Terrain Park: building pods
- Thread starter pk_snow8
- Start date
It depends on the feature and the terrain. Generally on pads though. I like things to be tiered off too. Small flat to down knuckles are perfect to setup up features. Set up 2 features side by side with a cat+ in the middle. Rides nice and looks nice.
I've set features up in the flats just in the ground or barely elevated with the tiniest landing to get some speed. Flat spots or just the ends of the trails.
I don't really like rails set up on high piles of snow though. Some features and some spots it works well, but as a general rule. I prefer a pad that's as flat as possible side to side rather than all the features way up on steep, snowbank like piles.
I've set features up in the flats just in the ground or barely elevated with the tiniest landing to get some speed. Flat spots or just the ends of the trails.
I don't really like rails set up on high piles of snow though. Some features and some spots it works well, but as a general rule. I prefer a pad that's as flat as possible side to side rather than all the features way up on steep, snowbank like piles.
I generally like to keep 2 linear lines going down for jibs with some sort of difference between the features. Easy to switch between lines, can use the same clean pad.
I just whipped this up quick so its not really even but just the concept.
I just whipped this up quick so its not really even but just the concept.
arnie_grape
Active member
where I work we put everything right into the base and use the natural rollers for landings on bigger rails. but tables make sense if you have frequent melting.
13842824:GORILLAWALLACE said:
If it's those spine type tables some places build it kind of fucks you in the end. When it's flat next to the rail, the cat can raise the height of the trail by a few inches easy and bring the height back up. You simply blend that in and then it's solid. You have all that snow on each side backing it.
Some of the really steep spine setups, even if you have the snow half way up a feature, if it's only a few inches thick on each side, it's not really in there that well. Also it's fucking death trying to get snow back packed into the sides every day. Had them at one place I worked and people got taken out. I broke my wrist at one point.
pk_snow8
New member
We’ve almost always built pods, tables, decks, what ever you call them, for every feature. Even small boxes. The idea being that it gives more of a landing which makes for less bomb holes. Our park isn’t flat either... We just get a good amount of really dry snow all season so the landings aren’t hard very often. It has also been to not have to re-build features all the time since it gives the base time to catch up to the rail pod rather than having the rail get buried after one snowfall.
arnie_grape
Active member
13842893:pk_snow8 said:
what does everybody think about this?
I totally thought this was a thing my whole life, no bombholes if you have a good landing right?
but last season was my first year working park in the mountains, and we just put everything directly in the ground with completely flat landings for the most part. and we had pretty much no bombholes until the last 2 weeks of spring. it was a super cold and snowy winter, but I was still surprised. on really busy days the small line would get tiny ruts in the landings but that was it until we had sunny 20C days.
pk_snow8
New member
Yeah, I’m going to try some builds without one this year and see how it goes... I’m thinking Medium features will be best to start with. I just see all these videos from big parks like bear mountain and they don’t really seem to use pods at all... We also don’t have snowmaking and get good amounts of fresh every week which does change our building style a bit vs. Other resorts.
13842947:GORILLAWALLACE said:
Bomb holes depend on type of feature/landing and amount of people.
If people are feeling impact on the landing it will bomb out faster. Also depends a lot on snow quality and temp(especially in the spring)
Flat landing definitely bomb out faster than features with a landing. That said, it doesn't mean features set up in the ground with no landing are set up wrong. It all depends on location. I would rather have a flat rail set up with no landing(especially urban takeoff) than 5 feet high with an awkward lip just to have a landing.
That said regular maintenance is usually enough to keep most parks from getting too fucked up. I don't really think there are any situations where putting features on giant spines outweigh the negatives. I do like some sort of pad in applicable areas though.
hemlockjibber8
Active member
Are we talking about decks like Abortionator is showing or having rails up on spines to make you slide away from the rail if you fall off early?
If you've got the snow, always try to build some sort of deck. It will either give you a decent space to set up on or a nice landing depending on the rail type.
As for rails up on spines; fuck that. It unnecessarily raises the rails, making you fall from higher and causes you to fall harder rather than nicely slide away from the rail as some people think. I've seen so many snowboarders break their wrists when they come off early and land on their toe edge on the spine and it slips out and they whip into the bank. It is also hard to groom so the spines are usually icy. Sure it gives you more leeway before the rails have to get dug out, but that's no excuse for a poor build.
If you've got the snow, always try to build some sort of deck. It will either give you a decent space to set up on or a nice landing depending on the rail type.
As for rails up on spines; fuck that. It unnecessarily raises the rails, making you fall from higher and causes you to fall harder rather than nicely slide away from the rail as some people think. I've seen so many snowboarders break their wrists when they come off early and land on their toe edge on the spine and it slips out and they whip into the bank. It is also hard to groom so the spines are usually icy. Sure it gives you more leeway before the rails have to get dug out, but that's no excuse for a poor build.
