Just returned from a weekend snowboarding in Lake Tahoe. A great trip, but an experience clearly different from European skiing. Not radically, there were just these small, distinctively American things:
First, upon arrival – before any of us (70 students) were allowed in the cabin – we had to sign a waiver saying that we would pay for anything we broke. The organizers were fierce about it and quite annoying – even though it was not their fault but the contract-loving American society. This was soon forgotten when we entered though, as we found the cabin to be huge and well equipped to cure any boredom: Outdoors heated jacuzzi, projector and movies, a 60″ (at least) tv, volleyball, basketball, tabletennis, board games etc.
A disgusting waste of energy. But nice. I am the one with the hat.
Second, when renting snowboard and boots we had a new contract experience. Everyone had to first type in their name and adress on a computer. It then printed two copies of a contract and someone called your name – there was an abundance of personnel everywhere. So one guy found your boots, a second guy found your board, a girl sold you an insurance and a second girl took your regular shoes.
Third, after all this we were finally getting ready to get in the lift when an desperate teen asked me to help him. He had driven the 200 miles from San Francisco with his board only to find that the store would not rent boots to him because he was not 18 yet. Maybe it was a contract thing. They did not give a reason. But when I went into the store with him and showed my ID it was all ok. Ridiculous! I mean, it is not like he was renting liquor. And he had the money. But up we went.
Going up.
Fourth, in California you do not wait for snow to go skiing. There was precious little snow on the mountain but four slopes were open – the snow on them was mainly fake. It was very good powder to ski in so who needs nature. But very odd to be at the top of a mountain snowboarding in beatiful nature but with so little snow around and with the peculiar view of Nevada desert on the one side.
Fifth, on American lifts there is nothing to rest your feet on. Rubbish! Every time you go up it is painful.
Sixth, they must have really hired too mush personnel – maybe to fight the economic crisis. While going up in the first lift we passed a get on/off point where a guy was standing only to tell everyone: “Hi you guys. Have a great time! It’s just five more minutes and you’re there”. And in the other lifts there was one person hired to stand by the line and constantly ask people to please get on four and four, another person to make sure nothing went wrong when people sat down on the lift (and he said: “Hey guys, have a great time!” every single time) which went extremely slow where you got on and a third guy to make sure you got off alright. This is besides all the ones sitting in the little cabins overlooking the lifts.
The shadow of the mountain on the Nevada desert.
Seventh, there were even more people hired there in completely unnecessary functions. On the top of the hills guys in silly elf hats walked around trying to get people to have their picture taken by them, which you could then look at and buy at the bottom. Going to the bottom there were not only huge signs everywhere saying “SLOW” – behind the signs were personnel waving there hands like traffic cops at everyone going by. Has to be in the top 10 of the most boring jobs on earth.
Eighth, when we got down with the lift there were two openings in the building: On to the side where we were returning our gear and one in the other direction. There were no other people except five or six employees hanging around but when we wanted to exit towards the rental place we were told that we could not do that – because that was the entrance side. So we had to walk around the building even though there were not even doors but huge openings to enter and exit and no other people. Man, I hate persons who are always strictly by the rules – even in situations when there is not even a hint of a valid reason to enforce the rules.
I must admit I was a bit annoyed by these things but I had a fantastic time all the same. Mostly it was a cultural experience like so many others here. Everything is pretty much the same as in Europe/Denmark but there are still little differences to everything which reflect the values of the society you are in.
