Sundown Bump or Bust III - 3/22/09

[2knees]

To answer an earlier question...yes, I was sore yesterday. I'm in decent shape and I'm usually not too sore after a day of skiing hard, but lapping the bumps on GB for 4 hours will beat up just about anybody. Incredibly long mogul field with little recovery time on the lift. Whew.

nice to meet you, i'm not sure if i ever got your friends name.

yeah, isnt the 7 minute lift ride a kick in the ass? i almost wish they would slow the lift to half speed just so you can rest a little more.

 

[mondeo]

Can you fit in three bump comps next year?

I've mentioned this before, and I'm not entirely aware of the expansion plans, but it would be awesome for there to be a dedicated run for half pipe, slopestyle, bump run, and skiercross. Obviously, slopestyle is there, and bump run and half pipe are in the works. Then have a NASTAR-like series for freestyle, rotating events every week. That would rock.

 

[SKidds]

nice to meet you, i'm not sure if i ever got your friends name.

That was my brother Jeff. I haven't given him too much !@#$ about smoking him in our h2h qualifying dual run....I'll wait until his knee feels better (minor tweak of his surgically repaired knee) before I do that .

 

[Greg]

Some good feedback here.

Each one of these gets bigger and better, the Sundown guys did a great job.

Agreed! :beer: And we had a finish line both times this year!

That being said, a few suggestions for next year:
Figure out a way to allow people to slip the course throughout the competition. Those lines got pretty rough by the qualifiers. I'd say have the 18+ skiers slip it just before the snowboarder qualifying starts, and then again before elimination. And make it known that it's not cool to run the course right after others just slipped it.

Probably a good idea, as long as everybody knows how to slip the course. Not sure if there is anything more to it than just taking slow deliberate wedged turns...

Announce who has byes and who qualifies. A little messy having everyone bug the guy with the clipboard right before duals.

They had a list at the bottom of who qualified. I think a good approach would be to have a huge white board with brackets, and make it known to the competitors where/when to check on things. Maybe a short preliminary meeting/presentation on how things will flow.

Use a groomer to build up the landing zones. I'd think that with the side of Gunbarrel being groomed that would be possible, and result in better landing zones with less work. Similarly, groom out the starting area, and if there's a bunch of useless bumps at the bottom, groom them out too.

I was expecting them to do this, but overall I think the landings and approaches were a big improvement over previous comps.

Use the fact that you have multiple competitions to make things go a little more smoothely. For example, have qualifying between slopestyle and big air, allowing the crowd that gathers at the bottom plenty of time to head back up without there being a dead spot in the day's activities.

This is a good idea, assuming the course is soft enough for qualifying. It's a lot to squeeze in to one day and I think they did a good job. I'm sure the Sundown staff was as worn out as the competitors were.

 

[2knees]

I think they don't want to go to work still drunk on Monday.

Each one of these gets bigger and better, the Sundown guys did a great job.

That being said, a few suggestions for next year:
Figure out a way to allow people to slip the course throughout the competition. Those lines got pretty rough by the qualifiers. I'd say have the 18+ skiers slip it just before the snowboarder qualifying starts, and then again before elimination. And make it known that it's not cool to run the course right after others just slipped it.

Its all part of the game.

Get the snowboarders to the top before the end of the 18+ qualifying.

They were sending everyone who qualified right back up. They cant phyically force them on the lift.

Announce who has byes and who qualifies. A little messy having everyone bug the guy with the clipboard right before duals.

totally agree on this point.

Use a groomer to build up the landing zones. I'd think that with the side of Gunbarrel being groomed that would be possible, and result in better landing zones with less work. Similarly, groom out the starting area, and if there's a bunch of useless bumps at the bottom, groom them out too.

a cleaner starting area would be nice, the rest i dont think was a big deal at all.

Give me a shovel a week or two before the competition so I can fix funkiness in the lines. There were a few wall bumps and line jumps.

No offense, but what is your background in course maintenance? The wall bumps and big lines are part of the game bro.

Use the fact that you have multiple competitions to make things go a little more smoothely. For example, have qualifying between slopestyle and big air, allowing the crowd that gathers at the bottom plenty of time to head back up without there being a dead spot in the day's activities.

Assuming they only have limited judges, how are you going to move the judges back and forth between competitions and not expect them to make mistakes? that is alot of confusion waiting to happen.

Rope off the entire course and only allow competitors on it for the entire day, until the competition ends.

