I tried listening to my IPOD while skiing for the first time the other day...I found I skiied more agressively while listening to Journey..."Anyway you want it" to be precise. However, I missed talking to people on the lifts. I was wondering what people think about this topic:

Music helps me be more fluid. But you don't have to have it so loud that you can't have a conversation.

Steve

Personally, I've never felt the need to listen to music while skiing. There's plenty to enjoy from being outside, interacting with others, and the pure sound of flying down the hill. Plenty of time to listen to tunes on the drive back...just my opinion.

I believe that music can help to enhance the experience - but not so loud as to be tuned out from what's around or people on the lift! My Giro helmet has a volume control that helps me adjust the sound with my gloves on. Of course, not while on duty - then my helmet is hooked up to the two-way radio for communication! As with most accessories, a little common sense and courtesy go a long way!!

Well I listen but only while I am by myself at someplace where there are little to no crowds. Still, I try taking out the headphones if I am on the lift with someone who looks interesting so that I can strike up a conversation.

Also, I don't listen to music while skiing but rather podcasts.

I don't listen to music while skiing either. I need to be able to hear what is going on around me (unlike a car where you have mirrors and such). I especially don't have music while on duty either, as I need to hear the radio as well as what is going on around me (such as people asking for help).

Gotta admit, there are times when I'd love to crank up some heavy metal before dropping into a particularly knarly/challenging run. Nothing like a bit of Pagan's Mind, Stratovarius, Mystic Prophecy, Sonata Arctica, or some other power metal band to get my juices flowing.

Skiing without music would be sort of like dancing without music, no?

I answered "Music is dangerous" because I could only choose one answer. Skiing without danger would be sort of like dancing, no?

Excellent points RodSmith.

I don't get it. Skiing is one of life's highlight experiences. Music is something to do when you don't have anything else to do.
Why mix them up?

??????????

woah, there... I'll take issue with that (unless I'm misinterpreting, and you mean "music is something to do when you will have nothing else distracting you"). Music, for some of us, anyway, is something you set aside time for. I'll agree that I won't combine it with skiing, but let's give it a little love anyway, huh?


Signed, the music major,


aaron

Just to show my age... Only for first run and only VH's "Eruption".

I don't care how old you are...Eddie's guitar work is timeless...IMO the music is OK when you are out west at a bigger resort with lots of space...also in general skiers/riders know how to ski/ride out west and have better etiquette and know there sorroundings...but I do get pissed when I'm out west and I try to pass someone on a goat trail and I call out "on your left", try to pass on the left, and then they steer right into me because they can't hear me because of their toons...when I'm out west and riding alone I listen to everything from reggae to metal...I love listening to music in deep lift service pow, never toons in the backcountry...

but these Mid-A resorts are just to crowded, and to many customers just act like they are at an amusement park and they are along for the ride...I mean the majority of skiers/riders in the mid-A don't even know the responsibility code let alone know how to make a controlled turn...with the exception of some patrollers/ski-schoolers mid-A skiers/riders consist of about 70% beginners, 20% idiots who just point and recklessly hall [censored] through crowded slopes, and about 10% who can actually use their equipment to make a turn...headphones in the Mid-A are down right dangerous and should result in a loss of lift ticket immediately and maybe even being locked up in one of those old school pillorys located in the middle of the bunny hill,IMO..

OK. Thanks for fixing it.

Although no music major, I'm with you there Aaron. To me, music is an artistic expression of emotion. Its feelings in audible form. Music is an incredible powerful art form - not just "something to do when you don't have anything else to do." It can enhance, inspire, and uplift a mood. It can set the mind in the right frame of reference. It can do all things wonderful. Of course, it can also set a dark tone. Ever try listening to your favorite movie WITHOUT the sound track (try Star Wars without the score - not nearly as epic an experience - not even close).

In the case of skiing, to me, nothing is more wonderful than spending time outdoors using skiing to enhance my appreciation of snow, scenery, and fresh air (not to mention exercise for my fat a_s!). Much like a musical score can "make" a movie, the right tunes can help heighten that appreciation. Ever been so thrilled on a run you've decided to let out a "whoop?" or even sing out loud? Listening to music can help enhance those same emotions - at least for me.

As with all things, however, there is a time and a place for everything. And, as noted in my earlier reply, my tunes are not so distracting that I don't know what's around me.

With that said, let's talk about something less controversial. Anyone want to debate the wisdom of helmets?

There use to be a "no headphones" policy at some resorts (Massanutten is one that I am most familiar with). However, in this day and age of iPods as well as many of these helmets that comes with headphones built in, or a place where you can put headphones, this policy has pretty much became all but impossible to enforce. It pretty much now falls back to as long as they are following the responsibility code and practicing decent slope etiquette, than all is well.

...man..can someone then at least make grooming pow an offense that is punishable by some type of public humiliation like the pillory...what happened when those pilloryed folks had to use the rest room???

I'm with Denis on this one. He and I are addicted to a lot of the same places and same terrain. Most of which are relatively remote and isolated. And maybe we chase the same endorphins.

I love music, I love dancing (wuz a pretty mad bar room shag dancer back in the day), but I've never wanted to listen to music when skiing. Or even riding a lift up. I dunno why. I get my flow from the snow. Or the warm winter sun. Or the snow billowing up off a drift. My flow just happens. Eskimos have what, 200 words for snow? I hear those 200 songs in my head when I ski on the 200 different types of snow. Maybe I've swallowed an iPod, and it has worked it's way up between my ears.

I need to hear my skis on the snow. Need to hear what's happening around me. Song is sometimes pretty, sometimes not. But if I can hear it, I can adjust to it, or I can enjoy it. Depends upon the situation.

Somewhat of a thread hijack, but this is music related...



Not bad, but Van Haircut never really floated my boat. More my style: Slowhand. SRV. Jimi. B.B. back in the day. Surf geetar. Muddy. Mr. Wolf. D. Allman (wicked slide guitar)

Slide guitar >>>>> speed guitar. Just sayin'

How about helmets with Ipods built in and an HD camera mounted on top.
BTW most terrrain parks blast music now on outdoor speakers. Where would they fit into this discussion??

They're terrain parks. That experience, a legitimate one that many enjoy, has little or nothing to do with what John L so eloquently expressed. At least insofar as I understand his remarks and the spirit behind them.

Not to introduce ANOTHER threadjack, but I was noticing at Liberty last time how distracting the snowguns are. Obviously, these were the compressed air + water variety (not the high-tech fan guns, which are much quieter). I could fully understand putting on headphones if the alternative is the non-stop roar of the snow guns, but when there's no blowing going on, there's nothing better than the quiet being broken only by the sound of skis.

Of course, the sound of the skis should be the calm quiet of skis in powder, and not the sound of scraping against hardpack, but I'll take what I can get.


aaron

I forgot the earphones that fit under my helmet, so I had the choice of using the big headphones with a hat or my helmet with no music. Stupidly, I chose the helmet. I didn't fall on my head once, and I got bored twice.

I listen to headphones all day, every day, so not hearing music is disconcerting to me.

Snow guns help cover the sound of skidding skis which hurts my ears. Ouch!

No, I don't want to listen for out of control skiers behind me. If that's what you like listening to, enjoy! Not my cup of tea.

Gosh, I hope folks don't jump all over those as that's sort of my helmet!! Giro G10 MX, TuneUps ear pads (hooked to Creative Zen Vision M), Oregon Scientific ATC2K on the side! Boys and their toys . . .