Coloradans Can Learn to Speak ‘Ski Bum’ With One Easy Lesson

Do you speak Ski Bum? As you know, being bilingual can really open doors. Coloradans would be wise to pick up this second language.

If you're interested in learning to speak Ski Bum, here's a quick tutorial.

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Coloradans Can Get a Leg Up on the Competition With a Second Language

First things first - what exactly is a Ski Bum, and have you seen one lately? According to the Urban Dictionary:

ski bum

noun

One who works for low pay in exchange for benefits for example free ski passes or the coveted multi-area season's pass as well as good deals on gear. as always the best things in life are free. this type usually supports itself in the off-season by planting trees or other things sometimes in the bathroom/attic. occasionally these people will engage in activities to simulate skiing ie dragging your buddy behind an f350 down a dirt road on 206 dynamic skis and a water ski rope.

As you can see, there's absolutely nothing derogatory about the term. They're basically ski enthusiasts who've embraced the lifestyle.

Learning the LIngo

As with any interest or profession, there are certain idioms associated with being a ski bum. With each new season comes new terminology. Keeping up to speed with the verbiage can be difficult. Then again, like uncovercolorado.com says, "Remember if you can’t spot the gaper within the first hour at the resort, then you are the gaper." Okay, we have our first lesson. What's a "gaper"? According to the Urban Dictionary. a gaper is defined as:

1. A skier or snowboarder who is completely clueless.
2. An acronym meaning Guaranteed Accident Prone on Every Run

Today's First Lesson

Something to note is how many of these terms originated in Western Colorado. I was born and raised in Western Colorado, and to date, have never heard most of these terms.