Blue Mountain Park Improvements 09-10

[Freeski919]

As far as improvement goes, I really think putting some kind of park pass into effect would be the best course of action. Honestly, any time I'm going up the six pack and I see some gaper dad and his 9 year old on their straight skis traversing across the landings of every jump, I skip the park that run. That adds up to skipping the park more than I hit it. I'm past the point where I even like to session the park all day, or even more than 3 consecutive runs. But at least 3 times a day, I'm looking to hit the park. Usually at least two of the times I'm scoping, there's gaperdad and his minigapers, or Sergeant Starter Jacket and his fluorescent platoon standing directly under the lip of a feature. I understand that even if you don't want to hit the features, you may want to check them out. But if they're going to be retarded about it, they don't belong in there. Hell, Blue even put those steps in at the top to be some kind of deterrent to gapers wandering in... then they blew snow onto the steps so you could just ride up them anyways. Leave the park for those who can handle it, and gawk from the lift like the rest of the rabble.

[Justo8484]

As far as improvement goes, I really think putting some kind of park pass into effect would be the best course of action. Honestly, any time I'm going up the six pack and I see some gaper dad and his 9 year old on their straight skis traversing across the landings of every jump, I skip the park that run. That adds up to skipping the park more than I hit it. I'm past the point where I even like to session the park all day, or even more than 3 consecutive runs. But at least 3 times a day, I'm looking to hit the park. Usually at least two of the times I'm scoping, there's gaperdad and his minigapers, or Sergeant Starter Jacket and his fluorescent platoon standing directly under the lip of a feature. I understand that even if you don't want to hit the features, you may want to check them out. But if they're going to be retarded about it, they don't belong in there. Hell, Blue even put those steps in at the top to be some kind of deterrent to gapers wandering in... then they blew snow onto the steps so you could just ride up them anyways. Leave the park for those who can handle it, and gawk from the lift like the rest of the rabble.

 

i haven't done any sort of scientific method backed research, but from my general observations, the steps actually attract more people than they deter. when they first opened sidewinder last year, they didnt have enough snow at the top to use the steps, so you could ski right in to the trail. pretty sure sidewinder opened early january, so there was a decent crowd at the mountain. as soon as they had enough snow that the steps were mandatory, the park was filled with morons, even though it was actually more difficult to get in, and not necessary more crowded on the mountain overall. if the steps are going to stay, then yes, they need to dig them out so you absolutely have to take your gear off to get up them. park passes, if implemented in a smart (free/cheap, but you must watch a part etiquette/safety video first) way, would be a much better option in my opinion.

[Freeski919]

i haven't done any sort of scientific method backed research, but from my general observations, the steps actually attract more people than they deter. when they first opened sidewinder last year, they didnt have enough snow at the top to use the steps, so you could ski right in to the trail. pretty sure sidewinder opened early january, so there was a decent crowd at the mountain. as soon as they had enough snow that the steps were mandatory, the park was filled with morons, even though it was actually more difficult to get in, and not necessary more crowded on the mountain overall. if the steps are going to stay, then yes, they need to dig them out so you absolutely have to take your gear off to get up them. park passes, if implemented in a smart (free/cheap, but you must watch a part etiquette/safety video first) way, would be a much better option in my opinion.

 

+1. I'll gladly pay like $5-10 and sit through the 15 minute video at the beginning of each season to cut down on the idiots in the park.

[pcc25]

I agree, a park pass would be a great idea, I don't think it should cost too much, or be free. This would help keep the park safer because you don't have gapers sitting on the landings where you can't see them, and also the park would be easier to maintain due to having less volume and people wouldn't be just riding over lips destroying them ever run. I believe the park pass should only be required for sidewinder park, so the gapers who still want to check out the other parks can still use the smaller ones without getting a park pass.

