With the dawn of snowboarding, the distant spoiled cousin of skateboarding came terrain parks.

Prior to that, getting air was unacceptable at ski hills. Passes were ripped and egos dented. Now the paying customer wants and demands to have terrain parks.

You might find yourself wondering, what’s a terrain park anyhow, a halfpipe, a skier and boardercross track or tabletop? New age stunts with rails, woops and gaps perhaps!

“A series of features, with hits to let riders express themselves differently than otherwise possible on the mountain,” said Barney Mouat, a long-term Sun Peaks resident and master telemark skier. “Fun buttons after fun buttons.” He said, describing the Sun Peaks terrain park.

So now you know what it is, this park thing, but who’s it for? The answer is, it’s for anyone who dares to enter the realm of airtime.

“People of all disciplines, skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers alike,” Mouat explained, enjoy the adventure of the terrain park. “Beginners, intermediates and advanced are all welcome. Everybody, old or young,” he continued.

As soon as they can get it built, the terrain park at Sun Peaks will be raging. It’s expected to entice the first air addicts early in 2004.

In preparation around 800 hours of snowmaking takes place and once the park is open a snow cat will spend up to the same amount of time maintaining it throughout the winter season.

Mouat said terrain parks help the skier or snowboarder to build skills and technique.

“They improve your skiing! Yeah that’s right! Compensating for all the things that you can’t learn anywhere other than in the park, like jumps or vertical walls,” he said. “The style and aggressive moves convert into everyday skiing very nicely.”

But be advised, once you have plunged into the depths of freedom, chances are you’ll come back every time you ski. The best substitute to powder is a day in the park.

The terrain park at Sun Peaks is located below the Sundance Chair at tower 16.

peter@sunpeaksnews.com

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