etiquette Q: Carving in terrain park

[pow4ever]

On some mountain - some of the best trail for carving (consistent pitch) have park/feature on it.  Plus general public usually stay out of it so it last longer.

over the year - i start to enjoyed "small" jump here and there.  That feeling is exhilarating.  Air transition over roller is just fun.  So now i can see how park can be place of "worship" just like how we revered fresh corduroy.

Few of us went to Snowmass.  It was a soft day.   Park have the best trail in term of carveibility - firm enough to hold an edge.  so we enjoy carve it up/lapping it without much thought.

In my mind:  as long as we stay off the feature (trench in take off/landing area can be hazardous).  Observed right of way; we should be ok and usually don't give it much thought.

On one run: Before we start.  Either it's a park crew or patron told us in a very nice way that we shouldn't be there.
Park crew work hard to make it a world class.

What is the social norm here?

 

[Deuxdiesel]

The 59 year-old me says choice number one is technically correct.   

[Neil Gendzwill]

Don't be a Jerry, stay out of the park.  They build it for a specific purpose and carving is not it.  You've got a whole mountain to ride, why would you want to be there anyway?

[pow4ever]

Park had the best snow for carving on that particular day.
Everywhere else is too soft; not soft enough to be a pow day.  Think a day or 2 after dump.

Additional data point:
In a pow day - tons of ppl was in the park enjoying un-track snow.

19 minutes ago, Neil Gendzwill said:

Don't be a Jerry, stay out of the park. 

what's with the name calling?

[Carvin' Marvin]

I’m with @Neil Gendzwillon this one. Don’t be the dork on hardboots getting in the way and rutting up the park. Be the dork on hardboots tweaking a sick method!

[softbootsurfer]

They destroyed so many secret runs at Milkland with their parks, there were no parks years ago...I go into them all the time, sometimes the best grooming, I use the features as Slalom poles, put ruts right in front, I could care less what they think, go somewhere else and whine children, a month or so ago one of the rakers actually lunged at me to stop and be abused by his attitude, I simply went into the trees...

[Jack M]

14 hours ago, softbootsurfer said:

They destroyed so many secret runs at Milkland with their parks, there were no parks years ago...I go into them all the time, sometimes the best grooming, I use the features as Slalom poles, put ruts right in front, I could care less what they think, go somewhere else and whine children, a month or so ago one of the rakers actually lunged at me to stop and be abused by his attitude, I simply went into the trees...

 

[Neil Gendzwill]

I stand by what I said. Carving ruts in the park is not cool. 

[Odd Job]

Most resort employees are there to experience the mountain lifestyle in exchange for screwing themselves over financially and career wise.

Except most of them hardly get any days on snow, and lack in physical fitness and coordination. Basically a waste of life. Most of them are druggies and alcoholics.

Tailor your responses to piss them off in one of the above.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Odd Job

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Some people just want to watch the world burn   

[Odd Job]

A certain well known ski area hires felons…

Edited March 8, 2023 by Odd Job

[Carvin' Marvin]

1 hour ago, Odd Job said:

Most resort employees are there to experience the mountain lifestyle in exchange for screwing themselves over financially and career wise.

Except most of them hardly get any days on snow, and lack in physical fitness and coordination. Basically a waste of life. Most of them are druggies and alcoholics.

Tailor your responses to piss them off in one of the above.

Show me on the doll where the lifty hurt you. Y’all sound like a bunch of crabs!

[b0ardski]

I'll lace the features if there's no one around, take a small hit to legitimize; if it's getting used I stay the **** out of the way

some week day afternoons it's the only groom left.

Edited March 8, 2023 by b0ardski

[Odd Job]

19 minutes ago, Carvin' Marvin said:

Show me on the doll where the lifty hurt you. Y’all sound like a bunch of crabs!

Right by the eye by volunteer patrol. Bahahahahaha

[lafcadio]

I've been in the park and have had some nice runs but I generally don't feel like I'm abusing it. Anytime I've ridden through the park there was no waiting because it was completely empty. I also enjoy hitting an occasionally feature. As long as we're not trashing it and being respectful I can't imagine it being a problem. Nobody has ever said anything to me about riding through the park.

If you've ever done a Pure Boarding event or followed Joerg down the mountain, it typically includes at least one run through the park. Also bumps, pow... nothing's off limits!  

[big mario]

3 hours ago, Odd Job said:

Most resort employees are there to experience the mountain lifestyle in exchange for screwing themselves over financially and career wise.

Except most of them hardly get any days on snow, and lack in physical fitness and coordination. Basically a waste of life. Most of them are druggies and alcoholics.

Tailor your responses to piss them off in one of the above.

Jeebus .why so bitter? This respnse, coupled with some of your rants through the years, has left my usually loquacious self speechless.

