UBB.Developers Forums Announcements Announcements U-Zine Interviews September 2002: Content Rulez: EpicSki

UBBDev:
When did you start skiing?

August:
I started skiing when I was around ten years old. My Dad decided it would be a fun thing for the family to do, so one year we just all started skiing. I absolutely hated it that first year. I resisted going again the next year, but was forced to participate in the family vacation. That second year I fell in love with it and my life has not been the same since.


Photo by Brian Bloom

UBBDev:
Which is your personal favorite mountain/slope?

August:
That is an impossible question. One of the things I most love about skiing is the diversity of the terrain. Overall, I prefer natural settings to overly developed ones. I’m not a big fan of big commercial villages at mountain bases. On the mountain I like big chutes, skiing through trees, and spaces that have not been altered by people as opposed to the ski areas that have clear-cut trees to make runs that wind their way through what was previously forest.

UBBDev:
It's funny, I've been skiing for over 20 years, but have never seen powder!

Besides the UBB, what other content do you have on your site?

August:
The UBB forum is the very core of the EpicSki website. We do have a good deal of other content, but 80% of our activity is in the forum alone. There are two types of other content. First is EpicSki’s proprietary collection of photos and articles, provided by professional writers and photographers who have shared their wok with us for the exposure it brings. These photos and articles help introduce the site to newcomers, but it is the forum that keeps people coming back for the long term. The second type is content provided to us from other sites, which is primarily information that needs constant updating such as weather, ski reviews, and resort information. We outsource this from leading industry providers. The main purpose of this outsourced content is to provide relevant information to our members and minimize their need to go hunting for it all over the web from divergent sources. Sort of a one-stop service.


Photo by Brian Bloom

UBBDev:
What are the other main interests of the members on your site (obviously skiing - what else)?

August:
These are very active, outdoorsy people who love the mountains. We have an “Off-Season Sports Forum” that includes lively conversations about rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, fly fishing, road cycling, golf, and tennis.

UBBDev:
If you had to make a choice: tow-rope, t-bar or walking up the hill, which would you pick?

August:
This question is really funny to me because it sounds like you think you are asking me to choose the least of three evils. In truth, “walking up the hill” is one of my absolute most favorite things to do. Last year about 50% of my ski days were backcountry skiing, which is skiing on remote mountains with no development at all (including no chair lifts). You just climb up. It is an incredible experience to be away from all the people and lines and machines and just climb up a pristine mountain with your skis and a few friends, have lunch on the top, and then ski down totally untracked snow. You get fewer runs this way, but each turn is more rewarding.


Photo by Brian Bloom

UBBDev:
Well, I would still pick walking anyway

How do you promote the site?

August:
The only thing I actively do now is provide free EpicSki.com bumper stickers to anyone who sends me a self addressed stamped envelope – and more than a few of these end up the skis of our members and, though I would of course never encourage such mischief, on chair lift poles at resorts around the country. In the past I have handed out promo cards at resorts, and of course I encouraged members to spread the word about the site. One of the big advantages of having a large number of ski instructors is that they tell their students about us, which they recommend as a great place to go to continue learning about skiing technique. A good deal of growth has come from word of mouth in other internet forums. But at the end of the day, it is the quality of the members that has made EpicSki work, they are the reaon people keep coming back.

UBBDev:
What is the best thing to "add" to your hot cocoa after a long day on the slopes?

August:
This may sound lame, but the way I see it is if you spend your day properly on the mountain, you are way too tired to be out adding lots of fun things to your hot cocoa! I usually just collapse at home after a day on the mountain.

UBBDev:
Thanks again. You've got a great site, an awesome community, and I know I'll be visiting there more myself.

Below are the award winning threads submitted for the contest:

1. The Short Turn (Technique & Instruction Forum)

2. Insightful and Honest Gear Evaluations (Gear Forum)

3. Classic Skiing Story from 1944 Europe (General Skiing Discussion Forum)

4. Technique Evaluation of Pro-Skiing Photos (Technique & Instruction Forum)