# I need to reevaluate my life...



## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

I searched and could not find this and felt like it need to be shared.



> Keys To Reality
> by Ken Achenbach
> 
> It’s kind of funny how you can go from walking around with nothing but lint in you pocket and being totally stoked, to walking around with a pocket full of keys and being totally bummed.
> ...


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## jello24 (Apr 10, 2010)

Sold out? That's pretty strong way to insult reality for some of the people who take snowboarding as a hobby, not as a career path.

My day job as this essay alludes to is what enabled me to start snowboarding. Without the income this job currently provides, snowboarding is nothing but a pipe dream that I only dreamt of as a poor high school kid. Snowboarding was a goal, a reward for working hard to get yourself through school and getting a stable job.

Also, since when was having a girlfriend a bad thing. Last time I checked having a girl that can ride along with you is one way the world tells you that you've made it.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Id rather be the guy working and making a living and snowboarding for pleasure than the bum who has to hitchhike to get around, bum some ramen to eat, and couch surf.

That's just me. I'd love to not ever have to work and snowboard every day. But that isn't reality nor realistic.

Working stiff + snowboard for fun, vs being a bum.

Seriously, if I lived that life I'd surf. At least you can do that year round.


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> Id rather be the guy working and making a living and snowboarding for pleasure than the bum who has to hitchhike to get around, bum some ramen to eat, and couch surf.
> 
> That's just me. I'd love to not ever have to work and snowboard every day. But that isn't reality nor realistic.
> 
> ...


Weird because I live that reality and so do many people I know. I'm at work right now and rode today, riding tomorrow too, and the next two days. But you keep believing that and ill keep living this unrealistic life where I'm stoked to strap into my board everyday


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

Qball said:


> Weird because I live that reality and so do many people I know. *I'm at work right now*


So how are you living that life? You have a job...f'ing sellout.

The important thing for me is being able to have enough free time and money to do whatever I want when I'm not at work.


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

My point is you don't have to be a jobless bum to ride everyday.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Qball said:


> Weird because I live that reality and so do many people I know. I'm at work right now and rode today, riding tomorrow too, and the next two days. But you keep believing that and ill keep living this unrealistic life where I'm stoked to strap into my board everyday


that is fine. Never said anything about that. work and ride everyday, more power to you.

Are you hitchhiking just to get to the mountain? that's what that story says. The guy who chooses boarding over working. And If you do the opposite, you're a sell out.

That's what I'm talking about. Not what you are doing. Two completely different things. If you're not a bum, but get to ride everyday, fuck who am I to say anything?

But the story is implying it's better to be a bum and ride, then to work and ride occasionally, and if you don't agree, you're a sellout.

So no, you're not living that reality. That reality as I put it, is to NOT work and ride everyday, forever. You're working, and riding. that's good. That's responsible. That's awesome.

But that's not what the story is getting at.


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

Good point, I'm at work now too  I could ride every day if I wanted, and probably would if there was a real mountain nearby.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

honeycomb said:


> Good point, I'm at work now too  I could ride every day if I wanted, and probably would if there was a real mountain nearby.


Sellout. Put up a bench and slide down everyday.

I mean, you can do it for a while, but reality is, you need money. If I could make money from home and ride everyday shoot I'd be there in a second. But those opportunities are few and far between. The rest of us, must work. Why is that selling out? And again, if I could live that life, I'd surf at least I can put on a wetsuit when it gets cold and do it 365. Oh and it's free too


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

I might do that in my backyard, got a nice drop in for it too since my house is on a hill...but I have a backyard, and live in a house...damnit, I'm a f'ing sellout too


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

That's three fucking keys by my count, one for your house, your car and your fence :laugh:


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

He's a sellout because he took an office job that he thought would give him security in life but it only made him lose sight of what truly made him happy


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## lesabre (Jan 26, 2012)

I don't agree with this at all. I graduated college with a degree in photography about a year ago. Right now I am still slangin pizzas in Denver, even though I could be making 3X the money doing what I love for a living in LA, Chicago, or NYC. I do this because I can work three 12 hour shifts a week, and ride 2-3 days a week. Next season, I will be moving to either keystone, breck, or vail to do epicmix photo, and be able to walk to the lifts. After that, off to the real world, because being responsible is responsible, and not being a bum.

