Well that was the first big weekend of the year. Queues and all the powder that can be reached from a lift tracked into mounds within an hour or so. Some trendz then from cool to head shaking.
Kool:
The pipe ‘n’ park kidz doing stuff that makes me thankful I was born too late. Cheap as chips K2 Sights with marker bindings on their feet (the boarderz are in the neighbouring resort). To be found everywhere carving through the powder, flying through the air or slaloming the piste marker poles.
Trad Cool:
The carvers, racers, 70s skis 3.5mm apart, powder bouncers (so long as they made the first chair of the day). Various slalom and piste skis on their feet.
The patinettes:
A bit like the mono these are a thing of the past (thankfully) but those still using them skate, skip and zip around in fine style.
The mass:
The lack of “classes de neige” and Wednesday ski clubs is showing though. French yoofs don’t ski as well as they did but the latest generation of skis compensating for ability they still get down without too many tumbles or crashes. I haven’t tried them but the latest all-rounder piste skis are clearly very easy to ski.
The anti-social gits:
They could have anything on their feet or between their legs (snow skooter things). The skiing equivalent of the owner of an Ibiza with a huge exhaust, louder sound system, zero ability, zero consideration and a gram each of dope and alcohol in the blood.
The water skiers:
Do you realise just what a dick you look clattering around like a duck on a frozen pond with those huuuuuge freeride planks on your feet in the worked-out powder 5m from the piste? I realise you’d crap yourself then pass out faced with a descent the skis are designed for but you don’t have to buy them just because they’re twendy. Go back to the shop FFS and trade them for some of those K2 Sights which will flatter the ability you do have most everywhere.