park classes?

[ket19]

does anyone here know when they're starting up the tuesday night park classes at bear? has anyone taken them?

 

this is the year, dammit, i'm gonna stop worrying about breaking my face and hit the park. but i want to make sure i don't hurt anyone else in the process.

[mollyskeez]

does anyone here know when they're starting up the tuesday night park classes at bear? has anyone taken them?

 

this is the year, dammit, i'm gonna stop worrying about breaking my face and hit the park. but i want to make sure i don't hurt anyone else in the process.

i dont kno when they are starting i would think its pretty soon but im glad to hear somone is taking advantage of the lessons and not just deciding to go through the park not knowing what they are doing. i took one a few years back before they had the everytuesday thing and i was a tad better than my instructer

[mobile chernobyl]

Try and get the new instructer Phil - He just moved here from roundtop.

[neutral]

I might actaully take these classes too, what's the pricing?

 

I just started riding last year and I want to start hitting the park.

[jkunstek]

This might sound stupid, but what kind of skill level do you need to take the classes? I just started riding last year. I am interested in the classes but I only know basic stuff like stopping and turning.

[mollyskeez]

you have to be at an intermediate skiing or snowboarding level so im thinking you should be comfortable skiing or in your case riding the intermediate runs and not fall on your way down.

Edited December 7, 2007 by MISSDEMEANOR

[snorovr]

This might sound stupid, but what kind of skill level do you need to take the classes? I just started riding last year. I am interested in the classes but I only know basic stuff like stopping and turning.

 

To progress to doing things in the park you really should be quite comfortable on your board/skis. This is more for your safety than anything else. Work on things like riding switch, doing little ollies, and sideslipping on your edges. This will help you get comfortable with some of the skills needed to begin hitting smaller features.

 

At this point in your riding career you would probably get more out of taking an all mountain intermediate/advanced private lesson. Once people get past the turning and stopping point they usually figure they are good to go and don't need any more lessons, but there are so many things a good instructor can teach you that will give you the confidence and ability to start working your way up to successfully riding the park.

 

Give your collarbone and wrists a fighting chance and make sure you have the skills to ride to park before you try it.

[jkunstek]

Thanks for the response, I want to make sure that I am not going to hurt myself. Can you get lessons at Bear Creek that are move advanced?

[njskierbrig]

jkunstek i took the classes last year.

 

what they do is they take u go in the family park and just tell u what to do it but each time u just hike back up the to the box you were doing and keep doing it till u get the hang of it.

 

It was very helpful and was fun. Whoever wants to take the classes all u really need is to be able to stop and turn basicaly it isnt that hard.

 

Have fun!!

[ket19]

oooh.

 

i've already done the family park on my own, and did ok on the boxes last year. so is the class maybe not so good for me or should i schedule a private session?

 

i really want to learn how to handle big jumps and the pipe. but don't want to go in blind.

[method9455]

Just be careful with the small stuff if you are not 100% comfortable with your riding. A 16 foot rail with a 2" gap is not twice as hard as an 8 foot box that is ride on, it is about 50 times harder. A ride on box you basically sled in and out of it, and if you can ride in a straight line and bend your knees on the landing you are fine. But even the smallest hop on rail, you need to ride in under control, time the hop, land and balance, and be moving at a much greater speed. While you are doing all of that you have to be 100% comfortable with your riding because you are thinking about so many new things at once. But once you get that, the difference between a 2" gap and a 6" gap, a flat rail and a flat/down rail, is small. Because you will have the reflex to land, the reflex to ollie. It is that first one that is the worst.

 

The same holds true for jump, the differnce between a 6 foot jump and a 15 foot jump is immense. But the difference between a 15 foot jump and 25 foot jump is tiny.

 

So the pitfall is people think they can do an 8 foot rail, and then step up to the 16 foot rail without really improving any and they hurt themselves. I am a big believer in riding first, park second. You won't know that a jump is too big for you until you hit it, and when you come into the landing you are suddenly going faster than you have ever gone before, you lose control, catch and edge, and break an arm. If you have gone faster on a steeper hill comfortably than you will ever need for whatever it is you are about to do in the park, that is good. So if you are doing jumps, comfortably get down every black at full speed carving turns. For rails, not quite as fast, but certainly faster than youd think.

 

Best hint I ever got - the faster you go, the less time you are on the rail. Your reflexes want you to go slow, but go fast and you won't fall.

[pretzelpimp]

never take a classs on how to ride park...man up and hit it, it's not hard

[Bobert540]

never take a classs on how to ride park...man up and hit it, it's not hard

 

 

You must be a pro then

 

 

I was a freestyle instructor last year and I will be doing it again this year. I agree with what T*Maki said. Make sure you feel comfortable with your all mountain skills first. The program is a great way to build confidence, learn proper park etiquette and most of all HAVE FUN!

[DJGoldeneye]

In all respect, riding is a personal thing. You are not one member of a team that has to work together to win. You are you: one rider. So I think you should just go into the park one day, watch the other riders, ask them, and try. Yeah you'll fall on your face a few times, but it's part of the package. In other words, GET OUT AND DO IT. Don't think, just do.

 

That's what I did, and I went from not doing crap, to hitting almost every rail in about half of the season. It aint hard. DO IT!!!!!!

[toast21602]

In other words, GET OUT AND DO IT. Don't think, just do.

 

best advice right there.

[mobile chernobyl]

never take a classs on how to ride park...man up and hit it, it's not hard

 

 

Haha thats what I was doing yestarday. Being it's my first season on rails - my (lack of) rail skills is starting to catch up with me. I had some... "spectacular" crashes shall we say. Luckily my years of ninja biking training helps in not getting hurt (too much) where other people would have probably died or broken something. I was the skier in orange pants and brown vest if anyone caught any of my explosive falls haha they prolly looked pretty funny or painful. But o well I'll be up there again sunday night - hopefully using my falls as a learning point towards progression, since "newschool" skiers seem to not want to lend a helping hand to one another . lol

[toast21602]

never take a classs on how to ride park...man up and hit it, it's not hard

 

not the best suggestion for somebody who has no clue what to do. there is a reason for lessons. you can learn how to ski from lessons, you can learn how to race from lessons, you can learn how to ride park from lessons. never discourage somebody from taking lessons from people who are qualified and know what they are talking about.

[DJGoldeneye]

Luckily my years of ninja biking training helps in not getting hurt

 

What the hell does that mean? Bikes and ninjas together sounds like a soggy sandwich to me... x(

[stbgskibum247]

Hey Mobile Chernobyl, lemme know when you're going to Bear next. You might have seen me skiing around in a gray jacket, tan pants and a furry hood carrying a shovel or a rake. I'm on park crew but would be happy to give you a couple pointers if i see you around. I have a partially torn LCL right now, so i'm trying to take it easy, but i can definitely help you out a bit.