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Will pipe skiing ever make a comeback?

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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
At one point every mountain was doing everything they could to get their hands on a pipe dragon. Now it seems like they're just a part of ancient history. You see a lot of them sitting in the boneyards of the mountains. Just sitting there rusting in the base area.

Seems like there are a bunch of mountains who have abandoned their pipes and instead have focused all their effort into rails and jumps.

It's understandable considering even at places like mount snow. The pipe will be in perfect condition, yet you rarely see people using it. I understand that machines break down and if they don't see people using them, why invest thousands of $ in fixing them.

Do you think it will ever make a comeback?



Sparknotes:

Everyone used to have a pipe. That was the sign that your mountain was the shit. Now nobody rides pipes, and mountains have abandoned them. Do you think it will make a comeback?
Jan 7 2013 3:51PM
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kungfusteeze
Posts: 700 - Karma: 47
*Pipe... Fuckin typo.
Jan 8 2013 1:53AM
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volvotom
Posts: 2045 - Karma: 712
Yeah, I feel like they build/cut it at the beginning of the season and then never again. The 18ft is usually full of dirt spots.
Jan 8 2013 1:58AM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
I'm not can argue with you anymore, But holy shit way to put words in my mouth.
Jan 8 2013 2:10AM
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EARL
Posts: 598 - Karma: 3,052
Fact: Learning how to ride and do tricks in a 22ft pipe is easier than in an 18ft pipe.
Jan 8 2013 2:31AM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
Think he's talking about more like a 10 foot pipe. I've been skiing for almost 20 years and I don't have a clue what how to ride a pipe every time I try I go up over the lip and then Dropped 20 feet to flat ground
Jan 8 2013 2:36AM
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EARL
Posts: 598 - Karma: 3,052
It all works by size. For example, 6ft pipe is harder than 12-15ft pipe, which is harder than 18ft, which is harder than 22ft. It's all about riding the wall and being patient! :)
Jan 8 2013 2:38AM
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myllhouse
Posts: 1064 - Karma: 2,157
killington's got a nice pipe, only hit it in pow 2 years back tho. blackcomb's pipe is almost always banger
Jan 8 2013 2:42AM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
Pipe skiing is dyeing because there is really no low level.

We dont have pros throwing up edits doing huge cool 5s and smooth tricks. Most of the exposure pipe gets is from contest, which are crazy.
Jan 8 2013 11:15AM
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BoilingMidnight
Posts: 83 - Karma: 11
Um...Canada just got a couple feet of snow and the American midwest got so much in December that it shut down most major freight carriers.  Not sure how you missed this considering your profile says you're in Canada.
Jan 8 2013 11:24AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
Not at all.


I mean throwing a 9 off a 70 footer is easier to get the rotation than throwing it off a 20-30 footer.


Do you see more people learning them on a 70 footer though? Size is intimidating. Learning to ride a 22 foot pipe is harder than a smaller pipe. In a smaller pipe you see everyone boosting out trying tricks. In the bigger pipes I see people making it 3 feet below the deck and then going the other way.
Jan 8 2013 12:35PM
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duncanadams
Posts: 174 - Karma: 516
If it keeps going like it is then no, it won't.  it'll just become even more specialized.  who really wants to learn how to ski pipe with 22' walls?  they may be easier to boost out of/huck dubs in, but to me just airing out of them isn't as much fun as airing out of quicker tranny 18 or 15 footers
Jan 8 2013 2:35PM
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~~~~~~~~
Posts: 2345 - Karma: 2,104
No chance of a resurgents with ski pipe making it into the Olympics?
Jan 8 2013 2:53PM
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1Steeze2
Posts: 36 - Karma: 18
On Blackcomb mountain in Whistler, BC we have a halfpipe. I don't ride it but from what I can see is it's a bunch of gapers or boarders sliding up and down the sides doing nothing...
Jan 8 2013 2:53PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,011
you do know how big Canada is right?
Jan 8 2013 3:42PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
aha this made me laugh so hard. I heard they had some sun in africa today
Jan 8 2013 4:02PM
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Bumblesteeze
Posts: 3092 - Karma: 748

.
Jan 8 2013 4:48PM
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BoilingMidnight
Posts: 83 - Karma: 11

<sigh>

Let's take this step-by-step:

1. His comment was "snow is not falling in a lot of places." 

2. Anyone with a TV can see there were major snowfalls "in a lot of places."

3. Thus: Snow is actually falling.  In a lot of places.

You do know how to follow a simple train of thought, right?

