Mar. 12, 2008 - Issue #647: Westward Ho
Alive with the sound of music?
Soundtrack
But does everyone else feel the same? Does your favourite song blaring through your headphones take your ski run to a whole different level, or does it ruin the silence of nature? Is a park not a park unless Pennywise is shaking the ground through the loudspeakers? In short, does music play a role in your ski hill experience, and if so, what form does it take?
It’s hard to come up with another sport in which music is prevalent at every stage. Tunes accompany the drive to the ski hill whether on your own or in a bus. Walking through the parking lot on your way to the gondola, snippets of everything from acid jazz to ska punk can be heard while people slip on their ski pants and lace up their boots. On-hill, music comes from several sources—the speakers in the day lodge and terrain park, or live on an outdoor patio.
Once you’re at the top of the hill however, the choice is yours whether or not to fill the silence. Some find music distracting; others are invigorated and find themselves carving turns in time with the beat. Some would only slap on some headphones if they were skiing alone, but they never are, so they don’t.
Small and lightweight, the iPod has made listening to music while skiing or boarding easier than ever. Compile a playlist, strap on your helmet with the built-in headphones and you’ve got your entertainment laid out for the day.
But what kind of music are people listening to, and does your playlist change if you’re a boarder or a skier? Does your mode of snow transportation inherently communicate something about your musical personality?
Judging from a very informal chairlift survey I conducted, it would appear that musical preference is totally individual and does not depend on whether you prefer one plank or two. Although Air Supply did come up in one surveyed person’s playlist, the majority of songs tended to be very upbeat and intense. But one cannot automatically assume that snowboarders naturally drift toward punk, which is good news for those 35-year-old boarders (unless that’s their thing of course).
So where does safety fit into the scheme of things? You’ve got to remember you’re not the only person on a run and if you’re rockin’ out to Millencolin are you going to hear that guy who’s just slid in beside you from another run? Some people compromise by turning down the volume on their headphones but doesn’t that make the whole idea a little pointless?
Some avoid the issue altogether by listening to music on the deck at the end of their ski day while quaffing a brew. Many resorts realize this can be a significant draw for visitors so they provide an excellent venue for some pretty amazing live bands. Canadian tribute band BC/DC is a fixture on the patio at Sunshine Village and will be returning again this year in May. Resorts also command some pretty big names such as Sam Roberts and, before breaking up, Big Sugar and I Mother Earth. Many a rock star has donned a toque and endured frozen fingers.
So what is your perfect ski day? Nothing but the sounds of the wind in the trees or a pounding techno beat? If the idea of a soundtrack for your ski run interests you, what songs would you choose? My top five picks would be “How Soon is Now” by the Smiths, “Da Funk” by Daft Punk, “Just Because” by Jane’s Addiction, “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve, and “Like a Stone” by Audioslave. But that’s just me. (I’m a boarder—can you tell?) V
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