Sundown has limited terrain, people who show up to ski should be able to. Mike, i know what you are looking for but this isnt World Cup action, its Ski Sundown.

 

[Greg]

this isnt World Cup action, its Ski Sundown.

I agree. I think there is room for improvement, but I kinda like some of the quirkiness of the Sundown event. Since BorB I, the focus has always been on fun. Johnnypoach's out of control run epitomized what the event should be for me. If the plan was an FIS type course, it would have been done on the steep section and ended where the first kicker was. Sure, it would have been more like a WC event, but we would have lost all the vibe at the finish, and that was as important, if not more important, than the course layout.

 

[bvibert]

That was my brother Jeff. I haven't given him too much !@#$ about smoking him in our h2h qualifying dual run....I'll wait until his knee feels better (minor tweak of his surgically repaired knee) before I do that .

Skidds, I think I met you briefly at some point, but I completely forget what you look like. What were you wearing? Sorry, I was a bit spastic right before the comp actually started.

 

[bvibert]

I agree. I think there is room for improvement, but I kinda like some of the quirkiness of the Sundown event. Since BorB I, the focus has always been on fun. Johnnypoach's out of control run epitomized what the event should be for me. If the plan was an FIS type course, it would have been done on the steep section and ended where the first kicker was. Sure, it would have been more like a WC event, but we would have lost all the vibe at the finish, and that was as important, if not more important, than the course layout.

Totally agree with all of this, especially the last part.

 

[Greg]

Oh BTW, I was a couple beers deep at this point, but I think Chris mentioned they are going to ramp up snow production on Gunbarrel next year. Perhaps, powhunter's dream of a Superstar glacier in CT may come true! As the word of the Sundown mogul scene spreads, and if the approach proves successful via more attendance in the spring, perhaps we'll get local bumps well into April. I still think a Spring Pass at Sundown would be a hot seller.

 

[2knees]

I agree. I think there is room for improvement, but I kinda like some of the quirkiness of the Sundown event. Since BorB I, the focus has always been on fun. Johnnypoach's out of control run epitomized what the event should be for me. If the plan was an FIS type course, it would have been done on the steep section and ended where the first kicker was. Sure, it would have been more like a WC event, but we would have lost all the vibe at the finish, and that was as important, if not more important, than the course layout.

I understand what Mondeo is saying. to take my counterpoints a bit further regarding the lines and quirkiness i say this.

The course basically was on the flattest section of gunny. If we had perfectly uniform lines top to bottom, there would have been practically no challenge. The funkiness of the left line and the deepness of the right at least kept us somewhat honest. otherwise, every dual would have been a balls to the wall chinese downhill.....

 

[SkiDork]

Oh BTW, I was a couple beers deep at this point, but I think Chris mentioned they are going to ramp up snow production on Gunbarrel next year. Perhaps, powhunter's dream of a Superstar glacier in CT may come true! As the word of the Sundown mogul scene spreads, and if the approach proves successful via more attendance in the spring, perhaps we'll get local bumps well into April. I still think a Spring Pass at Sundown would be a hot seller.

Why set your sights low? Go for May. We'd definitely be heading up for that!!!

 

[Greg]

What an incredible day for the AZ and Sundown folks. You should all be so stoked for the vibe you have brought to a ski area in Connecticut. Without this site for reference no one would ever believe that such a wild event took place yesterday...Sundown for believing in our passion.

Thanks for your kind words about Sundown. You've played a huge role here too, Alan. Your presence at Sundown so much this month (and for the first comp) added a lot of legitimacy to the developing mogul scene here. I know for a fact that when we hacks know you're coming out, it adds an added level of anticipation. You're a great guy to hang with and a pleasure to watch ski. Thank you for your support and participation.

Robin has indeed torn her ACL. We'll be making plans for her surgery in the next week. She is in good spirits and she will be back (her words). I will post updates as they happen.

Jim kinda knew the outcome of that fall right after witnessing it. I'm sorry to hear Robin did tear her ACL. I hope surgery goes smoothly and recovery is quick. Hopefully she'll still get a decent amount of skiing in next season. It was great to have Robin and the kids here on Sunday. Someday I will not mix up Shea and Spencer's names. :roll: I will also never forget that bluebird spring day last April at Sugarbush trying to keep up with the Belsky family on Ripcord:



Awesome skiers and just good people. Heal up soon Robin!

 

[SKidds]

Skidds, I think I met you briefly at some point, but I completely forget what you look like. What were you wearing? Sorry, I was a bit spastic right before the comp actually started.

