2009 US Open is only Half Pipe this year.

yea, so apex and sunshine have regular pipes, but sun peaks seams to have nothing (or at least they don't mention it on their site or show it on their trail map.
 
I wish that were true, but that Aspen open doesn't have that contrived hype about it that the US Open has had for years. It's a shame, too, since the talent is so high and the venue pretty damn good (better than the US Open in my opinion). While it may be one, if not the only, true open in the country this year, it probably still won't have the buzz surrounding it. Maybe I'll be wrong.

I do think, along with most of you, that making it a pipe only comp is silly as fuck. I'm a HUGE fan of pipe, but it is a discipline that is becoming quite specialized and difficult to do since there are so few adequate pipes in north america (limited to pretty much some in CO, a couple in UT?, likewise with CA, some east coast, and a few in canada), so it as a standalone event in a hugely recognized open is ball-breakin. Sounds like perhaps copper didn't want to deal with it? Or somebody got lazy as shit.

Oh well, it could pop the bubble of the machine that has become the US Open. That is a catch 22 - at least it'll lessen some of that fuckin hype that comes up year after year, but it does remove a well established open and opportunity for those emerging skiers that could/will take over. pretty fucking stupid move, but I guess it's not too surprising. Perhaps somebody could really make an open to fill the void that doesn't suck on huckin nuts.
 
now i guess i can focus on pipe. park city's is so sick and they should have an open contest on it.
 
i dont think that is true. they are legit pipes all over the country. the east has plenty of good pipes. not always superpipes, but defienently legit. anywhere that doesn't have a good pipe, doesn't have a good park either. if someone is really into pipe there is a good pipe in the region they live in.
 
Sorry...

In comparison. Every hill seems to have some jib or jump. (slopestyle) No where in our area is a legitimate pipe to even begin to practice on. I bet there 20 parks for every pipe in North America

The word I got was, lack of sponsorship. So rather than Copper building a course themselves they just crossed it out.

The USFO was going to be my one western splurge trip this year. Last year I encouraged a large entourage of 10 adults to this event, this year, Nips and I are making it a far eastern trip. Sounds like more fun anyhow.
 
Halfpipe only is ridiculous. It severely limits the amount of prospective competitors. I can't speak for Idaho but I know that in all of Montana and Wyoming there are two halfpipes, one in JH and one in Big Sky that blows. Basically this is turning into a comp for rich kids who have huge travel budgets or those who grew up at huge resorts with nice pipes.
 
This is absolutely absurd. I cannot even begin to comprehend this. I wonder if they were having trouble getting sponsors with the economy. They see half-pipe as an event that attracts a lot more spectators than slope. This is fucking weak and an embarrasment. The Open has been a staple of skiing competitions forever.

This is a sad sad day.

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This is not completely official.... I havppen to know some people and as of right now they are working to get everything back.... the economy is really hurting this comp....
 
i hear what your saying. but give a locale that some kid is from, who actually has a shot at doing well in the slopestyle, and prove to me there isn't a decent pipe. the reality isn't that pipes don't exist. its that they aren't as popular.
 
Okaaaay but really.. You must live in a cave, or don't get out much. Or, you think that there is only skiing in Colorado, Tahoe, Utah and BC?

Actually have a shot? Sean Jordan, North East Pennsylvania - 13th in DEW Slopestyle - 5 hours to nearest pipe.

Better yet, Ask Tom Wallisch who grew up in a different region than Sean 300 miles west, where there was a "decent" pipe. Oh sure, how could I forget? WV and Ohio have awesome pipes.

Lets turn it around, Who is great in the pipe "who actually has a shot", that did not grow up with a pipe in thier back yard?

The reality about pipes is that they are tooo expensive to build and maintain in comparison with some jumps and jibs. read:ROI.. My home hill (Big Boulder Park), little brother to Mount Snow, will not put in a pipe for this reason. We have a 5 month season.. So yeah, we may be saying the same thing with laws of supply and demand. If there was demand, there would be supply. read: Popular.

Just to be clear on something.. I want everyone to know that I am stoked that at least Pipe is being recognized exclusively at that USFO this year, Because...... I really want to see it in biggest venue there is - the Olympics 2010. So if you ski pipe, tear it up and help get it more recognized..

On the other hand, since 2010 Olympic pipe skiing isn't going to happen, it doesn't make any marketing sense to me, for Intrawest/copper to cater the USFO to the pipe crowd....... Unless... someone has done the demographics and realized that slopestyle contestants, will sleep in thier cars and eat ketchup packets and that pipe contestants will stay in fancy hotels and eat 5 star. ha!
 
I already passed up my spot for Aspen Open because I thought I was just doing US Open... poor decision i guess. Hopefully I'll be slaying deep pow during that time and therefore will not care at all what is going on in colorado....
 
dude this is fucking bullshit.... no hate on pipe but this is down right stupid...the spirit of the us open is kinda carried by the slopestlye (imo) i honestly dont see some one that is unknown placing high in the pipe contest but in the slope i feel like some one would have a better shot at getting a honerable result without being one of the big dogs...
ahh lame...
 
mtn creek and all of the new england has good pipes. skiing is a sport you drive too. i grew up in rhode island. the closest decent pipe was in new hamphsire. i nevered bitched about it because you have to drive a fair amount to go to good skiing. and tom wallisch, like everyone who wants to get better, moved out west or near a mtn with a decent park. decent pipes aren't that rare. comp ready superpipes are.
 
Haha. I have a friend who spent an entire season 2 years ago on the east coast, primarily riding Mountain Creek and he said that they were the shittiest pipes he has ever ridden. He was also comparing these pipes to the halfpipe at Big Sky Montana which many people say is the shittiest pipe they have ridden.
 
Mountain Creek has not had a decent park or pipe in the last 3 years. And the vast majority of east coast pipes are terrible. It is extremely beat that there is no slopestyle in the U.S. Open. I think slopestyle represents our sport much more than halfpipe.
 
Wow, this shit is so fucked up. Like I'm all for halfpipe getting bigger in hopes of pitching it to the mainstream and pushing for the olympics (might have been a reason for this decision, but no idea), but like people have said above, soooo many people, from unknowns to pros ripped up the slopestyle and it always proved a gnarly outlet for up and coming riders. Plus, who the hell actually rides pipe? I'm willing to bet that 9 out of 10 skiers on this site focus their progression on slopestyle rather than pipe (which, to me, invokes the question into why don't we have slopestyle in the olympics rather than halfpipe for both skiing and snowboarding, but that's a whole other argument). Yes, pipe is more technical than slopestyle, but there's so much creativity in that discipline and its thus so much more fun to do. That's why people do it, it's more fun. But then again, I hate the direction the sports taken toward halfpipe instead of slope.
 
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