If you live up at SilverStar, you might have noticed that the Terrain Park has just opened! We're pretty excited and although we wish that we could run a normal Progression Session in person, DON'T FEAR, we're still here for you. We'll be posting tips for riding the park throughout the season, and of course, send us a DM any time you feel like going for a shred! (Hey you... yes you... before you take any of our tips for words of pure wisdom here is a full disclaimer: we are just a bunch of girls sharing their experiences and tips and should not be used as teaching gold. We're just giving you some tricks that have helped us break down some mental barriers in our snow playground. Any suggestions giving should be used at the riders discretion and judged on their skill level ). Ok back to the fun stuff.
Wait.... where is the park?
At SilverStar, the Terrain Park is split into two sections: the Peanut Park and the Main Park. The best way to access the park is from the top of the Comet chairlift. Take the Whiskey Jack run and then make a right onto Middle Dipper - you should see the park signs! This is the Peanut Park, where most of the beginner features are. This will naturally lead you into the Main Park, which is on skier's left side of the run Big Dipper.
Okay, now what?
If it's your first time in the park and you're not sure where to start, the best thing to do is ride all the way through and have a look at all the features (but make sure you don't stop in any landings... this is how you get featured on jerry of the day or in patrol). As you go through the park, you'll see a variety of rails, jumps, and boxes. We're going to start by giving some pointers on how to not only hit a your first box (p.s this is the easiest feature... building blocks ladies) but how to crush it.
The first trick to learn is called a “50-50” and it basically means sliding straight over a feature, keeping your board/skis parallel with the box. It might seem intimidating but we've broken it down into 5 steps for you to follow!
Step 1
The best place to start is by drawing a box on the ground in the snow. Pretend it’s a real box and you’re going to ride over it. Ride up to your snow box slowly, with your shoulders square and knees slightly bent. Make sure your BASE IS FLAT (whether you’re skiing or boarding). This is the most important bit, so you don’t dig your edges into the box and slip off!
Step 2
Once you’re comfortable with riding with a flat base on your pretend snow-box, it’s time to bring it to the real thing. Find the smallest box in your terrain park – the one that’s shortest and lowest to the ground. This should be marked with an XS or S sign. Ask one of the park crew if you’re not sure (they’re friendly, we promise!). If you're at SilverStar, we recommend the third feature in the Peanut Park. It's a long, flat box and it's not far off the ground if you fall off!
Step 3
Remember what you did on the snow box? Do the same thing here. Ride up with a slow-moderate speed, keep your knees bent and your base flat. Look at the end of the box instead of at your feet (your feet are attached, they aren't going anywhere girls!) We repeat LOOK AT/PAST THE END OF THE BOX.
There might be a small drop at the end of the box, so be ready for this by keeping your knees bent and your weight centered over your board or skis. BUT KEEP LOOKING FORWARD (as if Ryan Reynolds or Harry Styles were at the end of the box having a staring competition with you).
Step 4
Practice, practice, practice! Don’t worry if you don’t get it the first time, but keep trying. Trust us, it gets easier! Remember you have a whole troop of Nitty P fams cheering you on - you got this!
Step 5
Once you’re feeling comfortable, take the 50-50 to a different box in the park. At the bottom of the Main Park at SilverStar, there's a box that goes up and then down - known as an "A-frame". It's a little bigger but keep the same concept! Once you've got that, start trying a little ollie off the end, or get creative with the ways you can slide.
Hopefully, with some practice, you'll be 50-50ing all the boxes in the park in no time! We'll be posting more tips for riding the park soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you see any of us out riding (you can spot us with our NITP jackets), don't be scared to come and say hi. We'll always be keen to ride with you, be your cheer squad and help you out with whatever you're trying to learn (seriously we want to be your woo girls).
Got any questions? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by Hannah Hurley - Official NITP Blog Writer.