 

This happened to me last year, I was riding sidewinder park and was approaching the third jump with enough speed to clear it and a lady almost cut me off on the take off as she was just carving across it, and once I got into the air I realized that her husband and son were cutting across the landing, the worst part was that the kid was on a leash. This left me with two options, land very close to the father/son, if not on top of them and run in to them directly after landing, or land completely side wise and wipe my self out and avoid them. I did chose the second option, landed and completely ate shit, afterward I didn't get any apology, just and evil look and comment from the mother that witnessed it all. Those are the kinds of people that need to stay out of the park. I have nothing against watching/scoping out the park but do so safely because you aren't just affecting your own safety you are affecting the safety of the other riders around you.

[Freeski919]

I agree, a park pass would be a great idea, I don't think it should cost too much, or be free. This would help keep the park safer because you don't have gapers sitting on the landings where you can't see them, and also the park would be easier to maintain due to having less volume and people wouldn't be just riding over lips destroying them ever run. I believe the park pass should only be required for sidewinder park, so the gapers who still want to check out the other parks can still use the smaller ones without getting a park pass.

 

This happened to me last year, I was riding sidewinder park and was approaching the third jump with enough speed to clear it and a lady almost cut me off on the take off as she was just carving across it, and once I got into the air I realized that her husband and son were cutting across the landing, the worst part was that the kid was on a leash. This left me with two options, land very close to the father/son, if not on top of them and run in to them directly after landing, or land completely side wise and wipe my self out and avoid them. I did chose the second option, landed and completely ate shit, afterward I didn't get any apology, just and evil look and comment from the mother that witnessed it all. Those are the kinds of people that need to stay out of the park. I have nothing against watching/scoping out the park but do so safely because you aren't just affecting your own safety you are affecting the safety of the other riders around you.

 

Make it cheap, but not free. $5 is enough to keep the random gawkers from getting the pass. And it would probably cover some of the cost of having a member of park crew or somebody to check the passes at the top of Sidewinder. And absolutely, it should only be for Sidewinder.

[Nidecker]

This happened to me last year, I was riding sidewinder park and was approaching the third jump with enough speed to clear it and a lady almost cut me off on the take off as she was just carving across it, and once I got into the air I realized that her husband and son were cutting across the landing, the worst part was that the kid was on a leash. This left me with two options, land very close to the father/son, if not on top of them and run in to them directly after landing, or land completely side wise and wipe my self out and avoid them. I did chose the second option, landed and completely ate shit, afterward I didn't get any apology, just and evil look and comment from the mother that witnessed it all. Those are the kinds of people that need to stay out of the park. I have nothing against watching/scoping out the park but do so safely because you aren't just affecting your own safety you are affecting the safety of the other riders around you.

 

I fucking hate when Gapers do that shit! They look at you like YOU were the person in the wrong because YOU not them almost cut you off and YOU were the idiot that bailed because it was the right thing to do but stil came "too" close to the assholes that decided to ski on the landing and that they have the damn nerve to say something like watch out.... Fuck You asshole you are the one being the dumbass and not obeying park rules, god people like that I just want to smack.

 

BUT yes + a million for the Sidewinder Parkpass PLEASE! I had an accident on the stairs last year because some douchbag blindside me after the fact that I waited for a clear shot to go. I was out for a week after that. It's the people that want to and love to ride Park that are getting hurt, not the idiots that absolutely could give two shits about riding park they just want to get in the way and cause problems. I am really sick and tired of dealing and see it happen to others.

Edited October 30, 2009 by Nidecker25

[method9455]

The stairs drive me crazy. I won't ride up them when they is even a little bit of the stair out so I don't beat the hell out of my board, some people don't care about their gear but I do so I have to unstrap, walk up, restrap. Ugh. It would definitely be better with an orange fence with 1 opening 3' wide and a BIG sign, one half smarstyle, and the other half "rules for observers" or something like that

 

-Do not sit on or cross landings of features

-Do not jump off the sides of ramps

-Do not cross in front of those riding into features.

 

That would do it. It would stop some percentage of people who don't understand what they are doing wrong, and for everyone else that continues to do it at least then we can say "go read the sign". Right now if you stop someone and tell them what they are doing wrong, they will get into an argument about it and make it look like you were wrong.

