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When The 'F-Bomb' Lands On Your Mountain

By J.D. O'Connor
February 19, 2007

Trying to control guest behavior could be likened to herding cats. They're not always going to do what is prudent and right, it's that simple, an off-shoot of human nature.

Blend in widespread adoption of a counterculture lifestyle, maybe a little booze with a pinch of testosterone, and it's likely that all that time you've spent attracting families to your mountain will be shattered the first time someone pulls the pin on the "F-Bomb" and rolls it out onto your slopes.

"From our lift attendants to our guest service staff to our front desk to our F&B front-facing employees, everyone here is sensitized to the importance of leadership by example," says Jeanne-Marie Gand, vice president of Marketing-Sales-Communications at Bolton Valley Resort, Vt. "Especially with kids and teenagers."

And while those two age groups may be responsible for the lion's share of blue words uttered on the slopes today, they are by no means the sole offenders.

"My guy was big, loud, wore one of those cowboy hats with the feathers up front and every other word was 'effin' this,' and 'effin that,' said a former Colorado ski patroller who asked we not use his name. "It was a long lift line and he had a captive audience. We spoke with him but he ignored us. I thought a couple of the dads were going to come over and punch him out."

Of the Top 10 Pet Peeves listed by skiers visiting OnTheSnow.com "obscene and vulgar language" came in a strong fifth behind Exorbitant Prices, Erroneous Snow Conditions, Long Lift Lines, and Aggressive Behavior by Others.

"One kid with a foul mouth can ruin the whole experience," one user wrote. "Why should I pay good money to hear the kind of talk I can get on any city streetcorner?"

A writer pointed out that the recent trending toward "graffiti-covered terrain parks" and "promotion of a counterculture lifestyle" is to blame, with many new skiers - okay, she actually said snowboarders - coming to the sport with little or no training in mountain etiquette.

"I doubt that any of them have even heard of the 'Responsibility Code,'" she wrote. We acknowledge here and now that obscene and vulgar language is not limited to monoboarders, however.

Jeff Hanle, Communications Manager at Aspen/Snowmass said they have no standard policy on the issue of bad language "as it rarely comes up here."

"If it does, it is handled on a case by case basis," Hanle said. "Because we are a destination resort, far from any day drive market, we get fewer groups of young skiers and riders that tend to be the offenders..."

Others, like Bolton Valley's Jeanne-Marie Gand, said that a gentle reminder can work wonders when the "F-Bomb" is unleased. "(It) can usually be dealt with by just making the person(s) aware that there are children within earshot... you'd be surprised how well that actually works!"

Has it worked for you? Or do you just ignore it? Let us know what you do when the air turns blue.

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Comments

We here at Wachusett have had a lot of success reminding the offenders using the "F" bomb that they are not alone. Laguage like that isn't used in front of their mothers or female family members why do they think it should be used by them in front of some one else's family. When some one talks like that it is because they don't have enough class or smarts to use better forms of communication. A smart person gets their point across without the use of profanity.

Posted by: Richard J Patrick | February 21, 2007 11:20 AM

	Good point, Richard, thanks. Funny how such a small word can have such a big impact, isn't it? We've had some great stories sent in by mountains who have attempted to deal with the problem, but many are too "rough" to print! Thanks again for your input, J.D. O'Connor
	Posted by: J.D. O'Connor Industry Report | February 21, 2007 11:31 AM

	Fuck your mountain etiquitte.
	Posted by: Billy Bob Your Moms | March 30, 2007 11:11 PM

	At least you managed to spell the "F" word right. Pretty much case in point about the sort of mentality allowed to encroach on our sport. You hit me and instead of an apology it's "F You." You rip me off and it's "So what, F Him..." Sometimes it's tough knowing I'm sharing the same mountain with people like you.
	Posted by: Shannon Kaufmann Extreme Ski | March 31, 2007 10:46 AM