legalskier
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From today's New York Times, which has an illustration of the flume:
January 15, 2009, 7:30 am
Snowboard Ramp Rises on Lower East Side
By Sewell Chan
70-foot snow flumeA rendering of the 90-foot ramp being built for the snowboarding competition to be held on Feb. 5 and 7. Small children will not be allowed on it. (Photo: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation)
In East River Park on the Lower East Side, construction began Monday on the Snowscraper, a structure that officials are calling the largest ever built for a special event in the New York City parks. It is being built by a sporting events company called Aura360 and financed by Red Bull, the Austria-based energy drink maker known for its marketing around extreme sports.
The 90-foot ramp will be a centerpiece of the Winter Jam NYC, a two-day event scheduled for Feb. 5 and 7.
Professional snowboarders like Shaun White, Pat Moore and Travis Rice are to take part in a Big Air in the Big Apple Pro Snowboarding Competition from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 5. Other athletes will take part in a Future of Snowboarding Invitational from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 7.
Other elements of the Winter Jam include a 70-foot snow flume for sledding and an ice-climbing wall.
The ramp is being built by Frank Wells and Mike Bettera of Snow Park Technology. The Parks Department says it “allows riders multiple angles of trajectory — frontside or backside, landing on either the right or left side of the massive 45-degree spine. Additionally, the ramp design will allow spectators to get up close and personal, giving fans an opportunity to experience the action first hand as the riders spin roughly four stories into the sky.”
In case it doesn’t actually snow, no worries. The snowmaking for the Winter Jam began on Wednesday evening. The snow was “being made especially for the 90-foot snowboarding ramp,” said Trish Bertuccio, a Parks Department spokeswoman. (Presumably, the ramp can also accommodate actual, as opposed to manufactured, snow.)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
January 15, 2009, 7:30 am
Snowboard Ramp Rises on Lower East Side
By Sewell Chan
70-foot snow flumeA rendering of the 90-foot ramp being built for the snowboarding competition to be held on Feb. 5 and 7. Small children will not be allowed on it. (Photo: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation)
In East River Park on the Lower East Side, construction began Monday on the Snowscraper, a structure that officials are calling the largest ever built for a special event in the New York City parks. It is being built by a sporting events company called Aura360 and financed by Red Bull, the Austria-based energy drink maker known for its marketing around extreme sports.
The 90-foot ramp will be a centerpiece of the Winter Jam NYC, a two-day event scheduled for Feb. 5 and 7.
Professional snowboarders like Shaun White, Pat Moore and Travis Rice are to take part in a Big Air in the Big Apple Pro Snowboarding Competition from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 5. Other athletes will take part in a Future of Snowboarding Invitational from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 7.
Other elements of the Winter Jam include a 70-foot snow flume for sledding and an ice-climbing wall.
The ramp is being built by Frank Wells and Mike Bettera of Snow Park Technology. The Parks Department says it “allows riders multiple angles of trajectory — frontside or backside, landing on either the right or left side of the massive 45-degree spine. Additionally, the ramp design will allow spectators to get up close and personal, giving fans an opportunity to experience the action first hand as the riders spin roughly four stories into the sky.”
In case it doesn’t actually snow, no worries. The snowmaking for the Winter Jam began on Wednesday evening. The snow was “being made especially for the 90-foot snowboarding ramp,” said Trish Bertuccio, a Parks Department spokeswoman. (Presumably, the ramp can also accommodate actual, as opposed to manufactured, snow.)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
