Mount Snow in Vermont has dedicated its entire Carinthia mountain face to freestyle terrain parks, transforming 95 acres of trails into one massive park system. The new layout will include 12 terrain parks, a superpipe, mini-pipe, natural park, and big-air site connected by lifts. Butternut in Massachusetts has moved its progression terrain park to a wider trail to provide a better learning environment. Wildcat in New Hampshire has added boxes and rails to its relocated terrain park. Stowe in Vermont has relocated its halfpipe and feature terrain park to improve early season access.

1. v SNOWBOARDING
Mount Snow’s Carinthia:
The new face of snowboarding best parks that Mount Snow can offer.” of any resort in North America), part of an
By MATT BOXLER Kelly Pawlak, Mount Snow’s general $8.5 million capital improvement. Many of
A
manager, said grouping all freestyle the trails on Carinthia will be flanked by
new standard has been set terrain parks at Carinthia will improve the guns, allowing terrain parks to open
Mount Snow
for freestyle snowboarding the flow of skier traffic on the resort’s earlier in the season and stay open later.
in New England, and it will three other mountain faces — Sunbrook, Mount Snow opened the first terrain
be unveiled when Mount Snow opens the North Face and the Main Face. park in the East in 1992, called Un Blanco
this season. The West Dover, Vt., While Carinthia obviously will appeal to Gulch. The Inferno park, which was of Butternut’s Cruiser Trail. Cruiser is
resort has dedicated its entire Carinthia freestyle snowboarders, Pawlak said the featured at the ESPN X-Games in 2000 serviced by a quad chair lift and enjoys a
mountain face to freestyle terrain parks, design accommodates a wide range of and 2001, will return to its home turf on the large open deck at the base of the trail,
transforming 95 acres of trails into one skiers and riders, with an emphasis on former Stugger’s Chute trail at Carinthia. which has become an ideal place for
massive park system. providing a family-friendly environment. The tubing park, currently located on Ski people to hang out between runs. The
There used to be a time when riders “Carinthia will be perfect for Baba at Carinthia, will be relocated to Cruiser Trail is blessed with abundant
asking for the terrain park would be spectators. Not only will mom and dad be Mixing Bowl on the Main Mountain. snowmaking capability.
directed to some trail out of the way, able to hang out on the deck and watch “Guests who are just starting to test
accompanied by an out-of date fixed-grip the kids in one of our learning parks, but Ski Butternut the waters on terrain features need
chair of some sort. Then they’d have to they can join in the fun themselves. This In Great Barrington, Mass., Ski a less intimidating place to develop
traverse to the other side of the mountain is for everyone, young and old, beginner Butternut has moved its Progression their skills and tweak their technique,”
to find the halfpipe. Clearly, those days and expert, skier and rider,” she said. Terrain Park to a new location, allowing it director of marketing Matt Sawyer said.
are over at Mount Snow. The frosting on the cake is that over to grow in both size and variety. “Moving our Progression Park from
The Nitro Express high-speed quad the last two summers the resort installed The new Progression Park will be the Scooter Trail to the much longer
and Heavy Metal double chair will 251 new fan snowmaking guns (the most located on the skiers/riders right side and wider Cruiser trail will offer all our
carry riders up Carinthia, where 125 guests a superior experience. Since
freestyle features are scattered around Mount Snow’s Carinthia mountain will have 12 terrain parks, a superpipe and 125 freestyle we are a family mountain, we have an
12 full terrain parks. A tree-skiing area, features for snowboarders and skiers when it opens for business this season. abundance of kids, teens and young
a superpipe with 18-foot walls, a mini- adults that are looking for just this type of
pipe with 8-foot walls, an all-natural park learning environment. Our new Cruiser
absent of manmade material and a big- Progression Park will provide an ideal
air site also are on the menu. learning environment for these guests.”
This layout of rails, jumps and
halfpipes will cover nearly five miles of Wildcat
terrain at Carinthia, once a separate In Pinkham Notch, N.H., Wildcat
ski resort but long since absorbed into Mountain has added several items to
Mount Snow’s trail network. A snowskate its relocated terrain park. Thanks to
playground, hiking park, beginners’ help from Snow Grind, the resort has
learning park and skate ramp will added several boxes and rails to help
surround the base area, while the base skiers and riders to progress with their
lodge itself has been renovated and freestyle skills.
outfitted with lounge areas, an extended
outdoor deck with ample seating, counter Stowe
seating along the windows, free wireless The big news in Stowe, Vt., is the
internet, flat-screen televisions and relocation of the halfpipe to where
outdoor fire pits. freestyle snowboarding originated at
The sweeping overhaul is the Stowe Mountain Resort — the Lower
brainchild of Peak Resorts president Standard Trail on Mount Mansfield. This
Tim Boyd and his son Jesse, Peak’s location will ensure an earlier opening in
vice president of operations and December and more favorable terrain,
freestyle terrain. Jesse Boyd oversaw explained Stowe communications
the modification of Big Boulder in director Jeff Wise.
Pennsylvania into an all-freestyle Stowe’s feature terrain park is also
mountain and has been working closely relocating to Tyro, a trail formally known
with Mount Snow during the changeover. for its larger jumps and jibs. Now, the
Mount Snow mountain manager Elia “Stock-Run” at Stowe is back. With
Hamilton, as well as parks and pipes access from the Mountain Triple Chair
manager Ken Gaitor, are nationally or Four Runner Quad, riders and skiers
recognized and respected freestyle terrain can hit the feature park, halfpipe and jib
designers who are spearheading the nation all in one top-to-bottom run.
project, scheduled for completion by the Stowe also will construct the popular
time the mountain opens for the season. medium-sized park and North Slope and
“Freestyle skiers and riders are the the beginner park at Midway Lodge. v
future of the ski industry,” Jesse Boyd
said on a recent visit to Mount Snow. Matt Boxler, a member of the
“They’re the fastest growing group, and it Eastern Ski Writers Association,
just makes sense to build the biggest and writes from his home in Westport, Mass.
NOVEMBER 2008 .com