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March, 2024

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European vs american snowparks

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ttave514
Posts: 257 - Karma: 1,662
sorry if repost, but ive noticed that many european resorts focus more on jumps than rails in their parks and american snowparks have more rails. the features in the parks obviously depend on the size of the resort but generally thats how it is. Why ns,why?
Aug 23 2013 12:29AM
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*DUMBCAN*
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 5,627
Depends where you go, but yes, I'd say that in general jumps are more the focus than rails. Avoriaz and Laax both have good rail setups though.

Most euro parks though a dreadful. For some reason my Uni has chosen to go to Alpe d'Huez at new year, it's literally my least favourite resort in the world and it has a shocking park. Just down the road at L2A though, their park is solid. L2A shares it's mountain with La Grave, which is my favourite place in the universe.
Aug 23 2013 8:11AM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
Because if the East coast is 90% rail-focused and everywhere else in the US is 50/50 rails and jumps, then the US is about 70% rails.

On the other hand, Europe is mostly all big mountains, so it's 50/50 throughout.
Aug 23 2013 4:00PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
American parks are def rail heavy these days. Especially the east coast and mid west.

If you have to make all the snow, jumps are expensive, and take up a lot of space. Also there is a movement going on where the focus really is on rails. Rails have been getting more popular every year it seems.

The thing that kind of bums me out is seeing all the halfpipes die. At one point that was where it was at. Keep your booters, keep your rails, we have a stunt ditch. Now it seems most places have an old 12'-14' dragon leaning against a tree or rusting up in the boneyard.

I def like to hit a little bit of everything though, unless it's death ice.
Aug 23 2013 4:14PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
I have skied at Laax/Flims/Falera, and they had a pretty sick rail setup.
Aug 23 2013 4:14PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
Yeah, it's not only the lack of snows that's bad for jumps, it's the abundance of ice. Nothing's good about falling ten feet to ice.
Aug 23 2013 5:03PM
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ChasingFlakes
Posts: 822 - Karma: 1,544
nothing funner than a mini pipe. Its nice to lap a pipe every now and again. pipe being in the olympics might bring some back. Here's to hoping anyways
Aug 24 2013 1:11AM
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AlexHall
Posts: 303 - Karma: 9,141
Some european parks have more jumps than rails. Also, American parks have really creative setups. The funnest park in Europe is Laax. Also the American parks are shaped so nicely.
Aug 24 2013 8:25AM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2088 - Karma: 1,333
I've never skied in the US, but we also def have some extremely well shaped parks in Europe, especially Serfaus impressed me with immaculate shaping. It seems the will to spend real money on parks is much stronger in the US, but Europe is coming around. Olympics will prob have a massive effect, good or bad remains to be seen.
Aug 24 2013 12:28PM
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Turkelton
Posts: 2829 - Karma: 8,558
Hoping for more mini pipes and more hips this season, also more quarter style features
Europe is good for parks, but the US is infinitely better
Aug 24 2013 12:35PM
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fredyferl
Posts: 2906 - Karma: 14,405
As a rail rat from the east coast I don't know how I could ski a park with more jumps than rails, there's only a certain variety of jumps you can build but there's an infinite possibility of rails you can build.

On a side note, I think it sucks that most park don't have quarter pipes, half pipes or hips nowadays, I've ridden some at Windells and it's so sick to hit tranny in between to hits of rails. I think resorts should build at least quarters or hips during the spring, because during the winter it just suck on the east since it's all ice.
Aug 24 2013 1:02PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
Why would it have an effect?
The Olympics has already had Snowboarding pipe since '98. There's obviously been change since then, for the better, but I don't really think adding slopestyle will do too much.
Aug 24 2013 1:33PM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2088 - Karma: 1,333
You don't think skiers will see skiing slopestyle and be like "that's so cool, I wanna do that!"?
Aug 24 2013 1:36PM
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