 

I saw some like 4 y/o kid almost get killed when he was doing the pizza across the landing of a big jump at Boulder, so I went down to his dad and I was not yelling but I was like come on man you gotta watch your kid he almost got hit in the head by some guy in the park. And he whips around and yells at me FUCK YOU downhill skier has right of way! That is true but it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for me to see your 2' high child on the backside of a 10' ramp. I can have all the best intentions in the world, but after the first jump in a jump line you are overtaking so many people you can not have a solid reading on the situation on the landing unless you had a spotter on every jump. So what for a 3 jump line you get 4 people and 1 hits the jumps each time through? Like that would happen.

 

It's a lot like in a boat - there are all these rules of the road about who can go where when, but if there is a big ass ship coming your way I don't care if I have rights or not, I'm getting the hell out of the way.

 

Defensively, the best thing you can do is not work off the center of a jump ramp. Someone could be sitting anywhere, but if some noobie went off the ramp in the middle and is laid out on the knuckle he probably went off the middle and that has saved me from hitting people a number of times.

[Nidecker]

Spotters yes, thats exactly what I do and my friends do for me on the jump line. Wait till they give me the signal that it's clear to go. When I go by myself I always have the whoole I hope no one is sitting on or near the landing.

 

OH and when I said staircase I ment the staircase in the park after the rail garden. I was approaching the case and spotting my run on the rail and this i dunno 17yr old came out of no where on my right out of control and ran right into me his edge gashed my leg and I was knocked out for a few minutes.

Edited October 30, 2009 by Nidecker25

[Glenn]

The entrance to the park should be a gap over the fence. Really though, I think we all know how to fix the problem. Charge more than gapers like doug will pay to get it, and the park should be good to go.

[Freeski919]

 

 

This happened to me last year, I was riding sidewinder park and was approaching the third jump with enough speed to clear it and a lady almost cut me off on the take off as she was just carving across it, and once I got into the air I realized that her husband and son were cutting across the landing, the worst part was that the kid was on a leash. This left me with two options, land very close to the father/son, if not on top of them and run in to them directly after landing, or land completely side wise and wipe my self out and avoid them. I did chose the second option, landed and completely ate shit, afterward I didn't get any apology, just and evil look and comment from the mother that witnessed it all. Those are the kinds of people that need to stay out of the park. I have nothing against watching/scoping out the park but do so safely because you aren't just affecting your own safety you are affecting the safety of the other riders around you.

 

This is exactly the stuff that I hate. I typically don't ski or ride in my mountain uniform, but if/when I do, I take the opportunity to educate gapers when they're trying their hardest to get themselves killed. I don't go at it like some of the patrol nazis, but I let them know they're in the wrong, and the fact that I'm an employee usually cuts out the backtalk.

[Justo8484]

I like skiing up the steps almost as much as I like skiing down them..just lean back and it's easy to get over them..even if the last two aren't snow covered and it doesn't damage the skis nearly as much as skiing the marquee route under the 6-pack..

this is why i wish they used cheesegrater...

 

i was up biking today, and they repainted thw wallride and cement mixer. they're also digging some giant trench up challenge for i think more snowmaking and all guns and lights are in place on nightmare now.

[Freeski919]

this is why i wish they used cheesegrater...

 

i was up biking today, and they repainted thw wallride and cement mixer. they're also digging some giant trench up challenge for i think more snowmaking and all guns and lights are in place on nightmare now.

 

It makes me a little uncomfortable to hear that they're doing major work on the snowmaking system when they should be opening in less than a month.

[Dan-]

It makes me a little uncomfortable to hear that they're doing major work on the snowmaking system when they should be opening in less than a month.

 

 

It's on challenge. It's the worst trail on that mountain anyway.

[toast21602]

It makes me a little uncomfortable to hear that they're doing major work on the snowmaking system when they should be opening in less than a month.

 

a month is a lot of time.