That is me and my brother sitting behind evil and isevil....

More hanging at the base:
MR. evil & MRGisevil:

 

[bvibert]

That is me and my brother sitting behind evil and isevil....

Sorry I didn't talk to you more. I feel bad now, knowing you were right behind us. Next time!

 

[mondeo]

Sundown has limited terrain, people who show up to ski should be able to. Mike, i know what you are looking for but this isnt World Cup action, its Ski Sundown.

I agree. I think there is room for improvement, but I kinda like some of the quirkiness of the Sundown event. Since BorB I, the focus has always been on fun. Johnnypoach's out of control run epitomized what the event should be for me. If the plan was an FIS type course, it would have been done on the steep section and ended where the first kicker was. Sure, it would have been more like a WC event, but we would have lost all the vibe at the finish, and that was as important, if not more important, than the course layout.

I think I mentioned to a few people that if you were going just for the bump run, you'd just use the steep section, but it didn't make sense due to the spectator aspect. I'm not looking for a WC type course, but I think there are a few aspects that could be tweaked that would make it that much better. I'm not discounting that there may be aspects of my suggestions that may not make as much sense because of factors I haven't considered.

Some of you know more about it than I do, but the wildcard to me is the expansion. Not sure how the new bump run would compare to Gunny in terms of pitch from a viewing perspective; even as they did it yesterday, because of the pitch of lower Gunny, the top part of the course was a long ways away from the base. Couldn't even really see the turns before the first kicker.

I'm not going to get into JP's run...

 

[SKidds]

Sorry I didn't talk to you more. I feel bad now, knowing you were right behind us. Next time!

No worries. It was a good scene to soak in, and nice to put names and faces with AZ aliases. Catch you and a beer next time around......

 

[bvibert]

Thanks for your kind words about Sundown. You've played a huge role here too, Alan. Your presence at Sundown so much this month (and for the first comp) added a lot of legitimacy to the developing mogul scene here. I know for a fact that when we hacks know you're coming out, it adds an added level of anticipation. You're a great guy to hang with and a pleasure to watch ski. Thank you for your support and participation.

Well said Greg. Thanks Alan, it means a lot to us when you come out to our hill!

I'll be looking forward to the next time I can ski with the whole Belsky clan again, and I do know the difference between Spencer and Shea now. Great kids!

 

[jarrodski]

AFA the kickers, how were they built? I know at K they actually have wood forms that they put up and then shovel snow into them.

with a pick axe and shovel....my dude had to break up ice chunks to get the main shapes then scrape sugar from the groomed side, then wait for sun to cook it into a booter

 

[Greg]

Some of you know more about it than I do, but the wildcard to me is the expansion. Not sure how the new bump run would compare to Gunny in terms of pitch from a viewing perspective; even as they did it yesterday, because of the pitch of lower Gunny, the top part of the course was a long ways away from the base. Couldn't even really see the turns before the first kicker.

First, I will say what Sundown did with the mogul approach this season was about as perfect as it could get with the currently available terrain. I told Bob that on Sunday. Obviously, Temptor is sure going to seem disappointing next year after the sea of moguls on Gunny this spring, but really there is not more that they can do with the current terrain.

With that said, what I would like to see if/when the expansion happens is to have a dedicated mogul run early/midseason; one with decent top to bottom pitch. Maybe one of the new trails/maybe Stinger if they move the park. Gunny can stay as the primary race trail, but again for spring, seed it as the mogul run. Presumably there will be other steepish trails that any spring race operations could then move to. I just don't think Gunbarrel lends itself well as a winter mogul run. Too wide, too much sun. It'll be icy due to the challenge involved with trying to topcoat a run that wide. Something Temptor width but with more length and consistent pitch would be better. Stinger kinda works.

Unless of course there is another good bump trail option as part of the expansion with good visibility from a satellite base area which I assume is part of the plan. Certainly having one T2B trail that is specific to bumps all year is the best approach. I really hope the expansion eventually happens. With Sundown's management, the possibilities are endless. Now if they could only figure out a way to add 300 feet of vertical and I may never head north.

 

[Greg]

Recapping: Quotes Wanted

Brian and I are putting together a page(s) to recap the Bump or Bust component to the S7 event. If anyone would like to be quoted on this page, please send me a PM with your full name, town of residence and some thoughts on the day. I would like to publish comments from Sundown regulars as well as new folks. Thanks.