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January, 2025

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Really though, how many of you ski urban?

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03gade
Posts: 856 - Karma: 3,263
The idea of urban just really do it for me. The time required for setup, under the pressure you are going to get caught, to hit a rail that probably isn't better than one you can get in a park, all with higher chances of getting hurt. Plus you need a crew willing to do all of the above as well. and if you get real serious it becomes a whole production requiring, lights, winches, drop ins and torches.

Don't get me wrong, watching pros hit stuff is awesome, as long as the feature seems worth it, but I personally have no desire to go through the work.
Mar 12 2015 11:15PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
I hit my first serious urban this winter. Couple of down rails, a down flat, and a burly closeout,plus some drops, wallrides, etc. It's so fun to get out there and get shots. Hitting high consequence just means you have to commit and believe in your bag of tricks that much harder. Nothing like getting one of your harder tricks on a sick rail over stairs.

At the same time, it's super dangerous and at times you're like "what am I doing this for?"
Mar 12 2015 11:19PM
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gotti
Posts: 4269 - Karma: 4,550
park can be boring. sure i can "risk" a hip bruise from trying a sw 2 on to a park rail or i can do urban thats way more exciting where i can't fuck up and its actually challenging. I see where ur coming from tho
Mar 12 2015 11:23PM
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belden...
Posts: 2914 - Karma: 1,274
1000% agree with op although I've never had a good crew or throw away skis to make urban feasible
Mar 12 2015 11:27PM
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,168
past two years I've hit urban, even did one of those mid-2000s summer style missions. didn't get much done this year because Minnesota had terrible luck with snow and most of my friends are either pussies or lazy because they never want to hit anything, most of my urban missions have been alone or with one other person.

Urban is scary as hell but infinitely more satisfying than park if you can get a shot.
Mar 12 2015 11:28PM
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shin-bang
Posts: 4103 - Karma: 7,002
me and the gang have always wanted to hit some mellow urban and are constantly scouting places. sadly we dont get enough snow in the city to even consider urban.
Mar 12 2015 11:30PM
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fredyferl
Posts: 2952 - Karma: 14,917
Urban is fun because it's different, when you ski the park at your local mountain a few times a week and the setup is always the same, it gets old. It's fun to change it up and hit urban. But for me I have to find a way to make urban fun, so I try to hit rails that I really want to hit and that look fun.
Mar 12 2015 11:34PM
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danbrown
Posts: 11939 - Karma: 21,833
most of what you said is the entire point of it
Mar 12 2015 11:42PM
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stinky_cheese
Posts: 1221 - Karma: 5,175
urban looks way cool, but after seeing so many people completely wreck themselves in edits and movies, i decided to stick to the mountains instead of the streets
Mar 12 2015 11:45PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 52150 - Karma: 168,514
Idk man. I drive by places and think "Wow look at that rail!" and want to hit stuff. You could go for a jog on a treadmill but I'd still prefer to go outside and go somewhere. I could hit a rail in the park but there's something special about hitting something in it's urban landscape. That rail wasn't set up for skiing, but it's perfect.

Building setups takes too long? For setting up a rail not really. For some stuff maybe but I love building so I'm biased. You don't need much of anything to hit urban. Certain spots yes but you could probably find a rail you could hit with a car tow/push in, and headlights if you wanted too. We've moved dumpsters across lots for drop ins, all kinds of stuff. IF you want to hit a rail you can make it happen.

If you're not into it it's all good but it kind of sounds like you can't have fun.

IDk something special about being out latenight in some sketchy spot trying to get that trick. I loved it.
Mar 12 2015 11:53PM
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M.M
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 4,494
I've hit 12 spots this year, trying to hit one last one this weekend before the snow is gone
Mar 13 2015 12:13AM
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BianKarrett
Posts: 360 - Karma: 2,110
john18061806past two years I've hit urban, even did one of those mid-2000s summer style missions. didn't get much done this year because Minnesota had terrible luck with snow and most of my friends are either pussies or lazy because they never want to hit anything, most of my urban missions have been alone or with one other person.

Urban is scary as hell but infinitely more satisfying than park if you can get a shot.



I feel you, im in the hugo area and we had some good spots lined up this year, but no snow
Mar 13 2015 12:20AM
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
It never snows here so I never really get a chance. If it does miraculously snow enough and the crew is down then I love it though
Mar 13 2015 12:34AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 52150 - Karma: 168,514
DIX~It never snows here so I never really get a chance. If it does miraculously snow enough and the crew is down then I love it though


Find an ice rink or if you don't have one and wanna get real shady throw down some carpet and smash some ice.
Mar 13 2015 12:55AM
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
theabortionatorFind an ice rink or if you don't have one and wanna get real shady throw down some carpet and smash some ice.


Done that before but it's just not the same
Mar 13 2015 1:22AM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,906
I hit a few urban rails in my day and I just did it because it was a fun challenge. if you don't wanna work for it that's fine, but i always liked the challenge.

These days I'd way rather film urban even though it's a similar idea, park filming is easy to get a ton of shots in a day and with urban you get like maybe 3 or 4 shots from a single feature and if you're lucky you get two solid features in a day/night.

The work and effort that goes into an urban shot is 100 times more satisfying than in the park and I think the skiers feel the same way too.
Mar 13 2015 1:29AM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,017
you literally described the reasons urban is fun in your original post
Mar 13 2015 1:55AM
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Saga.
Posts: 3812 - Karma: 45,337
03gadeThe idea of urban just really do it for me. The time required for setup, under the pressure you are going to get caught, to hit a rail that probably isn't better than one you can get in a park, all with higher chances of getting hurt. Plus you need a crew willing to do all of the above as well. and if you get real serious it becomes a whole production requiring, lights, winches, drop ins and torches.

Don't get me wrong, watching pros hit stuff is awesome, as long as the feature seems worth it, but I personally have no desire to go through the work.


Think of it this way. If your park put it a brand new rail that was challenging wouldn't you habe a desire to hit it and see what you could get on it? This is the same thought process that drives people to hit urban features.
Mar 13 2015 2:36AM
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senditsam
Posts: 70 - Karma: 63
If we ever had some decent bloody snow here in London I would!
Mar 13 2015 9:14AM
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03gade
Posts: 856 - Karma: 3,263
I guess it all comes down to the payoff is more satisfying due to the riskiness. That is 100% a personality trait, which is common in extreme sports. I guess I relate to that more regarding a big ass jump than a sketchy rail. I've always thought rails have a higher risk of (common) injury than a jump, with a lower reward.

Doesn't sound like getting chewed out by security guards or the cops is a big issue in reality, as none of you mentioned it, even though its always in ski movies.
Mar 13 2015 7:25PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,492
My junior and senior year if hs i didnt even get a pass anywhere and we just hit urban all winter. I feel like the amount of time and effort it takes to setup is greatly exaggerated, unless its a really elaborate spot
Mar 13 2015 7:40PM
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Prof.Pretzel
Posts: 451 - Karma: 796
Yes so worth it especially since it's the only way other than my backyard to ski during the week.
Mar 13 2015 8:35PM
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