It’s a cool image of yourself: imagine just cruising down, you got your skills on par, and you’re just chill and gliding through perfect snow, blasting your fav tunes on. In your head you’re like a music video and if only someone’s recording your ride and plopping a background music, that’d be a good insta reel right? It’s cool indeed. It makes sense too if you’re riding solo right? You’re not talking to anyone.
Should you wear headphones while riding? You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s not a requirement.
Can you? of course!
You can do this for sure. There’s nothing wrong with it and fuck what anyone says if you feel like blasting Tay Tay while you ride.
What I would say though is that maybe there are some considerations you’d want to consider when doing so.
First, maybe don’t do it when it’s busy
For some it may be the best time to do it since it tunes people out. I agree with you but sometimes it may give you more problems than good.
First, if you’re at the base and walking around town, maybe you end up bumping into people, accidentally cutting people off, etc. That may not be a pleasant experience for you or anyone else.
Also, maybe not on the lift line. There’s a couple of communication things going on there. Sometimes it’s so busy that they have a liftie or two directing traffic on who goes when. If you can’t hear them, that’s miscommunication and probably frustration for everyone: you, the liftie, the people around you.
Maybe not do it too when it’s a busy day or the trails you are riding are busy. Again, there’s a communication happening in these areas. If you’re at the top and everyone’s clumped up, people will be calling who’s dropping next. You don’t want to collide with other people right?
As you go down further on the trail, maybe there’s someone trying to overtake you, or someone out of control, or someone flying out from the trees trying to shout and warn you that they’re incoming and you’re not hearing it :/ .
Same thing for the terrain parks for the same circumstances. Also maybe someone down below’s shouting at you and saying “don’t go!” because someone’s stuck at the landing.
Second, if you’re going to do it while busy, maybe use a wired one and/or take one of the earphones off
It doesn’t have to be wired but if you can have any indication that you’re playing music (e.g.: Apple’s wireless earphones have this very obvious tail dangling from your ears lol) , that helps. Seeing the wires is a big giveaway.
The best thing you can do that I always see in the lift line is: listening to music, using a wired earphones, and they only have one plugged in.
This is perfect for us as the people around you because first, I can see that you’re listening to something. You may not hear me clearly and I may have to re-state a few things, but I know I’ll still be able to communicate with you.
Second, most wired earphones don’t have noise-cancelling features (which is good for the general population, not for you) so it’ll be easier for you to hear us.
Third, if you’re taking one earphone off (or setting it to low volume), that just shows you’re being considerate (and careful, of yourself and of people around you)
Wrap Up
Other than those two things, if it’s midweek, no one around, no one at the lift, the trails, etc. I don’t see why not. Enjoy your music. Just be safe. That’s ultimately why I’m suggesting these, so that you and the people around you are safe and not miscommunicating and/or accidentally bumping onto each other.
If you’re blasting music in loudspeaker though…lol. That’s a different story and I’ll reserve my thoughts on that
