I think SSX 3 was the best of them all, although I did love Tricky. They need to play on the friends/foes thing more, was a good idea, build different reputations for the riders as you play. I know when I snowboard, theres some people that are fun to ride with, and other people that piss me off (snaking my line, etc)

Really?  I agree, the friend and foe stuff was fun but the skiing down the mountain to pick your course was a terrible idea.  I just want to pick my course and do fantastic things you could never do in reality, not ski down the boring mountain to pick my course.

It's more realistic to actual riding, as you choose your trail to get to certain destinations. But for those like yourself, who just want to start a course, you could use the Transporter on the start menu to be teleported to just in front of the event.

It's interesting, since the days of the SSX games, some of the fantastic things you could never do in reality are actually becoming reality. Snowboard videos now have tons of 1-foot tricks, some have NO-foot tricks, Ive even seen someone kickflip a snowboard off of a jump.

It's a game where a 300 pound redneck flies 50 feet into the air riding his snow board.  SSX ISN'T ABOUT BEING REALISTIC!

You do realize that's completely realistic, right? Not that my friend is a redneck, but he's pushing 280, and can get some sick air.

If you think SSX is in any way realist you're just delusional.  The last SSX game I played I had Kaori where I could jump of a small bump and do a triple backflip.

SSX games just aren't based on realism and that's a good thing.  If they were realistic they wouldn't be half as fun as they are.  They're fun because you get to do fantastic things you would never ever see in real life.  What isn't fun about them is traveling down the boring mountain to get to the fun parts.

-edit-

And, really, you think your friend can do this and not break his legs?

or this:

If so, I'll eagerly watch the winter olympics expecting to see all of that.

I would love to see another SSX game.

twesterm - you missed the point I made - you can use the start menu transporter to put you at the front of each event instead of riding down the mountain. And no, youre right, there are some moves that are just impossible for real life. What Im saying is, there are some moves in TRicky and SSX 3 that have been brought to life. Hell, a 1200+ spin was considered unrealistic in this time frame. Now Shaun White is spinning these rotations in a halfpipe.

Unless you are an avid snowboarder, you wouldn't recognize how many leaps and bounds the tricks have made in reality.

I don't know snowboarding but I do know physics.  Watch those videos again and 99% of those can't be done without killing or seriously hurting yourself.

Im calling the ASPCA. You're beating a dead horse, man.

Some of the SSX Tricky "special moves" are one-foot tricks, that can and have been done. The super extreme tricks, sure I can give you that. Double backflips are becoming stock footage in snowboard movies however, something that wasn't fathomable 10 years ago in the era of SSX Tricky. They're always pushing the boundaries. As I said, yes, some stuff is impossible, but snowboarders are taking moves out of these games and making them real.

Your initial complaint is still circumvented, about "riding the mountain" to get to an event.  =) SSX3 > Tricky.. so there ;-D