazy hat with a gigantic brim and a ring of tassels. His face and neck whited out with a thick layer of zinc oxide. I'm pretty sure he was shit faced because when the fixed grip, slow as molasses, summit chair was about to scoop him and his partner up.... They both got knocked to the ground. Whatever it was, they were having a blast.

[bobz]

What is apparently the last issue of Powder just arrived. Along with a postcard indicating that the remaining subscription balance will be rolled over to a Men's Journal subscription. Or, call 800-289-8983 by 12/1/20 (soon) for a refund. Men's Journal is dentist's office waiting room fodder at best, so I know what my choice is going to be. Oh well. I'll miss Powder for sure.

[MakersTeleMark]

I thought PowMag was already the Men's Journal.

[uglymoney]

How much refund do you expect? I really don't remember when I last renewed Pow mag. I imagine the refund would be almost zero dollars. A big first world life decision but I think I'll stick with Men's Journal instead of a 69 cent refund.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[bobz]

I have no idea and I don’t care. I mainly don’t want a perfume soaked Men’s Journal in my house.

[zartagen]

Might want to stick with men's journal with another possible TP shortage coming.

[new yabyum]

I have a copy of the last issue, If you want it I'll send it to you. PM me,

[bobz]

It's a cool final issue, BTW, with a cover that calls back to Powder's original first issue.

[comish]

Definitely cool final issue. The Mag changed so many of our lives, it truly bums me out to see it gone. Loved all the letters from legends of the sport who's lives changed because of it.

We can discuss the changing of media, online influencers, instagram, etc. which are all legit trends that are reality of today, BUT I think the real story behind this, is one of corporate shenanigans, and likely tax related. Why would you buy 14 titles only to shut them all down within 6ish months. That doesn't just happen because of the internet... https://www.foliomag.com/american-me...rts-magazines/

Then to not even field or listen to offers for the titles from perspective buyers says its about more than declining profits for that title. They are taking a loss on the purchase to offset revenue somewhere else or some other sort of financial/tax engineering exercise. Sad...

I look forward to Powder 2.0! There's gotta be a way to make it happen!

[EWG]

I’m going to have to chase down that last copy.

Ironically, I just found this in my bookcase today. March 95.

[babybear]

What is apparently the last issue of Powder just arrived. Along with a postcard indicating that the remaining subscription balance will be rolled over to a Men's Journal subscription. Or, call 800-289-8983 by 12/1/20 (soon) for a refund. Men's Journal is dentist's office waiting room fodder at best, so I know what my choice is going to be. Oh well. I'll miss Powder for sure.

Got that too and bonus!-the rest of my Bike magazine subscription will also be fulfilled by Men's Journal.
I'm going to try not to become too manly

[Shredhead]

I blame ONS, for engineering the migration to TGR.

[paulster2626]

Got that too and bonus!-the rest of my Bike magazine subscription will also be fulfilled by Men's Journal.
I'm going to try not to become too manly

At least you'll have a well-defined 6-pack. And some useful tips for those obliques, as well.

[k2skier112]

I got the most awesome refund amount, $6.66, for reelz

[Upper]

I got the most awesome refund amount, $6.66, for reelz

Getting $31.48 back, I was all in on the print future.......... I'll believe it when I see it

[thommy21]

$39 and some change for me. They said it should show up in the next 1-2 billing cycles. We will see. Was pretty surprised to see it in the mailbox though. Thought the buyers guide was the last.

[new yabyum]

$8.33 here, I subscribed for 25+ years, a real bummer.

[XXX-er]

I would be very suprised if there was any money TO give back, at safeway there used to be 2 full sections of magazine display rack, yesturday I noticed they took one section out so 50% of the magazines that were there a year ago are gone