Updating Our Image
Like a lot of MAWGS (middle-aged white guys) in the ski industry, I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s and in those days we all read Outdoor Life, Boy’s Life and Field & Stream magazines. I suspect that we all absorbed a kind of symbolic language of sorts about the outdoors, adventure and mountain architecture. No surprise then that when we all went out to build stuff it tended to look vaguely like, well, a hunting lodge. You know, big timber, stone fireplace, dead deer. True.
During the past 20 years I’ve been observing at fairly close range two members of the Gen-whatever generation and, trust me, these boys and girls have never been anywhere near a Field & Stream magazine. MTV, X-Box, Z Boyz, Graffiti is a new and different language. They are smart, visually attuned and they laugh openly at our clichés. And yet somehow, they absolutely love snow and the mountains. Go figure.
Sooner or later someone is going to figure out how to gracefully merge these two different visual catalogs and that someone will make bundles of money. We’re thinking about that a lot in our offices these days.
And a note to Tim Boyd: Where did you get this idea that appearance and function are mutually exclusive? It is simply not true. It’s kind of like saying that a beautiful woman can’t possibly be any good at making love. Not true.
—Rick Casner, Benefit Street Design
Corrections
The following listing was omitted from our annual Supplier/Buyer directory:
1) Montana Sport North America, 8 Federal Way, Groveland, MA 01834-1564, 1-888-667-0153 ph., (978) 420-1701 fax.
Montana Crystal Glide Finish/HTT ski and snowboard service machinery, R Off B ski and snowboard service machinery, ABS equipment storage and drying systems, Huber Jet Bond binding testers, back shop supplies and materials.
And in our calendar, SIA.05 SnowSports Show’s web address should read: www.thesnowtrade.org.
