State of the Halfpipe adress, a different perspective

[Erik J]

I thought this was an interesting article. It was published in Ski Area Management.

http://www.saminfo.com/issues/article.php?tid=3816

November 2009

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</TD></TR><!--tr> <td width="95" bgcolor="#EBEBEB"></td> <td bgcolor="#EBEBEB"></td> </tr--></TBODY></TABLE>Got Pipe? Why?</B>

by Jay Rydd

Volume: 48-6

Page: 22

Subject: Terrain Park

Format: Department

Is the halfpipe today’s ski racing? Not many people ride the halfpipe or care much about it, but we expend tons of resources on it. In that way, the halfpipe is just like the washed-up ski racing programs at a lot of resorts. These programs have little to no return on the level of investment, but are still around because the head of the ski school was an alternate on the 1984 Olympic team. Halfpipes are more like that than you might think.

When you are done getting mad or upset about that notion, think about it for a few more minutes. There are quite a few similarities there. I’m not trying to say either thing needs to disappear, but simply to ask, do all of us really need to play the game?

I have worked at resorts where the coach of the local college ski team asked to have the race training run not groomed at night so it would be firmer in the morning, or “watered down” to ice it over for training. Even though that may improve his training, it takes away from the quality of the product you are trying to provide to the rest of your guests.

Similarly, maintaining a near perfect halfpipe is almost unachievable for most smaller resorts, and the more you try, the more complaints you get. The amount of snow you need, the cost of the machine and nightly maintenance, and the mental anguish of trying to provide a good product with not enough snow or cat time often make it hard to justify the cost.

Both ski racing and halfpipes share another trait: a shrinking audience. Ski racing gets almost no coverage on television; even during the Olympics, it’s hardly televised. Halfpipe is seeing a similar decline. It came to the snow from skateboarding, and it’s dying there, too. When you watch the X Games it still has skateboard vert, but it’s the same old guys competing every year. There’s not much interest from the younger generation.

Could all of your efforts be put to better use, such as using your pipe cutter and all of that snow to make other transition features in your park that don’t have to meet the perfect standard of the halfpipe at the mega resort nearby?

Yes, there are a lot of resorts that do a great job on their pipes, and most of those have done the inhouse research to justify the investment. The question is, if they do such a good job with it, do you really need to compete with them in that realm? How many visits would you lose to them? How many would you gain if you redirected even half of those resources into your existing park program? Why not just let another area fuss with having a good pipe and icing up a run for the racers?

I have been to so many little resorts that have a pipe cutter behind the shop that they were suckered into buying when they were told no park was complete without a pipe. But as most of us have learned, a poorly-maintained pipe will piss off more people than no pipe will.

I know, almost everyone can find some justification for keeping a pipe if we really want to. User counts, say. But user counts can be skewed when the pipe is placed on a run toward the base area and the adjoining runs are flat. In that case, yes, a lot of people will go through your pipe. But are they using it to the level you build for, or just making S-turns in the bottom? If it’s the latter, why not just provide a fun terrain zone without all the stress of the perfect pipe? I bet the majority of those users will enjoy it just as much, if not more, with a lot less effort on your part.

You may be tempted to hold onto your pipe because “it’s an Olympic year,” and all sorts of competition, including halfpipe, will get lots of airtime and attention. So what? If TV exposure is your justification, then where is your bobsled run or indoor speed skating arena? Or your dogsled course—don’t you know the Iditarod is coming up soon?

Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with halfpipes. I definitely enjoy riding a well-maintained pipe. When done right, pipes are not only enjoyable but are a great piece of art on your hill. But I just have a hard time justifying not only the cost in dollars, but in the unappreciated stress of pulling your hair out and kicking the floorboards of your cat trying to make a good pipe.

I’m not against programs for kids—far from it. We should all support our local kids’ programs, whether they are racing- or terrain park-oriented. They are our future best customers, after all. But we should give them what they like, not what we like, because we are not the future of our sport, they are. We need to get out of the ’80s racing and ’90s halfpipe mentalities before we can move into the future.

Both ski racing and halfpipe have a place in our industry. Athletes need to train in both forms of the sport. But do they need to get ready for the next Olympics at your resort? Or can you more profitably serve the legions of other, fun-loving kids when they arrive at your resort? Those are the real questions.

