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Panorama Park Updates

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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
Hi folks - I'm making this thread to keep everyone updated on the terrain park situation at Panorama in SE BC.  I'm posting in Calgary/Banff as we tend to get most of our visitors from Alberta, and this forum gets more traffic than the interior.

My name's Ian and I'm the park supervisor at Panorama.  The mountain's putting a much greater emphasis on the park this season, and it's been moved to the main run (Showoff), right underneath the Mile 1 chairlift.  It's visible directly from the base, and it's a sick location!  We're sinking more money into it (this is the first year with paid staff maintaining the park) and we've got a lot of enthusiastic people looking to keep the features fresh and the gapers off the tabletops.  We groom every night, and the features are all touched up and marked regularly.

We've got two parks in total - the main Showoff park (M-XL features) and a small terrain park on an adjacent run.  I'll give a rundown on the features in each park so far:

Showoff:-
4 XL tables (closed until we get signs printed for them - should be very soon)
5 L tables
2 M tables
1 S table
1 L step-up
Plenty of little rollers for butters
Angled sides on some of the tables, almost as good as a proper hip - we'll be looking to build one later
1 flat box
1 flat-down box
1 flat-down-flat box
1 C box
1 S box (closed due to maintenance)
1 battleship box
1 wave box
1 40ft rail
1 flat-down-flat rail on a steep pitch (this thing is gnarly)

Small park:-
3 S jumps
1 flat box (roughly 3 inches off the snow, great for practicing switch-ups)

Still to be placed in the parks:
1 rainbow box
1 15ft rail
Wall ride - although we may pull this apart and use the plastic for a butter / dancefloor
A couple of other boxes which escape me at the moment

The good news - the entirety of the paid crew are skiers, so we'll be building a skier's park.  I'm going to try and get some photos up soon to give an idea of our current layout, and I'm really looking to raise awareness with this thread.  I don't think Pano is really thought of as a park skier's mountain, and we'd like to change that perception while we have the opportunity.  The more people we get in the park, hitting the features and enjoying it, the more likely we are to have a bigger and better park for next season!

If anyone's got questions or suggestions, feel free to post them up, I'm open to anything within the limits of our facilities, what I can persuade my manager to approve, and the amount of snow on the run. :)
Jan 17 2009 12:22AM
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Trefmawr
Posts: 38 - Karma: 13
Sounds sick! Can't wait to hit it in Feb.
Jan 17 2009 7:48AM
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Avifarer
Posts: 5926 - Karma: 598
Sounds sweet. I went to pano late season last year and they had a dope park
Jan 17 2009 2:55PM
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-Nick-
Posts: 1479 - Karma: 24
SIIIIIICK!! this just made me so stoked im going for a week in early feb. get some pictures up i wanna see how it looks
Jan 17 2009 10:09PM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,891
got a ticket for two days at panorama in my stocking, my family and i will be hitting up later. my sis just got twintips so it's awesome to hear that there'll be a good park for the both of us to practice at. stoke is at maximum.
Jan 18 2009 3:33AM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216

It is pretty dope guys.

In one line you can get 4 or so XL hits and then the lower half of the park has another 3 pretty nic Ls.

I would really appreciate a longer tranny on that first XL though Ian.

Jan 19 2009 9:24AM
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NewO
Posts: 133 - Karma: 14
Put that S-rail in the ground Ian, whats wrong with it?
Jan 20 2009 2:06PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216

'tis bubbly I believe. As in the plastic on the box.

And make some step-ups?

Jan 20 2009 2:41PM
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___ASP___
Posts: 3861 - Karma: 490
u should get up some pictures and video of the park if u can! i wanna see what the jumps look like!
Jan 20 2009 5:26PM
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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
Indeed it is bubbly, we're planning to get the tiger torch on it Thursday and melt out the ice that's collected under the plastic because it's been stored outside and dragged up hills by cats.  Hopefully the torch and some screws will fix it up, if not then we're going to have to recut the plastic for it from another sheet and it'll take a bit longer, best case scenario it'll be in the ground by the end of Thursday, along with another flat box that's not on the hill yet.

We spent all day working on the small park, and we've now got another 3 boxes and 3 rails in the ground over there.  Tally is:

2 flat boxes
1 rainbow box
1 flat rail
1 flat-down rail
1 battleship rail

They're all mellow ride-on features for learners, but should be good for some night skiing jibbage.  We'll be cleaning them up tomorrow, and they should be good to go by midday hopefully.

