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June, 2025

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Advice for new park crew?

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niqu
Posts: 36 - Karma: 216
I just got hired at my tiny local resort in Middleofnowhere, Ohio and I was wondering how I would make the best possible park using the very limited number of rails and dollars available to me, any stuff that's fun that wouldn't take very many resources?
5 years ago
25 0
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gorbdawggybrent
Posts: 970 - Karma: 8,774
i’ve always loved messing around on thoes black bumpy pipes when they are like halfway in the snow
5 years ago
11 26
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The.Fish
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 4,997
niquI just got hired at my tiny local resort in Middleofnowhere, Ohio and I was wondering how I would make the best possible park using the very limited number of rails and dollars available to me, any stuff that's fun that wouldn't take very many resources?


Oh gosh you have to work at alpine.... just set up that tube as a cannon next to jump 3 and you will have a good time.
5 years ago
22 0
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T.L.
Posts: 4731 - Karma: 3,018
Build stuff that the majority of your riders can ride. Low and slow, highly trickable setups.

Setups that only 5 off your homies can ride are a waste of resources.

If you build approachable, non-intimidating, low consequence features that get tons of traffic, that's how you sell the idea of expanding your program to management the following season.
5 years ago
55 2
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Rparr
Posts: 5773 - Karma: 49,273
brentkimballi’ve always loved messing around on thoes black bumpy pipes when they are like halfway in the snow


we call those snowboarder tubes
5 years ago
22 0
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Renegade14
Posts: 27 - Karma: 232
Build a small quarter pipe hit. My local resort has a really small park but will put like a 6 ft long quarter pipe feature off to the side by the trees.
5 years ago
11 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52707 - Karma: 175,289
Old school my threads for when I get back to civilization.
5 years ago
12 0
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a_burger
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 21,143
Whats the structure of the department? From what you said it sounds like your the only one, if that's the case become best friends with your cat driver, without a good cat op who you can communicate well with its basically impossible to get stuff done. Listen to what they say too, some things that seem easy to build/maintain are not. Try and stay in the loop with the rest of mtn ops too, it's good to know when their about to bury all your rails in snowmaking
5 years ago
17 0
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,606
T.L.Build stuff that the majority of your riders can ride. Low and slow, highly trickable setups.

Setups that only 5 off your homies can ride are a waste of resources.

If you build approachable, non-intimidating, low consequence features that get tons of traffic, that's how you sell the idea of expanding your program to management the following season.


This. There needs to be a clear skillls progression. Setting up a dozen rails that only you can hit and one low box "for the kids" sucks. No one will ever get better. Make sure there is a mix of small, medium, and large features. Also, this will be work. Its not just free lift passes. Properly maintaining a park takes time, and keeping it fresh and updated takes more. Be ready to spend a lot of time woth shovel in hand working your butt off.
5 years ago
20 0
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CGMedia
Posts: 44 - Karma: 852
rake twice a day , smoke spliffs , and ride as much as you can
5 years ago
24 3
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_JackKaiser_
Posts: 74 - Karma: 761
You mean a culvert??
brentkimballi’ve always loved messing around on thoes black bumpy pipes when they are like halfway in the snow
5 years ago
4 0
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yungona
Posts: 2374 - Karma: -5,799
make some small snow features like a little volcano and rollers to get some jibbing in
5 years ago
7 0
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AfroSkier
Posts: 220 - Karma: 1,950
Lots of snowmaking
5 years ago
1 0
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Dilldoes
Posts: 761 - Karma: 5,852
You need to have a 25-40 foot booter. Something that the little groms can straight air and be just big enough to make the experienced riders think twice before throwing whatever trick the first time. The resort I spent the last two years at hasn't really built anything bigger than 15-20 feet and that gets old after awhile.

**This post was edited on Sep 14th 2020 at 9:56:08am
5 years ago
14 1
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sqeellicbic
Posts: 421 - Karma: 3,357
T.L.Build stuff that the majority of your riders can ride. Low and slow, highly trickable setups.

Setups that only 5 off your homies can ride are a waste of resources.

