Park Change-ups: For Better or Worse

"We have record snow accumulations, and a park that doesn’t stay the same for more than a couple weeks which is my favorite part about of this resort.

The set-up changes so much that it’s like you get to ride a new resort every week. There’s nothing worse that hitting the same rails and boxes, week after week, month after month.

No need to worry though, you’ll never know what that’s like as long as you ride Bear."   

-- Bear Mountain Blog, February 20 2010

When I read that quote on Bear's website one morning, I couldn't help but remember the times I'd been right on the cusp of landing a trick only to be disappointed the next day when the feature was nowhere to be found.

Of course once I got a taste of whatever replaced it things were quickly forgotten, but you have to wonder can there possibly be a downside to riding a park layout that constantly changes?

When features are left unchanged and consistent you open the doors for creativity at all levels; it doesn't matter if you are a beginner to an advanced rider, hitting the same rail over and over lets you progressively learn tricks.

A new rider can start with one basic trick, land it over and over, then look to familiarity with the feature for the confidence to push forward with another.  A feature that never moves leaves very few surprises.

That means while advanced riders may have all of the tricks, they'll have to rely on imagination and their sharpened skills to create new variations that keep a stagnant rail fresh and poppin'.

On the other hand new features inspire trick consistency.  Now, nobody wants to be that guy that only does one trick, but for an intermediate rider with even just a few tricks under his belt, any changes to the park are an opportunity to get those tricks fully dialed.  Even an advanced rider is going to find kinks in tricks he thought were bagged; you could say keeping the park fresh promotes mastery.

If feature consistency aids progression, and park change-ups mastery, then the logical thing to do is maintain a touch of both. Resorts like Bear Mountain already do this:

Their basic features, commonly known as beginner parks, are left almost untouched throughout the season. Meanwhile their more advanced features are moved around piece by piece to give more experienced riders their "old-faithfuls" along with plenty of variety.

In the end I suppose just as in life, sometimes things change for the better and sometimes they change for the worse; it all depends on what trick you were you close to landing beforehand...

Terrain Park Progression

Each time you get off the lift you see the same sign, “Terrain Park”, like a beacon beckoning you to get gnarly…

This time you give in. Instead of the usual cruiser run, you strap in your back foot, give your snowboard a few hops and glide towards another attempt to slay jumps, rails, boxes or whatever else your local park has in store.

When it’s time to start upping the ante, a little bit of patience and common sense can go a long way in leading to a progressive and injury free season in the terrain park.

Warm Up 
Take a lap; take ten laps, why not? Ride switch, do some ollies, try some flatground tricks. Give your body a chance to realize that it's riding before you huck it off booters, it'll thank you.

Scope it first
Even if its a park you hit every day, snow conditions change daily. Check all the features. Cruise past jibs and take a look at the ramps and landings; do some speed runs up to any bigger jumps and get a feel for how the snow is moving that day, the speed you'll need clear, and feel out the angle of the landing.

Start Stock
New tricks can wait until you know how everything hits. For the first few runs you want to do the tricks you know you can land first. This is where you dial everything in; work out the kinks as it were. Clear all of your jumps and slide all your features to the end so you can try some new tricks without any surprises.

New Trick, Old Feature
You are in the park to learn tricks, but remember to pick a feature appropriate for learning a trick on. Most riders didn’t learn how to 360 off the sixty-foot jumps, and it’s a safe bet that you shouldn’t either. The opposite goes for trying new features; always use your stock “I can land this 10 out of 10 times” trick for first hits.

Know When to Back Off 
Instincts are a really big part of the park game. Know your limits and recognize when they are being pushed too far. Nobody gets better at snowboarding laying on their couch injured, so try to get all gung-ho Joe out there. Of course you can’t get better if you chicken out all the time either; here is an entire post that covers what fears to heed and what fears to overcome.

Safety First
We’ve all heard this cliché phrase used thousands of time, either in the schoolyard or the workplace, but who would have thought it applied to snowboarding too? Be aware of other riders. It’s your responsibility to make sure features are clear before you hit them; call your drops and use signals to communicate with others. Respect gets respect, and being conscious of yours and others safety is all part of enhancing your own progression.