Aussie ‘Pro snowboader’ Troy Sturrock has pissed off every lifty and ski instructor on the ski hill with his RANT in a snowboarding magazine this week and the Aussie ski resort locals are mad, livid mad.
Sturrock, wrote the following rant (pictured right) in the latest issue of an industry stalwart snowboard magazine published in Australia and New Zealand.
Lord knows why Sturrock let his wrath run wild with those that hold the keys to whether you can actually get on a chair or not, but he did and lord knows why the magazine published it. His sponsors must be thrilled with the vitriol of down right meanness.
In the piece he refers to lifties as “nerds with no idea what the f*&%k they are doing” and that “most of them catch some sort of STI throughout the season from having sex in the lifty hut with one of the many other dreadlocked boys or girls from interstate”. But wait, there’s more, he refers to them as “the scum of the mountain and snow towns.” Good luck getting a coffee in Jindabyne this winter, Troy.
It is hard to understand what has caused such ire from Sturrock, though he does refer to that one time he didn’t get his snowboard straight at the T-Bar and so took it upon himself to load himself rather than wait for the lifty to sort it. The said lifty then stopped the T-Bar and incited the rage of one Troy Sturrock, ‘pro snowboarder’.
Instructors don’t get off lightly either. Claiming that their goggle tans make them “look like they’ve been eating fellow instructor Grant’s ass the night before and forgot to take a shower.” Pretty sure Sturrock just added fuel to the Aussie snowboarder stereotype right there.
There’s more rambling but needless to say instructors are “arrogant pricks” and both instructors and lifts are just “slaves to everyone else that rides the mountain.”
Now, I’m going to take a punt here and bet that Sturrock thought this piece was hilariously witty and filled with mirth that would have him gracing the stage of the next Snowy Mountain comedy festival.
But alas, the locals want the lifties of Australia to ban him from any lift. Ouch. Now, that’s not funny.
There is an art to humour and comedy and sadly this piece, while it may have tried to be humorous (the alternative is just vitriol), just missed the mark. Big time. Here’s a tip if you’re not funny in real life, don’t try to be on paper.
Former liftie, Courtney Thompson posted this on her FB feed.
Edited version below but you can read the full version here.
You are lucky enough to be given a platform to write creatively about your sport and the only thing that comes to you is how much you hate instructors and lifties? My question to you is what actually entitles someone, presumably unprovoked, to rip on the people who contribute so much to our resorts and towns and local economy? Could you really not choose a more interesting topic? Perhaps to do with the sport you so much love? Snowboarding, surely? Not the smartest move, especially in a town full of, in your own words, “scum of the mountain”.
The sad thing is that these young people you are slandering, many who have not seen snow, who came here on school trips, who wanted so much to live and work at the snow actually look up to you as a snowboarder.
And yes, Troy, if we are working a lift, we essentially own it. It is our job and responsibility, ever so pettily to you, to keep guests and ourselves, safe and happy. And you know what, if your board was three degrees off being straight on that fateful holiday with an exceedingly long wait in the park T line, then fix it three degrees and suck it up. In hindsight if you’d done it properly the first time you would’ve gotten up the lift a lot quicker.
Poor Sturrock, it is clearly not his week as Perisher have since confiscated Sturrock’s lift pass. Double ouch.
According to a statement published in a Perisher Snowriders Forum:
“Perisher is aware of the article RANT recently published by a snowboard magazine. Perisher management and staff find it vile, extremely disrespectful and inappropriate. During the winter months Perisher employs over 1000 dedicated staff, all of whom play a critical role in delivering experiences of a lifetime to our guests every day.
Perisher have contacted Troy over recent days to discuss the article and Troy’s pass has been suspended indefinitely. Troy is very apologetic and understands the huge mistake he has made. Perisher have expressed our significant offense and disappointment to the magazine for publishing such an offensive, inappopriate and unnecessary piece.”
Perisher Resort
You have to feel sorry for Sturrock, we all make mistakes and misread our audience, especially when trialling ‘comedy’. Believe me, I know. It’s just harder when that misreading is done in a public forum and not edited correctly. Pretty sure the magazine has to take some responsibility too.
As my mother used to say you don’t “poo in your backyard” (she never really liked to swear) or if you do you better clean it up.
We’ve reached out to Sturrock and to the editor of the magazine for comment. Watch this space.
UPDATE: Australia & New Zealand Snowboarding Magazine issue a statement
Good, this sort of elitism is at odds with the inclusive community spirit of our sport. The friendly morning from a smiling liftie bleary eyed from the night before is always welcome. The instructors passing their expertise to you so that you can have more fun on the mountain is a delight. This person and his like give everyone the tom tits and should just go somewhere else and not try to ruin everyone else fun. Also try dressing like and acting like a grown up.