Terrain Parks
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By Betsy Parks
Photography By Hubert Schriebl
Rails, tabletops, boxes and lots of high mountain air for dare devils in all of us.
Not so long ago, skiing and snowboarding was all about getting from the top of the mountain to the bottom. Sometimes a bump became a jump, or a few adventure seekers took it to the rough trail edges and even sometimes off into the woods. But for the most part we all kept it on the ground. Then came freestyle skiing and the first snowboarding halfpipes, both pushing the boundaries of alpine sports from just going fast and getting to the bottom into exploring midair. These days, Stratton and Bromley area terrain parks are offering more and more of those high-flying experiences for skiers and riders of all abilities.
Originally known as snowboard parks, terrain parks are the designated zones on the mountain filled with rails, tabletops, boxes and other features for skiers and riders to test their freestyle skills. And in an effort to attract the attention of the growing throngs of park enthusiasts, mountains are channeling a lot of resources into their terrain parks to make them as much a part of their allure and identity as the trails, lifts and lodging. So it’s no surprise that our local mountains are in on the trend, and that terrain park daredevils have been quick to follow. “I think a lot of snowboarders choose to ride where the best parks are now,” says Alexandra Robinson, a 10-year Stratton and Bromley-area snowboarder who is originally from Lloyd Harbor, New York. “A mountain’s parks are now standard features that are more than just the hill.”
Blame it on halfpipes. Following the advent of competitive snowboarding, downhill racing soon gave way to the sport’s roots in skateboarding and surfing where tricks trumped speed. Halfpipes—like skateboarding halfpipes—gave snowboarders their first chance to show off their airborne style.
As the sport of snowboarding matured and halfpipe riding became the hallmark of freestyle riding, more and more skateboarding influences crept onto the mountain. Snowboarders started replicating skateboarding stunts performed off of street curbs, loading docks and stairway railings by sliding down fallen tree trunks, building long, flat tabletops out of hard-packed snow and riding railings of staircases that weren’t even on the hill itself. The natural next step, just as towns and cities around the country erected designated skate parks, was to build snow terrain parks. Among the many parks across the country and around the globe, Stratton was one of the first to get in on the trend.
“Stratton started with the U.S. Open (snowboarding competition), and it’s been their claim to fame.” Dave “Hooter” Van Houten, the owner of his own terrain-based companies, Straight Line Rails and Snow Park Management, says of the evolution of Stratton’s park offerings. “I was there during the whole evolution and witnessed the growth spurt over the years.”
Van Houten was the original manager of Stratton’s terrain parks, from 1993 to 2004, during the mountain’s transition into a freestyle destination during the early years of snowboarding, and has seen many mountains expand their terrain offerings over the years…..