If snowboarding is your number one priority, and you can figure out a way to do it every day without being a leech on others, more power to you. I love snowboarding with all of my heart, but I have higher priorities. I want to make enough money, at a job that I love, to support myself, decide my own schedule, travel to new places to snowboard, and possibly support a family.


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## cmo (Jan 13, 2010)

I think the bigger problem is when you no longer work to live. Once it crosses over into the 'live to work' expectation that most office jobs try to force on you its over. I know people who think they need to work massive amounts of overtime and end up losing vacation at the end of the year. If you can keep the balance it can be a necessary evil.

I'm like jello, I grew up with no snow. W/o the job getting me out of there and the money that came along with it I would have just filled the addiction with something else and probably wouldn't even snowboard.


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## Rider161 (Oct 12, 2011)

If someone has a job that they can punch out massive overtime on the off season to be able to take off during the season and be able to live and support his/her family then that is smart in my mind  making money and still being able to do what you like/love :thumbsup:


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

This post is pretty hilarious. I love my work. I do work hard, but I work with friends so we spend the day joking around. Sure it is a desk job (software developer). But it pays the bills and more. I ride at least 3 hours every day. But I also have the money to travel around the world to snowboard (snowboarding in the summer is great!). I have every weekend off to snowboard, and I own my car . I also have money in the bank so I can retire and enjoy the other half of my life. I don't want to be 50 and still couch surfing and bumming rides. Instead I can retire at the bottom of a mountain and walk out to the lift.


If working is selling out, thank god some one did otherwise who would make all our gear!


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## forestfalcon (Jan 5, 2012)

Well this was enlightening. I'm made to feel guilty that I have a wonderful Husband, 2 cars, a house, a beautiful daughter, whom I've made the sacrifice to stay home with everyday. I hate to be a downer, but there are more important things than riding everyday. Disagree with me if you must, but it really isn't a reality for the vast majority.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

cmo said:


> I think the bigger problem is when you no longer work to live. Once it crosses over into the 'live to work' expectation that most office jobs try to force on you its over. I know people who think they need to work massive amounts of overtime and end up losing vacation at the end of the year.


Agreed!! For me, my unintended hiatus from snowboarding was due to something similar to this. I never planned on it; it just sort of happened. I vowed never to allow that again.

I took the original post as a metaphor for staying true to yourself and living the life YOU want to live. I see nothing wrong with that.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Living to snowboard is cool, but unless you get paid to snowboard, you are going to have to do something else to eat. Even a lot of pros work night jobs and do shit during the summer to save up. I know a guy who lives in Breck and drives plows a few days week and makes his big bank back home with his dad's business during the offseason. He probably gets in 80-100 a year. Is he a sellout for having A job? As a cubicle weekend warrior, I'll probably get 45 days in this season.

This article is true in regards to keeping life in perspective (it's becoming a fucking cliche to talk about this) but reality is reality and you have to feed yourself somehow. If life was really as easy as just having a snowboard and doing nothing but riding, eating shitting and sleeping, you wouldn't see me on these boards at all.


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

I'm a college student and still have almost 20 days so far and the resort opened just around Christmas. You don't need to work overtime and sellout to snowboard, but you also don't have to be a bum and not have a job. I have a part time job and have still managed to pay for a seasons pass, gas to a hill 45 mins away, and all new gear this year. If you become a bum because you think you have to in order to do it a lot and enjoy it your just lazy and looking for excuses. However if you work overtime and think you still don't have enough money to snowboard then you need to tone it down a little and stop buying Corvettes.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

lesabre said:


> I will be moving to either keystone, breck, or vail to do epicmix photo, and be able to walk to the lifts.


Hope you understand that's a job that doesn't let you ride and the walk to the lifts thing is pretty fabled for any snow carnie it's usually those of us that can afford real housing that walk to the lift. 



forestfalcon said:


> Well this was enlightening. I'm made to feel guilty that I have a wonderful Husband, 2 cars, a house, a beautiful daughter, whom I've made the sacrifice to stay home with everyday. I hate to be a downer, but there are more important things than riding everyday. Disagree with me if you must, but it really isn't a reality for the vast majority.


Having a kid is the ultimate sacrifice you give up living for you and live for them.

For all you people that are butt hurt or defending it there's one question you have to ask yourself. Are you a snowboarder or someone that snowboards? Answer that and you'll have your answers to life.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Back to OP. The key to reality...is to re-evaluate. Re-evaluation ought to happen regularly. We are not the same person as a child, teen, young adult, early career, mid and late career, empty nest, mid-life, mentor, nearing retirement, retired, elder, geriatric...etc. Point is we grow or change or move through different seasons, have different needs and wants for different reasons.

