So the results are in and it was pretty much unanimous that "hating" is the worse thing to happen to snowboarding since step-in bindings. Hating is essentially the act of zoning in on and attacking a fellow riders personal style (clothes, riding, mustache, whatever). The most obvious and textbook example of hating in general is demonstrated by the more elitist skiers, who start with the shit-talking the moment they see a snowboard... even if said snowboarder were say, an 8-year old, baby-faced child in a pink bunny costume who had cured both cancer and aids.
Within snowboarding, there are the "park police"; the kids who got good--not good enough to be sponsored or win contests, but good enough that they are entitled to shout at you from the lift everything about you that sucks. From a new rider trying to ollie to an experienced rider whose frontside boardslide has gone awry, these are the kids who laugh and jeer at anything that isn't "cool".
On the other side of the spectrum, you've got the "anti-park brigade". These are usually an older generation of snowboarders and skiers; they remember back in the day when *insert park run* was a wide open trail just for them, and some will stop it nothing to keep it that way. They stop in front of kickers, carve ruts and moguls into ramps and in general just make the park a more dangerous place for you and me.
Then there are the haters in your local ski patrol office. When you've been working resorts as long as some of those bastards, you know that if a snowboarder is dressed a certain way you should follow him until he does something wrong and clip his pass... wait, is this really part of the job description?
Even professional snowboarders aren't immune; just head to any video post on TWSNOW.com and read some comments. In fact, I challenge you to find a video where a kid doesn't say something stupid about what a rider is wearing, a feature or snow conditions or the really bold kids will even comment on a riders style/trick choices (which wouldn't be that bad if only they backed it up with a tight video of their own).
Hating can be a tricky subject, though; a double-edged sword of sorts, as where does one draw the line? For instance, some might view the blunt, matter-of-factness of an Angry Snowboarder as a form of hating; others might view the lude and crude shenanigans of one Mark Frank Montoya as a blatant sign of disrespect towards gapers:
I could say more on the subject, but I'd like to hear everyone's personal opinion, particularly regarding the last two examples. I will say this, even I have had my moments... sometimes you just get cut off by one out-of-control gaper too many and something has to be said; but is this "hating" or "regulating" for a better, safer tomorrow?
