TERRAIN PARKS

Pipe Dreams

High-flying jumps and tricks are no longer just for the pros.

BY NICOLE BIRKHOLD

he Winter X Games get larger every year, and, according to the SnowSports Industry of America, twin-tip skis—those with curved-up tips and tails that enable skiers to take off , land and ski backwards—boast the fastest growing sales among snowsports products. You’re most likely to see them being used in terrain parks, and many mountain resorts are dedicating more space to these areas where half-pipes are the norm.

But what is a terrain park? It all started with kids making jumps on their local hills—and ski patrollers trying to regulate them. To put a stop to this seemingly never-ending battle, resorts began creating parks where jumps and half-pipes were constructed in separate, roped-off areas. Today, many mountains have multiple terrain parks full of jump lines, rails, wall rides, half-pipes, hips and other jib features ranging from stop signs to tractor tires and plastic animals.

Terrain parks are classified as small, medium and large based on difficulty. The small parks will have smaller jumps, wider boxes and lower rails, whereas a large park will have jumps up to 80 feet, rails that may reach 10 feet off the ground and other more creative and difficult features.

But while terrain parks are a place for skiers and snowboarders to jump every which way, safety rules have been created, and riders use verbal or hand signals to communicate if someone has fallen, if a jump is clear or if it isn’t.

It may seem like strict rules were exactly what those original kids were trying to avoid, but despite the regulations, the parks provide exhilarating fun. Th ey consistently attract eager skiers and snow-boarders; from beginners to the most seasoned of veterans, terrain parks off er something for everyone. But if you’re not a pro, make sure to take it slowly—half-pipes aren’t something you can tackle right away.

If you’ve never been to a terrain park, “Work from the basics up,” says Sarah Burke, who won gold in the superpipe at the 2007 X Games and this year’s World Skiing Invitational.

Ben Anderson, a guest freeride coach at Winter Park Mountain Resort in Colorado, agrees.

“A good drill is riding backwards a lot, run aft er run,” he says. “If you can get comfortable in all conditions riding backwards, you will eventually be comfortable going off an 80-foot jump backwards.”

Once you have some experience, Burke says, “Find a crew to ski with that’s a little better than you because they will push you and be able to give you tips.”

A good way to find a crew and get started is to join a freeride team at your local mountain.

Most beginner parks are separated from the big parks, so the pressure will be low. “[Big] parks are considered black diamond or advanced terrain,” Anderson says. “So you must be confident in your basic skiing ability and your gear before entering.”

Sometimes it’s better to learn from afar, and it’s not uncommon to see some pros in action, including Snowmass, CO-based team rider and three-time Winter X Games medalist Peter Olenick throwing his signature Whisky Flip, a double flat spin, in the pipe.

For Olenick, a good terrain park means, “a big pipe that is cut everyday. I also like a good flow in between features. And good music!”

Burke concurs. “In a park, I look for good flow and good rhythm sections, meaning rails and jumps flowing into each other so you can hit a bunch of features in a run,” she says.

Oren Tanzer, director of youth marketing and terrain park manager of the Unbound Terrain Parks at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, CA, says he tries to keep the feel of the smaller park the same as the advanced one so transitioning from one to the other is easy.

“The key is that the same people that build the big pro parks also build the beginner parks, so the look and feel are the same,” Tanzer says. “Once you master small box tips and rollers, you can move on to the bigger stuff .”

Terrain parks can be intimidating, but they can also be exciting. The number of jumps and jibs are increasing across North America every day, making it possible for anyone to conquer a half-pipe.

Terrain Park Terminology

BONK
Cylinder-shaped features with a jump leading up to them that are jumped over or tapped with skis or snowboards. Riders also pause on top before making another jump. Barrel bonks are popular.

FUNBOX
A structure composed of metal sides and a polyurethane surface ranging from 6 inches to 2 feet in width and varying lengths. They are generally easier to learn on than rails.

HALF-PIPE
A downhill trough in the snow with walls that can range from 5 feet to 23 feet.

JUMP LINE
A set of two or three jumps in a row that can be hit one after the other, generally getting bigger from start to finish.

JIB
Anything that can be ridden on, jumped onto or off of, bonked or tapped—the more creative, the better. Check out Winter Park’s life-sized plastic horse or Breckenridge’s giant tractor tire.

RAIL
A metal bar secured in the snow with either a flat top or a round surface to slide on. They range from 5 feet to 40 feet long, and can be flat, curved, kinked or arc-shaped.

TAP
When one jumps next to a feature and taps it with the tails or noses of the skis.

TRANNY
The curve of the pipe between the bottom and where the wall becomes vertical.