U.P. Terrain Parks...Going Big
You don’t need to go far to find a brainstem shot of terrain park adrenaline.  You can find that right here in the U.P. at any one of the new school terrain parks this season.

The largest influences on this are snowmaking capacity, terrain shaping machinery and diligent park management. All investments by the ski resorts to provide riders with a better experience, more challenge and greater airtime.

Leading the park scene is Marquette Mountain.  A new layout is planned for the 2003-’04 season.  A new stack of hits will run down Chute, which can be seen, on the right while riding the Snowfield chair lift.  This new run was designed to get the park further away from the beginners’ area on Ridge. Following is an interview with Stu Epps one of Marquette Mountain’s Park Crew.

What’s your take on the boom in terrain parks? “It’s built off the whole Gen X vibe way back when the snowboarding thing started. The newer style of skiing is a lot like rollerblading or snowboarding, which inspired grabs and rotations.”

Where did you learn to build park hits?  “Practice I guess. You learn to want a steep landing. You don’t want to land on the flats. You tend to learn that after the first couple of jumps.”

What is most challenging about building terrain? “You can’t build something that is going to satisfy everyone. If a resort is going to have a terrain park it should be an actual terrain park. It needs to have defined hits that vary in size and abilities.”

Describe the trends you see going on in the parks. “A lot of it is about style. As for the skiing, it is derived from x-mogul skiers who were getting fed-up with how technical and precise everything had to be. They just got away from it all and went back to the good old days of hotdog skiing when you had your own style.”

While Marquette may boast the biggest and best terrain park in the U.P. all of the other resorts build and maintain great parks that give riders of all levels an exciting day on the slopes.

Nick Sirdenis, manager of Mont Ripley, jokes, “Ripley doesn’t have a terrain park. It is a terrain park.” With several double fall line runs, quick drops and natural landing zones, Mont Ripley provides riders with features hills twice its size can’t due to its aggressive natural terrain.

Get Your Race On!
Alpine racing in the U.P. has always been strong.  The standing joke is if you learned to ski in the Midwest you should have no problem sinking an edge into ice. Perhaps ice isn’t the best racing conditions, but hard packed well-groomed slopes are. Ski areas in the U.P. are proud of their race programs, and here is just one example:

Norway Mountain is home to one of the premier alpine race teams in the U.P. called Team Norway.  The team offers five different race programs for all levels from ages 6 to adult racers. 

The individual programs schedule their own practice times and are under direction of certified coaches. Head coach and program director, Ron Lawrence leads the team with the most current racecourse design and race techniques. Norway Mountain prides itself as having one of the finest alpine race training facilities in the Midwest.

Interested in running some gates yourself? The easiest way is to checkout a NASTAR (National STAndard Race) course. It is the largest recreational ski race program in the world.  Developed by SKI Magazine in 1968, NASTAR has undergone numerous improvements over the years, but its mission has remained the same: to provide a fun, competitive and easily accessible racing program that, through the development of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities a means to compare themselves with one another regardless of when and where they race.

To find out more information or register for NASTAR check out the web at: www.nastar.com

A Lesson a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Skiing and snowboarding are one of the best ways to enjoy winter.  But for many it can be a difficult and sometimes frustrating experience.  That is where a professional ski instructor steps in.  Helping first time skiers and snowboarders learn the sports progressively by instilling self-confidence and an understanding of how the equipment works.

Ski school isn’t just for first time skiers. There are a wide variety of programs, clinics and lesson formats to improve all skiers’ performance.

One of the best ways for beginner and intermediate skiers to avoid an early season injury is to take a refresher ski lesson when you get to the slope for the first time this winter.

For advance and expert skiers, a lesson or clinic may benefit you by teaching a new carving technique or help you to master the mogul field.

A recent poll done by the Snow Industries Association last season reported the biggest reason people do not ski more often is because they don’t have anyone to go skiing with.

Getting involved with a ski school program or clinic brings skiers together who might not have met in any other situation.  It helps establish camaraderie on the slopes and an opportunity to share some great experiences.

Ski instructors are an out going group of people.  It is one of those few jobs at a ski resort that you actually get paid for skiing.  Why else do you think you see instructors smiling all the time?

For the kids, programs introduce the sport of skiing or snowboarding in a fun environment. Keeping it fun and challenging for them is the key to getting them to stick with the sport.

Plus it allows the adults a little slope time together, or alone, to experience the hill and get back to the roots of why skiing is so fun for them.

The Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) offers instructor training and clinic opportunities for local instructors to hone their skills, both skiing and teaching.  So you see, even instructors go to school to learn something new each season.

Total Quality Ski Area Management
Quality service at ski resorts starts with a committed staff.  That includes everyone.

Priding themselves as the first resort to open and the last to close, Ski Brule had a record breaking 2002-’03 season with 182 days open starting on October 24.  According to official sources at Ski Brule, it all starts with snowmaking. If the conditions are right the Ski Brule Snowmaking Team can crank-up their arsenal of snow guns and blow enough snow to open two runs in 24 hours.  Form there it is handed off to the state of the art grooming equipment with veteran operators who hit the slopes every night.  Ski Brule’s promise is to provide the best possible conditions at all times.  The entire staff takes every opportunity to ensure that promise.

The U.P. Off-Piste Experience
Although you can get away with backcountry and off-piste skiing in the Midwest without an avalanche beacon and probe, you still need to have experience. SKI the U.P. takes no responsibility for you actions.  Know the area, wear a helmet, and ski with a partner. Be safe, be happy and ski on.

When a prime lake effect storm lies down over the U.P. phones start ringing the next morning with sick day requests.  If it happens on a weekend, a holiday is declared.  It is a fact that Yoopers love their powder.

For some learning how to ski powder can be sort of a hazing.

Two True Backcountry Destination Points
“Backcountry in the U.P. of Michigan? Yeah, right!” is the response from many people who have never ventured beyond the groomed slopes and trails. Here are two destination points to clear your head:

Mount Bohemia: avg. annual snowfall 270”; season goes from mid-December through early April; prime season, mid-December through February.

Once a secret stash for hardcore adventure skiers and snowboarders, Mount Bohemia is now a two lift, 41 run ski area complete with a yurt village.  The area has 900’ of vertical, tons of lake effect powder in the early season and cliff drops that will make your sphincter pucker.  Bohemia has over 500 acres to explore and poke around in.  So, if you go into the bush expect to be hiking out. The odds of skiing up to a chair lift are slim.