PARK PASSES AT BLUE?

[skidude]

Park passes are stupid...Just hit the n00bs and take em out

[DHarrisburg]

Park passes are stupid...Just hit the n00bs and take em out

 

Been there, done that, got my pass pulled because of it.

 

See my new sig for my feelings on this topic.

 

Edit: to those of you comparing parks to driving on a road/highway, this is really the best comparison I've come up with. Imagine you're driving to the Lehigh Valley mall from Allentown. You somehow manage to dodge the oncoming traffic at the McArthur road entrance and exit the highway doing 50 MPH. As you're coming around the corner there's three cars side to side completely stopped. The sad thing is that there'd probably be less physical damage from that accident than if you landed on somebody in the park.

Edited March 30, 2006 by DHarrisburg

[method9455]

^^^^^^^^^Thats funny until you start going into facts

 

Fact - there was have been 3 kids at my school who have died skiing in the last 15 years, not a huge amount, but considering there are only 1,000 kids a year and not many ski, its pretty bad.

 

Fact - all three were expert skiers

 

Fact - all three were killed by collisions with solid objects (2 trees and a lift pole) while avoiding other people

 

Fact - one of them one was avoiding a kid who ventured out onto a high school ski team course and the kid from my school turned to avoid him and went into the woods

 

 

Now, you have a trail like sidewinder, where there are turns and as far as parks go, it is narrow as hell and crowded with features. add in a really large numbero f blind spots becuase the ramps onto rails are high and the pitch isn't that steep, and you have traps where you can get into these situations really easily.

 

 

You say we're overly emotional? Do you want to know WHY? Do you want to UNDERSTAND why we HATE these idiots so much?

 

Becuase people DIE. And those people, are US. I'd rather not be the 4th kid from my school whos going really fast, has to avoid someone and slides off into the woods and dies. I've already hit a tree once while avoiding a kid, I'll pass on the 2nd time becuase the first didn't feel so great. I've hit a kid as well, and that kid didn't turn out so great. So if the $5 inconviences you, too fucking bad. Becuase that $5 is the differance between me being able to tell a kid - for his own safety - he needs to learn some park etiquette or someone is going to get hurt - most likely him. But if its over crowded and bad behavior is the norm, there is no way the people who know what SHOULD be going on, can police it. Becuase we all know the rangers aren't going to police it, and without it being regulated, someone is going to get seriously hurt. We're not talking broken arms/legs, we're talking paralyzed or dead. So you think its funny, but if people are reading this from Blue, they don't need to see dissent. If we're all on it together, we can make it a safer place. And even if you never go in there, you should want that - the liability insurance comes out of your season pass and lift ticket.

 

 

As for mountain creek/stratton, a page of history is worth a volume of logic. THose passes HAVE worked. They HAVE made it safer, easier to maintain, and easier to ride park. They HAVE done it for $5 and a video, and guess what, despite all the logic to the contrary, it DOES work.

[toast21602]

well, that pretty much sums it up. that makes it a little easier for all of you people out there who dont believe in park passes to understand what is going through our heads when you say "anybody should be able to ski through the park if they pay for a lift ticket"... think about what he said....

[asored2006]

OK now that everyone has weighed in I'll let you in on a little secret...when Blue finally gets park passes idiots are gonna fork over the $5.00 for passes and get in your way just like they do now. Know why? Cause there is no way Blue will restrict passes to skilled skiers/ riders. All a newbie needs to do is beg his lodge Mom for $5.00 and he's in the "big boys" park and under you so to speak. Do you think that the money issue will really stop kids and families. I can hear it now... "Hey Dad the park looks really cool from up here on the 6 pack, after we power wedge down Challenge lets get passes and check it out.". Lots of people visit Blue and drop tons of cash on lift tickets, food, rentals, what is another $5.00. FYI, I will totally have a park pass and I rarely use the features in the park. I only go in the park to spot Bob and watch other people.

 

 

i totally agree.... if parents are spending so much on rentals/equipment/gear and lift tickets for their kids, then what's another 5 bucks.... it needs to be a little more strict then that.

[Justo8484]

i totally agree.... if parents are spending so much on rentals/equipment/gear and lift tickets for their kids, then what's another 5 bucks.... it needs to be a little more strict then that.

 

the extra $5 isnt the point. its the added hassle, inconvenience, and time taken to get the pass, as well as actually signing a waiver that says you can get seriously hurt or even die if you go in the park. a lot of people just wont want to take the extra 5 or 10 minutes out of thier day to get the pass, and those who do will be a lot more aware of how dangerous it actually is for them to be there if they dont know whats going on. stratton doesnt charge; they just make you watch the smart style video, so at least if you were clueless before, you'll have picked up on a little bit of park etiquette.

[Stevo]

^^^^^^^^^Thats funny until you start going into facts

 

Fact - there was have been 3 kids at my school who have died skiing in the last 15 years, not a huge amount, but considering there are only 1,000 kids a year and not many ski, its pretty bad.

 

Fact - all three were expert skiers

 

Fact - all three were killed by collisions with solid objects (2 trees and a lift pole) while avoiding other people

 

Fact - one of them one was avoiding a kid who ventured out onto a high school ski team course and the kid from my school turned to avoid him and went into the woods

Now, you have a trail like sidewinder, where there are turns and as far as parks go, it is narrow as hell and crowded with features. add in a really large numbero f blind spots becuase the ramps onto rails are high and the pitch isn't that steep, and you have traps where you can get into these situations really easily.

You say we're overly emotional? Do you want to know WHY? Do you want to UNDERSTAND why we HATE these idiots so much?

