Is skiing elitist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah it costs at least $60 bucks per person for a lift ticket. Only the ultra rich can go.

Not true, my family pass in PA, which covers I think three resorts and is for the season was only 475.00 this year. That covers unlimited skiing for a family of four at PA resorts. Not Vail, but it suffices for us. We are within a couple hours drive time to any of the resorts covered and usually try to go mid week as a couple without the kids two or three times a month while the kids are in school. It really doesn't have to be that expensive, especially if you stay local.

[Anonymous]

If you do not live near slopes, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My brother lives in Maine. Skiing is the after school activity. The mountain is one of the school bus stops. At the mountain, the kids receive a snack and homework help. And then they go skiing with their friends for the afternoon. It costs $80 per child for Jan-March. Their local mountain is not Sugarbush. They laugh at me when I talk about skiing there. It’s expensive and crowded. They like their local mountain more.

Skiing can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be.

This is how I grew up in upstate New York! Every Wednesday we were skiing at night. Bus would bring us, parents gave us $20 and we skied from 4-8pm or something like that. We did this from 4th grade through high school. Now that I am a parent I cannot imagine letting my 4th grader do this but man it was fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up poor with poor people around me. I never went skiing as a child and have never gone as an adult. No one in my family has gone.

Golf is not as elitist as skying. Tennis is not elitist, it is t expensive. Horseback riding is elitist. Sailing is elitist. As an adult, I’ve been on boats and a friend had a fairly large power boat. Poor people can’t afford $800 for gas on a boat.

What the hell is “skying”you damned elitist Yalie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Because “elitist” doesn’t mean “for rich people.” I can’t believe how many people on here apparently don’t know this.

This.

Definition of elitist by MW: "giving special treatment and advantages to wealthy and powerful people". So "for rich people" about sums it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Because “elitist” doesn’t mean “for rich people.” I can’t believe how many people on here apparently don’t know this.

This.

Definition of elitist by MW: "giving special treatment and advantages to wealthy and powerful people". So "for rich people" about sums it up.

No. OP isn’t asking whether skiing gives “special treatment and advantages to the wealthy.” She’s asking whether it is an activity that is only for rich people. Do you not see how those things are different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have older kids than yours & live in New England but here’s an estimate based on new gear. Of course you can get used stuff more cheaply if you know what you’re looking for.

Seasons pass $500-$1200
Weekend race program Dec - Mar $1800
New race skis $500-$1000 each, need at least 2 pair, GS & slalom
New poles $100-$150 each, need 2 (GS & slalom)
Race boots $300-$500
Race helmet $200-$250
Chin guard for slalom $60
Shin guards for slalom $100-$150
Pole guards for slalom $50-$100
Goggles $50-$200
New race suit $300-$600
Jacket, ski pants, mittens
Race entry fees $25-150/race
US ski & snowboard membership $150
State ski association membership

Plus travel costs. Hotel and lift tickets if it’s a mountain your pass doesn’t cover. And if you want to watch your kid and it’s a mountain where you can’t hike to the course it’s usually $50-$150 a day for parent/spectator passes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ski racing is elitist. Damn expensive.

How expensive? Our 5 year old DS is already good at skiing and DH found a ski racing team that he can join at Bryce Mountain. However, he'd have to drive from Fairfax to Bryce every weekend to do it. We really want to make sure DS has at least one sport he can excel in, so I'd guess I'd be willing to pay a few thousand a season for ski team.

Liberty and Whitetail have racing teams. You might want to look into those also, but those teams may be for 8 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Africa elitist? Cause it's expensive to get there.

Well, the only people I know who ever went to Africa are all rich, so... yes?

An African safari is what all the rich girls did when I was growing up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skiing is definitely for rich people.

This is such BS! We are not rich, we save a portion of our paycheck for a vacation each year, and yes it is skiing. We cannot afford ski in/ski out, brown paper bag our lunches (as we do everyday for work and school, which is how we save money) and we buy used equipment at ski swaps when we need something. Most of the time we drive to our destinations, especially if the kids school vacation is between two weekends giving us ten days of vacation. We are not rich, probably never will be, but it's how we choose to spend our vacations with our children. And we are certainly not elitists.

You are not a skier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have older kids than yours & live in New England but here’s an estimate based on new gear. Of course you can get used stuff more cheaply if you know what you’re looking for.

Seasons pass $500-$1200
Weekend race program Dec - Mar $1800
New race skis $500-$1000 each, need at least 2 pair, GS & slalom
New poles $100-$150 each, need 2 (GS & slalom)
Race boots $300-$500
Race helmet $200-$250
Chin guard for slalom $60
Shin guards for slalom $100-$150
Pole guards for slalom $50-$100
Goggles $50-$200
New race suit $300-$600
Jacket, ski pants, mittens
Race entry fees $25-150/race
US ski & snowboard membership $150
State ski association membership

Plus travel costs. Hotel and lift tickets if it’s a mountain your pass doesn’t cover. And if you want to watch your kid and it’s a mountain where you can’t hike to the course it’s usually $50-$150 a day for parent/spectator passes.

My daughter is a U14 racer and the race skis at that level are under $500 (I think I paid about $350). Race skis are good for about 2 seasons and then you should replace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My brother lives in Maine. Skiing is the after school activity. The mountain is one of the school bus stops. At the mountain, the kids receive a snack and homework help. And then they go skiing with their friends for the afternoon. It costs $80 per child for Jan-March. Their local mountain is not Sugarbush. They laugh at me when I talk about skiing there. It’s expensive and crowded. They like their local mountain more.

Skiing can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be.

This is how I grew up in upstate New York! Every Wednesday we were skiing at night. Bus would bring us, parents gave us $20 and we skied from 4-8pm or something like that. We did this from 4th grade through high school. Now that I am a parent I cannot imagine letting my 4th grader do this but man it was fun!

Me too - Western NY - Bristol Mountain. We used to ski in Jeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skiing is definitely for rich people.

This is such BS! We are not rich, we save a portion of our paycheck for a vacation each year, and yes it is skiing. We cannot afford ski in/ski out, brown paper bag our lunches (as we do everyday for work and school, which is how we save money) and we buy used equipment at ski swaps when we need something. Most of the time we drive to our destinations, especially if the kids school vacation is between two weekends giving us ten days of vacation. We are not rich, probably never will be, but it's how we choose to spend our vacations with our children. And we are certainly not elitists.

You are not a skier.

Really? Skied telluride before it had a ritz, skied purgatory with my new husband, have good friends who own a property near squaw and skied there often before kids. But that was when DH and I lived out west and were childless, not rich but just jumped on any day ski junket we could. Pizza junctioin in tuckeewas the best, no longer there sadly. I am a skier, a damn good one at that even skied China bowl as a child after school. You are the definition of an elitist skier op is talking about, and obviously quite the snot. Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skiing, golf, dressage, polo and sailing are THE most elitist pursuits there are

You forgot polo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A coworker said this to me today. Is this a common perception?

I don’t really think so. I mean obviously it’s expensive, but a lot of the surfer guys I knew when I was young were really into it and none of them had money.