by matt bieker
What’s better, skiing or snowboarding? asked aT bobo’s ski & PaTio, 475 e. Moana Lane TJ Mines Coast guard
I’ve only snowboarded—so snowboarding. My parents put me on a snowboard before anything else, so I just kind of stuck with that, I guess. I’ve been snowboarding since about 2005, but it’s been on and off.
R andy McGhie Ski shop owner
Well, I can tell you that: skiing. You can skate, you can climb, and you can skid in flat spots with deep powder without having to take your board off and walk out and sink up to your thighs. So there are some advantages. I’ve been skiing since 1969. saManTha Lucia Teacher
Spotify sucks As the year draws toward its end, and so does the Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that decade—well, supposedly, since apparently we start music should not be free.” counting decades with the number zero—we’ve seen an The company eventually persuaded Swift to return her influx on social media of people posting graphics about music to the streaming service. But if Spotify doesn’t fairly their most played songs of the year or their most played compensate the household-name superstars, just imagine artists of the decade. Even some local bands and performhow poorly it treats the small, local and lesser known ers have taken to posting graphics about the number artists just trying to work their grind. of streams their recordings have had, boasting If you only listen to music on Spotify, then about how their songs have been played in 40 you do not support music. different countries or whatever. A better online destination for music If you This seems innocuous enough, and fans looking to discover new tunes is only listen to we certainly like to see music celebrated. Bandcamp, which allows artists to decide music on Spotify, But here’s the problem: those graphics for themselves how much or how little and those numbers come from Spotify, of their discography to stream on the then you do not a company that has attracted widespread website, and only takes a small cut—10 to support music. criticism for its measly compensation of 15 percent—of sales. artists. For every one of those streams, the Even better, consider buying your music musical artists involved received only a minisin physical formats: vinyl records, compact cule fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent discs and cassette tapes have all made various of a dollar. Posting those graphics just normalizes the idea forms of a comeback in the last few years. It’s the holiday that music should be free, and that musicians, songwriters, season, and music can make a great gift. It’s nice to have singers and producers don’t deserve any compensation for a physical object that reflects the intentions of the artists their work. involved. Album art can be beautiful. And tapes, CDs and Spotify is a massive, internationally successful vinyl records all sound better than streaming services piped company, but the vast majority of its profits go to sharethrough a telephone. holders, not to the musicians themselves. Even better, get out to a concert, hear the music live, In a 2014 essay published in the Wall Street Journal, and buy a record, a tape, a CD, a T-shirt and whatever Taylor Swift, one of the most commercially successful other weird merchandise the bands have for sell. Support artists of this decade, wrote: “Music is art, and art is live music and support musicians. Don’t waste any time or important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. money on Spotify. Ω
I do both, but I’m better at snowboarding, so I guess that one. I just enjoy being up on the mountain either way. I’m a neutral party. I’ve been skiing for two years, and I’ve been snowboarding for 12. I like not having to strap in at the top of the lift—your skis just stay on, but, otherwise, I like them both.
henRy JohnsTone Diesel mechanic
I’ve never skied before, so I’m going to say snowboarding. I have bad knees, so I feel like I’d injure myself on skis, and I think snowboarding’s cooler.
aubRe y Lee Customer service representative
To each there own, but I grew up skiing, so I feel like I can progress quicker. I tried snowboarding and almost knocked myself out. It wasn’t the best conditions, but I’m not against snowboarding. I’d be willing to give it another shot in better conditions.
12.12.19 | RN&R | 3