If you build approachable, non-intimidating, low consequence features that get tons of traffic, that's how you sell the idea of expanding your program to management the following season.


Listen to this man. My local is a small hill and they do this every year. There's always a few short flat bars and boxes that have bomb holes in the landing cause literally everyone hits them and then there's the features that I see get hit maybe 5 times all season. Literally nothing in between.
5 years ago
19 0
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Adtmartens
Posts: 78 - Karma: 261
I agree that you should prioritize more low risk features everyone can hit progress on regardless of skill level. In my park i usually end up riding the same couple of features all day just because i can try any new stuff i want on it. Theres always those scary features i hit once and say fuck it im never doing that again just because i dont want to try anything new on it. I would rather have a nice low rail to eat shit trying 270s on to or a medium sized jump thats comfortable for all kinds new tricks. That being said u have to find a balance to not restrict the advanced riders progression.
5 years ago
5 0
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bennwithtwons
Posts: 1781 - Karma: 17,744
Whatever you do, make the approach to a rail feature wide and flat. It should not be on the side of a hill or otherwise off camber. Secondly, make the actual jump onto the rail super wide. It should be 8+ feet wide on either side. Everyone will thank you
5 years ago
3 6
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north_coast
Posts: 53 - Karma: 2,874
bennwithtwonsSecondly, make the actual jump onto the rail super wide. It should be 8+ feet wide on either side. Everyone will thank you

Maybe if you have 20 acres of space to play with but thats just gonna waste time raking it and space. Remember there has to be ~16 feet between takeoffs to fit a snowcat. 4 rake heads wide is plenty of space
5 years ago
11 0
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Obama_care
Posts: 581 - Karma: 2,759
Try and make the park have as much flow as possible imo flow of a park is what makes or breaks it for me
5 years ago
10 0
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SnowshoeThompson
Posts: 1095 - Karma: 1,431
Consistency with features is huge. Most ridden features are typically small jumps so making sure jumps maintain a consistent grade is huge. Typically keeping jumps to a 1-1-2 (lip, length,landing) and keeping grades gradual and free of compaction.

A lot of operators are clueless so work with them. Setting rails compliant with grooming patterns will make your life way easier as a digger too.
5 years ago
3 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52707 - Karma: 175,289
SnowshoeThompsonConsistency with features is huge. Most ridden features are typically small jumps so making sure jumps maintain a consistent grade is huge. Typically keeping jumps to a 1-1-2 (lip, length,landing) and keeping grades gradual and free of compaction.

A lot of operators are clueless so work with them. Setting rails compliant with grooming patterns will make your life way easier as a digger too.


Being dead inside helps too
5 years ago
6 0
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PsychicMigration
Posts: 2099 - Karma: 10,552
I personally like parks packed with features. When it gets to spread out I find it less satisfying to lap. Other then that definitely think about what kind of stuff you would have liked to see or hit when you were about to hit your first rail. Lots of people appreciate small stuff where they can comfortably learn and not think there gonna hurt themselves. It also cultivates a more welcoming environment to get more people involved with park and freestyle in general.
5 years ago
5 0
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
try and get a few large pvc tubes and cut them in half lengthwise
-try weird new combos at the top of the park every day

step up jumps and a mellow down rail are great for learning
5 years ago
3 0
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montanabandits
Posts: 127 - Karma: 947
when resources are limited, I always appreciate when P crew sets rails up one after another rather than side by side. IMO The more rails you can hit in a line consecutively the better.
5 years ago
15 1
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theabortionator
Posts: 52707 - Karma: 175,289
So resources are tight most of the time a lot of places, some insane. You don't need much for resources for a good rail park. If your park isn't getting much cat time it makes sense if you struggle on jumps. Takeoffs can easiky be sculpted and maintained by hand if needed. If you can just get them to keep a decent landing for you.

Rail park can be as in point at rando mtn as the big spot imo. Wire brush/flsp disc rail surfaces. Repair breaks and make sure the tabs are all attached. You can make some heinous plywood look brand new with some primer and paint.

