Park Riders Observation - Prefer Rails over Jumps?

[pinemind]

Hey all,

 

I was up at Bear Creek for the first time on this past Saturday. When I got there, I was quite surprised at the lack of lift lines because I've heard horror stories from the customers at our ski shop. Mainly, I was going up there to get some exercise, but after 2 runs with flat, slow greens, interconnecting nightmares, and short, icy black diamonds, I spent the next 3 hours of my 4 hour pass in Black Bear park.

 

I'm mainly an all-mountain skier. In my younger days (20, 21, I'm 26 now), I used to hit the park much more often. Back then, we didn't have these easy, wide plastic boxes to slide on. Maybe a few handrails or double handrails, so learning them was a lot more intimidating. This actually led to me swearing off rails a few years ago due to some very close calls with mouth on metal.

 

I liked Black Bear park a lot for their jumps. The option of having the left kicker be about 3 to 5 feet shorter than the right kicker is nice for swapping up lines. Toughest part about that park is being the center of attention to the most popular lift on the mountain! If you threw down, you got cheers. If you wiped, you got heckled by 15 year old park rats (not that I care, I can always show them up in the park the next run anyway). If you saw me up there, I was the guy throwing big 360's on my Rossi B2's (cement shoes on feet) for a good part of the day. I wasn't able to get the park skis from the shop that morning so I had to suffer with horrible swingweight.

 

One thing I've noticed and maybe it's just me. Why do park riders and skiers prefer rails over jumps these days? I'd say I saw about 20% of those going through the park legitimately hit the jumps. Do some people actually think the rails are easier? Maybe they are but I just enjoy the thrill of getting huge amounts of air.

 

I didn't see too many park skiers up there on Saturday, or at least many (more than 1 or 2 others) that weren't total posers. Snowboarding seems to have less of a poser/real deal rider ratio. I saw more of them hitting jumps and actually trying something more than a straight air to wipeout on tabletop air.

 

Just some observations. I'm going to try and make it up there again next Saturday and get some more jumps in before I head to Colorado next week.

 

Peace,

 

Justin

[mollyskeez]

alot of the legit bear creek local skiers were at the rail jam on saturday. that may be why you didnt see many of us.

[skeer_tomas]

alot of the legit bear creek local skiers were at the rail jam on saturday. that may be why you didnt see many of us.

 

werd

[pinemind]

alot of the legit bear creek local skiers were at the rail jam on saturday. that may be why you didnt see many of us.

 

Gotcha.

 

Any reason why more people stick to rails/jibs? Lack of nuts? Thrill of losing their nuts?

[mollyskeez]

well dont have nuts so i wouldnt know about that lol but people dont really stick to jibs i dont think i have seen some pretty sick radical stuff throw off the jumps at bear... like a styled out 1080. or maybe the jumps were just bad the day you went like i know if they just blew im not going to hit the jumps in blackbear because they usually are not up to par. the jumps in cascade thats a dif. story they are SICK. if you didnt see people hitting cascade jumps then idk.

[pinemind]

well dont have nuts so i wouldnt know about that lol but people dont really stick to jibs i dont think i have seen some pretty sick radical stuff throw off the jumps at bear... like a styled out 1080. or maybe the jumps were just bad the day you went like i know if they just blew im not going to hit the jumps in blackbear because they usually are not up to par. the jumps in cascade thats a dif. story they are SICK. if you didnt see people hitting cascade jumps then idk.

 

Yeah it just could've been the day. Maybe it's a space thing too. I've noticed at Elk they only have one beat ass jump but they can pack in like 15 jibs in the remaining space. Jumps (properly made) take a lot more real estate to create.

 

J

[Rab8]

i was geared more to rails but recently ive been getting into jumps alot more. i think it comes down to whats easier and getting less hurt.

[Saurus]

I do both but ever since a few years ago, my knees couldnt take jumps so i stick to rails. And yeah jumps are alot more ballsy then rails i think. Big b's jumps are huge. i didnt enjoy knuckling the 1stkicker

 

Oh and doing a straight air over a jump isnt ballsy at all

[toast21602]

what shop do you work at?

[pinemind]

what shop do you work at?

 

Wick's in Exton. We have a pair of Head Jon Olson Pros, 170's in our shop arsenal. I usually try and take those up. Nothing like having a hot, voluptuous Swedish model in black and white on your skis to keep you company on the lift.

[Justin]

I like them both, but I must say jumps are way more fun. With the way Sidewinder is set up, I session both equal amounts though. Hit rails up top, then the jump line, then either ski the pipe or mess around in Lower Terrain, and repeat.

 

PA does seem to focus more on the rail aspect of parks than anything else though, so in turn it kind of makes you ski rails a bit more. Plus, that's all you get in the beginning of the season before the jumps are built and the end of the season when they are all melted away.

