How important are the terrain parks to you? and where do you go to use them?

[awf170]

Ga2ski excellent point. I thought it would bring more varied opinions here, cause it did on the Sr board. SnowRider, thankx for you post and insight. Your points are why I started this thread. We need imput from all points of view.

Just curious Bob but who did you think used the park here? To me it seems that the older crowd here just like to ski groomers and other off piste stuff when it is soft( I know there are exceptions) and the younger crowd(still not that young) likes to ski glades and backcountry stuff. There were actually more people saying they liked the park then I thought there would be. I thought there would be just about 2 or 3 people that ever went in the park.

 

[JimG.]

To me it seems that the older crowd here just like to ski groomers and other off piste stuff when it is soft( I know there are exceptions) and the younger crowd(still not that young) likes to ski glades and backcountry stuff.

Austin, you've really got to watch out for making such sweeping generalizations. The thread on east/west skiing has gotten almost unreadable at this point, and now you drop this bomb about the "older crowd" and what we might like or dislike. Even though you say you know there are exceptions, I'll tell you that you're just plain wrong.

I know plenty of "older" sliders who spend most of their time skiing glades or BC. When those options are available to me, that's where I spend ALL my time. And I know plenty of "youngsters" who spend all their time on groomers and who faint at the sight of an ice patch.

Before you decide how someone skis based on their age, spend some time skiing with them first. You might wind up with a face full of snow.

 

[eatskisleep]

I'm not a huge fan of the terrain park. Maybe that is becasue I am not good at any of the stuff. I'd much rather be out skiing on "regular" trails or int he woods skiing. But if there is nothing good open, a park can prove a lot of fun. Sometimes looking for less obvious lines can be fun too. For example, at Attitash this year, there was a setup with a smaller jump next to a bigger one. You could transfer off the face of the smaller jump, like a "step-up" jump and land on the landing of the bigger jump and throw a grab in for style. Fun stuff. I can grind some boxes but rails are pretty tough once they are over a foot high

 

[Vortex]

Austin fair question about who i thought would use the parks. I thought it would mostly be the younger riders here. Seems some of them have spoken up.
I fall into the groomers and getting older crowd.
Are you bating me though? cause I know some folks are going to take aim at you for you generalizations. Alot of the 30 and 40 plus skiers ski everything and well. I have skied with them.
My experience or familiarity comes from the Sunday River board that has alot of Riders who are park folk. They are vocal. Some good some bad IMO. I definately fall into the older crowd there.

 

[awf170]

Austin, you've really got to watch out for making such sweeping generalizations. The thread on east/west skiing has gotten almost unreadable at this point, and now you drop this bomb about the "older crowd" and what we might like or dislike. Even though you say you know there are exceptions, I'll tell you that you're just plain wrong.

I know plenty of "older" sliders who spend most of their time skiing glades or BC. When those options are available to me, that's where I spend ALL my time. And I know plenty of "youngsters" who spend all their time on groomers and who faint at the sight of an ice patch.

I'm just talking about this forum though and this is the way it seems to me. Out of the older crowd it seems like besides you and HPD they mostly like groomers. And out of the younger crowd I can't think of anyone that just likes groomers over glades/ungroomed. I know I really shouldn't of made that assumption but thats just how it seemed to me, and if it affended anyone I'm sorry.

Before you decide how someone skis based on their age, spend some time skiing with them first. You might wind up with a face full of snow.

Huh, I don't think its like I'm saying that their old farts and can't ski because most are probably better than me, its more of me reading about everyones favorate runs and reading their TR's which show they are more orianted towards groomers. Anyway I was just responding to Bob because I was wondering who he thought went in the park a lot. I should of just said that it seems that most of regular uses are more oriented towards groomers, glades, off-piste, or backcountry.

 

[loafer89]

I prefer to ski the glades when I can, but since this season hardly had snow on the snowmaking trails for a fair amount of the year, that is what I was able to post in most of my trail reports.

