Rodeo Steve

http://www.accuweather.com/us/pa/palmerton/18071/forecast-15day.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipchg=1&metric=0 I have to disagree because the forecast looks good at night for over a week straight. They bought a shitload of mobile fan guns, and those temps are much better than marginal. The normal right side of the mountain from main street over is definitely possible for the 11th.

Let them be pissed because I never said it was definite. I just said that's what Jim told me a few days ago.

Oh by the way to increase some stoke, Jim said they were pushing for December 11th, and by the looks of the weather that is very likely.

Yeah you get a free pass with your check every 100 hours worked.. I feel thats kinda high but yeah. Youll get a about 2 a year.

I get what your saying about them being sketchy, and for a lot of the kids that pay for it, it will be. The fact of the matter is, if your using it for tricks your capable of, and have control of your speed and aerial awareness, this is a hell of a lot safer trying to "add that extra 180" off a booter. Going from a 5 to a 7 on a board for the first time or 7 to 9 usually ends up with with catching an edge a lot of the time, and this opens up the door to making that first attempt "safer". My point is that the bag is going to be much safer than just hucking off a jump and hoping for the best cause thats how a lot of kids learn. The chances of breaking your neck, back, etc are much higher lower on this feature even though it has happened before. Not everybody stomps a first huck attempt at a double rodeo. Then again some do lol it was complete luck but all Im saying is I wish I had a bag for that first try cause I could be paralyzed right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYpQZ72EIls Basically this is what a legit airbag set up looks like.

I asked today, employee passes do not have airbag use. I made a comment about how it was a waste of money to not allow inverts and everybody gave me a dirty look. Yeah well. haha but December 4th opening is not happening but I guess they are shooting for the 11th now. Think cold.

I actually wanted to ask that but I forgot to. I dont see why it wouldnt be. Im going up to get my pass in the next few days so if nobody replies until then Ill post again. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Your head cant go below your board. Thats how they word it in the competitions. If you look at my avatar, thats about as inverted as you can go. That was the cork 7 I threw in the Big Air Comp a run before I broke my jaw and it was legal. Depending on whos there, Im sure there will be some days we will be able to throw them. As the season goes on and the bag flows smoothly they might loosen up a bit. Not like Pamela Anderson loose, but like Jessica Alba loose.

Jim is a pretty cool guy. He actually helps me out a lot and was one of the few patrollers who never got me in trouble for inverts. He did kick me and a buddy out once for shooting mortars off the 6 pack, but it was only for a day. After it all it was New Years. haha but he works hard and I think he will do a good job. The airbag will have a separate pass and dont quote me on the prices but I believe it was like 5-10$ a day, and like 50$ added on to a season pass to make it for the year.

Haha thanks I'd love to be in charge of the park. It could be a bad idea though cause the injury rate would indefinitely go up. We would need some form of checks and balances. Haha

Yes Jim dailey is the gm now. The airbag will be placed on valley school east next to tubing. The scanners always told us ticket info btw. Maybe they will show more now? Ha and tr shuttle drivers are actually pArt of security. Lift scanners seems kinda gay. Catching somebody hiking the park isn't really a crime cause your paying for a "lift" ticket so that seems kinda redundant to have scanners at both places.

I know... I was so pumped for that bag. Itll be nice to work on switch spins and stuff though without worrying about casing the jump and shit. As for inverts if you look like you know what your doing, a lot of patrol will turn their heads or just say to not do them. Some hero patrollers will try to take you to court over it though ha. And the point of the airbag is basically marketing.. They can add it to their brochure. I see it now "Only airbag in PA even though you can't use it what its meant for! Touch the sky but dont go above our newly enforced airtime limit!"

Yeah I dont know thats just what they told us. And even if you have a permit, Blue does not want anyone else to have a gun on the slopes. Somebody asked about that- which contradicts having an armed guard I know, but whatever its her mountain not mine. ha About the airbag... I know I was pissed too. It will be under 24 watch with a cam and Im pretty sure they will have ski patrol on it all the time. Im learning double corks on that thing regardless. Just gotta learn how to control the flip spin ratio haha. It is really pointless to spend 30,000 dollars on an airbag though and not allow flips onto it. Jim Daley said they looked into inverts but the insurance was just too high or whatever. Ive given up hope for Blue to allow anything inverted.

the cage means boardcheck. And the past few years with the robbery, the fights in the parking lot and also finding the gun on the slopes brought the need for an armed guard. But yeah all the departments are hiring more than needed so they can fire those who don't comply. Some pros and cons but I think it's for the best.

