It really is. Big parks like Northstar, Carinthia, etc still have big parks, but smaller scale than what they had. One of the reasons Northstar kept up with it was having the same mananger and many of the crew since the old days before Vail.
I've heard a lot of complaints about Park City and probably justified but was cool to see someone post a pretty good size jump there this season.
PWDR has really invested big with the woodward thing. They've connected their brand of ski resorts with parks, the other facilities.
Alterra is a big Vail competitor obviously and still has Mammoth building some huge stuff and everything in between. Some of their other mtns have a smaller park.
Breck and Keystone really scaled back, beaver creeks park all but died, big boulder PA RIP, seemed like they tried to scale back Carinthia more but had a ton of pushback.
Seems like if it's blatantly obvious that the park is doing good business they'll keep it decent but it degrades a bit initially and over time.
Trying to think of when Vail got rid of the US open. Also they got rid of the dew tour. Vail really doesn't like events in the park big or small.
I think thats one of the shittiest things. The parks get scaled back but the culture get's completely stripped sometimes.
Like a rail jam can just be 3 features and a return feature(or not if you're lame) 1 person could build a drop in and a pad and set them and do the handwork in a couple hours. A couple vollunteer judges or park crew after they run the ropeline etc. Can get products donated easy. Idk, get a bunch of people stoked. Hell some parents don't ride park at all but they bring their kid to the rail jams.
Vail just has a blind spot to anything less than trying to nickle and dime the wealthiest people. If 50 kids are stoked who cares.
Vail is like some super generic office space. It works and it makes money, but it's white walls, fluorescent lights, amd endless grey cubicles. It's bland. But they make money and that's all it's about.
Ski areas are a business. A bunch of small mom and pops went out or got bought up because they weren't profitable enough as is. But there are plenty of thriving places that do well and care about the experience. Its always about $$$, but Vail stops there.