In my late teens and early 20's I worked my ass off then traveled/hitched, going to see different places, following the Dead and etc. My plan B, if nothing exciting seemed to be occurring was to knock out another semester...8.5 years for my undergrad. I've done the career 50+ hours/wk, wife, 3 kids (last one almost out of the house), 2 cars and a cat thing. Currently work part-time and barely covering the minimal bills. However I consider myself semi-retired and could go riding everyday but choose to attend to my family husbandly responsibilities. At 53, I''m not wealthy money wise and will work by my choice till the day I die...(working to help others in the world is a privilege in my opinion)...but feel very fortunate that I have the time and enough resources to do several things that are my passions...riding being one of them. 

However, I do fantasize letting go of many "keys"...especially if widowed (...or divorced...which almost happens on a daily occurrence according to my wife :dunno and would be happy being an old guy, living in the E lodge or a small place nearby and hitching to, working at the hill and hanging some soul lines. I know a few folks that do this and they look forward to doing it every winter.


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## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2011)

I am someone that snowboards and I am fine with that. Its a love but not my only love.. I love surfing, food, wine, live music and just traveling and seeing the world. Snowboarding is probably my first crush and something at various times I have been totally obsessed with, but not something for which I would give up everything else I enjoy, if that makes sense. 

I work to live and play and someday that living and playing will include a family. Do I wish I got more time to play on the mountains during the winter? Hell yeah... but do I feel like my job provides me the means to experience much? Hell yeah. Things like a trip to NoLa in the spring for Jazz Fest (which I try to never miss) and a surf trip to Nicaragua in the fall... as much as I love snowboarding I wouldn't want to miss out on those experiences and thus I am sitting in my office on this friday instead of riding.


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## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

Interesting post but the guy in the op story sounds more like he's having a mental break down lol. Im only 26 but I enjoy my job work as an IT for a school district have since i was 18. Have a great boss and people to work with. Get lots of vacation, and make enough to go boarding 3 times a year could go more but damn 10 hours each way sucks.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

Loooool 3 pages by the morning, you guys are funny and take shit wayyy too seriously.

BTW this was a column that was written back in 1992 in Transworld, and was reposted in honor of Craig Kelly. 

Full story here.



















































Fucking sellouts.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

Bretfred said:


> Interesting post but the guy in the op story sounds more like he's having a mental break down lol. Im only 26 but I enjoy my job work as an IT for a school district have since i was 18. Have a great boss and people to work with. Get lots of vacation, and make enough to go boarding 3 times a year could go more but damn 10 hours each way sucks.


You act like I wrote it myself. MENTAL BREAKDOWNNNNNNNNN


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## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

Nah i know u didnt just an observation. I dont take anything seriously. The great van wilder said it best. You shouldn't take life to seriously. You'll never get out alive.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

I am glad that you were able to tell I was having a mental break down just by posting an article that I did not write nor talked about in any form. 

You IT guys are all kinda special anyways.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

Bretfred said:


> Nah i know u didnt just an observation. I dont take anything seriously. The great van wilder said it best. You shouldn't take life to seriously. You'll never get out alive.


This is coming from the guy who just told me I was having a mental breakdown because I liked an article written about snow bums who for sure don't take life seriously. I'm gonna go ahead and say you are probably the one who needs to take things a little less serious.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

I am going through something like this right now. To try and keep it short, I left a job back in December that I had since graduation. The job had become boring and I was not stimulated or satisfied by the work. What I did have was a good salary, great hours, flexibility, tons of vacation, gym during lunch, etc, etc. 

I went to a hedge fund where i do like the work a lot better and I am more satisfied. 

However, I am now miserable. Working bare minimum 50 hrs a week, no lunch breaks, crazy travel, concern about taking vacation, inability to address some health issues, crappy environment, etc. 

I know realize that it is far better to work to live than live for work. If you have hobbies and interests and a family and don't want work to be the main focus of your life, than the goal should be to work the least amount to satisfy your wants and needs. 

I think I had that and blew it and now don't know what to do.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

Yup, life sucks. Finding the perfect balance between work and play is never easy, but I will always side with having more fun with a little less money as long as I can keep the bills paid.