Some other news... New signs, new brochures, airbag = no inverts allowed + additional cost. They are basically trying to turn Blue Mountain into a disney environment - employees are supposed to smile at all times, customer #1, enforcing uniforms now I believe. They are focusing a lot on energy savings. Itll be pretty cool to see what its like in a few years.

Security is alright. Last year we got 6.50 an hour. First year you wont be working the parking lot, youll be stuck in the cage and somedays on scanner but its alright. A lot of days when its empty we basically just sit around and bull shit but holiday weekends suck. Its a pretty easy job. Id recommend it. Dave is a pretty easy going boss also so thats always a plus. This year a lot has changed and we are "supposed" to have more authority or whatever. There will be armed guards at all times there also.

I think your tape measure is broke cause 80ft (2 school buses long) has never been built at Blue. I remember what jump your talking about but that was like 60ft max. There was definitely a few times people may have pushed that jump to 80ft and broke their legs or blew their knees out (increasing the injury rate so ski patrol could have their own TV show) but lip to knuckle 80ft is fucking huge. I don't even think Boulder ever had a jump that big.

My bad, I forgot about the big air. That was pretty big. It may have actually been close to 70. Would of been one of the best jumps on the East Coast in my opinion if it didnt have a shitload of bumps before it. Was nice in the morning but speed got slow as the day went by. I was dropping from like 1/2 way up challenge and still cased it.

I like the idea of making the little table by the cement mixer bigger, although the little one always caused a huge problem cause everybody stops on that last berm to drop the table. If that could be worked out that would definitely be a nice spot. A triple jump line is definitely ideal, but I actually wouldnt mind only have two jumps in the jump line. 90% of the time its only possible to hit two of them in a row anyway. Having three jumps on that short section results in shitty transitions, basically meaning if you dont land perfect, the rest of the run is ruined. If there were only two jumps, the transitions could definitely be better, and more snow could be put into each jump which = more of a landing. Just an idea. I just remember having to hit the first jump and bomb from there into the third to even have speed for a 3. Either way well see in a month or two and Im sure it will turn out nice. Rice is doing a good job with the park.

x2. Step overs would definitely be nice. As for a few posts up with the outdated park information... I have never seen a legit 70ft lip to knuckle kicker at Blue. Like ever. At many points it may have been like 57ft at the most which was usually "rounded up" to 70 but there is no way in hell any jump ever reached 70ft.

http://snowboarding.transworld.net/videos/snowqualmie-video-with-forum-team/ This video has some real sick features. I remember Bear trying the butter pad a few years ago and it was a lot of fun. Not saying any mountain around here is capable of it but it would be a lot of fun to ride. As for the airbag, I think its gonna be a lot more fun than most of you think. It may not be where you want the money to go, but it will be awesome for learning tricks instead of trying tricks onto ice or driving out to Lake Placid for the water ramps. Heres a video of one that looks sweet, not sure if its the same size or anything that Blue got, but if executed right it has potential. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYpQZ72EIls

Yeah I know what your saying, but my point is was what was said a few posts ago, that the more intimidating the feature, the less people that will try it but yeah the snow here is terrible to work with. Haha and I know what you mean about how intimidating the parks are out there(Toast). Took me 3 days till I would hit any of the lasts jumps in the big park at PC. The lips are like 15ft wide and 20ft tall. Its scary just riding up them to scope it but once you hit them its amazing. Hate to case one of those and break a jaw again .

I agree it would be more worthwhile to sell it, its just something I would personally like to see. And yeah 10-15ft QPs definitely would get destroyed, but out in Park City they had a QP that was like 20-25ft high and it was intimidating as all hell but after working up to it, it was a shit load of fun and it didnt really get beat up cause only kids who were capable hit it. Obviously its not wise to make that much snow for one feature in the East though. A QP next to the airbag would be nasty to, to learn shit but without the pipe thats kinda pointless now too. Either way, for some of us the pipe will be missed, but hopefully the new park will be as legit as it sounds.

Probably out of the question, but where the pipe is would be a nice run in for a jump or even a quarter pipe at the bottom. Have like a little run in on the side of everything, especially with a tow rope that would be nice. It could be like a video hill big air like at Mount Snow. If youve ever bombed the sides you get some decent speed. Just an idea, doubt it will actually happen, but a legit quarter pipe in the east would be nice to see too. They have this half pipe cutter now with nothing to do with it unless they sold it already.