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November 2009

Got Pipe? Why?

Maybe, just maybe, not everyone needs a halfpipe.

Written by Jay Rydd, VP, Kingvale Terrain Project | 0 comment

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.