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## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

Talking about the person in the article douche. I was also joking hence the lol after the statement


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Smokehaus said:


> Yup, life sucks. Finding the perfect balance between work and play is never easy, but I will always side with having more fun with a little less money as long as I can keep the bills paid.


yup...just like...

don't let school get in the way of your education

and

don't let work get in the way of your life


Sad thing is IT guys...their virtual world is their life and life is their virtual world...until they find some unsuspecting woman...marry them and have an autistic kid....and wife and kid don't play according to their assigned roles :laugh::laugh::laugh: btw...I have an IT son...fucking clueless...he refuses to work on my computers...but now with wife and kid is making abit of progress.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

I have so many buddies in IT and love them to death, but man do they have a different outlook on life.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Easy solution, I live in Salt Lake City and can ride every day\night if I want, 30 minutes away from the lifts at Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude 45 minutes away from 5 other world class resorts and nearly endless and easily accessible backcountry. 

I grew up poor as dirt and made it a point at a young age not spend the rest of my life the way I may parents and grand parents did.

In SLC I'm able to have a good office job that allows me to have a house , dogs, a reliable car, retirement, health insurance, money for vacations\trips and a steady girlfriend.

Have a I "sold out" I guess I don't really care If I don't wake up next to you or your not connected the signing of my paycheck I don't have to give a shit what you believe or think.

When I retire in my 60's I'll still have my health and plenty of money to do snowboard and backpack or whatever I want until I'm to old and decrepted to do anything but sit around on the beach or boat drinking cocktails and that's fine by me.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

Good for you.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Have a I "sold out" I guess I don't really care If I don't wake up next to you or your not connected the signing of my paycheck I don't have to give a shit what you believe or think.


On a serious note, what? I hope you don't wake up next to me either.


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## allgrnpenguin (Jan 8, 2012)

Debates about the what exactly the 'good life' is aside, I really liked that story! Who was the guy who wrote it? I am a high school English teacher and I would be stoked to get something like that from one of my students! Whether you agree with the statement or not, you can't deny it was a well-written piece that obviously meant a lot to the person writing it - and so too then to many of those who read it. Thanks to the OP for sharing


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## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

I don't fit the profile of a normal I T person. When I come home I hardly mess with my comp after I'm off. I don't have a facebook or anything else. I def agree with you guys tho you meet some odd people doin it a lot of them lack social skills.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Smokehaus said:


> On a serious note, what? I hope you don't wake up next to me either.


Sorry none of that was directed at you or anyone in particular more of a general overall statement of lifestyle choice.

I do sometimes envy friends that live in places like Breckenridge or Big Sky and are basically working ski bums and living a "core" and cool lifestyle, it's kind of a grass is greener on the other side kind of story, but long term it's just not for me for the reasons I stated in my above post.


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## cocolulu (Jan 21, 2011)

My problem with doing snowboarding and nothing else is that snowboarding can be considered somewhat of a non-contributive luxury. You strap a plank on your feet and you slide down the mountain. If you get really good at it, you strap a plank on your feet, and you slide down the mountain... faster.

What are you really adding to society? Or are you just taking from other hardworking people and enjoying yourself? Even some kid working as a liftie is at least giving something back. Even a 'sellout tool' like Shaun White is at least helping Burton profit, which lets them spend on new tech, or give stable jobs to Burton's workers.

Snowboarding is really fun, but there's no way I could *only* snowboard. I'd eventually feel empty and guilty.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

allgrnpenguin said:


> Debates about the what exactly the 'good life' is aside, I really liked that story! Who was the guy who wrote it? I am a high school English teacher and I would be stoked to get something like that from one of my students! Whether you agree with the statement or not, you can't deny it was a well-written piece that obviously meant a lot to the person writing it - and so too then to many of those who read it. Thanks to the OP for sharing


Someone got it! It was just a well written article that I felt more people needed to see. I was not telling people to become bums. As for the author you should of looked right above the article "Keys To Reality by Ken Achenbach"



Bretfred said:


> I don't fit the profile of a normal I T person. When I come home I hardly mess with my comp after I'm off. I don't have a facebook or anything else. I def agree with you guys tho you meet some odd people doin it a lot of them lack social skills.


