Terrain Parks

With four parks within resort boundaries, Telluride was voted #1 Rocky Mountain terrain park for the 2008 season by OnTheSnow.com.

Whether you want to go big or small, Telluride has a park feature for you to enjoy.  Please start easy and learn the Smart Style rules of the park (described at the bottom of this page).  Each park is described below.  Telluride Ski and Snowboard School offers park specific lessons if you would like to hire an instructor for you or your children to safely learn new skills and tricks in the park.  Please see "lessons" tab for more details on booking a terrain park lesson.

Ute Park - Beginning Terrain Park
You should be comfortable turning, stopping in control and varying turn shape on double green terrain before you ski or ride Ute Park.  If you are with your friends or family and don't feel ready to hit the park features, you can ski next to them on groomed double green terrain.  Mark sure you are still following Smart Style rules of the park.

Ute Park is located off of Lift 11, look for the red flutter flags.  Ute Park was designed for the beginning park guests and families.  The park features a mini snow-cross, rollers, basic small jumps, ride-on boxes.

Beginning Tricks and Skills to try in Ute Park:

Absorbing the rollers ... Imagine a low ceiling over your head.  Keep your head in the same plane while going over the rollers absorbing them with your legs.  You will bring your knees up to your chest at the top of the roller and extend your legs straight at the bottom.  If you're doing it correctly, your head will stay still and your legs will move up and down like a spring.  This is great practice for moving into bump skiing or riding.

Jumping ... First practice jumping up and down on flat snow off to the side of the run.  At the top of a roller or jump, jump just like you did on the flat snow and dive your tip(s) down the hill.  You want to match the angle of your skis or board to the angle of the landing area, thus the need to dive the tip(s) down.  Picture the arc of a rainbow and try to have your jump match that shape.  Start with the smaller jumps.  For the bigger jumps that have a tabletop (this is a no-man's land that you jump over), you need to be going fast enough to land on the downhill landing area.  Landing on the tabletop can hurt you.  Scout out the bigger jumps by looking at them as you ski by before you go on them.

Grabs ... After you have jumping down, you can try grabbing the front, sides or back of your skis or board while in air.  To be successful, you will need to jump a few feet in the air and still hit the landing.

Straight box run ... Approach the box straight on.  Go over the box keeping your skis or board flat.  Your edges will not help you on a box or rail, keep flat.  Absorb the landing like a spring.  Do NOT bail out part way on the box, once you have committed you need to ride it out. 

Polar Queen Park - Intermediate Terrain Park
Polar Queen Park is located off of Lift 5 on Polar Queen.  Look for black flutter flags.  Polar Queen Park was designed for intermediate park riders.  Intermediate park riders should be comfortable on blue to double blue terrain and have already practiced in Ute Park or another beginner park at a different resort.  Polar Queen Park features small to Medium jumps, rollers, rails, and boxes.

Misty Maiden Park - Intermediate to High Intermediate Terrain Park
Misty Maiden Park is located on skiers' right of lower Misty Maiden, accessed off of Lift 4 or the gondola.  Look for the green entry gate.  This park was designed for intermediate to high intermediate park riders.  Misty Maiden Park riders should be comfortable on blues and double blues and have gone on smaller features in Polar Queen Park or another intermediate park.  Misty Maiden Park features jumps, rails, and/or boxes.

Hoot Brown Park - Advanced Terrain Park
Hoot Brown Park is located on Butterfly, accessed by Lift 4 or Gondola.  The gate to Hoot Brown is on skiers left Butterfly, look for a pillar entrance with orange Smart Style signs.  Hoot Brown Park is for advanced park riders only.  You must be an expert level rider or skier and have significant terrain park experience before you enter Hoot Brown Park.  The features are large enough that you are risking serious injury and even death if you go in this area before you are ready to do so.  Hoot Brown Park features large jumps, rails, and/or boxes.

Hoot Brown Park is named after Hoot Brown, a local skiing legend who found great love and success in the park.  You can see his memorial statue on Butterfly, just above Hoot Brown Park.

Four main points of Smart Style© are:

MAKE A PLAN

Every time you use Freestyle Terrain, make a plan for each feature you want to use.

• Your speed, approach and takeoff will directly affect your maneuver and landing.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

• Before getting into freestyle terrain observe all signage and warnings
• Scope around the jumps first not over them
• Use your first run as a warm up run and to familiarize yourself with the terrain
• Be aware that the features change constantly due to weather, usage, grooming and time of day
• Do not jump blindly and use a spotter when necessary

EASY STYLE IT

• Know your limits and ski/ride within your ability level
• Look for small progression parks or features to begin with and work your way up
• Freestyle skills require maintaining control on the ground and in the air
• Do not attempt any features unless you have sufficient ability and experience to do so safely
• Inverted aerials increase your risk of injury and are not recommended

RESPECT GETS RESPECT

• Respect the terrain and others
• One person on a feature at a time
• Wait your turn and call your start
• Always clear the landing area quickly
• Respect all signs and stay off closed terrain and features
  
  Be sure you Know the Code.  Smart Style© is a terrain park specific safety program that you should check out before using terrain parks.  Visit their website at www.terrainparksafety.org to learn more

© terrainparksafety.org