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Why don't resorts do this?

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The.Fish
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 4,988
Why don't resorts build pads out of dirt in the summer so when winter comes around, they can just put a 1 foot base on top of them instead of having to use tons of snow? It seems a lot cheaper than just making snow every year and spending cat hours building them. I may just be an idiot but I have wondered this for a while.
Feb 9 2017 4:58PM
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,582
Superpipes are made this way but its very limiting to creativity or even just variability for a park. It also requires coordination from the park crew who are all seasonal employees. It may collide with other obligations.
Feb 9 2017 5:59PM
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nilzlet
Posts: 1892 - Karma: 16
I think some kinda do. Like, the might have a mound roughly where a landing would be. Also, you want way more than a one foot base. That would severely limit the time the park would be open into the spring.

Also, if you have a mound of dirt for a jump and you're the cat driver trying to sculpt a nice lip, it'd be a huge bummer to suddenly break through to earth.
Feb 9 2017 6:46PM
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The.Fish
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 4,988
nilzletAlso, if you have a mound of dirt for a jump and you're the cat driver trying to sculpt a nice lip, it'd be a huge bummer to suddenly break through to earth.


I said to make the pad out of dirt. I agree that the lip would need to be all snow
Feb 9 2017 7:23PM
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Session
Posts: 5379 - Karma: 22,180
Many resorts operate on forest service land. The environmental hoops you need to go through to get approval for this is mind numbing, and then you are locked in to that configuration.
Feb 9 2017 7:24PM
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brett_fisher
Posts: 2417 - Karma: 10,494
the snow keeps better
Feb 9 2017 7:27PM
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Cadenmccullough
Posts: 628 - Karma: 2,647
Big Sky does this. The jump landings are mounds of dirt during the summer.
Feb 9 2017 10:22PM
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Gryllz
Posts: 483 - Karma: 1,204
COP kinda does this. The super pipe and XL jumps are shaped from mounds and trenches of dirt.
Feb 9 2017 10:59PM
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hemlockjibber8
Posts: 5977 - Karma: 3,545
Many resorts do this. It's the legit way to have a jump line. It is called summer grooming.
Feb 10 2017 1:59PM
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Dddsz
Posts: 3042 - Karma: 7,324
SessionMany resorts operate on forest service land. The environmental hoops you need to go through to get approval for this is mind numbing, and then you are locked in to that configuration.


Yeah I think it would be really shitty to tear up summer ecosystems more than they already are. Don't want to fuck up some bear's fav berry patch.
Feb 10 2017 2:36PM
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RousedWits
Posts: 387 - Karma: 894
Dude I have the answer!, its easy just Take a safety meeting, get out there and SEND Brotha!

Hang Loose... Always
Feb 10 2017 3:22PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
The.FishWhy don't resorts build pads out of dirt in the summer so when winter comes around, they can just put a 1 foot base on top of them instead of having to use tons of snow? It seems a lot cheaper than just making snow every year and spending cat hours building them. I may just be an idiot but I have wondered this for a while.


Many of them actually are doing this.

Whistler had a big project one year dubbed "Dirtworks" in which they built gigantic pads for jumps just like you're talking about. My old hill Blue Mountain did the same thing. There's loads of others too.

It drastically cuts down on snow usage for jumps, especially when you're building them in the same spots every year. Doing a pipe without this is just plain nuts.

As other said, some resorts can't... but believe me loads do.
Feb 10 2017 3:50PM
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leprechaunsissy
Posts: 645 - Karma: 237
The.FishWhy don't resorts build pads out of dirt in the summer so when winter comes around, they can just put a 1 foot base on top of them instead of having to use tons of snow? It seems a lot cheaper than just making snow every year and spending cat hours building them. I may just be an idiot but I have wondered this for a while.


Mr.BishopMany of them actually are doing this.

Whistler had a big project one year dubbed "Dirtworks" in which they built gigantic pads for jumps just like you're talking about. My old hill Blue Mountain did the same thing. There's loads of others too.

It drastically cuts down on snow usage for jumps, especially when you're building them in the same spots every year. Doing a pipe without this is just plain nuts.

As other said, some resorts can't... but believe me loads do.


If I had a dollar for every time I wished I had a Juggalo park crew...
Feb 14 2017 3:00AM
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SammyDubz
Posts: 2168 - Karma: 7,222
Pretty sure cardrona does
Feb 14 2017 10:42AM
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CharlzHub
Posts: 1165 - Karma: 8,537
SammyDubzPretty sure cardrona does


Yes they do. If you go up late season you can see the dirt in the sides of the jumps
Feb 14 2017 11:13PM
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weastcoat
Posts: 6419 - Karma: 74,053
The only downside to this would be that the snow would melt if you had about 5 days over 32 degrees.
Feb 18 2017 10:36PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 3,909
Some do. But it limits a lot. Can't tweak or change much. Melt out issues. Operator issues possible.
Feb 18 2017 10:39PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 1,118
1. build jump out of dirt before beginning of season
2. 1 foot base will make it rideable by at least mid december or just ski the dirt
3. ????
4. profit
Feb 19 2017 12:39AM
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Lonely
Posts: 6741 - Karma: 61,665
My resort has big rollers where the jumps usually are. That way you only have to build the kicker because the landing is already "built".
Feb 19 2017 9:38AM
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