Jan 8 2013 5:35PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,011
You should probably re read your post before trying to get all smart with me.

"Canada just got a couple feet of snow and the American midwest got so much in December that it shut down most major freight carriers. Not sure how you missed this considering your profile says you're in Canada."

Again... you do know how big Canada is, right?


Besides, who has television these days? That's what the internet is for.
Jan 8 2013 7:39PM
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JWeinstock
Posts: 3439 - Karma: 1,352
nope. pipe skiing is a pain to do. you fall and your done as if you fall on a rail, you get up and hit the next one
Jan 8 2013 7:50PM
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blindside
Posts: 5619 - Karma: 1,201
Avila used to invest so much into building a 'superpipe', mainly because it was a requirement for maintaining their rank among the top East Coast parks.. Of course nobody used it because it was huge, icy, and everyone's edges were dull.

Now they have jumps and rails instead, much better use of the space. Although it would be fun to hit a small slushy halfpipe..
Jan 8 2013 8:02PM
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 259
Avila tottaly should make a little (18ft less )halfpipe in the spring time i think it would be alot of fun !
Jan 8 2013 8:13PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
centermounted noodle rail skis with minimal edge = no fun in pipe
Jan 8 2013 10:16PM
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BoilingMidnight
Posts: 83 - Karma: 11

So the answer to my question is a resounding "No."

And don't blame me because your parents didn't care enough to send you to a decent school.

Jan 9 2013 9:43AM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,011
lol. I'm almost 30 dude. I don't think making poor parent and school jokes are going to work here.
Jan 9 2013 10:31AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
You guys should settle this over a nice spring sesh in a 14 foot pipe.

Jan 9 2013 12:03PM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6196 - Karma: 2,302
Seems like Stevens Pass isnt going to make theres... im sad
Jan 9 2013 12:05PM
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BoilingMidnight
Posts: 83 - Karma: 11

Lol.  I'm almost 45 dude.  Apparently the schooling didn't take.

Jan 9 2013 12:26PM
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CashmereCat
Posts: 2211 - Karma: 2,394
I live in the Midwest, so ya not much half pipe ever.
Jan 9 2013 1:22PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10630 - Karma: 7,456
my hill still has one, and i use it quite a bit.
Jan 9 2013 1:26PM
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Pancake_Fucker
Posts: 1843 - Karma: 1,917
Even my tiny ass hill in Saskatchewan had a pipe several years ago. It was usually sketch and not many people knew how to use them, but fun for those of us that knew. It was about 10-11 feet tall an maybe 200 feet long. They quit because the vast amount of people here suck ass and kept hurting themselves.
Jan 9 2013 1:55PM
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manzear
Posts: 843 - Karma: 849
http://www.snowboardermag.com/industry-news/sun-valley-introduces-new-22-superpipe/

Hope this wasn't posted....just adding to the conversation...love pipe and hope it never goes away


Jan 9 2013 2:00PM
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Pancake_Fucker
Posts: 1843 - Karma: 1,917
Couple feet? Revelstoke has over 20 feet already this year.
Jan 9 2013 2:06PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
I really want to try out a 22 at some point. I think it will be crazy scary for somebody who's never ridden pipe to have a 22 foot or nothing though. Especially when you're young. If you're 4 feet tall, a 22 foot pipe might not look like the least threatening thing.
Jan 9 2013 2:18PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,533
I think pipe is dead. In my opinion, pipe is a rather flavorless part of free skiing. Park and urban is a lot more fun to watch and that's what it comes down to. Variety between jibs and jumps allows gapers to see noticeable differences, whereas a run through the pipe all looks the same to the average viewer. I'm sure pipe is fun, I mean, I can't think of the last time I went through the pipe in Mammoth just because a park run is far more relevant to me. Just my two cents.
Jan 9 2013 3:29PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
Agreed. when most of us on ns watch pipe, we see different grabs, spinning both ways, different dubs, but when i watched x-games with my mom she just got bored. to her very run looked the same, unless they fell. but she loved slopestyle and i caught her watching my dew tour slopestyle recording on her own. Its just more appealing to the masses.
Jan 9 2013 4:05PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,011
After around a decade of not skiing pipe I went up to Blackcomb last January for a park day and did a few laps through their pipe. Man - big pipes are super scary now! If you're not on point they can be super intimidating. Also, apparently I suck at pipe now. :(

