Bogley

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 3947 Location: somewhere

Invent a combo 'werd' for skiing and snowboarding, win an April trip to Utah

In most cases, - Alta, Deer Valley, Taos and Mad River Glen notwithstanding - its not adequate to say "ski area" anymore.

You have to say ski and snowboard resort, which is a 21-letter mouthful.

Which is why I think the proposal to come up with a combo "werd" for this pair of snowsliding sports is a worthy, if not noble, idea.

If you create the winning moniker for the 2008 Ski/Snowboard Lingo contest, which runs until March 4, you could win a trip to Utah.

Not bad, eh?

The geniuses at Addictionary - an online dictionary of made-up "werds" - Ski Utah and Winter at Westminster, a ski season exchange program at Salt Lake City's Westminster College, get credit for the idea.

Promoters say there are two goals and two chances to win: to add to the general glossary of skier and snowboarder lingo and name the best new werd for 2008, and to come up with that one werd - the mighty catch-all, the great equalizer, the big peacemaker - that describes both skiing and snowboarding in one fell swoop.

There will be one winner in each category.

The winners will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges, including: Annie Fast, Executive Editor of Transworld Snowboarding magazine; Derek Taylor, Editor of Powder magazine; Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah President; Kendall Card, "powstash"; Kristen Ulmer, professional skier; and Julian Carr, professional skier.

The prize for the best new werd for "skiing and snowboarding" is a Spring Ski Trip to Utah for two in April, sponsored by Ski Utah and participating Utah resorts.

The prize for the best new general ski/snowboard werd will be two day passes at The Canyons Resort in Park City, and 10 T-shirts featuring their winning word.

"For years people have had to classify 'skiing and snowboarding' as two separate words," said Rafferty. "We hope this contest might help us find one single word which describes both of these great downhill snow sliding sports."

For more information or to enter the contest, visit www.addictionary.org/Browse/ContestWords/19

Jaxx · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 1551

I don't get what the contest is for. So that resorts don't have to spell out ski and snowboard? The most letters they are eliminating is 13 (counting the space in "and snowboard"). If the new word is longer than 3 letters then it will subtract from the 13. It's going to be a stupid word that will never catch on. I'm not sure why I am so against this, I am in a bad mood.

now my contribution "Snowriders". Stolen from Warren Miller.

Brian in SLC · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 440

I think I've seen Lou Dawson refer to it as "glisse".

-Brian in SLC

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 3947 Location: somewhere

so the contest closed yesterday. and the judges are picking. you can see all of the contest entries.

http://addictionary.org/Browse/ContestWords/19

i am still confused why one needs to worry about the term 'board' at all. all boards are skis.

what is so special about "snowboarding" that ski areas need a different name?
what's wrong with the term 'skiing?' i mean everything kinda falls under that pretty well. :ne_nau:

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 3947 Location: somewhere

A gnardonculous word for snowcrastinators
The Denver Post

After a monthlong search for a single-word replacement for the unwieldy 21-letter term "skiing and snowboarding," the panel of expert judges has spoken. "Snowriding," submitted by Roberta Stjernholm of Lakewood, was designated as the lexicological amalgamator of the winter sports world.

The contest, sponsored by Ski Utah and Winter at Westminster, asked for entries to the Addictionary (www.addictionary.org) in an effort to designate the almighty catch- all term for the two snowsports in a single, concise swoop.

A second contest seeking the best new snowriding lingo yielded several instant classics. "Gnardonculous" (an appropriate synonym for such go-to adjectives as gnarly, sick, rad and/or ridiculous) was submitted by Andrew Howard Johnson of Stamford, Conn., and crowned king.

Honorable mention goes to:

• "snowcrastinator" (one who puts off work and chores intentionally and habitually in favor of skiing)

• "glacialis obsessivus" (frozen obsession)

• "skidgets" (children following their ski instructor who look like skiing midgets)

• "trip the white fantastic" (gracefully maneuver through frozen particulate precipitation in a coordinated and/or choreographed fashion)