Mario

Edited March 8, 2023 by big mario

[pow4ever]

First they put up park, then they put up race course.  "you are rutting up the bunny hill/intermediate/good trails".  If we move to the steep; we get taken out by straight-liner....  i might as well take on knitting if we heed to every complains.... 

i like to think we are being of reasoning, logic and civility.
dork/jerry/gaper are just sound made by mouth - if i care about what people think i would be skiing lol.
I would so do a sick method if i can do it but i can barely keep it together on the flat  

In a way i value my enjoyment above other (most ppl do this but i tend to have cognizant as not at the expense of other to certain degree); just wondering if there are logic/safety reason for not rutted it up (that i didn't think of)?

FWIW At every SES i went to; the park were rutted out...  monkey see monkey do

re-iterate: 
i don't carve near take off/landing area (stay off features).  carve way to the side/edge where it's just wasted corduroy all day.
Park is mostly empty.
After people say something - we left and didn't argue.  We were cordial about it.
if there are good carving else where; that's likely where i would be.  choice of last resort.
I don't get much days in so every time i am out; i like to try to carve/practice.

seems this more controversial than i anticipated.  so i am out.   

[ShortcutToMoncton]

For what it’s worth, I’m looking for the “stay out” option unless you’re actually hitting the features.

The park is dedicated for people hitting the features. Carvers don’t focus on the features at all—we’re unpredictable by expected park standards. And we make deep ruts. 

If the people in the park don’t want you there, then why not take the hint? We can safely coexist—they’re not skidding on our runs, we don’t need to rut up theirs.

Hit the features on your hardboots or GTFO!

[barryj]

Here at Palisades/Tahoe If there's nobody in the park the paid Rake Rats have given me the green light and said Tip It and Rip It!    

[st_lupo]

Maybe we do things a bit different here, but the coolest thing with our local park is that it is a magnet for both snowboarders and skiers, and helps reduce the density of people at the other runs that are better for carving.  Granted our terrain park isn't a hardcore park, but has a bunch of features (rails, jumps, boxes) that are on a scale that pretty much everybody loves to ride.  I generally just cruise through the park so I can get to the boarder cross run at the end.  That is fun when railing the banked turns (as long as there aren't a crazy amount of people around)!

 

[*Ace*]

Attack the mountain including the terrain park. While I am not sending it off the big jumps I like to hit the smaller ones and hit the knuckles and generally just have fun. If my turns make ruts and you can’t negotiate that, sorry bub.

[Xargo]

A picture is worth thousand words but how many quiz answers?

I did ask the guy who manages that ski resort park/superpipe if it's ok to wallride the superpipe and carve around the park and the answer I got was that the more people use the features, the more budget we get to build and maintain them so go for it! Apparently I didn't ruin the superpipe enough last season though since they haven't made it this season. ... just kidding, this has been a terrible snow season so they had to use the snowmaking budget elsewhere I think.

That said, might be different for different places and I would definitely not go trench the landings and such unless I jump and then of course wait for my turn the same as any other park rider. Carving around the features should be fine imo. if you don't block the approach of the guys actually using the features.

So my take is that when in doubt, ask.

[dhamann]

whether on a trial with dedicated features or not, ask yourself, are you freeriding or are you carving? the answer to this quandary lies within.

 

i don't go to a mountain to ride the park like i used to, but depending on the layout there's some good lines to be had. ie using the sides of jumps as banked turns, etc.. Keeping off the takeoffs and landings (including runouts on large jumps) with ruts demonstrates respect. the majority of park riders are still figuring out what snowboarding actually is and how to do it. they're stunt people that ride over man made things. this is fun for them so let them be. eventually, they'll see the light and understand what the side cut curve of a board is actually intended for. it can sometimes be helpful to demonstrate this in their own habitat. believe me, most people know who the carvers are on the mountain any given day. we also know who's there to just jib in the park and go to the bar every other run. s.m.a.r.t. style, know your limits, etc. it's similar to hot lapping the trail before it's closed that's shut down for gate training almost every day. same deal. also, there's the instructors with about eight five year olds going through the bx course and stopping midway. not s.m.a.r.t. if you can't read the terrain (OR SIGNAGE) and understand what it's intended for then maybe it's better to just use the rest of the mountain.

Edited March 8, 2023 by dhamann
literacy

[Rob Stevens]

15 hours ago, b0ardski said:

I'll lace the features if there's no one around, take a small hit to legitimize; if it's getting used I stay the **** out of the way

some week day afternoons it's the only groom left.

@b0ardskiagain with the knowledge. 
 If you’re going to go in there, at least hit a few features. 
 There’s a hilarious clip of @Ryan Knapton doing a big belly turn on the takeoff of a park kicker. Full trench from left to right! Part of me is like “hell yeah” and the other part who used to maintain the park is thinking “well… I’d have to fill that in”.

 So hit a few things to look like you should be there and don’t trench the takeoffs and landings.              

[Corey]

55 minutes ago, Rob Stevens said:

don’t trench the takeoffs and landings.

That's my rule. It would have annoyed me when I was trying to learn a new trick so I choose to not mess up someone else's day. 

It is funny seeing the virgin cord at 3 PM between the elements - not even a heelside bulldozer down those areas! I say carve those areas up!