I couldn't imagine trying to learn pipe on an icy 22ft pipe. Bringing back the 'regular' sized pipes would be awesome for a resurgence of pipe skiing for sure.
Jan 9 2013 4:09PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15951 - Karma: 9,451
Smuggs ordered a pipe dragon that didn't fit their cats which is why they don't have a pipe anymore.
Jan 9 2013 4:47PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
I don't think that's true though. I mean personally I've always been a big fan of slopestyle.


The biggest thing at the xgames is generally the snowboard superpipe. So the argument about it dying because it's not as fun to watch/nobody watches it doesn't really hold up.

I'd much rather see a sick slope course but there's been years where the slopestyle didn't get much air time and the super pipe showed practice, prelims and finals.
Jan 9 2013 6:30PM
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Yessir. Northstar has a 22 and 18. The 22 is "Shaun White's" pipe though. Fuck that cumdumpster.
Jan 9 2013 6:41PM
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cwphoto
Posts: 2332 - Karma: 780
i remember the first time i hit a pipe, it was a year ago. it was the 22' pipe at 7 springs. it was really scary for me and i felt like a total gaper having no clue what to do

but i do love it when my hill makes a quarter pipe/hip. i could hit one of those for days
Jan 9 2013 10:04PM
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BASEDRILEY
Posts: 1451 - Karma: 898
go to the thread ur wrong
Jan 10 2013 2:21AM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6196 - Karma: 2,302
I posted that one day before they posted the picture.

get some knowledge
Jan 10 2013 4:35PM
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BASEDRILEY
Posts: 1451 - Karma: 898
Shut up I was trying to help you out. Stevens pipe is a joke.anyway
Jan 10 2013 5:08PM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6196 - Karma: 2,302
you angry bro?
Jan 10 2013 5:21PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51675 - Karma: 162,683
If I lived in tahoe I'd ride the fuck out of the one at boreal. Would be nice to be able to ride one that's in decent shape always and actually cut regularly.

MY biggest problem is that the east coast ones at a lot of mountains go to shit, and I have round edges. I used to ride the one at whiteface back in the day for their spring contests. If you went in the middle of the year that thing was bullet proof from 1/4 way up the tranny to the deck. It was like they took a sheet of ice and bend it in a U. Thought about trying to hit it on hockey skates.
Jan 10 2013 7:53PM
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BASEDRILEY
Posts: 1451 - Karma: 898
no
Jan 10 2013 8:19PM
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,256
Hunter Mountain killed their pipe this year. It is no more.
Jan 10 2013 9:22PM
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HumanGenius
Posts: 359 - Karma: 228
"urban" rail parks are all the rage now. my mountain used to have a shitty pipe but they sold their dragon for a bunch of new stairsets and high handrails. but like most things in history, pipes will probably come back around for a while
Jan 10 2013 9:50PM
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BagOTricks
Posts: 815 - Karma: 3,351
I honestly would love to see the pipe come back to my local resort. Jumps/rails are for sure the new thing, but I love pipe, and unfortunately haven't been able to ride it for over 2 years.  Pipe is dying for sure, and it's too bad.
Jan 10 2013 10:19PM
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Obese.Geese
Posts: 339 - Karma: 288
Ive ridden,a 12 foot, a 14, and 18, and a 22, and the 22 was scary as hell the first drop, after though it was so much funner boosting out of the 22.
Jan 15 2013 5:15PM
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