What does shred the gnar mean? You won't spend much time on the slopes without hearing the quintessential slang phrase: shred the gnar, meaning to ride with exceptional speed, ability, or enthusiasm, especially in difficult terrain and conditions. The term has become common in a variety of sports, including skating, surfing, snowboarding, and skiing. Regardless of the [...]
What's a wolfpack? A wolfpack is a group of friends, usually guys, who run together. In the context of skiing or snowboarding, these are buddies who roam the mountain with you and hunt cooperatively for fresh powder. With my wolf pack in Alta, Utah. Wolfpack origin Sometimes spelled wolf pack, this term originates in [...]
Face shots from Mitch Tobin on Vimeo.
What is a face shot? A face shot occurs when snow sprays a skier or snowboarder's face on a powder day. The snow must be deep and light enough (e.g., blower, Champagne Powder®) and the rider must have sufficient speed to elevate the snow to face level. SnowSlang's staff hard at work at Copper Mountain. Photo by/of [...]
"I love big dumps": powder fever meets poo-phoria "I love big dumps" is a saying among skiers and snowboarders who equate their fondness for major snow storms with their satisfaction upon taking a huge crap. You'll see the phrase on bumper stickers, such as the one below for Silverton Mountain in Colorado. "I love big dumps" bumper sticker. Photo [...]
Remember: there are no friends on a powder day Riding with friends is great, but if it's dumping you must follow your inner Yeti and remember this sacred commandment of the ski bum: there are no friends on a powder day. As any powder hound will tell you, if you wait for your friends to get [...]
What is a powder day clause and why do you need one? A powder day clause is an element of one's work arrangement, either formal, implied, or secret, in which the party is entitled to blow off their job and go skiing when there's fresh powder. Common in ski towns and among ski bums, it's [...]