Jay Rydd (jayrydd@gmail.com) has been building parks for the past 17 years at resorts across the US. Currently he is VP of Kingvale Terrain Project and Railbuilders.com, and an annual participant in SAM’s Cutters Camp.

[Gecko]

Interesting....very well thought out. Halfpipes are generally a snowboard only zone of the mountain terrain parks are more dual use. I could see good halfpipes becoming something you see at destination resorts.

[MUD]

When I used to ride the pipe alot, we would snag a shovel(s) from the lifties and groom the pipe. Those of us that did it had passes and if you did it really good early in the season, it didn't take a whole lot of time to keep it good. I just don't see kids willing to put in that kind of effort to do ANYTHING these days. It does not surprise me that it is dying. Personally I think it requires more skill than the park and kids just don't want to experience the learning curve.

[Gecko]

Personally I think it requires more skill than the park and kids just don't want to experience the learning curve.

this probably the issue along with the fact that most of the time you hike a halfpipe unlike the park which is lift served

[Neil Gendzwill]

I never understood the halfpipe or the park, unless you're at some piddly-ass hill. But if you're in the real mountains, why wouldn't you play with what nature gave you?

[Gecko]

I like to watch half pipe more than terrain park though at this point in my life I find more entertainment in a terrain park, but then I don't own a board for (snow) half pipe anymore.

[lowrider]

Build it they will come, take it out they will leave. Local bump has removed pipe we will see the effect if it ever snows again.

[BlueB]

I love riding halfpipe (on hardboots). Not that I'm good at it, though.

However, I hardly ever go into the park...

[Alpinbogen]

There's truth in that, I think. Our local mountain (600' molehill) built a superpipe that was seldom open, less seldom in good condition, and never had riders. They finally gave up on it and reconverted it to a normal run. They retain their mini pipe, which has almost-vertical sides. It's good for a run now and then in hardboots. (Just don't go too big and fly out.)

As for parks, I can't bear to trash my board on metal rails. (We live and die by sharp edges after all, right?) Boxes...on occasion, but I'm still hesitant due to risking damage. A 1.5 second slide just isn't worth killing countless hours of high edge angle carving. I like when they build parks on short connector trails. Great use of dull space that congregates riders and frees up traffic on the main parts of the hill. But I cringe when they dedicate part of, or a lateral half of a main run to parks, as I understand my local mountain is doing this year. Ruins carving opportunity.

[jonbass]

Half pipes have gotten a lot bigger than when I used to ride them. I took a spin on the local one last year and I could barely make it to the lip. I am getting a bit chicken in my old age. It had nice transitions. It seemed like half pipes used to only have one line, a track running from jump to jump. Half pipes these days look awesome. Big smooth transitions. I wish I wasn't so worried about hurting myself. I would ride it all the time.

That being said for the couple of times a year I would ride, I never saw anyone riding it.

[ncermak]

Needless to say, we are not the target Audience for a pipe. However, I agree that watching high level pipe riding is among the most exciting events in snowboarding, and definitely has a ton of TV appeal. The problem is the 22-foot superpipe. wicked cool to watch, but a bitch to learn on. With the superpipe, we have successfully alienated at least 80% of riders. I think we could probably all agree that pipe riding is perhaps the most technical of all riding...combining the skill of carving with the acrobatics of slopestyle, all in a area smaller than a race course. So unless we create more opportunities to learn to ride the pipe, we will see the athlete numbers dwindle and pipe will go the way of Acro Skiing...

The answer is the mini pipe. 12 feet tall. They are less intimidating (therefore, more fun). Something that kids can ride with success. Better yet, a partially dug pipe. Less snow required to build...less effort to maintain. Something that is more accessible to the majority of people on the hill. In addition, offer classes on pipe riding that aren't priced as speciality lessons. Promote freestyle teams/programs with the same vigor that has been given to ski racing teams in the past. Give those programs a chance to succeed. They will start slowly, but as kids see their peers start riding at a higher level because they have received good coaching, They will realize a need to keep up or be left behind.

Leave the superpipe to the destination resorts which host the high-level competitions.

[b0ardski]

I never spend much time in the park as I prefer steeps, bumps & trees, but I do like the occasional half pipe run and 1/4 pipe hits.

Schwietzer has one of the best parks with the biggest features in the region.