I skied the glades at Belleayre, Jay and Bolton this year, so I feel I skied off trail as much as I could given the conditions, and I am also skiing with a 6 year old who is just developing a taste for glade skiing, soon he may be taking the extreme pictures. I am already teaching him how to use a camera.

I will see what the conditions are like in the Sierra in three weeks, if I can ski some hairier terrain I will photograph it

 

[riverc0il]

what JimG said. and i don't consider myself part of the "younger crowd" i don't consider myself part of any crowd

 

[Vortex]

Thankx for your response Austin.

 

[SkiDork]

re: JimG and BobR

My son also got hurt twice this past season - both times doing big airs. The first time he was trying for his first 3, and went big but didn't have enough rotation, came down 270. Hard. Knocked the wind out of himself which scared him at first.

The next weekend he went big at Windham, when he came down he had bit through half his tongue (his jaw hit his knee). Lots of blood, but he skied down to first aid.

After those 2 incidents he shied away from going big. Understandable.

Prolly next season he'll be back out there.

 

[Vortex]

Time heals some of the pain. Dork... Iceman belongs in a race coarse. I remember his ripping turns. Your son and Jim G's could do some damage together about the same age and speed.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

what JimG said.

Thing of it is, Austin is just a kid and hasn't really been around the skiing block yet. When I was his age I had spent alot of time around what he calls "older skiers" (my Dad's friends in the ski school at Hunter) and I knew they still had alot left. Austin may not have alot of comparison.

In fairness when I'm skiing trees, bumps, natural terrain, I don't see alot of guys my age, but I do see some. I work out constantly in the off season to extend my years being able to do the kind of skiing I love.

 

[2knees]

I used the term "old farts" as a joke. Age doesnt slow down most of us, i would guess, and we still prefer just about anything over groomers. As far as parks go, being serious, i, personally, dont see that as something i want to do. I dont drive 2-3 hours to hit a bunch of jumps that i can do 20 minutes down the road at powder ridge. Bumps and steeps are much more important to me than hitting jumps.

 

[bvibert]

I hit a small fun box this season a few times... Does that count?

 

[Greg]

I enjoy hitting some jumps that are a bit more on the wimpy side; you know maybe a 2 or 3' hit; just enough to pull off some lame old-school trick. I also like to take flight off trail merges or where groomers build snow near lift towers or permanent snowmaking fixtures. I have no interest in rails, boxes or even half pipes, and many of the kickers in the terrain parks are waaaay too big and intimidating for this old fart.

 

[Mark D]

So i wont be seeing you going of some 60 footers. thoes are so much fun. Your just chillin in the air for what seems like a life time its so peacfull.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

So i wont be seeing you going of some 60 footers. thoes are so much fun. Your just chillin in the air for what seems like a life time its so peacfull.

Where have you hit those? You must have had a bud taking pixs. Post them. I'm sure everyone would enjoy seeing them.

 

[jackstraw]

big airs existed before parks! fyi.

parks are fun...if the trees are skied out.

 

[Greg]

Before you decide how someone skis based on their age, spend some time skiing with them first. You might wind up with a face full of snow.

I will say that most of the 30+ AZers that I've skied with can ski pretty damn good. Even of those that do prefer groomers, ski them with very good form and technique and probably could ski more technical terrrain well, but probably just prefer the groomers for whatever reason. I've also skied with a few "older" AZers that are just starting out and in both cases, I was pretty impressed at how well they skied given the fact they've only been doing it for a season or two. Some of the really really old farts like Jim and HPD ( ) absolutely rip and can ski a hell of a lot better than me. When you have 30 or 40 years of experience under your belt, you're inherently just going to ski well. I guess the bottom line is that anyone that posts here frequently does so because they are truly passionate about the sport; much more so than your "average" skier.

 

[jackstraw]

wow...now i have two sugarloafs!

 

[Greg]

So i wont be seeing you going of some 60 footers. thoes are so much fun. Your just chillin in the air for what seems like a life time its so peacfull.

A 60 footer? :blink: Definitely not. Probably not a 6 footer either. :lol: I'd rather beat up my knees in the bumps, thanks.