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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2004)
Hoodoo those new BY IIALEY GORDON DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER Hoodoo ski area provides alternative gear, such as Airboards and snowbikes Tucked away in the Cascades is Hoodoo, a ski resort often stuck in the shadow of its larg er neighbor, Mt. Bachelor. Those who aren’t skiing or snowboarding can rent one of Hoodoo’s unconventional snow toys. “We have a unique toy for everyone,” lodge manager Doug Ritchie said. It’s not normal to see a figure rush down the well groomed runs face first, but it was a com mon occurrence last winter as youths test ed the Airboard off terrain park jumps. The Airboard is an inflatable body board that riders can steer Dy sniiung tneir weight from side to side while lying on their stomachs. Emo Gear Presi dent Ann-Elise Emerson said it has “all the control of skis but (is) built with materials like a white water raft.” Airboarding started as an under ground snow sport movement in Eu rope in 2000. It traveled to the states in November 2003, and Hoodoo in troduced it to Oregon in January. “It’s becoming very popular,” said Matthew McFarland, Hoodoo’s gen eral manager. “I just had a call last week from GQ magazine, and I get FOR STUDENTS ON A BUDGET Campus Week December 6-10 College students with IDs ski for half price on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Tightwad Tuesday Starts Jan. 4,2005 Tues. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lift tickets are $ 16/day. phone calls every day from people in terested in the Airboard and two a week from other U.S. ski resorts.” McFarland said the trend reminds him of the increase in snowboarding in the late ‘80s and ‘90s and predicts that people will soon ditch their skis and snowboards for Airboards. On Feb. 25, Hoodoo will host the first Air board competition, fashioned after the Air board World Series in Europe. Emo Gear chose Hoodoo as the location because it is a progressive resort, Emerson said. Hoodoo has 18 Air boards for rent and a number for sale. First timers are required to get a lesson to learn the basics before tackling the slopes. The cost is an $18 rental fee and $10 for a first-time lesson. Another alternative winter sport is snowbiking. Instead of wheels, a snowbike has ski blades; instead of pedal power, it requires gravity. Riders click into short skis for their feet, but there are no pedals. At Hoodoo, new comers will need to take a short lesson on the basics. It costs $20 to rent the snow bike and $20 for the lesson. Scooting down the slopes is more fun when trying something a bit un conventional. Hoodoo is located 83 miles east of Eugene. With or Without Poles? SKIING VS. SNOWBOARDING BY ADAM CHERRY | DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER Eugene's skiers and snowboarders weigh in on their choices for the best tinnier sport; it's a matter of preference One plank or two? The debate between avid skiers and snowboarders continues as they argue for the best way to slide down the face of a mountain. “Skiing is more natural, but snow boarding is more adrenaline,” busi ness administration major Moriah McGraw said. McGraw, psychology major Brisa Ayub and environmental studies major Kate Gross are coordi nators for the Snowboarding Club. They’ve been snowboarding for more than five years. “It’s fun, you can do a lot of tricks — there are the trees, the pipes, the parks,” Ayubsaid. “It’s different in the powder. You just fall in love with it; once you go board, you nev er go back.” Jared Hoffer, sopho more who1 has been' skiing as long as he can remember, dis agrees. “I snowboarded in middle school,” he said. “I prefer the feel of the skis; I think you’re more free than you are in a snowboard.” Hoffer said skiing is more versatile and that snowboarding is more diffi cult to learn. “Balance is a lot harder on a snowboard than on skis when you’re first starting,” he said. “It’s harder to learn how to turn and stop, you just have to fall over.” Gross and McGraw agree. “Snowboarding you actually have to learn. It’s painful,” McGraw said. “You have to have balance.” Skiing Club coordinator Courtney Vermaas said skiing is better for be ginners because their feet can move separately. “In high school, I would definitely say that snowboarding was more popular,” Vermaas said. “Now it’s kind of even. ” As for cost, snowboarding equip ment tends to be slightly cheaper. Skiers need poles, skis, boots and bindings, while snow boarders require a board, boots and bindings. At one point in the history of these sports, there was a great deal of friction be tween skiers and snowboarders. ““Older skiers don’t like snow boarders,” McGraw said. “But it’s more of a joke now.” There are many things about being on the mountain that both skiers and snowboarders enjoy. “My best friends are peo ple that I ski with,” Vermaas said. She added that she loves the adrena line rush from skiing. Hoffer said he enjoys skiing for the solitude. “I like going where there aren’t a lot of people, in the back country,” Hoffer said. “I like being alone on the mountain or with a couple friends and going through the pow der; that gets me up in the morning. ” Whether it’s skiing or snow boarding, a lot of fun and entertain ment can be had on the slopes. 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