Yeah I was really just messing with you. I love my IT buddies and they all have normal lives. If anything I am more of a computer nerd then they are.



hikeswithdogs said:


> Sorry none of that was directed at you or anyone in particular more of a general overall statement of lifestyle choice.
> 
> I do sometimes envy friends that live in places like Breckenridge or Big Sky and are basically working ski bums and living a "core" and cool lifestyle, it's kind of a grass is greener on the other side kind of story, but long term it's just not for me for the reasons I stated in my above post.


Hahah yeah I knew it was not directed at me, it just was worded funny. 


As for everyone else, no persons life is perfect for another person to live. You need to do your own thing and do what makes you happy. If being a snow bum is what makes you happy then go for it. If working 80 hours a week and having 12 kids is your idea of the perfect life then have at it. I was never here to tell people how to live their lives, if anything I was just dreaming of how nice it would be to be a snow bum (sometimes) even though it is no where near realistic for 99% of the people on these boards including myself.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

allgrnpenguin said:


> Debates about the what exactly the 'good life' is aside, I really liked that story! Who was the guy who wrote it? I am a high school English teacher and I would be stoked to get something like that from one of my students! Whether you agree with the statement or not, you can't deny it was a well-written piece that obviously meant a lot to the person writing it - and so too then to many of those who read it. Thanks to the OP for sharing


It's Ken Achenbach founder of Camp of Champs, invented the twin tip for Barfoot or one of those brands, been a snowboarder since like day one. 



hikeswithdogs said:


> Sorry none of that was directed at you or anyone in particular more of a general overall statement of lifestyle choice.
> 
> I do sometimes envy friends that live in places like Breckenridge or Big Sky and are basically working ski bums and living a "core" and cool lifestyle, it's kind of a grass is greener on the other side kind of story, but long term it's just not for me for the reasons I stated in my above post.


You can live in Breck and have a real job. The longer I do the website thing the more I realize I'm not a bum anymore. Only difference between me and a cubicle jockey is the chairlift has become my office.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

I wish the chairlift was my job. Need any interns to ride grass boards for you here in VA?


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> It's Ken Achenbach founder of Camp of Champs, invented the twin tip for Barfoot or one of those brands, been a snowboarder since like day one.
> 
> 
> 
> You can live in Breck and have a real job. The longer I do the website thing the more I realize I'm not a bum anymore. Only difference between me and a cubicle jockey is the chairlift has become my office.


Agreed man some rare lucky(not sure I believe it actually has anything to do with "luck") people CAN do it but IMO it's kinda like being an artist or musician and as you know it takes ALLOT of hard work and sacrifice, trail+error before it starts paying dividends. Like with what your talking about its probably a 1 in 20,000 average of people who "have what it takes" and create the opportunity to make it doing what your doing and I think that's super cool I totally respect and look up to that.


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## allgrnpenguin (Jan 8, 2012)

I find this a really interesting topic. Going through the 'career-change decision' thing myself for a while now, I've read all the career guidance books you could think of. In the end, I found Po Bronson's "What Should I Do With My Life", Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi's "Flow", Martine Seligman's "Positive Psychology" stuff and some of Dan Pink's ideas quite enlightening. I really recommend these books to the young 'uns (man I am sounding old!). Difference between now and when I was a kid is that we don't tell kids what they 'should' do anymore - let 'em follow their hearts and decide for themselves I say!


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## allgrnpenguin (Jan 8, 2012)

allgrnpenguin said:


> I find this a really interesting topic. Going through the 'career-change decision' thing myself for a while now, I've read all the career guidance books you could think of. In the end, I found Po Bronson's "What Should I Do With My Life", Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi's "Flow", Martine Seligman's "Positive Psychology" stuff and some of Dan Pink's ideas quite enlightening. I really recommend these books to the young 'uns (man I am sounding old!). Difference between now and when I was a kid is that we don't tell kids what they 'should' do anymore - let 'em follow their hearts and decide for themselves I say!


PS: I was totally stoked when I bumped in to another boarder reading "Flow" on a train once!


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## jdmccright (Apr 8, 2011)

I would be nice if everyone was like a bank. We say screw you job, go boarding for about 10 years and then tell the gov we need a bail out cause we screwed up. Then do that shit all over again.:cheeky4::laugh:


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

My job gets in the way often.. When they call I have to go down and work in whatever state/country they tell me to. 
This year is now f**ked, I have to work in South Texas for the next 8 months, But I'll be making tons of money toward my ultimate goal.. buying a place in the Frisco/Dillon area. 

