Every small town that is relatively secluded only has one or two major sources of entertainment, there just aren’t enough people to support lots of options. In Sandpoint, it’s the ski resort.

In Sandpoint nearly everyone skis or snowboards. Which is understandable considering that one of the town’s biggest employers and tourist attractions is the Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort.

The problem with having such a unique attraction is that for most Sandpoint residents skiing is their life half of the year. This creates a very strong ski culture, that for non-skiers can be hard to understand and take part in.

Many people around Sandpoint start skiing at a very young age, which means by high school most people are very experienced. For people that move to Sandpoint or don’t start at a young age, it can be hard to start and keep up with  experienced skiers. 

The non-skier culture gets flak for deciding that they’re just not into skiing. Skiers need to understand that some people just don’t like to ski: it’s cold, it’s wet, and sometimes it’s dangerous. And believe it or not, a lot of people don’t get a thrill out of going fast down a steep, tree-covered mountain with metal sticks bound to their legs.

For people that don’t ski, winter can be a really boring part of the year. The fact that most people are up on the hill for the full season can also negatively affect people’s social lives. Which doesn’t help.

There is a life outside of the mountain during winter that most skiers don’t ever experience because they are too busy skiing the whole season. So skiers, please stop pressuring people into skiing, it’s just not for everybody and some people can enjoy themselves without the mountain.