We had a pipe for a couple seasons a few years ago but it's orientation to the winter sun meant 1 side was usually ice while the other was slop so matinence was tough & it didn't see a lot of traffic making it not worth the effort.

Having good place to put a pipe is a problem for most small to medium resorts who are already limited on maintenance budget.

Half pipe is the mother of all parks but the culture of "hike the pipe all day" has been replaced by rails.

I'd rather screw up my base & edges on natural terrain.

[Steve Prokopiw]

that we as grownups apparently have no future and no say in how snowboarding or any other sport we're into.I firmly believe it is our pandering to kids that kills their interest in what turns us grownups on;not being stuck in the 80's. We, as a group, seem to want to fit into whatever society says we should be interested in.Funny how the largest and fastest growing segment of society allow the media to decide for them what is legit or worth doing.

I say 'Fu#k that! I'm going back out to ride my 210 next to chair 3 and give the baby boomers AND the kids a good show.

PS I love riding a good pipe and find that super pipes are fun even without getting to the lip, but I admit that most grownups are scared and too cheap to invest in a real lesson or coaching and that kids are mainly interested in doing whatever we're not doing,so I agree unfortunately, that the halfpipe is near extinction.

[Gecko]

The Half Pipe comes from Skating, first in Pools and now ramps...

When the X Games stops the Skating ramps, then the Half Pipe will follow.

Follow the Dollars to see...as the Terrain Parks more and more reflect

the modern Skating parks...Skating and the image it has always portrayed

dominates 99.9% of the current snowboard market...so what?

actually the Xgames tried to drop halfpipe from the summer games, the athletes threatened a walk out...I expect a morph of halfpipe skating into things like Bucky's BBQ Bowl

[Dave ESPI]

I'm Park and Pipe certified to teach and ride every year, but I pass on the lessons as they tend to be kids who already "know everything" and just want to go huck rails and get broke.

I loved the half pipe years ago, but would only go in of it was freshly cut and not a giant block of ice. I would see more people having fun on a BX course swooshing thru the turns and the ramps and turnout banked chicanes that we could rip down and have it just be a purely fun trail as opposed to a "park" where it was apes sitting on their duffs all day watching people, or squatting on the landing zones.

Once I discovered hardboots, my days of park riding were done.

WE my friends... are the next Plateau of Snovelution.

[CARV-NY]

I LOVE to carve the walls of the pipe cause to me it's closest i can come to surfing a wave in the winter. that said i wish my mountain just got rid of the pipe and turned it into a banked turn border cross run. to me the pipe is more fun before it's shaped because our pipe is half dug with dirt mounds and when they blow the snow it's uneven and it's just a hell of alot of fun to go mess around in. i don't touch the pipe when the walls are vertical because it's not as much fun for me.

[bobdea]

actually the Xgames tried to drop halfpipe from the summer games, the athletes threatened a walk out...I expect a morph of halfpipe skating into things like Bucky's BBQ Bowl

holy ****ing pool!

that's awesome

[bobdea]

Needless to say, we are not the target Audience for a pipe. However, I agree that watching high level pipe riding is among the most exciting events in snowboarding, and definitely has a ton of TV appeal. The problem is the 22-foot superpipe. wicked cool to watch, but a bitch to learn on. With the superpipe, we have successfully alienated at least 80% of riders. I think we could probably all agree that pipe riding is perhaps the most technical of all riding...combining the skill of carving with the acrobatics of slopestyle, all in a area smaller than a race course. So unless we create more opportunities to learn to ride the pipe, we will see the athlete numbers dwindle and pipe will go the way of Acro Skiing...

The answer is the mini pipe. 12 feet tall. They are less intimidating (therefore, more fun). Something that kids can ride with success. Better yet, a partially dug pipe. Less snow required to build...less effort to maintain. Something that is more accessible to the majority of people on the hill. In addition, offer classes on pipe riding that aren't priced as speciality lessons. Promote freestyle teams/programs with the same vigor that has been given to ski racing teams in the past. Give those programs a chance to succeed. They will start slowly, but as kids see their peers start riding at a higher level because they have received good coaching, They will realize a need to keep up or be left behind.

Leave the superpipe to the destination resorts which host the high-level competitions.

****, remember when a 12 foot pipe was full size?

you're right though, even when I was riding a lot 22 ft pipe was something I was not in very often. I used to go rip mini pipes all the time though. more fun for the casual rider.