There's a rail jam on Saturday, and it's going to be fairly big.  A snowboard magazine is visiting Pano to write a two page article on the park, so we're getting some pros competing in the jam and riding the park from Friday to Sunday, it should be sick.
Jan 20 2009 8:16PM
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PaulT
Posts: 394 - Karma: 14
You guys should try and get onto the resort updates section of the home page, like Whistler, Big White......  That would really promote your efforts. 
Jan 20 2009 9:53PM
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auzzski
Posts: 172 - Karma: 446
im serious ride ons are harder to do than atcual jumps on.
Jan 20 2009 10:25PM
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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
I've sent an e-mail to the press coordinator for NS, so hopefully it's a matter of time before we get an official resort update status.
Jan 21 2009 8:19PM
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edmonton_skier
Posts: 3210 - Karma: 110
im there this weekend so that rail jam better be for skiers too, and there better be room for me!!!!
Jan 22 2009 1:36AM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Well, if you get up there, then congratulations on second! Not too much competition lol. And they're usually for skiers too so I would think this time is no different.
Jan 22 2009 11:02AM
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edmonton_skier
Posts: 3210 - Karma: 110
sweet then maybe i will poduim with my 270 off i just learnt today
Jan 22 2009 2:36PM
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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
We just built a 50-footer for a visit from Snowboard Canada, but as far as I know it may only be up until the end of this week, they seem pretty keen to keep the jumps a little tamer.  I'm all for keeping it up, but it's not my call in the end.  Sparknotes: if you want to hit a big table, get here before Friday. :)

In other news, we're just about to start putting a hip jump together about halfway down the park, and we'll be adding a barrel bonk and butter box this week as well.  It's really quiet at the moment, and we get some decent sun on the bottom half of the park after 12.
Jan 26 2009 8:14PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
That jump is one of the most ridiculous features I have seen in my life. But then again I only saw it at 2:00 and I'm not sure what it looks like now.
Seriously, put the effort in and build a good step up or step over, get out to COP and see what they have built. 50 foot gigantic kicker stepdowns are not exactly safe or conducive to learning. Build the park for the people that ride it every day, not the snowboard magazine pros that come around once a year. Build bigger versions of the minipark stepovers, those are good jumps, or at least decent. There's a reason people are getting hurt in that park.
Jan 27 2009 1:32PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132
ian my man PLEASE fix the battle ship rail make a jump onto it rather than it just comming right out of the snow so you dont perrish trying to get onto it :)
Jan 27 2009 9:35PM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
I think there should be more step up/ step overs.
Jan 28 2009 6:01PM
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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
Which is why we only have the one jump of that size, it was only built for the magazine's visit, and it's going to be majorly toned down before the weekend.  If you've got issues with the existing jumps I'd like to hear about them.  So far, and this is feedback total for the season, I've only had a couple of negative comments regarding the length of the first table's landing.  I'll be working until Friday if you want to have a chat, we're willing to listen.

Re; a gap onto the battleship - this is something I'd like myself, but could be difficult with the way the box is set into the ground and the snow depth there.  I'll take a look at it tomorrow and see if we can sort it out.
Jan 28 2009 11:12PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

dont get me wrong man sooo much sicker than last year but it would be nice if that last uber jump wasnt a huge stepdown. im all for the big ass kickers but it would be alot more hittable if it was more like the L step up

:)

Jan 28 2009 11:26PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216

^ My thoughts precisely.

As for the battleship, try putting it on top of an already semi-battleship shaped mound of snow, then it would be easy to get up onto and it would have a pretty good tranny.

ie, shape it like :  /      \ and then the battleship on top.

For the jumps, I would really suggest building them in a similar way to the JOI jumps, long, gradual take off, well maintained and well shaped lip and sides, and then a huge roller coming up equal to the height of the lip. The step up was a really good concept, maybe just a slightly more gradual roller would be better. If I get a chance I'll go to COP and take some pictures of their jumps and send them to you guys sometime over the next week, their jumps are an example of what perfect jumps should look like.

Sorry for the above post, I was just slightly frustrated when I saw that feature lol.

Still though, major props on such a huge improvement, hopefully with a little help you guys can make it even better.

Jan 30 2009 2:56PM
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e-townfreerider
Posts: 3 - Karma: 10
hows the snow comin along i was there late dec and it kind of sucked
Jan 30 2009 7:17PM
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Panoparkrat
Posts: 2 - Karma: 11

So backing up ian and coming from someone that rides the park at pano everyday, and has worked and skied at whistler in the park and lots of other places. Pano has one of the best parks in and around the area. All  the Jumps and Rails are perfect and for this time of the season the progression is perfect. Big jumps small jumps big rails lil rails lots of choice its great. so much better then the past its about time  that pano stepped up.

And for those that are too scared to hit the big jumps I say tuck your panties in and hit it you pansys.

A thank you

Feb 4 2009 8:28PM
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Panoparkrat
Posts: 2 - Karma: 11

So backing up ian and coming from someone that rides the park at pano everyday, and has worked and skied at whistler in the park and lots of other places. Pano has one of the best parks in and around the area. All  the Jumps and Rails are perfect and for this time of the season the progression is perfect. Big jumps small jumps big rails lil rails lots of choice its great. so much better then the past its about time  that pano stepped up.

