There are all kinds of park riders out there, from pro riders and snow gangsters to tight-pant gypsies and backpack/helmet gapers. They all have the same thing in common, their passion for riding park. Keeping all these people happy is key. That’s especially true for my area, since we are one of six resorts within a short drive from the city. We need to provide a better experience than the competition.

In mid-season, the parks are built and resorts are doing everything they can to keep guests on the slopes. This is a key time to keep the locals stoked and coming back for more by keeping the park fresh and fun. If you have a good park, the locals will promote it better than any marketing campaign can. Priceless promotion can come in the form of word of mouth on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook or in the form of video with sites such as Youtube and Vimeo. Conversely, local discontent can be broadcast quickly and kill business.

Simply listening to the locals has been our best research strategy for improving and creating a great park. In order to gain insight into what the locals want, the park crew has to be part of the larger local crew. Accepting criticism from this crew can sometimes be difficult, but it is crucial. Sorting out constructive from destructive criticism prior to sharing this information with other staff and management helps make the process more successful. Placing egos aside to focus on the bigger picture should be a goal of any park director or employee.

Park sponsorship is another key component to the creation of a good park, and it begins on the local level. Local shops and sales reps as well as local distributors can be key supporters. Don’t expect sponsorships to bring in much cash, but they are a good source of support and swag.

Next, put on a few low-key events that don’t cost much, like a rail jam or best trick single feature competition. The sponsors are essential for these small local comps, as they provide not only swag, but also volunteers and hype as well. Get the sponsors involved in brainstorming features and themes for each event.

While most of these smaller local-level events won’t gain widespread attention, some of the young local riders in these events may demonstrate real talent. Connecting these local riders and sponsors is ultimately great for the resort—most riders maintain their loyalty when they become professional or go on to work in the industry. Often, once a local rider has become an industry guru, love for his/her home mountain fosters a new relationship between the resort , the rider, and sponsor companies.

Building local park sponsorship also leads to bigger and better parks. As your park gains local attention, thanks to contests or sponsored park features, you can ask for more support from sponsors. Before long, your marketing department will be getting calls from companies wanting to associate their brand with your park.

Local videographers and photographers are similarly important in the local park scene. Supporting their efforts can often lead to essentially free resort exposure in popular magazines and on the Web. They will expose your area to riders who may not have otherwise taken the opportunity to see how great your resort really is.

Establishing strong ties to the local park community has worked well for our resort, but such a strategy takes several years to develop. You have to let the local riders take ownership of their mountain. They are the ones who encourage their friends to buy season passes and support the resort. We find that as they get older, they bring their kids, who discover for themselves why freestyle terrain is so popular and successful. There is nothing better than seeing an old-school pro rider taking laps with his kids in the park.