 

Becuase people DIE. And those people, are US. I'd rather not be the 4th kid from my school whos going really fast, has to avoid someone and slides off into the woods and dies. I've already hit a tree once while avoiding a kid, I'll pass on the 2nd time becuase the first didn't feel so great. I've hit a kid as well, and that kid didn't turn out so great. So if the $5 inconviences you, too fucking bad. Becuase that $5 is the differance between me being able to tell a kid - for his own safety - he needs to learn some park etiquette or someone is going to get hurt - most likely him. But if its over crowded and bad behavior is the norm, there is no way the people who know what SHOULD be going on, can police it. Becuase we all know the rangers aren't going to police it, and without it being regulated, someone is going to get seriously hurt. We're not talking broken arms/legs, we're talking paralyzed or dead. So you think its funny, but if people are reading this from Blue, they don't need to see dissent. If we're all on it together, we can make it a safer place. And even if you never go in there, you should want that - the liability insurance comes out of your season pass and lift ticket.

As for mountain creek/stratton, a page of history is worth a volume of logic. THose passes HAVE worked. They HAVE made it safer, easier to maintain, and easier to ride park. They HAVE done it for $5 and a video, and guess what, despite all the logic to the contrary, it DOES work.

 

 

There is the back flip kid at blue mountain. He's there everyday throwing down backflips over every booter.. Don't think he ever got in trouble.

 

 

the extra $5 isnt the point. its the added hassle, inconvenience, and time taken to get the pass, as well as actually signing a waiver that says you can get seriously hurt or even die if you go in the park. a lot of people just wont want to take the extra 5 or 10 minutes out of thier day to get the pass, and those who do will be a lot more aware of how dangerous it actually is for them to be there if they dont know whats going on. stratton doesnt charge; they just make you watch the smart style video, so at least if you were clueless before, you'll have picked up on a little bit of park etiquette.

 

 

[righthandedlefty]

Park Passes are most likely a good Idea. BUt I do think that they need to incorporate a way of patrolling the park and making sure only people w/ the passes are in the park. I think ski patrol/the rangers should be more awakre and shoudlnt be such dicks and fly through the park cutting people off(happend to me the friday before closing weekend). Just a little suggestion.

 

 

 

 

..adam..

 

 

And no..Im not trying to piss anyone off or anything

[toast21602]

nope, it would be nice though.

[snorovr]

This has been said many times in respect to this topic, but I'll say it again. It is an idea that is being tossed around alot by both customers and employees alike. Ultimately it will be a case of management making a decision based on a few factors. An important one that many have brought up is cost vs. benefit, and this could be the deciding factor. After all, money is the key factor in running the mountain. As evidenced by the progression of the park this year, the opinion of members of the park crue and its management will likely be taken into account as well. Lastly, the opinion of the public, which is usually received via e-mail and is very important to management at Blue, will play a large role in the final decision.

[Shadows]

Before I was against park passes but more and more I'm for them...more for the safety aspect. I'm also nervous about landing on a little kid and being sued, injuring somebody, or injuring myself. So I'll send an e-mail saying that I want park passes. I'm definitely going to buy one because I really wants to ski down the steps switch and I didn't have the ballz to do it this past season.

 

make up your mind doug, i said i would buy you one anyway.

[Schif]

My views are always changing...as long as I don't wake up one day and want to be a snowboarder...

 

Doug I know you want to ride. I saw that look in your eye when you saw me on my board. Come to the darkside, arkside arkside kside kside side side.............

[DHarrisburg]

Doug I know you want to ride.

 

Please don't encourage him.

[liftie]

I guess I can't make up my mind about park passes. I see their necessity and I see their inconvenience. I figure though, it's probably better. Yeah, sure. Go for park passes. W00T. It's better to at least have people acknowledge the risks and make them pay a measly $5 so save lives/prevent injuries than it is to worry about disgruntled families.... so what you can't ski/ride through the park? People are trying to do you a favor keeping you out and safe rather than you going in there, screwing it up, risking injury. Whatever. Now I'm totally for park passes... amazing what typing you thoughts out can do....

[tretiak]

atleast more and more people are starting to agree with us parkrats

[snorovr]

as long as you don't boot all the racers out when you're in charge of Blue..

 

Um... I don't think racers have anything to worry about. Freeride kids, boarders and skiers alike, pay the same amount of money that the racers pay, and they don't get a private trail like the racers get during certain weekend and weekday times... Racing programs are still much bigger at many mountains.

[Papasteeze]

Racing programs are still much bigger at many mountains.

 

Only because they charge for them.. Besides I am confused, there are many many more park people than there are racers.

[Tyler]

i voted for all terrain parks because you cant just limit a freestyle rider to one park...sometimes they may want a change of pace aka a different park

[snorovr]

i voted for all terrain parks because you cant just limit a freestyle rider to one park...sometimes they may want a change of pace aka a different park

 

 

Uh oh... Here comes a fresh debate...

[Tyler]

Yea, and then the newbies will never get a chance to learn park. The perfect scenario is the main park with park passes, intermdeiate and begginner parks open to all. No question about it.

 

i agree

[VTmark]

the intermedite park should be pass only on some day/times so that the intermedites can go balls out and try things that could bumb them up to the advanced park.

[method9455]

Naw its either pass or not pass. I usually seperate it with this, if you can ride up to a rail and do nothing and not get worked, thats beginer. If you have to ollie, park pass should be required becuase people catch their nose and do flips and get hurt if they don't realize it. Jumps, I'd say 15 foot or smaller table top, or a step down with a 5 foot drop or less should have no park pass. In reality what was in the lower terrain park is perfect for no park pass, and what was in sidewinder was perfect for park pass. That seperation is already there, the progression is there, just add in the park passes and some wider ramps and they're set.