I was talking with a couple of friends today and Skibowl came up. We discussed how sick it would be if Skibowl not only had "America's Largest Night Ski Area" but also had Mt Hood's sickest Night Park. Read more after the break.
Imagine it...
You get off work or out of school at 4 or 5 O'clock and book it up to Skibowl to hit your night time spin quota. I could be wrong but it seems like the only time people really go up there at night is when there is pow. I don't know shit about running a ski area. But as a rider i know that myself and a lot of my friends would be a LOT more interested in going riding there at night if there was a fun park. Even if the snow isn't perfect. And I doubt I'm alone in saying that. It seems like the added business, especially on weeknights, would more than make up for the added cost of building and maintaining a sick park.
Then imagine if Timberline and Skibowl ever really teamed up and actually built the Gondola they've been talking about for years. Can you say: Pow in the mornings, Gondola ride to sick parks in the afternoon?
That's what dreams are made of right there my friends.
Your Thoughts?
Your Thoughts?
I glad you though this , good luck, need cat drivers who can build and a park staff who wants it!!!! O yea the resort has to want to put money at it!!! Great ideas , but Meadows sorry has the staff, cat builders , and an owner who wants to win, so in conclusion, I'm here everyday, we all discuss this stuff and want it to be like Mammoth, Breck, or somtin, but do the owners????
ReplyDeleteYeah that's what I've heard. We just have to show them the value in it. Haha. Maybe if enough people talked about wanting it they might take a look at it. Nothing will happen super fast. Who is this?
ReplyDeleteYes that would be great if skibowl had a better park, the rails have always been nice but there hits blow, the take offs and landings are always chopped up. It would be a great idea due to this economy, it would open up jobs for the jobless.
ReplyDeleteIf they build it, we will come...ride it.
ReplyDeleteI deffinitely agree, I'm a student at PSU and love to go a couple times a week but don't have the luxury of going during the day all the time and still want sick parks! I would love to see ski bowl step it up with their parks.
ReplyDeleteChris...this is how to do it. We gotta get it it out there. I think there are a lot of people like you. Get off around 5, on the hill by 7 and that's still 3 hours to ride. Park opens at 3 or so on weekdays so you wouldn't have to worry about the park being all beat up by the time you get there. I think people would really be into it.
ReplyDeleteI've lived up in the Seattle area for the past few years and while I know that Mt. Hood/Portland isn't Snoqualmie/Seattle I can say that having a park to ride at night has been suuuuuper fun. Like he said - off by 5, riding by 7. Lap the park all night (typically no/little lift lines) if you want. So awesome for the nine to fivers.
ReplyDeleteDerek...that sounds AMAZING! Have you been around a while? What I mean is...did you ride there before they had a good night park? And if you did, did you notice a change in the amount of business they got on weeknights once they got a good night park? From a resorts perspective, they want a return on investment in the way of more tickets/passes/concessions sold. Seems like as long as the market is there for the resort to make money there isn't really a reason not to do something.
ReplyDeleteFor as long as I've been there, there has always been a park open at night.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to observe how many of these people are pass holders and how many buy a night ticket.
Mountain operations are trimmed down at night - only running about 4 lifts or so and I would honestly say that the lift serving the park is one of - if not the most - popular lift at night. Having a hi-speed quad for park access keeps the (small) lines moving along nicely.
I would say that having a lit park for night riding has definitely been an attraction point for Snoqualmie.
Skibowl just needs a nudge in the right direction...They have been primarily a 'ski' driven resort. I worked there last year and plan on returning . After the behind the scenes evalution of there program I can tell you that the potential is there.They've got great terrain and there park crew is determined to create fun. It's just a matter of convincing management to supply the demand.
ReplyDeleteWe need more demand!!
I've been trippin out about how many people are buying fusion passes this year. At $450 (same price as a Meadows 4x4) it's a sick value. Skibowl adding and promoting a sick night park would only add to the momentum. People are looking for a different experience than what we've had on Mt Hood. For years it's been: Meadows for Pow, Skibowl for nights and Timberline for well, up until a couple of years ago, nothing, but preseason and building jumps. At least from a snowboarders perspective. Now, Timberline and Skibowl have teamed up and are selling fusion passes like crazy. Timberline's parks are the standard on Mt Hood. If only we could get some of that to spill down to Skibowl. Like I said, as someone who used to work untill 5 everyday, I would have LOVED to have been able to rock up to the Bowl and rip some GOOD jumps. Keep the discussion going people...
ReplyDeleteI'd ride it. If they could make tables that are ride-able and that you can actually hit with some speed without landing in the flat. Unfortunately, Skibowl is more about racing than freeride and super tight with their $... Outback rocks, but when there's no pow, there's no reason to go. 20 second laps on upper bowl... boring after an hour. Build it!
ReplyDelete"...but when there's no pow, there's no reason to go."
ReplyDeleteThat is the key. I think, more than anything, Skibowl is about MAKING MONEY. So if the demand for this is really there then they should jump on it. I guess it's our job to show them the demand is there.
The other thing is quality. For someone who REALLY loves to ride a park, a QUALITY park is like CRACK. That's why I know, if they build it, people will drive up there to ride it. People's desire to rip don't go away when the sun goes down...
This is the best idea i've heard in a long time! whats better than shreding a killer park under the lights...
ReplyDeleteThis is commenting on Anonymous's comment...... If Meadows Park Groomers, Park Crew, and Mountain management would pull their heads out of there asses and realize that they aren't rock stars because there parks are continuously sucking even worse every year.
ReplyDeleteIf they actually try to Build and maintain One Park that would be good all season on one run and trash the idea that multiple parks are better than one full focus park, Then they could maybe have some sort of say here.
Until there is a "flowing" park at Meadows that can be staffed and maintained regularly. Maybe live up to the standards that have been set year after year by Timberline's park for the last ten years. Im not ignoring the fact that 50- 70 % of the MEadows park staff is from T line but are over worked with way too many stupid parks not having enough time to spend on making one of them good. Then Im sorry to say that Meadows might as well just let the parks be built by the Pros at T-Line. Shit let the skiers fucking turn it into a huge mogal field and we can all ride those beautiful bumps!
At least there wont be any time wasted building parks that nobody wants to ride.
Sincerely
Been riding longer than you have!
I don't really feel Skibowl needs more jumps or big shit, because that just sucks at night to hit when it's icy. I like the jib vibe I get from there, they just need to have the rope tow open for jibbing year long. That's all I have to say, just go to TL to hit big jumps, idk, I'm content with the jibs at Skibowl at night for having a good time
ReplyDelete