How to Build a Snowboard Park

Snowboarding terrain parks took off in the 90s when the popularity of snowboarding grew rapidly. Parks have evolved since the 90s to remarkable levels of sophistication requiring expensive machinery and a high level of expertise to design the parks. The size of jumps and rails have increased exponentially and so has the resulting safety risks. Learn the basic concepts of how a park is built in a ski resort and appreciate the time and effort that goes into every park.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowmaking equipment
  • Snow grooming equipment
  • Shovels
  • Terrain park personnel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Terrain park builders begin the planning process before the snow even falls. Some features, such as half-pipes and extra-large jumps, may require earth moving to sculpt the land to the right shape for when winter arrives. Park builders also need to find a slope that is the right grade and without obvious obstacles such as trees or lift towers. Jay Rosenbaum, snowboarding's mountain supervisor for the Killington Resort in Vermont, likes a medium-grade pitch for optimal speed for the park.

    • 2

      Layout a blueprint of the park plans as the winter begins. All rails, jumps and half-pipe options are planned according to the lay of the slope. A terrain park can change throughout the winter, which needs to be taken into account. In the early season, much of the snow may be made from snowmakers while late into the spring, the deeper snowpack can provide more building options.

    • 3

      Groomers form the basic shape of the jumps and half-pipes and are finished by hand, and rails are generally all done by hand. The grooming team usually operates under supervision from the terrain park manager, and the groomer works at night while the terrain park crew operates in the day and make fine-tuned adjustments to the features. Snow quality makes a difference as well, and wet snow is generally preferred to form the base layer to the features while light snow should be dusted on top for the final layer.

    • 4

      When the features are up to par, the terrain park crew are always the first to test them out. The park crew will take practice laps through the park and make adjustments using shovels and rakes; if major changes are needed, the groomer may be required. Once all the adjustments are made, the park will open to the public.