[nick]

Its interesting you brought this up b/c me and my friends were talking about this the other day. Out west kids KILLLL it on jumps, they'll throw down like no ones business but when it comes to rails, they really arent as good as some of the up and coming riders here on the east coast. I personally think that it has to do with the snow here on the east coast, its generally harder and at most times icey, and people really dont feel comfortable hitting 40 foot kickers and landing on ice. Theres also the fact of the matter that you will rarely ever find jumps built around here like they are out west. The jumps at big boulder and even here at bear have started to shape up and become more legit, but they are still not up to par with jumps from places like mammoth and park city etc...Kids still ride jumps but your right that more people do hit rails lately. I know myself ide rather hit a down flat down single bar then 5 a 45 foot hit, dunno why just the way i feel...

[paolo]

I would rather hit the rails here because I dont like the icy landings, rutted lips, and inconsistency of the jumps. Out west all I hit was the jumps because they were super nice. Im also more scared to huck myself over a big jump spinning then slide a rail.

[CanisLupus]

I used to be more of a rail guy but now i love doing jumps i dunno i used to hate jumps but all of the sudden they are like the greatest thing ever hah but i think its what everyone else has said, jumps on the east coast just aren't up to par (usually)

[Rab8]

For PA I think rails rule...you don;t hear about many Jump Jams..lol..but with the sick jump line at Blue..things are changing..

'jump jams' would be big air contests

[stbgskibum247]

It's mostly a safety and consistency issue...Good riders only hit jumps on days when they're not going to get trashed on the knuckles or thrown wrong by the lips. On some days we cant even cut the lips due to poor snow conditions.

 

Pinemind- Is there any chance that you guys are going to sell off those Jon pro models soon? My gear is looking pretty ratty after a couple months on park crew...

[Papasteeze]

I think it depends on the level of rider and the park layout. The crews cruising the big park at boulder tend to stay there and lap that trail all day, there are a half dozen or so jibs at the bottom in the plaza for them to hit. Freedom park (easiest) is by far the most popular and there are a couple of very small jumps if that.

[pinemind]

It's mostly a safety and consistency issue...Good riders only hit jumps on days when they're not going to get trashed on the knuckles or thrown wrong by the lips. On some days we cant even cut the lips due to poor snow conditions.

 

Pinemind- Is there any chance that you guys are going to sell off those Jon pro models soon? My gear is looking pretty ratty after a couple months on park crew...

 

Nah. We actually didn't even stock it this year. We don't sell too many twin tips there. We've got the Line Chronics and Invaders, K2 Public Enemy and Silencer, and Salomon 1080 Thrusters.

 

The owner loved the way the Chronics rode and he's not even a park guy. I think the Jon Olson's hold an edge pretty decent on hard pack and corduroy. When you start hitting high speeds on hard pack/ice, they tend to skip a bit. But in the park, man are they great. Nice pop, really effortless swingweight, and not too obnoxiously wide under foot.

 

Plus, I mean, God, the girls on the front. I get so many comments when I take them up to the Poconos.

 

I did douche myself on one of the left side jumps on Black Bear (3rd set down I think). It was the product of the gapers rolling up to the lip at such a low speed, the turn their skis and boards into a teeter totter, using the lip as a fulcrum and destroying it in the process. I hit said jump, got about one foot of air and tried to pull a 360. Didn't quite come around all the way. It was the only 360 I crapped out on all day out of about 15 or so I tried and it was just on that jump.

[burton71]

Rails are easier, especially the box style that all the moutains use now, thats why more people hit them.

[Justin]

Rails are easier, especially the box style that all the moutains use now, thats why more people hit them.

I think rails are way harder than jumps. All you need to straight air is the right amount of speed and balls. Rails take a lot more.

[burton71]

I think rails are way harder than jumps. All you need to straight air is the right amount of speed and balls. Rails take a lot more.

You can just ride on and 50-50 most of the box style rails. Very little balls needed.

[pinemind]

You can just ride on and 50-50 most of the box style rails. Very little balls needed.

 

Yeah, maybe this weekend I'll give a few of those plastic guys a try. Then again, maybe I won't. I'm headed to Colorado next Tuesday and the last thing I want to do is mess myself up on a rail before that trip.

[Justin]

You can just ride on and 50-50 most of the box style rails. Very little balls needed.

On skis? 5050s not only look retarded, but can usually be more dangerous.

[GNU_rider]

I wish I could ride jumps as much as I used to, I did a number on my right knee last november so I find myself staying pretty low to the ground because knuckling a landing or hanging up on a 5 could have me out for a month to 6 weeks with a couple of lovely knee drains mmmmm. I also think like some people were saying earlier snow quality east coast kids go out west and within three weeks can just kill a jump line so you might see a different feel when you're out there!

[burton71]

On skis? 5050s not only look retarded, but can usually be more dangerous.

Didn't notice you were a skier.