There was, to some extent, a thread already about this- but it was poorly worded, tactless, and did little towards establishing a coherent point..
There seems to be a great deal of attention and pressure in snowboarding culture which revolves around the styles of clothing and accessories one wears. I understand that it is possible to ignore this, but it exists either way and that fact bugs me. Of course, not everyone does it, but I believe it's happening and I decided to bring it up.
Now I suppose that due to the nature of the sport (no pun intended) a large degree of the fashion has to do with blending style and equipment functionality. Is it about being "in tune" with what the hot new gear is? Does the fact that one "knows" to posses these things display to the other riders that he/she is "one of them"? I see people on the hill of both sexes who have obviously spent a great deal of time on their entire outfits.. pant styles, jackets, goggles, beanies, headphones, color coordination, etc..
There seems to be a great deal of weight placed in conformity rather than actual expression, which I perceive as an attempt for some to display that they "belong" on the hill; that they have that elite snow fashion sense. I believe this causes those riders to be perceived under a different light and a kind of prejudice develops towards people without said snazziness.
Another observation I must point out is the frequency of this mentality in the park. It seems rampant there.
Well, I am willing to bet that I'm generalizing too heavily, and may in fact be simply judging others and proving myself hypocritical. Still, I know what I've felt and witnessed, and I know that there is truth in my words, which is good enough for me.
So, do you agree? Disagree? Why?
What are your thoughts, experiences, and insights on snow fashion elitism?
There seems to be a great deal of attention and pressure in snowboarding culture which revolves around the styles of clothing and accessories one wears. I understand that it is possible to ignore this, but it exists either way and that fact bugs me. Of course, not everyone does it, but I believe it's happening and I decided to bring it up.
Now I suppose that due to the nature of the sport (no pun intended) a large degree of the fashion has to do with blending style and equipment functionality. Is it about being "in tune" with what the hot new gear is? Does the fact that one "knows" to posses these things display to the other riders that he/she is "one of them"? I see people on the hill of both sexes who have obviously spent a great deal of time on their entire outfits.. pant styles, jackets, goggles, beanies, headphones, color coordination, etc..
There seems to be a great deal of weight placed in conformity rather than actual expression, which I perceive as an attempt for some to display that they "belong" on the hill; that they have that elite snow fashion sense. I believe this causes those riders to be perceived under a different light and a kind of prejudice develops towards people without said snazziness.
Another observation I must point out is the frequency of this mentality in the park. It seems rampant there.
Well, I am willing to bet that I'm generalizing too heavily, and may in fact be simply judging others and proving myself hypocritical. Still, I know what I've felt and witnessed, and I know that there is truth in my words, which is good enough for me.
So, do you agree? Disagree? Why?
What are your thoughts, experiences, and insights on snow fashion elitism?