Getting the whole rail fleet looking clean makes everything look better imo.

But pretty much just set things up that will get hit. Fogure out the level of riding and try and match it. Maybe a z to dfd donkey is sick af(and i agree) but if you don't have smaller features and nobody hits the big shit ever, what's the point. Creative and challenge features arealways sick but make sure you have the basics.

If you ask what rails people want they'll say dfdfdfdf, triple z, loop de loop rail etc. But you need flat and down rails/boxes. A lot of times those normal ass basic featyre are what get shredded the hardest.

Keep some consistency. Takeoff size, gap length, rail height. It's nice when a park has similarly set features.

Don't break the tools, build some cool shit, have some fun. If you like it try and move up, jump in a cat.

Park crew is fun. It's not for everyone but I like it. Life's a garden, dig it.
5 years ago
8 0
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Rparr
Posts: 5773 - Karma: 49,273
theabortionatorA lot of times those normal ass basic featyre are what get shredded the hardest.


I want to emphasize this, my home hill has a GLORIOUS fat tube, but they always set it up in the stupidest ways. I have been begging them to set it as a classic mellow down tube for years. It has happened like once. I would spend half the season lapping it.
5 years ago
14 0
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OCoffey
Posts: 648 - Karma: 3,701
Rollers before and after features are fun
5 years ago
9 0
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The.Fish
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 4,997
RparrI want to emphasize this, my home hill has a GLORIOUS fat tube, but they always set it up in the stupidest ways. I have been begging them to set it as a classic mellow down tube for years. It has happened like once. I would spend half the season lapping it.


that lip 2 p 2
5 years ago
2 0
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Saga.
Posts: 3812 - Karma: 45,341
Put in the hand work.

The cats will do what they can but when it comes to a good park it can be seen in the hand work the park crew puts in. If features are getting bombed/rutted out don't be scared to close it down for 15 minutes and fix it. You'll get a few people chirping at you but in time the majority will thank you and your crew for keeping the lips and landings crisp.
5 years ago
15 0
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Mixy
Posts: 8358 - Karma: 50,505
OCoffeyRollers before and after features are fun


this, I love rollers
5 years ago
8 0
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Gourd
Posts: 468 - Karma: 5,052
You still park crew at the pine? That’s my home “mountain”
4 years ago
4 0
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7982 - Karma: 23,364
Stay on top of hand shaping. Also, rake everything at closing, even if it's late so it freezes overnight. You will have a much easier time opening the park the next day and the features will stay in good shape for a longer time.
Make simple features that are easy to hit and easy to trick.
Even if you don't have much snow or many features, a line of rollers or strategically shaped snow piles are tons of fun, can be maintained fully by machine and anyone can hit them.
4 years ago
3 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52707 - Karma: 175,289
Saga.Put in the hand work.

The cats will do what they can but when it comes to a good park it can be seen in the hand work the park crew puts in. If features are getting bombed/rutted out don't be scared to close it down for 15 minutes and fix it. You'll get a few people chirping at you but in time the majority will thank you and your crew for keeping the lips and landings crisp.


Since this thread got bumped. Totally agree.

Even one good friggin dude at a small mtn can do so much. You arent going to build a huge jump knuckle by hand but you can drag rails up by hand with a few people or a snowmobile and still have rail that's as good or better than the best in the business.

It's insane how much 1 or 2 legit day staff guys can have an impact. Especially at thr snaller places but it matters regardless. Nothing like hitting some small mtn and seeing the rail line firing because a few guys really give a fuck, know what's up, and put in some time with the rake and shovel.
4 years ago
4 0
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niqu
Posts: 36 - Karma: 216
GordmanYou still park crew at the pine? That’s my home “mountain”


its closer to a mosquito bite than a mountain but we still ball.
4 years ago
2 0
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Gourd
Posts: 468 - Karma: 5,052
niquits closer to a mosquito bite than a mountain but we still ball.

Hell yeah we still get rowdy
4 years ago
3 0
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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
flat down with pvcs
so fire for learning swaps and combos
4 years ago
3 0
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