And for those that are too scared to hit the big jumps I say tuck your panties in and hit it you pansys.

A thank you

Feb 4 2009 8:29PM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
Has anything chnaged in the park sice last weekend?
Feb 4 2009 8:43PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
What I would do:
Get rid of the gaps onto boxes/rails. That's asking for injuries, feel free to build a lip and jump, just build it in a manner that people won't be able to catch boards/skis on the beginning of the features.

Tone down the XLs at the top a little, smaller kickers, make the bottom half the XL line, then the trannys are nice and long and it makes it super sick for the slopestyle, as well as giving a lot more freedom to how big you want to go.

Cut the lips better, the larges in the bottom half are good but the mediums and smalls and upper park jumps are not in good shape for that.

Make the takeoffs around the same height of the knuckles of the landing, this prevents nasty cases and makes it easier and safer to hit them and try stuff off them. The jumps for the Burton Open are built this way, along with the pro line at COP, along with the JOI jump.

I'm not trying to criticize you guys here, I like what you've done so far but there's alot of room for improvement, and I would love to see it happen. If I come up with anything else I'll let you know. I'm also trying to get pictures of the jumps at COP but I can't find my camera right now, when I do I'll put some pictures on my profile.
Feb 4 2009 9:55PM
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alpha1ne
Posts: 205 - Karma: 17
true dat
Feb 5 2009 11:01AM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
This is where I stopped reading your post.
Feb 6 2009 12:17AM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78

Any thing new in the park yet??

is the barrel jib fixed??

Feb 9 2009 8:11PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216

To the panorama park crew: I told you so.

A guy hit a jump when the lips were too poppy, ate shit, got heli lifted out and is now a quadriplegic.

I heard a lawsuit is in the works and that the guy's family will demand the park be closed.

Remind anyone else of something that happened recently?

Feb 22 2009 10:12PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

lol matt you beat me too it

and yes he got owned and that is why we need a park pass

Feb 22 2009 11:42PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
The park pass is Brad Brush's fault though, he didn't want to put one in even though Ian was pushing for one.
Feb 23 2009 9:45AM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
REBUILD THE WHOLE PARK BULID THE JUMPS THE CORRECT WAY!
Feb 24 2009 1:01AM
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Owl
Posts: 1236 - Karma: 22
sounds sick im gonna shred panorama 4 days in a row during spring break. (21-25) anyone else gonna be there those days that wants to shred??
Mar 6 2009 2:59PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

im there all of spring break.

white coat, blue pants, whit helmate and suspects

Mar 6 2009 3:44PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
I would be there but for some reason my retarded school decided mid-april was a good time for spring break. So probably not, maybe on the weekend though.
Mar 6 2009 5:37PM
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Owl
Posts: 1236 - Karma: 22
ok sweet cuz ill be shreddin alone. LDC red jacket, blue pants, helmet and scratch ghettos
Mar 6 2009 10:21PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216

A request for Ian:

For the big air, please build a step up or step over.

Mar 7 2009 9:00PM
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ankhou
Posts: 505 - Karma: 238
Hey, I'd love to help you out here, but Eric Lange pushes the jumps for the Big Air, and they'll be built the way he wants them to be.  I hope he's going for a step-over, but I'm not making any guarantees.  With regards to your earlier statement, I'm not going to comment any further than the incident was not the fault of the park or the park crew according to the post-accident investigation.  It was simply an extremely unfortunate accident.

Updates for this week - we've got a Juicy Fruit promotion going on for the next two days, and in the small park they've installed a crash mat landing with a poppy jump for practicing tricks on.  It's not a ride-away, but it's very soft and you won't hurt yourself even if you land on your head.  It's great fun, so if you get a chance, come and check it out.

This Saturday we've got our Freestyle Weekend coming up - Rail Jam on Friday, starts at 7pm as usual, Junior Slopestyle at 1pm on Saturday, Big Air 5pm Saturday and Senior Slopestyle 1pm Sunday.  Spectator room at all events, and we've got competitors coming from Fernie, COP, Kimberley and a number of other places.  The Senior Slopestyle will also be a qualifier for the BC Winter Games.  Check out the website for more details: http://www.panoramaresort.com/mountain/park_pipe/Upcoming_Events.htm

The events this weekend are the last major competitions of the season, so now's the time to come and see the park if you haven't yet.
Mar 10 2009 10:00PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

i wish the did it during the weekend!

urg i was so stoked !!!

lol and are they going to leave the big air jump up for the rest of the season

please lolz

Mar 10 2009 10:59PM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
results from the slopestyle
Mar 15 2009 10:09PM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

mike one

thats all i know

and the fucking big air was INSANE!

Mar 15 2009 11:01PM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78

NOOO really

hahah

those dub flips were dope

Mar 16 2009 12:02AM
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