I often think of a career change, but working locally compared to traveling is a HUGE difference in income. If I worked at home I would be making 60K a year less, and I would have to work year round.. atleast I have a chance of getting laid off in the winter for a month or so now! 

The story was fun to read though, I wish I could be happy with such a life -- I'm to concerned with my future. I have buddies who do that though.. Work for 4 or 5 months, then go fly to whatever country/state and just ride and burn out till the money is gone. two of them are journeyman electricians, and one is a cancer survivor that owes so much money, he just says f**k it! 

Not sure If I would be happy living in my truck and eating noodles most of the year though, haha.


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## Bretfred (Feb 26, 2011)

jdmccright said:


> I would be nice if everyone was like a bank. We say screw you job, go boarding for about 10 years and then tell the gov we need a bail out cause we screwed up. Then do that shit all over again.:cheeky4::laugh:


+1000000 aint that the fucking truth


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Sounds fun for someone age 20 or 70 but purposely being a snowboard bum without a job, car, house, family, or any real responsibilities or societal contribution at age 40 seems a little bit sad.
.
.


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## Sudden_Death (Mar 23, 2011)

Sounds like a bunch of butt hurt sellouts in this thread.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Smokehaus said:


> On a serious note, what? I hope you don't wake up next to me either.


Yeah I didn't get that part either :laugh: Unless you guys crash into each other on the slopes or something.

That said, you guys know some weird IT guys! When I was in college I was an AV tech (in other words I pushed TV's and overhead projectors around campus) and the tech guy there I swore had kiddy porn on his laptop. But then several of my buddies are also IT and party hard like the rest of us.

BA asked, are you someone who snowboards or a snowboarder. I'm someone who loves snowboarding. Maybe because I picked it up after starting my career who knows. Could I snowboard everyday? I don't know. I'd like to snowboard more than I do now, but don't picture myself doing it every single day. I now work for myself and can work remotely, wifey is always in Sacramento so I see many more days at Tahoe for me but I like the mix I have now.

Don't sell yourself out, but only you know what that means.


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## antman747 (Mar 1, 2011)

yep surfing is probably a lot easier to pull this off, and if you live someplace warm and wave rich like Hawaii, its doable. I definitely don't dig working, and I'd much rather be surfing, but I love my toys, and I am addicted to snowboarding (expensive a$$ sport). I probably surf 200 days a year minimum, and I couldn't do that without a job and a supportive mate as I have kids. I also take 2 big trips a year snowboarding (one family one and a couples or bro trip). To each his own, but I was never a bum and I don't fancy being one. I love watching my kids faces light up when we go boarding


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

mpdsnowman said:


> You know..people ask me all the time how I can ride any day I want, how I can live at my camp the rest of the year and not worry about any monetary situations. Right now as I type this the only reason I didnt go snowboarding today is because I dont want to...if there was fresh snow I would not be typing this...If this were summer time I would most likely be in a boat floating around..The "day" monday thru Sunday doesnt mean a thing to me..I am perfectly free to do what I want when I want how I want...and with whome I want for that matter....
> 
> So how does one pull this off its easy...
> 
> ...


i love your life history/view on things. you will make a wise old man with plenty of been there done that stories and experience.


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

You all sound like butt hurt people having a crappy winter for snow and taking themselves too seriously:cheeky4:. 

If you truly love to board and you do it with real joy and passion you are a snowboarder in my book.

I remember my second day boarding in all borrowed gear on a crappy old board, made my first turns in 40cm of champagne powder (bluebird). I let out this huge battle cry, a whoop that just came out from the depths of my lungs. That stoke is just as strong now and to me thats what makes a real snowboarder.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

Whoever that "past life hitchhiker" is probably spends his summer camping out in the middle of a city for some Occupy movement... Get a job that lets you snowboard during the day and quitchabitchin. Take public transportation, tell the girl you slept with that she can't spend the night instead of dating her, and get a job on the hill that gives you a free pass.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

BigmountainVMD said:


> Whoever that "past life hitchhiker" is probably spends his summer camping out in the middle of a city for some Occupy movement... Get a job that lets you snowboard during the day and quitchabitchin. Take public transportation, tell the girl you slept with that she can't spend the night instead of dating her, and get a job on the hill that gives you a free pass.


