Undoubtedly, every sport has its own culture, and along with it comes an implicit dress code, which all members subscribe to in varying degrees. Take for example the "lax bro," a stereotype that easily comes to mind: lacrosse pinnies, chino shorts, crew socks, backwards hats and of course, "lax bro" flow. But while these lax players are busy "broing out," we skiers and snowboarders are out "steezing" on the slopes.
"Steezing?" What on earth does that mean? That's how I felt the first time I heard the word too. As always, Urban Dictionary came to the rescue, and by using that enlightening resource, I discovered "steeze" was a combination of style and ease, and a word often used by snowboarders.
No dictionary - or even Ke$ha - can truly do this word justice, however. It wasn't until I joined the Virginia alpine ski and snowboard team that I experienced its full effect.
Like every sports team, we have a team color, and ours happens to be orange. Not just any old shade of orange, but neon orange. Rolling up to the SAB parking lot, you'll see guys and girls donning bright neon orange hats and hear loud music blaring as we head up to Wintergreen for practice every Tuesday and Thursday; and out on the slopes, you'll see blurs of bright colors and crazy patterns whizzing past you. Wherever we go, we make sure that our presence is known, because when it comes to being "steezy" it's all about standing out and looking as crazy and outrageous as possible.
But our clothes aren't the only thing making a statement. In a way, this word "steeze" defines the character of our group; we are a bunch of unique individuals with tons of personality who love to have fun and enjoy being ridiculous. Just spend an afternoon with us, and you quickly will see.
Our team is not the only group that embraces this "steezy" culture. From blogs to entire magazines to clothing companies, it is a phenomenon and way of life that is sweeping the nation. American snowboarders are no strangers to this movement; famous snowboarders such as Gretchen Bleiler and Greg Bretz, aren't afraid of wearing neon colors and fun patterns, making a statement or showcasing their individuality. This shared sense of style brings the snowboarding community together and creates a feeling of unity. Most other teams in our conference also love the "steezy" style, and they have their own signature styles and distinctive traditions as well.
So for the final race of the season, it is fitting that there is an unwritten rule that we dress up in the most creative and ridiculous costumes possible. Two weekends ago I had the chance to experience this tradition for the first time. As I waited in line with my teammates at the top of the race course for our bib numbers to be called, I was shocked to see a girl from Duke wearing metallic, sparkly gold tights, a hot pink tutu and of course, a tiara. For a second I was extremely confused, but then my sister explained to me that this is a final race tradition. The more I looked around, the more outrageous outfits I saw. There was a girl was wearing a silky pink onesie that was an "Operation" costume, complete with pictures of the "water on the knee," "Charley horse" and "spare ribs." There was a guy wearing a fancy tie and sleek black blazer. I even saw someone wearing red duct tape pants. Suddenly, I heard my bib number called, and I quickly went to put my skis on, grab my ski poles and find the coat runner from our team so I could give him my jacket.
I heard a voice from behind me say, "Give me your coat, I'll take it down for you." As I spun around to look behind me, there was Captain America, wearing a red and blue speed suit and American flag cape waving in the breeze behind him. The second I saw him I couldn't help but laugh - his outfit was priceless.
I think that this final race tradition says a lot about our team, and our conference as a whole. Although we take our sport seriously, we know better than to take ourselves and the competition too seriously. Seeing your friends and competitors wearing crazy costumes definitely lightens the mood and makes the atmosphere more enjoyable. We realize how important it is to just have a good time out there and make sure we don't lose sight of the reason we are out here together: first and foremost, we love to ski.
Kristin's column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at k.ulmer@cavalierdaily.com.
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