You need to learn your history and who Ken Achenbach is.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

BigmountainVMD said:


> Whoever that "past life hitchhiker" is probably spends his summer camping out in the middle of a city for some Occupy movement... Get a job that lets you snowboard during the day and quitchabitchin. Take public transportation, tell the girl you slept with that she can't spend the night instead of dating her, and get a job on the hill that gives you a free pass.


I am still really surprised about how many people took this the wrong way.



BurtonAvenger said:


> You need to learn your history and who Ken Achenbach is.


Thank you.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Smokehaus said:


> I am still really surprised about how many people took this the wrong way.


Like I said snowboarders and people that snowboard.


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## pjstyles (Mar 9, 2011)

Keys to Reality was an awesome read and is sort of making me think a lot.

The more and more I live here, and the more and more I work the job I am currently employed in, the more content I'm starting to feel. I get a month of vacation every winter and another month of vacation from March to April. If I really wanted to I could ride every night after work but the night skiing isn't so great. I've always thought about moving to a different location in Japan and still work for the same company but I already live close to a lot of resorts that get plenty of snow. And the places I board never really have any crowds and you don't have to wait in line. Everyday has pretty much been a powder day and I never really have to get first chair and never really have to be in a rush to get to the resort early in the morning. I could really just show up everyday at 12 noon and ride almost nothing but pow for the rest of the day. And if the snow starts to suck by March, I could always just spend an extra hour and half to get to Hakkoda or take a month trip to Hokkaido. And during the off season I can surf since the beach is only an hour away. Really though I think I have found my paradise since I can surf and snowboard on the same day if I really wanted to.

I am really really content with the simple lifestyle I am living now but if for example I get a girlfriend and start a family, many many sacrifices will have to be made.


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## lesabre (Jan 26, 2012)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Hope you understand that's a job that doesn't let you ride and the walk to the lifts thing is pretty fabled for any snow carnie it's usually those of us that can afford real housing that walk to the lift.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Fine, I'll take a short shuttle bus to the lift. Sure beats waking up at 7am in Denver and making it to the mountain at 9:30.

I don't really get the question "Are you a snowboarder or someone that snowboards?" I think that I am both of those. I would be intrigued as to why I might be one or another.

I am a snowboarder because I snowboard. I am someone that snowboards because I snowboard. Am I missing something? 

You sound a little elitist. Did you grow up in a mountain town? Or did you attend a bullshit college in a mountain town? (Colorado mountain college, learn to be a stoner pill addict while riding every day with parents paying 3X the amount of a regular community college). 

I moved out here from Chicago to snowboard, but you might hate that and have a "no vacancy" sticker on your car.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Someone butt hurt because I call it how I see it? You're either a snowboarder or someone that snowboards it's a simple question that doesn't revolve around having to have gone to college, lived in a mountain town, popped pills, or have a no vacancy sticker on your vehicle, or what someone else says about you.


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> For all you people that are butt hurt or defending it there's one question you have to ask yourself. Are you a snowboarder or someone that snowboards? Answer that and you'll have your answers to life.


just because you have a job that does not allow you to log 100+ days on the hill does not make you any less of a "snowboarder". its all about your mindset about the sport and how you participate in it and your passion for it.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

IdahoFreshies said:


> just because you have a job that does not allow you to log 100+ days on the hill does not make you any less of a "snowboarder". its all about your mindset about the sport and how you participate in it and your passion for it.


If were setting the bar that high to be qualified as a "snowboarder" than about 99% of people out there on the hill\mountain are out of luck, but for the most part THEY are the ones supporting the entire industry with their $$$ and without them most core snowboarders would not be able to make it, same goes for most sports or past times.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> You need to learn your history and who Ken Achenbach is.


Point taken... IF you are Ken Achenbach, then yeah, you are having an amazing time running CoC during the summer, which, as much fun as it sounds, is still a job btw... But his message was to the masses, which is where my comment came from. He called "you" a sellout at the end. I get what he is saying. Letting everything fall in place second to snowboarding is hard to achieve. Eliminate those things and snowboarding will always be the primary motivation. But it is not a one way street. You can work hard, have all those things he talks about eliminating, and still have snowboarding as your motivation, your focus and your drive. Snowboarding can still influence your life decisions. Maybe right now while I'm in school full time, I can't get in the 120 days that was possible last year, but I can push to spend every winter/spring break in the mountains. And when I'm done, I can live my life as influenced by riding as I desire, and still have money and insurance to pay the doctors to fix my knees when I get hit by a car while trying to hitchhike to the mountains.


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